With charming artwork, interesting supporting characters, natural-feeling diversity, and peeks of a richly developed world,...
Thirteen-year-old Aster is of age to find the animal that will deem him worthy to take its shape as a shape-shifter. There’s just one problem. Aster doesn’t want to shape-shift—he wants to do witchery, which is forbidden for boys.
Aunt Vervain teaches witchery to the girls, and Aster hides, taking careful notes—but he’s caught. His mother tells him a family secret: his grandmother’s male twin was attracted to witchery. After dabbling in forbidden magic, he morphed into something terrible, caused a disaster in their village, and was cast out. Though Aster’s horrified, he can’t resist practicing magic alone in the woods. To his delight, it works, but he’s seen by Charlie, a black girl from outside his community, and eventually she becomes the confidante and adviser he’s needed. On the night of the Finding, a boy is taken by a mysterious creature. Aster knows he can help with witchery, but he’d have to admit how much he’s learned. Ostertag’s story is straightforward, acting as a parable for gender conformity that’s pitched just right to middle-grade audiences. Her panels are clear, colorful, and friendly, and her worldbuilding flawless, Aster’s magic-working community sitting cheek by jowl with Charlie’s suburb. Characters are all different races: Aster’s mother appears white, his father appears black, and Aster has darker skin than his mother but has her red hair.
With charming artwork, interesting supporting characters, natural-feeling diversity, and peeks of a richly developed world, this book leaves readers wishing for more. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-08952-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
PROFILES
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock”...
The theme of persistence (for better or worse) links four tales of magic, trickery, and near disasters.
Lachenmeyer freely borrows familiar folkloric elements, subjecting them to mildly comical twists. In the nearly wordless “Hip Hop Wish,” a frog inadvertently rubs a magic lamp and finds itself saddled with an importunate genie eager to shower it with inappropriate goods and riches. In the title tale, an increasingly annoyed music-hating witch transforms a persistent minstrel into a still-warbling cow, horse, sheep, goat, pig, duck, and rock in succession—then is horrified to catch herself humming a tune. Athesius the sorcerer outwits Warthius, a rival trying to steal his spells via a parrot, by casting silly ones in Ig-pay Atin-lay in the third episode, and in the finale, a painter’s repeated efforts to create a flattering portrait of an ogre king nearly get him thrown into a dungeon…until he suddenly understands what an ogre’s idea of “flattering” might be. The narratives, dialogue, and sound effects leave plenty of elbow room in Blocker’s big, brightly colored panels for the expressive animal and human(ish) figures—most of the latter being light skinned except for the golden genie, the blue ogre, and several people of color in the “Sorcerer’s New Pet.”
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock” music. (Graphic short stories. 8-10)Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-59643-750-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
A busy, evocative slice of school life and the trials of a second-generation immigrant.
A Chinese Canadian daydreamer faces the tough realities of school and family life.
Navigating a recently divorced mom, a moody older sister, and a weird grandmother at home, 10-year-old Kevin seeks refuge in his comics. In addition to eagerly awaiting the next issue of Star Odysseys, Kevin imagines and draws his own deep-space adventures. School life comes with further challenges—his former friend (and maybe crush) Lily hates his guts, and as one of his school’s few Asian kids, he’s subject to a fair amount of casual racism. When Kevin brings a century egg to school, he sets off a disastrous chain of events that culminates in a thrilling transformation. Mostly taking place over the course of a week in 1994, the story feels a little disjointed at times, with Kevin’s fantasy world intercutting his real-life struggles. The cultural specificity and humor shine, however: From Kevin’s refreshing lack of self-consciousness about the century egg and his mom’s backbreaking work at the family’s clothing alterations business to his popo’s love of game shows, the portrayals are authentic and lovingly complex. Most characters who populate Kevin’s Toronto are white, except for his family and his two Asian friends (one is Japanese and white, and the other is Chinese from Hong Kong). The detailed, loosely drawn illustrations emphasize the characters’ emotions and convey a sense of bustling energy.
A busy, evocative slice of school life and the trials of a second-generation immigrant. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2024
ISBN: 9781454945840
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023
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