Frank the bear is having a difficult time at summer camp. Because he's a bear, and even worse, he's the only bear, the other campers are either frightened of him or antagonistic towards him. Frank can't make friends, and he can't even earn a badge! Things are not looking good for Frank.

That is until Ricky, a Raccoon, befriends Frank. They find they have a lot in common--they both are fans of Mega Bunny comics, and they're both on the outside looking in at the camp's social groups and goings on. But Frank and Ricky can make their own fun. But Ricky's idea of fun involves breaking unnecessary--at least of the camp rules, and even getting both of them lost in the woods! Frank wonders how he's going to explain this all when he goes back home or ulp!--gets sent home over his infractions!

And then there's discovering ancient secrets about the long-forgotten Order of the Night Jay. The two decide to pursue clues to the Order of the Night Jay and find themselves in a scrape...

This is where the first issue of the graphic novel ends. Middle-grade readers who want a story with resolution might want to wait for a second book. But readers who have no problem with cliffhangers and readily read series will find Order of the Night Jay an enjoyable read and look forward to future issues. The art complements the story and overall, the book will appeal to both upper-level grade school and middle-school readers.

Recommended: four stars

A cute graphic novel with some fun elements. There was not a lot of character development which made some points a bit unclear, but overall it was a delightful escape!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

**Disclaimer: I received a free advanced readers copy of Order of the Night Jay: The Forest Beckons by Jonathan Schnapp through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.   Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.

Order of the Night Jay: The Forest Beckons by Jonathan Schnapp is a middle grade graphic novel.  It is about a shy, young bear who goes to a summer camp and makes friend with an adventurous raccoon. as no one else seems to want to be friends with the bear.  They get caught up in an adventure.  It was published on July 26th, 2022.  I rated it three stars on Goodreads.

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Making friends can be hard for a nervous bear, even at summer camp. But Frank’s about to discover a mystery… and the camp needs him to save the day!
Frank is perhaps the most un-bear-like bear Camp Jay Bird has ever seen. Actually, he’s probably the ONLY bear Camp Jay Bird has ever seen. And there are tons of bugs, he’s getting picked on, and he can’t seem to earn a single badge! But there’s Ricky, an excitable little raccoon who shares Frank’s love of Mega Bunny comics. But Ricky’s friendship might be more than Frank can handle. After breaking camp rules, getting lost in the woods, and discovering ancient secrets about the long-forgotten Order of the Night Jay, how will Frank explain all this to his dad?

This was a cute graphic novel.  The art style was really cute.  I liked the design of the characters and how adorable they were.   The colours looked really nice, and I liked the way the panels were structured.  It was a very well put together graphic novel.  I also really liked that the characters were animals.   It made it feel more unique than other middle grade camp graphic novels I have read.

The overall premise of the story was interesting to me,  but it felt a little unfinished narratively.   I recognize that it is the first in the series and there is likely more of the story to come.  However, I wanted a bit more of a resolution rather than a cliffhanger ending.  I just wanted a bit more of a longer arc, but it felt like it just abruptly ended when it was starting to get good.

I felt that a lot of the themes in the story were quite relatable.  Everyone feels out of place sometimes.  That's especially relatable to preteens.  This is a story that will be really enjoyable for someone in that age group, and it is a story that I can see kids revisiting again and again.  It was cute, and it was a fun read.  I had a good time reading it, though it wasn't my favourite graphic novel that I've read recently.

If you're intrigued, I would definitely suggest that you check it out.

Schnapp mashes together many middle grade tropes: outcasts who become friends, camp bullies and pranks, and a "spooky" mystery (at the Scooby-Doo level of scariness). Add to this the superhero comic that the two main characters love, a bit of actual nature lore, and some codes and puzzles to be solves. What's amazing is that Schnapp makes this work. A great choice for younger middle grade and ELL readers (the graphic nature helps explain cultural words they may not know, like s'mores!) And, a cliff-hanger ending guarantees they will be clamoring for Book 2.

Frank is a nervous, insecure bear. He makes a friend who leads him into some trouble. The illustrations were engaging, but I couldn't find enough to substance to love in the text. While the characterization is strong, the dialogue between characters is a barrage of mean comments and stepping on others' feelings. I wanted to like Frank and Ricky, but that dynamic just didn't click for me with the story. The ending was frustrating as a reader--I wanted some closure. Overall, it's okay. Not a first recommendation, not terrible. Just okay.

I received an electronic ARC from IDW Publishing through NetGalley.
The artwork is detailed and captures the feel of summer camp. The characters are well designed as they represent the spectrum of campers - a bit stereotyped but some undertones are there. I like the way the author drew a comic within a comic so the main character, Frank, could process how he was feeling. This book is obviously the first in a series and leaves plot holes to be completed in later volumes. The cliffhanger ending works as readers are given a large hint at who is in the mysterious cave and starts to answer who has been calling to Frank from the start of their time at camp.

