In 1990s Toronto, life for Chinese Canadian, comic book–loving middle schooler Kevin Lee is as tumultuous as the roller coaster at his favorite theme park, Thrill Planet. Kevin’s father recently left the family, his mother works long hours as a tailor, and Popo, his grandmother, is “too loud, says weird things, and smells like old people.” At school, Kevin hangs out with a group of boys known as “the Asians” and resents feeling invisible—until he becomes infamous as “Egg Boy” after bringing an egg dish to school for lunch. Even his crush seems to dislike him. Popo advises him to “take ownership” of the situation, but it’s not as easy as simply claiming the name Egg Boy; it requires taking risks and being as brave as the characters in his favorite comic, Star Odysseys. A school trip to Thrill Planet is exactly the chance he needs. In this cathartic graphic novel debut, Xu renders Kevin and his family with lighthearted flair, depicting them as abundantly expressive characters who each sport giant specs. Much of the protagonists’ charm stems from the fact that they all complain loudly (and legitimately) about their own plight while tending to one another’s woes with humor and tenderness. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 12/08/2023 | Details & Permalink

McKinney (the Nightmare-Verse series) critically examines Jane Eyre through a Black, sapphic lens in this incisive remix. To escape her uneasy existence as an outcast at Lowood School in Lancashire, England, 19-year-old Jane Eyre—an orphan whose only crime is to have been born with “the wrong lineage, the wrong hair, the wrong skin, the wrong features”—takes a job as governess for Edward Rochester. Within the decaying walls of broody Thornfield Hall, Jane’s fate becomes inextricably linked with that of the deceptively charming Mr. Rochester, his fearful 10-year-old daughter Adèle, and the secretly confined Bertha Mason, the New Orleans–born wife of Mr. Rochester, who tries to escape her cruel imprisonment at every turn. As Mr. Rochester’s intentions toward Jane grow murkier, her suspicions about her employer skew ever darker, and Bertha’s dire situation grows increasingly precarious. But Bertha has one daring final escape plan up her sleeve—and it involves “stunning” and enchanting Jane. McKinney’s portrayal of Rochester—as rendered via Jane and Bertha’s alternating POVs—as a handsome devil in disguise is as revolting as it is beguiling, and the author’s depiction of Thornfield culminates in a perfectly disquieting setting for the women’s journeys to freedom in this thrilling, compulsively readable novel. Ages 13–up. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 12/08/2023 | Details & Permalink

A teen with the ability to turn invisible finds honor among magical thieves in this daring fantasy by Harbour (the Night and Nothing series). In modern-day Los Angeles, Evie Wilder, an orphaned 18-year-old who lives alone following a family tragedy, can inexplicably turn invisible at will. When a band of burglars robs a museum gala at which Evie is employed as catering staff, she’s forced to put her unpracticed ability to the test. But these aren’t ordinary thieves; they’re La Fable Sombre, the Dark Fable, an ancient society of magical bandits out to steal priceless occult artifacts. After Evie demonstrates her magical prowess, the Dark Fable recruits her, and she relishes in the easy acceptance of this found family. As Evie bonds with the group’s enigmatic members, she falls deeper into the danger that follows them—and the havoc they wreak—and learns that her past may be connected to the Dark Fable’s own fraught history. Overcrowded plotting and a reliance on expository description hampers a suspenseful and emotive plot. Nevertheless, witty dialogue, immersive world building, original magic systems, and emotionally rich characters culminate in a tale that celebrates the intimacy of being seen and accepted. Characters are ethnically diverse. Ages 13–up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 12/08/2023 | Details & Permalink

Affectionately told and vibrantly illustrated, this empowering “Rapunzel” retelling, set in long ago China, features a determined princess in charge of her own fate. Ra Pu Zel, who loves to cook, wears her hair in a braid. Scolded constantly by the empress for being in the kitchen and taking big bites, she locks herself in a tower and refuses to come down, appearing at the window only to draw up baskets of food the empress ties to her braid. Though the princess enjoys eating and playing her flute in peace, the delicious smells of her meals and the sound of her music attract the interest of princes, who set out to coax her down, until the scent of a unique tofu dish beckons her. Kung’s richly hued scenes shimmer with golden-hour light and communicate the protagonist’s spunk through facial expressions and gestures that, combined with Compestine’s well-paced story, makes for a tale that dishes up delight. An author’s note and recipe conclude. Ages 5–8. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 12/01/2023 | Details & Permalink

Substituting water bears for little pigs, Fay’s playfully STEM-centric tale introduces a trio of tardigrades dwelling together “in a cozy little drop of H20.” Though the family has a lovely life “ingesting algae, digesting algae,” and “excreting by-products of algae,” Mother Tardigrade at last tells Gavin, Colin, and Doug that it’s time to explore the big wide world, warning them of the Big Hairy Wolf Spider. As they seek new homes, fiery-tempered Gavin goes in search of an erupting volcano, “cool character” Colin sets out to find an underwater ice cave, and Doug (“not one for spontaneity”) makes his way to the moon. As the Big Hairy Wolf Spider appears in turn at each tardigrade’s doorstep, their ability to endure extremes saves them. Fay’s potato-and-paint artwork gives tidy graphical verve to this laugh-out-loud story of survival superpowers, told in fittingly fact-laden, serio-comic prose. More about tardigrades concludes. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 12/01/2023 | Details & Permalink

