Wizkit: An Adventure Overdue

In the vein of Adventure Time and Regular Show, debut creator Scott conjures a surreal sojourn about finding magic in the mundane and learning that even the most tedious endeavors can become a grand adventure. Cyclops cat Wizkit, a wizard-in-training, has always shown aptitude in her magical studies, but she also has a penchant for laziness, often enchanting household objects to do her dirty work. When her wise and wizened teacher tasks Wizkit with returning sentient Book—who’s absolutely devastated that they’re overdue to the library—the ordinary, two-day-long task becomes more fantastical with every road traversed. Scott’s jewel-toned palette and gently rounded panels render bizarre settings and delightfully far-fetched situations to craft a graphic novel jaunt that explores the precept of kindness and the need for connection, whether through acquiring knowledge, friends, or confidence in one’s abilities. Witnessing Wizkit’s small steps toward self-discovery is rewarding, and through her encounters with mystical creatures great and small, and her hesitant efforts to help them weather varying conflicts, Wizkit learns what Scott posits is the greatest lesson of all: perspective. Ages 8–12. Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn. (Apr.)