In this middle-grade graphic novel, young Claire is distressed to discover that her family is about to move from their home in the city to the all-too-rural town of Bellevale. Claire’s parents are starting a new organic bakery, and their fights only serve to worry their daughter further. Just when Claire has settled in and made a new friend named Jet, her mom disappears with an artificial-flavoring salesman. Clearly sneaky dealings are afoot and it’s up to Clair and Jet to solve the mystery. What starts out as a perfectly nice bit of realistic fiction about making new friends and dealing with parental disputes ends up morphing into a bizarre and didactic tale of evil artificial ingredients and corporate domination. The art does little to improve the basic problems with tone. And while the recipes in the back of the book look yummy, there is a self-righteousness to this sketchily drawn story that will leave a bad taste in the reader’s mouth. (Graphic fiction. 8-10)
