A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm

A barefoot, redheaded goatherd embarks on a brave quest in Stead’s warmhearted middle grade debut, told via nonlinear chronology and tongue-in-cheek prose. Since being conscripted into service as an orphaned six-year-old, Bernadette has tended the two dozen goats upon which a royal castle rests. Now 12, Bernadette lives in a hut she built from castle dwellers’ refuse. When her friend, Perseverance the turtle, is declared a Royal Delicacy and imprisoned pending a feast, Bernadette abandons her post and commences a rescue mission (secretly hoping that the castle goats seize the opportunity for freedom while she’s gone). The start of Bernadette’s journey serves as the opening of this whimsical adventure, which follows the protagonist as she paddles down the River of Uncertainty in the Boat Who Does Not Grant Wishes, accompanied by a once-extraordinary magician who has misplaced his memory, but not his sense of adventure. Stead employs delightfully absurd, intricately labyrinthine plotting to comedic and dramatic effect, wittily manipulating structure and narrative while using clever wordplay to weave an inspiring tale that intrigues from the jump. Finely lined grayscale artwork renders the ragtag cast with rich texture and fairy tale charm. Ages 10–up. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary. (Apr.)