(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

(2) K-3 I Like to Read: Comics series. Cepeda, creator of many excellent first-step beginning readers (I Hop; I Help; I Dig), offers a comic for more experienced readers. "What could go wrong?" a father asks his son while packing the car for a camping trip. Well, for starters, the campground is full, but the pair makes the best of a less-comfortable campsite down the road. When it turns out -- "Uh-oh" -- that Dad forgot the tent poles, they take the opportunity to sleep under the stars. Mostly minor setbacks (skunks, rain) force them to enjoy the experience they're having instead of the one they'd expected. Digital illustrations in aquas, greens, and browns have an ink-and-watercolor feel that suits the low-stakes outdoor adventure. Readers will need some fluency to navigate multiple word bubbles per page, multiple speakers, and compound and multisyllabic words with a number of sound blends and linguistic quirks. Most of the language is likely to be familiar, though, and the illustrations provide support for less common words, such as the night sky full of stars around "Venus...and the Big Dipper...and Capella...and Polaris." When father and son get home, Mom asks how the trip went, and the child shouts, "Everything went wrong...It was great!" A solid lesson for all of us on how to navigate life's little disappointments.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 Chung and Majoka offer a wordless graphic novel for younger readers that presents dystopian science fiction through a gentle, nearly amicable viewpoint. After a brief sepia-tone introduction showcases a classroom of students assembling a time capsule (complete with a retro viewfinder), readers are presented with a time jump by way of a futuristic spacecraft soaring across a cosmic double-page spread of swirling purples and blues. Inside the craft is a young astronaut traveling from planet to planet in search of geological specimens. Lonely, the adventurer sets coordinates for home; however, a detour leads to a very Earth-like planet. There the explorer finds abandoned buildings, crumbling infrastructure, and an abundance of luminescent, mushroom-like growths. Only after the protagonist discovers the aforementioned viewfinder can the history of the planet be puzzled together through photo-flashbacks -- and the story culminates in a near-encounter with the viewfinder's original owner. Drawn by Chung and digitally painted by Majoka, the cinematic cartooning has a polished, animated aesthetic composed of endlessly intriguing and imaginative scenes of an abandoned planet, heightened by moments of mild action and skillful lightning effects. A luminous, thought-provoking adventure.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 K is a bourgeois school boy in what appears to be late-nineteenth-century Bohemia. He is frail, anxious, and lonely, isolated at home, withdrawn at school. In each of five graphic short stories, Clement presents a situation of powerlessness, oppression, or ennui in which K encounters a small moment of grace. An errand to buy a carp turns into a nightmare of chaos and alienation, but when K finally makes it back home, pursued by angry townspeople, his mother stands up for him. Faced with the cruel, absurdist bureaucracy of his school, K is comforted by a helpful beetle who advises him to write about it all one day. Based loosely on the life and work of Franz Kafka, this volume makes adept use of the graphic format, as everything from the pace of the panels to the size of the type effectively conveys the feeling of being small, quiet, and timid in a world that can be giant, loud, and aggressive. This isn't parody, pastiche, or melodrama but rather a sympathetic and respectful portrait of the condition of being a child, a condition as familiar now as then. Pair with Theule's Kafka and the Doll for an introduction to a sad boy who became one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(1) 1-3 Translated by Celyn Harding-Jones. When four animals discover an egg while playing in the forest one day, they decide to take turns caring for it. At Mouse's house, the egg begins to talk, and Mouse must figure out how to keep it warm. The next day, at Bear's house, the egg hatches, producing a yellow chick. Little Bird discovers what foods she likes while at Hare's house. And at Turtle's house, Little Bird learns how to use her imagination. With the knowledge she's gained from her new friends, an industrious Little Bird builds her own house. Though the others are at first surprised and worried for her, when they visit they discover that Little Bird, who now wishes to be called Clara, is quite an independent thinker, leading them to reconsider what their names could be ("Nico?" "Marcel?" "Lola?" "Winnie?"). Seven easily digestible sections, a picture-book trim size, and graphic novel like format (straightforward panels, dialogue balloons) make Dubuc's satisfying hybrid story a perfect match for both reading novices and slightly younger listeners. She gives each animal unique attributes (e.g., Bear is a creative builder and likes to exercise: "An active body for an active brain"), and her appealing pastel-toned ink, watercolor, and colored-pencil illustrations contain lots of recurring details that are entertaining to spot on repeat reads. Hand this to fans of Ruzzier's Fox + Chick series.