THE WONDROUS WONDERS

A girl in a newly blended family runs away.

Angry over her parents’ divorce, Jo leaves her family’s campground and heads into the forest. While exploring the wilderness, she comes upon two small elves riding tiny horses and follows them through a tunnel. Once on the other side, Jo discovers a village of magical creatures preparing to go to battle to free their friends and family, who are imprisoned by the power-hungry Emperor Tomcat. Busily composed watercolor panels alternate between subdued and cotton-candy hues in this unevenly paced tale. Set in a strange, Wonderland-esque world, the story primarily focuses on Jo’s adventures on the magical side of the tunnel, though many encounters parallel her difficulties back home; ultimately, her escapades leave her willing to embrace her new family. Most characters are animals or human-animal hybrids, including Jo’s closest companions Nouk (a humanoid feline), Maurice (an anthropomorphic fox), and Pompom (a talking bichon). Some characters make fatphobic remarks, mild acts or threats of physical violence occur, and there are a few references in conversation to topics that, though not inappropriate, seem more likely to resonate with adults. Most humans are light-skinned, including Jo and her family.

An at-times disconcerting testament to the power of creating a home amid challenging circumstances.