Is this graphic novel series suitable for children?

While the illustrations are still adorable and relatable, the text is clunky and poorly translated, making it hard to follow. I'd recommend it for older kids or adults who are familiar with Scotton's work.

What's the deal with the font?

Unfortunately, the font is a total disappointment – it's hard to read and adds to the overall underwhelming experience. I'm not sure what Scotton was thinking with this design choice.

Is this series worth the money?

It's a decent value for money, considering the brand and reputation. But if you're looking for a high-quality graphic novel, you might want to look elsewhere.

Can I return this if I don't like it?

The return policy is unclear and confusing. I'd recommend contacting customer support to get a straight answer.

Is this series a good representation of Scotton's work?

Unfortunately, no. This series is a far cry from his earlier masterpieces like Russell the Sheep and Clare in the Community.

What's the deal with the publishers?

It's clear that they're more interested in cashing in on Scotton's success than investing in quality content. Shame on them, if you ask me.

Is this series suitable for adults?

While it's still a decent read, the text is clunky and poorly translated, making it hard to follow. I'd recommend it for older kids or adults who are familiar with Scotton's work.

Can I get a refund if I don't like it?

Contact customer support to get a straight answer. They might be able to help you out.

A Disappointing Dive into Graphic Novels

***

About the Creator

Robb Scotton is a renowned and successful British artist, illustrator, and graphic designer. Born in the UK in 1960, he graduated from college with honors in graphic design. He worked in the design industry, specializing in print and textiles. His big break came with the creation of the Russell the Sheep series, which captured the hearts of readers worldwide. He followed this up with another artistic triumph – the lovable Clare in the Community series.

After achieving massive success, Robb retired to a quaint English village, where he lives with his wife, also a talented artist. He sold the rights to Clare and retreated to the countryside to focus on his personal life.

Meanwhile, publishers are busy milking the cute, stylish, and flawless characters for all they're worth. They're exploiting the charming images, ignoring the content, translation quality, and accuracy of the information in the books. Their goal? Maximize profits, minimize investments.

Robb Scotton seems oblivious to his characters' fate, as long as the royalties keep rolling in.

This is a classic case of exploiting a beloved brand for financial gain. It's a shame, really.

This is a story about how I got taken in by the Shmack series. I'm sharing my experience to help others avoid the same mistake.

The Allure of the Shmack Series

The Russell the Sheep series has been a massive commercial success, with millions of copies sold worldwide. And it just keeps growing – the series has already reached 41 volumes:

Shmyak's Book Series. I was sold on the popularity of Shmyak, and it looks like the print shop isn't stopping there.

The idea of getting people to buy series and collections isn't new – it works like a charm. Many people fall for this old trick: buy the whole set.

The prices are steep, ranging from 150 to 500 rubles per book. If someone's desperate to collect, they'll shell out for a collectible booklet – that's what the marketers are counting on, and they're not wrong.

It's a clever tactic, but I fell for it. I started with just three books at a reasonable 150 rubles each.

I showed them to my two-year-old, and they seemed to enjoy it – especially the Moon Cat.

It was a nice feeling, so I went back to the Clever Publishing website and bought the rest of the series on sale. I got each book for 110 rubles, which was a good deal.

The books are 32-page brochures with a 23.5 x 15.5 cm format. There's nothing to read – just the same old pictures of cats and mice.

Shmyak's Book Series. We flipped through them once, read a bit, and put them on the shelf. Meanwhile, the Clever folks pocketed my hard-earned 1,500 rubles.

Lesson learned – don't get caught up in the hype.

______________________________

Now that we've got the money situation sorted, let's talk about the books themselves.

The Disappointment

I think it's a shame that such unique, original works of art by a famous artist like Robb Scotton are paired with such subpar text!

I noticed that each book has a different author's name under the bold name of Robbie Scott's, and it's a team of artists reproducing images of kittens and writers crafting stories.

Not one to slack off, I looked them up online. Only one woman, Laura Driscoll, has written four books of her own, two of which, about a fairy, are even translated into Russian. Other authors are unknown copywriters who unexpectedly rose to fame solely by writing texts for Shmeka.

The translator is T. Pokiadaeva. But I'd be embarrassed to flaunt my surname in the same way.

The text is clumsy and primitive. It looks like it was translated on a computer.

Unknown writers in a mediocre translation.

This explains why the stories are unengaging and sometimes nonsensical. Some simple everyday phrases are used. Moreover, there are so few of them. On some pages, you might see just one sentence or even a phrase.

Comic book format.

And if the businessmen hadn't been so stingy and found a decent writer, there would have been a better story and the artwork would have played differently...

Here's your humiliation...

Deception and Lies

These booklets are presented to the customer as if they're educational materials. On the covers, there are bold titles:

big font and simple phrases for a first read.

And that's a lie. The font is not that big. It's more like a small one. It looks like a italic style.

It looks nice, but it's not suitable for a first read.

The text color was chosen poorly. It's dull. Not black, but gray.

I have to strain my eyes to read this.

The pages are glossy and reflective, especially on a dark background.

I couldn't see anything without my glasses (I'm +2 and can barely read kids' books with large text).

But this e-book isn't the problem:

Poor font qualityEven simple sentences are hard to read.

The word TELESCOPE appears twice on every page in the book Moon Cat.

My favorite 'simple' sentence:

'Kittens set up the telescope on a tripod.'

Other books are full of nonsense too, like the poems in Mice Brothers:

'Waiting for guests is almost as exciting as fish kulebyaka!'

It's just gibberish.

Even a 2.5-year-old wouldn't find it interesting.

__________________________________

I'm sure some people will say, 'Your kid is too young, he doesn't understand yet...'

But that's not true.

He's actually a bit ahead.

Let me give you an example.

I bought him a book called Encyclopedia of Construction Equipment (174 rubles, published by Umka) because he loves big construction machines.

He's interested in construction equipmentThe book is A4 format, 48 pages, and has a hard cover (I'm comparing it to the e-book).

So, every evening, he'd ask me to read it to him until he learned the basics.

He'd carefully look at the pictures and listen as I summarized the text in my own words (the text is a bit complicated).

So, he can now tell the difference between an excavator and a bulldozer. He knows what a grader, a hydraulic hammer, and a road roller are...

We even drew them together.

Bulldozer:

My CreativityI used these books to reinforce my knowledge during walks.

Excavator:

And check out this cool machine we spotted while the workers were on their break.

Small Construction EquipmentWhile the workers were on their break, we snuck up and took a photo of it.

This is interesting.

And this cute one's called Shmyaki with Mice – for the girls.

If there were any adventures in there, maybe a 2.5-year-old boy would get interested.

But all he liked was the telescope. And the cat in the wheelchair freaked him out.

Everything I've written about these books is in my separate reviews:

The Moon Cat

Amusement Park

Mouse Brothers

Let's Play!

Kitten Shmyak - Little Entrepreneur

To stop you from making an impulsive purchase of the entire series, I'm giving a low rating and not recommending it.

Try buying just one book first – I'm not even sure which one to suggest, they're all pretty pointless. Maybe the one about the telescope...

As for me, I've learned a valuable lesson – be cautious of series that seem too good to be true.

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