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Veronica Agarwal. At the start of this graphic novel, swimmer Tyler "Shark Fin" de Lugo has just gotten his cast off after a broken arm. It seems like perfect timing, with sleepaway camp about to begin. But Ty's best friend, swim teammate, and camp bunkmate Max has been acting distant, angry, and strange, and Ty's negative self-talk -- in both the first-person ("I got fat. I'm not good enough anymore. I'm useless as a friend, useless to the team") and dialogue ("Was he making fun of me? I must look like garbage right now." "Of COURSE he was making fun of you...idiot") -- is preventing him from getting back in the water. In fact, when Ty is feeling low, the graphic-panel art often shows him imagining being nearly drowned. Durfey-Lavoie and Agarwal (Just Roll with It, rev. 9/21) present another sympathetic and flawed protagonist whose experiences and interactions are understandable and affecting. A few helpful adults at the camp, including a former high school football star turned chill-dude counselor, give Ty some strategies and messaging for countering his insecurities and moving forward. Easy-to-follow panel art in subdued hues helps set the summer-camp scene, reflecting challenges that are cooperative both physically (e.g., building a boat) and emotionally (opening up to a friend -- and maybe more) along with individual growth and acceptance.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) YA It's the summer before high school and Ashton's last year at performing arts camp. In addition to being stage manager for their camp's big performance, Ash is determined to make this a summer to remember. This includes finally asking their best friend, Ivy, out on a more-than-friends date. Things seem wrong from the beginning, though: the two are assigned to different cabins, and Ash is reluctant to form friendships with their new bunkmates. Meanwhile, Ivy's bond with the show's costar, Lucas, sparks a wave of jealousy. As Ash grows increasingly disappointed by their distance from Ivy, they start taking their frustration out on others. This graphic novel is rife with coming-of-age social drama, yet the tone is optimistic through all the protagonist's ups and downs. The campers are a diverse group of various races, genders, and sexual orientations; each camper has their own distinctive flair. Sketches from Ash's notebook appear throughout the story, depicting caricatures of themself and their friends as characters in the play. Ash saves the final performance by filling in as a last-minute Fairy Godmother, giving them the boost of confidence needed to share their secret feelings with Ivy.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) YA Illustrated by ONeillJones. An enjoyable graphic novel about friendship, growing up, and all-things-engineering. Thirteen-year-old Mia is excited when her science-camp buddy, Tariq, transfers to her middle school. This turns quickly to anxiety when she discovers that her once-shy friend has blossomed into a cute, confident soccer star. Nevertheless, the two team up to compete in their school's Science Olympics (the plan: design and build an articulated snake-bot). Tension builds as the competition approaches and Mia's best friend, Addy, now hanging out with one of the mean girls, exerts pressure on Mia to act differently ("maybe you should try a little harder to fit in") and to ask Tariq to the school dance. As Mia's confidence wavers, her engineer grandmother reminds her that "some of the luckiest -- and smartest -- people never grow up" and that imagination and creativity can lead to innovation and problem-solving, especially when things don't go as planned. The cartooning is easy to scan, with establishing shots providing context for subsequent panels that use simplified, color-filled backgrounds. The quirky cast, including a sci-fi-loving dad, coupon-cutting scientist mom, and an ant-obsessed sibling, add humor and liveliness to Fantaskey's narrative, which is jam-packed with science references.

