Ozy and Millie: Perfectly Normal, an intelligent middle grade comic

Dana Simpson is the author of Phoebe and Her Unicorn. When you visit a middle school or elementary school library you’ll be lucky to see any of them in their collection. They are certainly in the collection, but there’s usually a line of people who are trying to read them. Ozy and Millie are two foxes who have lived in Simpson’s mind since before Phoebe or her unicorn saw the ink of a printer. Perfectly Normal is the second collection featuring Ozy and Millie.

These comic strips are smart and more observational than their sister. They are funny and have a slightly higher laugh point than Phoebe. If you’re a girl, aged 11-15 then Ozy and Millie Perfectly Normal is perfectly suited for you. It will also appeal to those readers who like a great comic strip who are 15 and up. Some of the comic strips deal with the changing dynamics of teens, those subtle looks that they change, as well as some deeper issues like being patient and being a good human. What Simpson really does well, in addition to any classic comic strip is transposing the esoteric with the silly.

A great example of this is when Avery, a friend of theirs is trying to deal with his younger brother who is being annoying. Ozy is patiently explaining about finding inner serenity and the philosophy of being calm. While that’s happening Avery’s younger sibling, Timulty, comes up and says that he found something in his nose. The next couple of strips take that intersection of mature awareness and disgusting youth to disparate levels of both.

That’s a sense of humor that is rarely displayed this effectively in comic strips. Calvin & Hobbs set up that observational awareness very well, with either of those characters playing the heel at different points.

Ozy and Millie parry and thrust like that too. More of the middle school elements are infused in this book because of Avery too. He’s very concerned with his status and to an extent, popularity. I really enjoyed Ozy and Mille Perfectly Normal. However, our 11 year-old son didn’t enjoy it as much as Phoebe and Her Unicorn. I think that’s because the book does skew just a little bit older than him. It’ll be neat to see if he digs Ozy when he’s in middle school. These comic strips are funny and there isn’t any inappropriate content that librarians or parents would find off-limits for those readers of any age. Those readers might not laugh at them, but it’s only because they don’t get the joke yet. For those readers or those who are just on the fence, there is a glossary in the back and a list of the important people or historical figures mentioned in the book that readers might not know.

Ozy and Millie Perfectly Normal is by Dana Simpson and available on Andrews McMeel Publishing.

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