A bewitching series opener.
A quirky witch puts her own spin on witchery.
Unlike “typical” witches, Crimson Twill is giggly, cheerful, and colorful. She can’t wait to travel from rural Cackle County and spend her hard-earned money at Broomingdale’s in New Wart City. In search of a cat, Crimson manages to find a lost puppy, whom she promptly rescues from the disapproving saleswitch. On a floor filled with endless pointy witch hats, she finds the only hat she likes, one with an enormous bow—but also finds fellow young witchling Mauve, who has been saving up specifically for it. Crimson opts to be nice instead of wicked. Mauve overheard a boy who said he lost his puppy, so the duo set out to reunite boy and dog. But the puppy gets loose at a fashion show, and Crimson’s pursuit lands her on the runway. Mauve saves the day by applauding Crimson’s “fashion statement”—and the suggestible crowd, which previously ridiculed Crimson’s norm-breaking stylings, follows suit. Instead of buying anything, Crimson acquires something more valuable than gold—friends. The narration’s great humor throughout—featuring puns and wordplay—doesn’t undermine the earnest, wholesome sincerity of Crimson as she navigates the world on her own bighearted terms. Grayscale full-page and spot illustrations—with smeary shading and sharp linework (especially in pointy witch noses)—depict Crimson as pale and Mauve as dark-skinned and show diversity in background witches.
A bewitching series opener. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1463-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Despite missteps, this satisfying follow-up will leave readers hoping for more magical adventures with lovable Jax and...
Jaxon and his friends deal with the fallout from the theft of one of the baby dragons in his charge.
As this sequel to Dragons in a Bag (2018) opens, Kavita, the titular dragon thief, introduces elderly Aunty to stolen baby dragon Mo. Thankfully, Aunty knows someone in Queens who can help return Mo to the realm of magic. Meanwhile, and in alternating first-person chapters, Jax is trying to find Kavi and Mo, as Mo’s siblings have grown ill as a result of the separation, as has Ma, Jax’s magical mentor and grandmother figure. Jax again teams up with his best friend and Kavi’s older brother, Vik. A third is added to their crew with “huge” Kenny, “the biggest kid in [their] class.” (Unfortunately, much is made of Kenny’s size, which feels gratuitous and unkind.) Eventually the trio finds Kavi, Aunty, and Mo, who’ve been abducted by a magical con artist. All’s well that ends well when Sis, the powerful guardian of the magic realm, shows up, but readers may wonder why the narrative decides to grapple with her choice not to intervene in injustice in our world. Her argument that human-caused problems are for humans to solve feels undeveloped, especially in the face of a massive injustice like the trans-Atlantic slave trade (mentioned during the climax and at no other point). Jax is black; Vik, Kavi, and Aunty are Indian American (though Aunty has African ancestry as well); and Kenny is white. The rest of the cast is diverse as well.
Despite missteps, this satisfying follow-up will leave readers hoping for more magical adventures with lovable Jax and company. (Urban fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5247-7049-5
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Joyful and funny.
Three friends fight an evil developer who wants to tear down the magical library.
What should this trio of friends do during summer vacation? Outdoorsy Kit, a White girl, despairs of her friends, Alita and Josh, both kids of color, she really does. Why do they want to read when they could go to the cemetery and get muddy instead? But in the library, Kit discovers an ability: When she touches certain books, she travels to a magical place. Faith, the Black head librarian, her hair in locs, explains with some surprise that Kit is a wizard. It’s a puzzler, Faith tells her, because wizardry doesn’t typically show up until someone turns 18, and Kit is only 10. Faith wants Kit to keep her wizardry a secret, but good luck keeping the knowledge from Alita and Josh, who eavesdrop. So the friends tag along while Kit learns magic (a significant component of which seems to be librarianship), gains a wizard cloak, and befriends Dogon, the half-dog, half-dragon who lives in the magical library forest. With Josh’s and Alita’s attention to detail and Kit’s natural magic, maybe they’ll be able to defeat Mr. Salt, the pink-faced CEO who plans to tear down the library—if impulsive Kit learns to channel her inner chaos and trust her friends. Playful illustrations complement the witty dialogue, dryly ironic narrative voice, and comical villainy.
Joyful and funny. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1493-2
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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