Believe Your Eyes

The husband-and-wife team of Doerrfeld (Matilda in the Middle) and Page (the Chicagoland Detective Agency series) launch the Cici: A Fairy’s Tale series about a Latina girl who discovers she is a fairy. With Cici’s 10th birthday approaching, she unexpectedly sprouts pink wings one morning. Her abuelita then reveals her own wings and tells Cici that the two of them are hadas, or fairies. Cici’s powers include “fairy sight”: her mother seems to use octopus arms to juggle multiple tasks one busy morning, while Cici’s younger sister retreats into a turtle shell, upset by their parents’ impending divorce. This is essentially a setup tale—a plot line in which Cici and her friend attend a hot tub party competing with Cici’s birthday plays into a follow-the-crowd vs. be-yourself dynamic that helps Cici decide whether to embrace her newfound magical heritage. While the plot is fairly thin, Doerrfeld and Page’s vivid cartoons are full of humorous details, while reflecting the deeply felt emotions of a family in transition. Ages 7–11. Author’s agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (Apr.)