A likable protagonist and fantasy elements make this well-trod ground feel fairly fresh
A fledgling Latina fairy learns she must use her magic responsibly.
Quintessential preteen Cici is trying to make sense of a turbulent time in her life: her dad has moved out, she's lost her best friend to the popular clique, and she's learning to control her nascent fairy powers. She has the "fairy sight," which means she sees people with a sort of enhanced vision that helps her understand them (for example, she sees her harried mother as a multitasking octopus). One day at school she finds popular white classmate Kendra's beloved princess doll (fairy sight reveals Kendra to be something of a princess as well). Cici, seizing the opportunity to use her powers, chooses to wield them in an unkind way. When Abuela, also a fairy, finds out what she has done, Cici must own up to her wrongdoings. The plot—a friendship-tinged riff on the "with great power comes great responsibility" theme—is instantly familiar, even with the fantasy elements. Doused liberally with a comely array of warm pinks and purples, the panels have a keen focus on facial elements and hold a high visual appeal. Though this series outing doesn’t explore its issues with much real depth, the pleasing style and familiar subject matter help to compensate, leaving this with a very episodic, sitcomlike feel.
A likable protagonist and fantasy elements make this well-trod ground feel fairly fresh . (Graphic fantasy. 7-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4677-6153-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
Kibuishi gives his epic tale a hefty nudge toward its long-building climax while giving readers plenty of reasons to stick...
Stonekeeper Emily frees the elves from their monstrous masked ruler and sets out to rejoin her brother and mother in the series’ penultimate episode.
The multistranded storyline picks up with Emily’s return to the world of Alledia. Now a fiery, destructive phoenix struggling to regain control of her actions, Emily goes on to follow her brother Navin and allies as they battle invading shadows on the nearby world of Typhon, then switches back to human form for a climactic confrontation with the Elf King—in the course of which Emily rips off his mask to a chorus of “ERGH!! NO!!! GRAH! RRGH!! AAAGH!” to expose a rousingly hideous face. Cute animal heads on many figures (the result of a curse) and a scene with benevolent-looking trees provide at least a bit of relief from the grim expressions that all the human and humanoid elven characters almost invariably wear. But along with emphatic sound effects, the battle and action scenes in the cleanly drawn, if sometimes cramped, panels feature huge blasts of fire or energy, intricately detailed giant robots, weirdly eyeless monsters, and wild escapades aplenty to keep the pace’s pedal to the metal. Aliens and AIs in the cast come in a variety of hues, elves are a uniform gray, and except for a brief encounter between Emily and a slightly darker lad, the (uncursed) humans default to white.
Kibuishi gives his epic tale a hefty nudge toward its long-building climax while giving readers plenty of reasons to stick around for it. (Graphic fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-545-85002-5
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
Skip this meal.
Four foodstuff friends help a student stave off ill effects from a brushed-aside breakfast.
Snacks are absolutely not allowed in Mrs. Sternbladder’s classroom at the James H. Pinchkid Elementary School. When the four taco-ingredient Hunger Heroes—Tammy the tomato, Leonard the cheese, Mr. Toots the bean, and Chip Ninja the tortilla chip—get an alert about a student’s missed meal and his flagging energy before a big test, they immediately take to their taco hovercraft to save the day. This job won’t be easy: An autonomous vacuum, a gym full of dodgeballs, and a snack-loathing teacher all stand in their way. The first in a proposed series, this graphic hybrid is bland as white bread. All the elements are seemingly there: cute, cartoony characters, silly jokes galore, and zippily paced chapters. Unfortunately, the whole never quite equals the sum of its parts. The characterizations are thin, the resolution is quick and questionable, and many scenes feel like dreaded heavy-handed teachable moments having all the allure of a brownie made from brussels sprouts. There is little connection for its readers, who most likely will wonder why they should care about a kid (hardly more than a name and a face) who missed breakfast and why taco ingredients care so much. Humans portrayed throughout show a range of skin tones; however, there is little differentiation between adult and juvenile characters.
Skip this meal. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6282-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
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