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

(3) K-3 In this early reader comic with a simple but effective rhyming text, Fox plays tricks on Pig during a day of digging on the beach, but gets his comeuppance each time. Helpfully for new readers, each speaker’s speech bubbles are a different shape and color. The thick-lined digital-looking illustrations’ palette, with plenty of yellows and blues, is appropriate to the beach setting.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(1) 4-6 Fong's deeply moving graphic novel opens with an intriguing premise: Pia Xing, a reserved and lonely middle schooler, says goodbye to her father and embarks on a multi-day bus tour through the desert with a bunch of strangers. Their destination is the subterranean bioluminescent Cessarine Lake, billed as having mystical, wish-granting powers. During stops at diners and kitschy roadside attractions, Pia gets to know her fellow passengers, all of whom have their own reasons for making the journey. Pia isn't ready to share hers -- not even with new friend Sam, who's grudgingly accompanying her tour-guide mom. Daily phone calls home to her father and flashbacks from the previous year gradually reveal what led to this solo trip, including the tragedy that left Pia and both her parents mired in grief. In varied panel and full-page illustrations, Fong's spare cartoon style is well suited to the setting and the main character's bleak emotional landscape. The trip offers moments of peace and lightheartedness: "I'm actually having a lot of fun! It kind of feels like being part of a big family." The story begins to take on elements of magical realism the closer the group gets to the lake, making the impossible begin to seem possible. Pia's miracle looks different from what she set out looking for, but the magic is transformative all the same. With a sympathetic protagonist navigating unimaginable pain, fully realized and engaging secondary characters, and a skillfully crafted narrative, this is a remarkable debut.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Frost's tribute to the importance of community and friendly compromise delivers its message through a solid mashup of effective cartooning, witty visual gags, and sentimental (not saccharine) writing. Mouse likes living alone in his tree-stump duplex, especially since it provides him with the control to keep his yard extremely tidy. But when Pak-Rat moves into the adjoining apartment, so does a lot of extra stuff -- including a forest of pinwheels, an army of garden gnomes, and even an inflatable dancing tube person. Unable to cope with a cluttered yard -- but too uncomfortable to speak up -- Mouse resorts to secretly burying his neighbor's possessions in the middle of the night. An amusing twist involving a friendly bespectacled mole unearthing the buried items forces Mouse into an honest conversation with Pak-Rat. "It's not that I don't like your stuff. There's just too much." Pak-Rat is initially surprised but respects his orderly neighbor's feelings, and the pair learns to share their space more equitably -- and have some fun in the process. Frost's writing balances earnest narration with an appealing cadence and more offbeat dialogue told entirely with word balloons. The mix of paneled page layouts, single pages, and double-page spreads transitions seamlessly -- while the numerous bold sound effects ("BOOP" "THWACK" "ZOOP"), streamlined character designs, jam-packed imagery, and vibrant colors provide continuous visual interest. A pleasingly humorous and harmonious tale.

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

(2) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old boys Frank McCoy and Stanley Summers live on Ford Island, a naval base in the middle of Pearl Harbor. They have become fast friends, bonding over a shared interest in comic books. Frank's family recently moved to Hawaii from the mainland, where he is hoping to leave behind not just memories of a traumatic incident but the constant worry and fear that plague him as a result. When Frank doesn't stand up for Stanley during a fight with bullies, it causes a rift in their friendship. Nevertheless, they are both invited to the USS Utah the next day, December 7, 1941, which places them in the thick of things during the attack on Pearl Harbor. While both boys survive the horrific events of that day, they confront a great deal of death as well as mayhem and internal demons. Frank comes to terms with his fear, while Stanley -- whose mother is Japanese -- is already being targeted for harassment. Frank's family is relocated to California shortly afterward and the boys bid a sad farewell, but not before Frank passes a draft of a story for their comic book to Stanley. The novel concludes with the opening scenes of their finished comic book collaboration, published many years in the future. Short chapters and fast pacing with lots of dialogue and action make this an easy recommendation for Gratz fans (Grenade, rev. 11/18; Ground Zero, rev. 3/21; and others). An author's note with additional historical and background information is appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(1) YA This spirited, intelligent mashup of Arthuriana puts Morgan Le Fay -- now Ancient Crone, cheerfully