This was cute! Very nice drawings and fun side stories introducing us to the side characters. Basically it is the story of a shy bear who everyone assumes is aggressive because he is a bear, and his new friend a rowdy raccoon trying to survive Summer Camp. It will appeal to kids who have gone to camp, want to go to camp or are just a little on the shy side.

I found Order of the Night Jay: The Forest Beckons delightfully enjoyable!

The story was filled with actual laugh-out-loud moments for me, I enjoyed the mystery and codes throughout the story, and I know it’ll be a hit with my graphic novel readers at the library.

While there are some plot holes (where are the adults?? Are there other kids at the camp right now? How haven’t they been sued?) and some bits that felt a bit choppy, it was easy to overlook for the enjoyment of the story.

I’m looking forward to reading the next installment!

<i>Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I liked the art and I liked the characters. I really enjoyed the style of art. I think the concept is solid too. The bear and raccoon friends are great.

While the premise and artwork art cute the story is disjointed and at times hard to follow. There is a core element to the story missing. Perhaps more of a backstory about Frank would help. Not recommended.

This graphic novel is different from others in the same genre in that it incorporates the drawings and imagination of the main character as a feature of the story itself.
Frank is a friendly bear who goes to a summer camp that isn't used to having his kind. Instead of the others being fearful of him, they are mean to him, but Frank does make friends with a hyperactive racoon named Ricky. Ricky starts an investigation into The Order of the Night Jay, which pulls Frank in because he wants to keep Ricky safe from danger, but they might end up in danger together now!
This book has really charming illustrations and I always love bear characters! I like that Frank the bear has a vivid imagination and reads comic books. I think a lot of child readers will relate to Frank's character, and conversely, Ricky will also be a reflection for other readers.
While I like the premise of this book, I found myself frustrated because the narrative was often interrupted with other camper's tales. It felt like the author wanted to explore each character's motives, rather than focus on Frank and Ricky, who are the main characters. I wanted to know more about Frank and his motives as he is the underdog of the story and the one whose actions really propel everything forward, so when that got interrupted, I felt like I was missing something or like I was having a little reading whiplash. Additionally, Frank's imagination takes shape in this book through his drawings, which occasionally appear in the book and help shape the narrative, but they weren't woven in enough and so they wound up feeling like interruptions rather than a meaningful addition to the story.
There were some enjoyable "stand-alone" type pages that interrupted the narrative, for example on page 125, there's a page that details the different ways to make S'mores after the campers ate S'mores ,and that made sense, and the page was really fun and cute. Overall, I wanted to feel more connected to our protagonist and sidekick, but instead, I felt that the narrative was unfocused, which frustrated me as the reader.

This kicks off the children's graphic novel series Order of the Night Jay. A fast read for elementary age students that ends in a cliffhanger, but a fun summer camp story. Frank is a very nervous bear who has been sent to Camp Jay Bird, which mostly houses prey animals. He becomes fast friends with Ricky, an easily distracted raccoon and they discover a spooky cave. They get teased by other campers and struggle to get badges but find camaraderie. While Ricky is ready to ditch the camp and explore, Frank wants to play it safe and stay behind, especially when it comes to the spooky cave. The story bounces between character introductions, snippets of hand-drawn comics, and bits of Frank and Ricky's favorite comic, Mega Bunny. Recommended for libraries serving elementary age kids with room on the shelf for graphic novels.

Thank you to Top Shelf Productions and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Order of the Night Jay: The Forest Beckons by Jonathan Schnapp is an adorable children's graphic novel that will appeal to fans of Owly or Captain Underpants. The story revolves around a bear named Frank who is the only bear attending Camp Jay Bird. He meets a raccoon named Ricky, and they become friends. They encounter adventures in the wood, make comics together, and break a ton of rules. What secrets are the woods hiding? And is it after the group of campers?

Overall, Order of the Night Jay: The Forest Beckons is a wonderful children's graphic novel that has plenty of friendship, humor, and excitement. One highlight of this book are the spooky elements. I didn't think from reading the synopsis that there would be anything creepy in this book, but the ending of the book (which ends in a "to be continued..." was a bit mysterious and supernatural. I did take off 1 star, because I'm not the target demographic, so this wouldn't be a 5-star read for me personally. If you're looking for a gift for a child though, or if you're intrigued by the description, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in July!

This book is a fun graphic novel about camp and all of the hiking, bugs and crazy counsellors that a classic kids book about camp must include! The story also has some informational content about the nature the campers are exploring including vocabulary like erosion and fungus. At around 150 pages this graphic novel is long enough to keep young readers engaged for quite a while without being intimidating. Graphic novels are in general very accessible for readers who are transitioning from picture books to chapter books and this book is a perfect transition text for early middle grade readers. As a grade 3 teacher, I could definitely see this book in my classroom library and would recommend this book for parents and teachers of children in the 6-11 age range. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this great new book!

The description of a bear off to camp, meeting new friends, and facing challenges sounds like a wonderful premise. I also enjoyed the artwork and the mix of drawings and sketches. However, this story was disjointed and I found myself flipping back to see if I had missed a page many times as I read it.

Unfortunately, I will not be recommending this book to my patrons.