Sweaterweather: And Other Short Stories by Sara Varon

Posted February 3, 2016 by shooting in Uncategorized / 17 Comments

Sweatherweather: and Other Short Stories by Sara Varon


Review by Lauren


Source: copy for review; all opinions are my own


Official SummaryBack before Odd Duck, before Robot Dreams, Sara Varon created Sweaterweather. This endearing, quirky volume is a captivating look into Varon’s creative process. It combines short comics stories, essays, and journal entries, and invites the reader into the world of Sara Varon: where adorable, awkward anthropomorphic animals walk the streets of Brooklyn and a surprising, sideways revelation is waiting around every corner.


Review: This is a book that I could see wannabe comic writers/artists really enjoying. Before every new comic, there is a little box with the comic title, when it was created, and then information from Varon herself on the style, or the story behind the comic. Sometimes Varon cannot remember the details behind a comic, but for the most part, it’s a nice look into the mind of the artist.

Varon draws in a fun style,  giving animals a human quality and making them the main characters in her little stories. The colors are mostly blue and white, pink and white, or a mix of the three colors. The animals feel simple and fun, but it’s the details in the comic strips that really catch your eye and show Varon’s true talent.

“The Flight” – source

One of the stories I liked was titled “The Flight” and it’s about a cat who sees a plane and has a wish to fly, using pigeons in their quest to do so! This comic does not include any words, so it’s a completely silent story. Regardless, it’s easy to understand – though younger readers might have a fun time creating their own dialogue. In fact, most of these comics do not have words except for the ones that read more like diary entries or include an animal version of Varon doing interviews.

It’s a fun collection and the first 8 stories in the book were published as Sweaterweather in 2003. This version includes Varon’s thoughts, as well as some additional comics!

17 responses to “Sweaterweather: And Other Short Stories by Sara Varon

  1. Oh this looks absolutely ADORABLE Lauren! I love children's books and especially those with little dialogue so they're open to interpretation and discussion. I have to get a copy, this is just too cute to pass up! Thanks for sharing Lauren and putting it on my radar <3 <3

  2. This sounds like a fun book with how every comic has a bit of backgroudn info and gives you an idea what the authro was thinkign when she created them. I like the look of that picture you shared and the mix of three colours works pretty well

  3. I recognize the titles that the author wrote before so I think I'll like Sweaterweather. That cover and the fact it reminds me of a certain song is really cool. The commentaries sound like this is something people who really love comics and their artists will enjoy.

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