Will leave readers cackling with delight.
In her second outing, Crimson invites her city friends for a country visit.
Spunky, independent-thinking witch Crimson Twill is excited that the friends she made during her New Wart City trip are coming to Cackle County to visit her. Planning a perfect visit for Wesley and Mauve, both of whom, like Crimson, stand out from the crowd, is all she’s been able to think about. But nothing goes according to plan. First, Crimson’s spell mishap in the rotten apple orchard results in a messy rain of rotten applesauce. Then, at the broom fields, where magic flying straw for witch broom bristles grows, an enthusiastic cutting mishap leaves acrophobic Wesley in need of an aerial rescue. Finally, at the croaking corral (where witches catch frog croaks in bottles), an accidental full-force croak to the face leaves quiet Mauve ribbitting uncontrollably at the top of her lungs. The gentle tensions—along with the comedic examples of witch culture (“untidying” rooms is one of their chores)—will charm readers. Just when Crimson accepts that things don’t have to go according to plan for the visit to be a success, the plot tosses a giant curveball at the kids, which gives them another opportunity to turn a mistake into a day-saving, happy accident. Grayscale illustrations play up the humor—especially when it’s messy—and depict Crimson (and family) and Wesley (and his mother) as pale, and Mauve (and her father) with dark skin.
Will leave readers cackling with delight. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781536214642
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
This tater is half-baked.
A young monster fighter faces off against a villainous vegetable.
In this graphic-novel sequel to series opener Catch the Munchies (2020), creature-catcher Carlton Crumple and best friend Lulu are after one hot potato determined to overtake the world with his diabolical Tot Bots. While noshing at the Spuds on Wheels food truck at the local Cactus Fest, Carlton is shocked when one of his king-size Lots o’ Tots sprouts arms and legs and bounds away. Intrepid Lulu catches the rogue tater, bringing him back to the Creature Cave for questioning. The pair teams up with the food truck’s driver, French Fry Thunderknuckle, and they learn about a spiteful spud who not only wants long-simmered vengeance on Thunderknuckle, but also the entire planet. Fremont’s sophomore effort is busy and bright and filled with more puns than fries in a supersized meal. His panels are outlined with heavy black borders that can barely contain their crowded contents and zippy, display-type onomatopoeia. While certainly high on pep, this overstuffed plot feels about as substantial as cotton candy, relying on harebrained gimmicks to move it along. Among a sea of similar titles, this offers little to help it rise above the glut, with yet another tale of a male main character supported by a female who seems more than capable without him. Carlton and Lulu are White; supporting human characters also present mostly White.
This tater is half-baked. (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64595-006-6
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Pixel+Ink
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Shaky rhyme and illogic earn this ghost story a boo.
What’s a ghost to do when her usual haunting ground is slated for demolition?
A ghostly apparition’s normal haunt, a multistory rural library, is currently closed and will be knocked down for reasons unknown. The spirit, who presents as White, is out of sorts until she makes an unlikely ally in a young girl who isn’t frightened of the ghost and wants to save the building. The girl, who has light tan skin and brown hair, works with the Lady to devise a series of plans that will draw attention to the library, including stacking up a winding line of books and then toppling them like dominoes, creating a spectacular slide from unused shelving, and holding ghost-story–telling sessions. Their work pays off, leaving everyone happy. Backmatter connects the story to the Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana, and while the book will most likely be haunting the shelves of Willard for many years to come, it most likely will gather dust elsewhere. The internal logic of the story will have astute readers scratching their heads: Can the girl see the ghost but no one else can? Why are the construction workers who are tasked with demolition terrified of the ghost while other people are not? It’s all related in rhyming couplets that strain for scansion. The illustrations do a lot of heavy lifting, giving the book heaps of visual appeal, but that may not be enough. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Shaky rhyme and illogic earn this ghost story a boo. (author’s note, resources) (Picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: March 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5341-1102-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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