Cassandra’s struggles and triumphs make this an entertaining series opener with broad appeal
French author-illustrator team Bottier and Canac bring a new graphic-novel series across the pond with this first volume.
At 14, Cassandra is in for some big and largely unwelcome changes. Her single mom is getting serious with a new partner, whose own daughter is not a fan of Cassandra’s, creating tension at home. Meanwhile, her best friend has just announced she is moving away. Through it all Cassandra questions whether now is the time to embrace her power. This Cassandra is no harbinger of doom, although she does have a unique gift: the ability to communicate with animals in images and feelings. Compelled to act when she sees a poster of a missing tabby called Titus, Cassandra takes on her first case, using her psychic ability to track Titus down with the help of Miss Dolly, her beloved Old English sheepdog (incorrectly identified in the backmatter as an English shepherd and as having a bobbed tail), and some new friends met along the way. The full-color paneled illustrations are vibrant, with a touch of anime inspiration. Though the tale turns preachy at times, the teenage protagonists grappling with angst and change combine with the fast-paced graphic form to make this a great hi-lo option for younger YA readers as well as middle-grade audiences. Brown-skinned Cassandra’s mom presents white, suggesting Cassandra’s either biracial or adopted, and her best friend presents East Asian in the illustrations.
Cassandra’s struggles and triumphs make this an entertaining series opener with broad appeal . (Graphic fantasy. 8-13)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4397-3
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: May 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Wonderfully weird.
The first third of the ancient epic Beowulf adapted for a young audience.
Long ago, in an unnamed suburb, lived Carl, “detector of gold,” who, with toys and treats, cemented a lasting legacy of childhood revels. As time claimed countless kid-kings, the cardboard crown was passed on. Roger, king of our age, turns his ambitions skyward and constructs Treeheart, a stronghold against such evils as bullies. But the safehouse is besieged by detractors, the worst of them the dreaded Mr. Grindle, a cranky middle-aged man able to condemn kids to the pall of adulthood with a single withering touch. One wild night, Grindle desecrates the hall, heralding an age of silent sorrow. Hope washes in from foreign ’burbs in the form of Bea Wolf, “bride of battle,” with “sixty kids’ strength” in each hand. Will she reclaim Treeheart from Grindle’s fell grasp? Weinersmith’s richly evocative turns of phrase run the gamut from hilarious to heart-rending and maintain the flavor of the original without bogging the pace down amid the kennings. Boulet’s illustrations imbue the shenanigans with gleeful energy and a touch of dark absurdity that children, seeing their own fears and triumphs reflected, will delight in. However tempted time-broken adults might be to scoff at the slapdash magical realism and sympathize with Grindle, doing so in the face of such an unabashedly joyful ode to the freedom of the child’s mind is an impossible task. The cast of characters is diverse.
Wonderfully weird. (note detailing the history of the original and the author’s adaptational techniques, sketchbook) (Graphic novel. 8-12)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-77629-7
Page Count: 208
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
A hilarious, action-packed romp with appeal far exceeding its amorphous appearance.
A trio of intrepid slime molds must stop a bad guy blob from taking over their crew.
This goofy graphic novel explores the imagined lives of homemade slime molds created by three kids—brown-skinned siblings Bailey and Sophia and their friend Jayden, who is Black—who run a small business concocting, marketing, and selling slime by mail. When they leave their labors, the slimes come to life. Realizing that any one of them could be the next one sold, disgruntled slime Boris takes drastic measures to gain control. His efforts turn tyrannical, and he terrorizes unsuspecting peers, biting some of the other slimes and turning them into zombies. In a melodramatic flourish, he attempts to create an army to destroy the shop. Sparkly pink, supersweet Polly catches on quickly. To counter his cruelty, Polly enlists a few friends to undertake a quest across the neighborhood in hopes of gaining the wisdom of the oldest “Original” slime before facing Boris head-on in a dramatic finale. The slime shop concept, as conceived by Youtube “Slime Queen” Garcia, may seem esoteric for those who don’t follow the hobby, but a peppy, character-driven plot and jewel-toned illustrations of the slime squad’s starring cast quickly mold the popular creative pursuit into a relatable adventure. The story of the young entrepreneurs trying to find their small-business foothold is a loosely conceived but satisfying framing device.
A hilarious, action-packed romp with appeal far exceeding its amorphous appearance. (slime recipes, character sketches) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9780358446453
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Versify/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
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