by Natasha Deen ; illustrated by Lissy Marlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 30, 2022
An easy, breezy read with just the right amount of chills.
A spooky adventure rooted in Guyanese folklore.
It’s a good thing that fourth grader Asim Macinroy loves creepy stuff, because the new island town his family has moved to—Lion’s Gate, Washington—is one weird place, from the mysterious lab where his mom and dad work to the strange lights and hovering objects at night, not to mention the monstrous-looking tree in the cemetery. Asim quickly finds himself befriended by Rokshar Kaya, who aspires to be a scientist and cultivates a far more skeptical attitude toward the supernatural than Asim. But when the tree appears to be infecting people and turning them mean, including their beloved teacher Mx. Hudson, who is nonbinary, the duo work together to come up with a solution. A promising start to a new series, this simple, fast-paced illustrated chapter book nicely blends scientific processes with folklore—Asim’s mother, who is Guyanese (his father presents White), tells Asim about Dutchman trees, said to be inhabited by human spirits. The tale is never overly frightening, and the open-endedness of the story is especially effective, leaving readers to decide what really happened and whether they are Team Asim or Team Rokshar or somewhere in between. The author’s note offers a compelling description of the folklore of the silk cotton tree that inspired the story, giving a glimpse into history and culture. Illustrations depict Rokshar as brown-skinned and Mx. Hudson as light-skinned.
An easy, breezy read with just the right amount of chills. (Fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-48887-4
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
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by Jonathan Stutzman ; illustrated by Heather Fox ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021
Cute as a boo-ton—if a tad stereotypical.
Ghost siblings ghoul it up in a new graphic-novel series.
A “THUMP” from the attic sends siblings Fitz and Cleo up to investigate. The spooky vibes delight Cleo, so she improvises “The Spooky Attic Song.” Fitz tries to shush his sister so they can maintain “the element of surprise” as they approach the sound’s source. The mystery is solved: It’s a cat! Cleo promptly scoops the (seemingly mortal) cat up and names him Mister Boo. Fitz has reservations but relents when Mister Boo sits on his head. Ten subsequent chapters, varying between four and seven pages in length, chronicle the trio’s further shenanigans. Husband-and-wife team Stutzman and Fox create an entertaining early graphic novel in the vein of Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series. Though there are occasional speech bubbles, dialogue is most often connected to the speaker by a solid black line. Sentences are short, and there are at most two speakers per panel. Additionally, with no more than six panels per page and simple backgrounds, the story provides adequate support to emerging readers. Fox’s expressive illustrations and clever use of panel layouts effectively build off the humor in Stutzman’s text. Cleo is depicted with a purple bow; Fitz with a baseball cap and glasses. Unfortunately, their personalities as well as their appearances play into gender stereotypes.
Cute as a boo-ton—if a tad stereotypical. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-23944-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
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by Hannah Barnaby ; illustrated by Anoosha Syed ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2020
No need to be afraid of monsters after reading this sweet and unusual friendship story.
A boy discovers that monsters are real—and that one lives under his bed.
The monster and the boy—no names given—share a bedroom, but they have never met. The monster is nocturnal and has lived under the boy’s bed for many years; he knows the sound of the boy’s voice and loves the smell of his dirty socks. One night the boy’s mother reads her son a book about monsters, and she tells him that there is no such thing as monsters. Knowing this is untrue, the monster decides to introduce himself. Predictably, this doesn’t go as well as the monster expects, and when the boy screams, the monster swallows him in a panic. This is distressing for both the monster (who just lost his only friend) and the boy (who now finds himself trapped inside a stomach). Eventually the monster coughs the boy out—only to discover the boy is now grasshopper-sized. Humor ensues. In archly amusing fashion, the author breaks the fourth wall—this is marked by teal-colored page backgrounds—reassuring readers during potentially scary parts of the book, filling in background details, or collegially including them in aspects of the storytelling. Teal-flecked grayscale cartoons appear on almost every page, making this a solid choice for new independent readers. As depicted on the cover, the boy has tightly coiled brown curls and pink skin.
No need to be afraid of monsters after reading this sweet and unusual friendship story. (Fantasy. 6-9)Pub Date: July 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-21783-7
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
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