In a story with echoes of both “The Fisherman and His Wife” and The Carp in the Bathtub, a brown-skinned girl encounters a fish whose one wish-granting catch proves key to change. After other children, portrayed with various abilities and skin tones, head indoors, lonely Kiki Karpovich finds a giant fish stranded on the asphalt and carries it home. Revived in Kiki’s family bathtub, the fish offers to grant one wish. Kiki’s request for friends prompts an apology—“I am a fish of small wishes,” Arnold writes—and with every “too big” wish, the girl notices the fish growing. Seemingly concerned over its well-being, Kiki acts bravely and, through her actions, sees all of her wishes come true. Mora’s strokes of gouache, layered with inks, colored pencil, and digital collage, depict a blue-green world bubbling with possibility in this folktale-feeling work. An author’s note concludes. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 12/01/2023 | Details & Permalink

A neighborly monster unwittingly teaches a village about community in this simple story based on “The Little Dutch Boy.” In the aftermath of a large flood, fuzzy blue Merv, a gentle giant of a creature with nubby horns, “sat outside the village snacking on plants. It’s just what he did.” From this post, Merv overhears nearby villagers, portrayed with various skin tones, complain about a monster, and—not realizing he’s the issue—sets out in search to do something about it. He consults with a trio of purple witches, a pale-skinned bridge troll, and three sparkle-obsessed unicorns, but though each offers their unique services (“It’s just what we do”), none suit his needs. And as he returns to the village, he and others come to understand the wide-ranging import of Merv’s own contributions. Cenko’s desaturated digital illustrations lean into greens and browns, making Merv the bright blue center of attention in this winning retelling. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 12/01/2023 | Details & Permalink

After encountering discrimination, an Irish Traveller child is offered comfort through the bedtime story that forms this lilting, nature-steeped work. In melodic prose, DeBhairduin weaves a tale about a time when no snails existed in the world, while slugs “lived wild and free, with no shell to bind them.” Roaming the world, “they knew they were on the way to where they needed to be.” One day, two slug brothers meet a crow who inquires about their home. Ashamed, the younger brother determines to make an abode “round and winding... like the roads he had travelled,” and begins to inhabit a shell, while the older brother considers the world his home. Anima’s radiant illustrations illuminate fine details within vast landscapes in a gentle work about perspective and connection. A note about Travellers concludes. Ages 4–7. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/01/2023 | Details & Permalink

Through the lens of a charismatic cartoon ant born into a colony of realistically rendered leafcutter ants, biologist and cartoonist Hosler (The Way of the Hive) highlights entomological wonders and examines how humans seek to understand nature through storytelling in this informative and danger-filled graphic novel. As the only talking ant in the colony, Rubi passes the time in her subterranean agricultural palace by telling stories to silent worker ants chopping leaves for their fungus garden, a food source and larvae nursery. Seeking companionship, Rubi leaves the colony, only to face myriad perils. While under attack by a camouflaged lizard, Rubi saves Miranda, another talking insect. Together, the new friends flee the “death tongue,” avoid unfriendly ants, and fall into an antlion’s trap. When Rubi discovers that Miranda may be a phorid, an insect that lays its egg inside an ant’s head, she must decide if she can risk remaining friends with her species’s mortal enemy. Vibrant drawings and Hosler’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the natural world combine to form this cheerfully gross depiction of how ants feed and incubate larvae, preserve food, or become food sources themselves, with poop playing a pivotal role in many of Rubi’s activities. Ages 8–12. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary Management. (Mar.) ■

Reviewed on 12/01/2023 | Details & Permalink

Truffles the feline enjoys an idyllic life with his human Sasha. But the spoiled house cat’s tranquility ends when Sasha decides that Truffles is lonely and needs a friend. Sasha soon brings home a box containing a puppy named Poppy, who rockets from the container and declares herself a puptective looking for a mystery to solve. The horrified house cat immediately retreats to nap, leaving Poppy to “puptect” her first mystery on her own. Poppy’s detecting drives Truffles to plot to oust the perpetually perky pooch. But Truffles’s attempts to sabotage Poppy’s investigations—including breaking a vase, eating Mom’s birthday cake, and digging up flowers—fail spectacularly. Sneakier efforts are needed to rid his home of pesky Poppy, prompting Truffles, disguised as the Blanket Bandit with Poppy’s purloined throw, to craft a mystery filled with Rube Goldberg–style traps to snare the canine. When Truffles’s plan succeeds too well, he must solve the mystery of the discouraged puptective’s heart’s desire: a real detective’s badge. In this effervescent graphic novel series opener, energetic illustrations by Tysoe (Emi Isn’t Scared of Monsters) capture the duo’s humorous antics, while the protagonists’ differing personalities promise plentiful schemes to come. Truffles and Poppy drawing lessons conclude. Ages 6–9. Agent: Maile Beale, Arc Literary Management. (Mar.)

Correction: This review has been updated to reflect a character's pronouns.

Reviewed on 12/01/2023 | Details & Permalink