saggy-bosomed and thin-haired -- and her granddaughter, Young Hag, at the center of a fresh new story. At her ceremonial naming with her mother and grandmother, Young Hag learns from Ancient Crone that the ways between Faerie and the human world have been severed and that it is their task to return the broken sword Excalibur to Avalon to mend that rupture. As they traverse the wild countryside, Young Hag learns through Taliesin the bard and Ancient Crone just how King Arthur, Merlin, magic, and the land ended up in this predicament. When Ancient Crone disappears and Young Hag's recently met traveling companion, Tom, is magically ensnared, Young Hag is on her own, piecing together stories, "fragments, questions, faces, threads all gathering, and me at the heart" -- to bring all to a new beginning. Greenberg's drawing style is comic but has a skillfully naive, seemingly unpracticed quality that enhances the protagonist's poignant, youthful courage. Epic tragedy and grave betrayals are conveyed with a light touch, while Young Hag's arduous personal growth and development have a heartwarming gravitas. "It takes a whole life to come of age," says Ancient Crone -- robust words of wisdom for any reader. Greenberg's play with her sources -- medieval Arthuriana, Edmund Spenser's Britomart (here wonderfully queer and pink-haired), Christina Rosetti's "Goblin Market" -- has satisfying imaginative and critical depth.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) YA This sequel to A-Okay (rev. 11/21) finds Jay, who previously attended a magnet school across town, starting high school without any friends, a situation made worse by his inherent shyness and lack of confidence. Due to scheduling constraints, he's unable to register for his preferred art class. The counselor convinces him to give theater class a go: the public speaking aspect will satisfy his overbearing parents, and he will be able to indulge his creative impulses in set design. While the class pushes him out of his comfort zone, it also creates a safe space with supportive peers and a warm, if demanding, teacher. This graphic novel is told almost exclusively in dialogue with some brief internal monologue, creating an engaging pace that is further enhanced by varied panel layouts, bright colors, and generous use of white space. A relatable story about a shy, awkward kid coming out of his shell and finding his crowd, this is also a bit of a love letter to the community and camaraderie of youth theater. An author's note suggests the tale is semiautobiographical, while another interesting appendix delves into Greene's creative process for comics.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 Color by George Williams. Sunny's back in her fifth 1970s-set graphic novel (Sunny Side Up, rev. 9/15, and sequels), here starting a debate team at school with her equally-uninterested-in-sports friend Arun. She learns how to consider both sides of an issue, to research using a variety of sources (including her own and others' lived experiences), and to always add the "secret sauce": passion. As ever, humor abounds, as when Sunny and Arun, in search of a debate-team adviser, tell a succession of teachers that they're their first choice. A sweet subplot concerns Sunny's friend Tony, who keeps trying to ask an oblivious Sunny out on a date but is continually foiled. The visual storytelling is excellent, with a variety of panel sizes, shapes, and placement. Resolved: this latest series entry is a winner.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 1-3 This comic for newly independent readers introduces Quin, the titular unlucky kid, in three short stories. In the first, Quin heads to the beach, where he bikes off a dune, is attacked by gulls, trips on a fence, and is hit by a rogue wave. Despite his penchant for plotting and creating detailed diagrams before taking action, this is how things go for Quin in the other stories as well: one in which he ropes his sister into a scheme to pull out his loose tooth (a dog, a cat, and a kite are involved) and another in which he goes fishing with his friend Jose (watch out for hornets). Holt draws his characters with exaggerated features -- huge heads, googly eyes, and prominent noses contrasted with sticklike arms and legs -- signaling and supporting the goofy tone. He controls the pace by varying the number and size of the panels on each page, guiding the narrative in and out of chaos. Quin's disaffected cat, Kitty, provides wry commentary throughout ("This kid is going to need a lot more protection than that"; "Great is not the word I would use"), adding to the humor. Quin's affable, can-do attitude in the face of his plans continually going sideways will win him fans.