Some things just go together like chocolate and vanilla, Valentines and hearts, Bruno and his one true love. Can you blame him? This is a romance every sweet tooth can relate to . . . Children especially will love following the action in this black, white, and red adventure that celebrates everyone’s favorite dessert. Grade 1–5—This graphic novel in picture-book format is a slapstick tale of a lovelorn burglar digging his way out of "The Big House" on Valentine's Day. Bruno's quest for the mysterious object of his affection unfolds in a skirmish reminiscent of the Keystone Cops. He stays one ball-and-chained foot ahead of the law, weaving his way in and out of one predicament after another with just-in-time assistance from a Cupid statue that becomes animated. In a punlike joke on readers, the escapee finally succeeds in obtaining what he has been seeking—a mouthwatering ice-cream sundae—but in the next instant the hands of the law prevail and land him back behind bars. Nonetheless, Cupid delivers the inmate a suitably delicious consolation prize. While the book has no narrative text or cartoon-bubble conversation, it is not quite wordless; much of the sometimes-sophisticated plot will be understood via the building signage, newspaper headlines, and "stage sounds" included in the illustrations. The bold, shrewd use of just three colors—black, white, and red—subtly underscores the meaning of every drawing. This clever caper includes many amusing visual details for the easy-reader set and for graphic-novel fans.— Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. "In this slapstick picture book, printed in black, white, and red, lovelorn Bruno the Burglar—in prison stripes, mask, and ball-and-chain—uses a spoon to tunnel out of the Big House on Valentine's Day. Employing comic-style panels, Paul (The Crow [A Not So Scary Story]) creates a wordless tale, except for some sound effects like the “wwwhee waaaa” of the prison siren and pursuers' shouts of “Halt! Halt!” At last Bruno reaches his destination, an ice-cream parlor that reveals his true love (and the title's double meaning)."-- Publishers Weekly "This graphic novel in picture-book format is a slapstick tale of a lovelorn burglar digging his way out of "The Big House" on Valentine’s Day. Bruno’s quest for the mysterious object of his affection unfolds in a skirmish reminiscent of the Keystone Cops...The bold, shrewd use of just three colors–black, white, and red–subtly underscores the meaning of every drawing. This clever caper includes many amusing visual details for the easy-reader set and for graphic-novel fans."-- School Library Journal Alison Paul was born on a Halloween morning. (Her parents are still wonder whether she was a trick or a treat.) She grew up in sunny California and lived a comfortable, snow-free existence until attending the Rhode Island School of Design. She lives in Providence and is an art professor at the University of Connecticut. Used Book in Good Condition