When I read a review that not only compared the Phoebe and Her Unicorn comic strip to Calvin and Hobbes (the parallels aren't hard to see) but went beyond to suggest that Phoebe and Marigold have something that Calvin and Hobbes lack in their character growth and more respectful treatment of other people, I immediately ordered a copy of the first volume. I wasn't disappointed but neither was I quite as impressed. I found this book missing some measure of the laugh out loud humor that pervades Calvin and Hobbes and makes it so special. The character growth was present but probably gains with more time, and I definitely plan on reading more of this cute comic. One thing that I disliked was the order in which the comics were presented, which is presumably the order they were published, but which often interrupts a continuous story line with a one off. This is not an issue when you read the comic once per day but when you're quickly reading through it like a book it's pretty disruptive to the story experience.