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 Hosler's distinct combination of biological science and cartooning is on full display throughout this informative, emotionally compelling, and skillfully illustrated graphic novel. Rubi is a bright red cartoon leafcutter ant living in the real world among other, more realistic ants, where no one can understand any of her dramatically told stories. When she happens upon an ant named Miranda who can both understand and respond to her, the two become fast friends. In a genuinely shocking turn of events, Miranda is revealed to be a parasitic phorid fly growing inside the host ant's head -- and therefore Rubi's mortal enemy. In a world where every creature (including assassin bugs, armadillos, ocellated antbirds, and yes, even leafcutter ants) must kill something else to survive, Rubi realizes not only that Miranda did nothing wrong by simply existing but also that "there are no good guys or bad guys in nature." The pair proceeds to survive several harrowing and humorous encounters with fascinating predators of varying shapes and sizes, resulting in a desire to test their luck with adventures abroad. The colorful illustrations are penciled and inked by hand in a fluid black line, complemented by Hosler's own expressive lettering. For a narrative packed with so much scientific information (usually delivered by the verbose Rubi), the story never bogs down thanks to Hosler's knack for snappy dialogue, excellent pacing, and adventurous use of panel size, shape, and layout. Thoroughly engrossing.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) YA Adapted by Andrew J. Rostan. Illustrated by Celia Jacobs. Jiménez's iconic, award-winning memoir -- an episodic collection of short stories published in 1997 -- receives a handsome graphic novel adaptation. Francisco's family leaves their small town on the outskirts of Guadalajara for the promise of a better life in California. Making their way to Mexicali, they dig under the wire fence to cross the border, finding employment in the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley as migrant farm workers. An early memory has a five-year-old Francisco watching his infant brother while his parents and older brother pick cotton. It's a hard life: constantly moving and uprooting themselves to find work; substandard housing, education, and medical care; and the entire family making sacrifices, both physical and emotional. Here, as in the original source material, Jiménez's plainspoken narration resonates with dignity, humility, and timelessness. The mixed-media illustrations convey both the time period and the mood of the piece with a limited color palette of olive green, lavender, and vermillion on a sepia background. (Francisco is drawn here with black hair and brown skin, rather than the fair skin and blond hair described in the original source and in the family picture that accompanies the author's note.) A glossary is also appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 1-3 Monti the mole has a morning routine: go the bakery, stop at the library, and then rest on his favorite rock beside the river. One day, his routine is interrupted when he hears whispers about a stranger in town -- and then he finds the stranger on his rock. This beginning-reader comic is for children gaining confidence and fluency. It's told in five short chapters with twenty to thirty words per page; multisyllabic words like stranger, favorite, and talent are repeated throughout the text, giving opportunities to practice them. The stranger turns out to be Leo, a long-snouted green creature; and, of course, he and Monti become fast friends. Kantorovitz presents a fresh angle on friendship, though: Leo has been experiencing some suspicion and hostility since he arrived in town, and Monti makes it his goal to show everyone how amazing Leo is. The digital illustrations mix bold lines and pastel colors to pleasing effect, and Kantorovitz varies the number of panels on each page to control the pace, building small moments of drama and breakthroughs and leading up to a talent show Monti and Leo stage to bring the town together. This cozy book feels both familiar and surprising, and it will likely be embraced by young comics fans.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 In this gorgeous graphic novel with minimal text, it's an ordinary day as Poppy takes her dog, Pepper, out for a walk, all the while listening to music, scrolling mindlessly through her cell phone. Pepper, spotting a fox, breaks free and runs off into the woods, unplugging Poppy from the digital world and immersing her in the natural one. They encounter another child, who is fully engrossed in the woodland life around them. Poppy returns to the woods the next day, and the day after that. Nature walks become routine, and Poppy begins to notice the birds, plants, and sounds all around. She tells her mom -- who, in grieving her own mother's death, can't seem to get off the couch -- about her adventures when she gets home. The illustrations ("drawn in Biro, painted using inks and tweaked in Photoshop") portray nature in moody sepia tones that challenge viewers to use their imaginations to fill the pages with color. In the first chapter, the text asks: "What does the wild speak?" This question is explored throughout the story, and Kurimoto's detailed illustrations capture the essence of a walk through the woods; depictions of flora and fauna bring the sounds of the woods (including the wild "morning chorus") and movements of new buds to life, along with the layered emotions that nature can evoke. Readers are reminded that in an increasingly connected digital world, reconnecting with the natural world just outside of our doors can provide joy and healing.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024