(1) YA A funny and fast-paced feminist adventure masterfully told through the comics medium. This alternate-Victorian-era fantasy opens after Jane's parents' death. Since women can't own property, the family estate and fortune will pass to Jane's odious male cousin -- who gives her a week to pack her bags and leave. Unless she can secure a dowry via marriage, she will be penniless as well as homeless. Jane, along with everyone in her seaside village, buys into the dominant and oppressive standards of beauty; she's realistic about the fact that her appearance leaves her with few marriage prospects. While she may be considered plain, Jane is exceedingly clever: she proposes marriage to Peter, a gorgeous fisherman forced into the trade by his toxic father. "We both have problems, and this would solve them." But those plans are thwarted after Peter is kidnapped by a man-eating mermaid, and Jane embarks on an epic undersea journey to rescue him. Along the way, she meets folkloric creatures (selkies, crones, a water demon, etc.) and gains knowledge and the confidence to challenge societal norms. Brosgol's (Be Prepared, rev. 5/18; Anya's Ghost, rev. 7/11) magical story is full of quirky and indelible characters; smart surprises and plot twists; and laugh-out-loud dialogue. Stellar world-building and cinematic cartooning effectively pace the narrative, building suspense and emphasizing moments of horror. Textured colorwork adds further depth to plot and setting, and an author's note invites readers to interrogate the worlds (both real and fictional) with which they come into contact.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) K-3 The "strongest guys in the whole forest" are the Little Guys--small pastel-colored creatures with acorn-cap hats and stick arms and legs. This presumed root-for-the-underdog story takes a humorously unexpected turn as close observation shows the Little Guys obnoxiously stealing food from the other forest animals ("None for you! All for us!"). Brosgol's jewel-toned mixed-media illustrations are imbued with humor both subtle and exaggerated, enhancing and extending the spare text.

Reviewer: Emmie Stuart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(1) 4-6 Color by Alec Longstreth. Brosgol's fictionalized graphic memoir captures the ups and downs of Russian American preteen Vera's stint at a Russian Orthodox summer camp. She struggles with strict rules, lack of modern conveniences, and drama involving her older tentmates. The tone is accessible, vulnerable, and hilariously kid-centric. A monochromatic army-green palette reinforces the natural setting in the smartly paced panels, and a cliffhanger ending hints at a possible sequel.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(2) K-3 Graphic novelist Brosgol makes an impressive picture-book debut with this inventive story about an old woman's quest to knit in peace. Repetition grounds the out-of-this-world elements (fleeing "little green moon men"; entering a wormhole); Brosgol's richly colored illustrations in an autumnal palette also place us in familiar folktale territory, combining an early-twentieth-century Eastern European vibe with a contemporary sense of humor.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(1) YA Anya falls into an abandoned well. There she meets Emily, who's been dead and trapped inside for ninety years. When Anya is rescued, Emily goes too. Having a ghost for a best friend is "awesome"--at first. Brosgol portrays teenage relationships with a subtle touch throughout this graphic novel. Approachable art in black, white, and indigo enhances the wryly hilarious (and occasionally spine-tingling) story.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2011