A bountiful harvest of sumptuous imagery.
Preparations for a shindig spark several new friendships.
Mossman, a beaming creature covered in greenery, is throwing a harvest party. Mossman’s BFF, Wallace, a fretful yellow critter, comes over to help out, and the two put up decorations, carve jack-o’-lanterns, and invite guests, including—and especially—strangers before the big day finally arrives. Risor’s graphic novel is pure slice-of-life, light on plot but rife with delightful character interactions and enchanting, homey visuals. Depicting a panoply of unique beasts, the art, rendered in gouache and colored pencil, is the star of the book. During a stunning nighttime sequence, where the glow of fiery wisps pops against the pale moonlight, a spooked Wallace seeks solace from Mossman. Risor plays beautifully with perspective, presenting the interior of a log so readers can glimpse a character’s sniffing face up close and positioning an avalanche of apples falling from a tree in the background as Wallace and Mossman run away in the foreground. Each new addition to the cast brings an original design and new dynamic to the cozy gathering. When the sun-avoidant Shadow arrives, Mossman makes accommodations for the newcomer, maintaining the party’s cheer while ensuring everyone is included. Readers will feel the night breeze lulling them to sleep in the final pages following a full day capped by a hearty feast.
A bountiful harvest of sumptuous imagery. (guidance on throwing a harvest party) (Graphic fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781524894283
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
Ghostly fun for the gentlest of readers.
Newly arrived with his parents in seemingly quiet Kersville, an anxious young Latine boy discovers that his new house isn’t quite as normal and boring as he’d hoped.
This graphic reboot of the opener to a proliferating series of early chapter books dispenses with most of the explication but sticks closely to the original’s plotline and dialogue. Hardly has Andres Miedoso—who shares a name with the tale’s author—had time to unpack before a flurry of weird noises and events sends him hurrying over to consult with his grinning, brown-skinned new neighbor, who earlier handed him a business card provocatively labeled “Desmond Cole, Ghost Patrol.” Yes, there’s a ghost in Andres’ house—a jagged, seething cloud of ectoplasm that makes a terrifying first impression…but then gleefully chows down on some unfortunate lasagna and, after paying the gastric price, admits to being a sad, lonely specter searching for a permanent home. By the end, all three have bonded, Andres has a card of his own, and the stage is set for further supernatural exploits. The illustrations are closely based on those in the book’s antecedent, with the addition of bright colors that nicely show off Desmond’s big personality—and the massive green sliming Andres gets when the ghost upchucks all over him. The chills are, if anything, even lighter than the original’s, and the fresh format may draw some new fans.
Ghostly fun for the gentlest of readers. (Graphic ghost fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9798347100811
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
The dream phantasms of a high-spirited narrator intersect, even crowd, reality, but the stream-of-consciousness text makes for a rambling, radically personal tale. Playful images of a stuffed lion, trampoline, purple shoes, and a cat named Pine-Cone take hold in a young girl’s imagination, despite her “old” mother who makes her go to bed when she’d rather “stay up early” and a big sister with a cranky disposition. At home, she likes counting flea bites and pretending to be a worm, but is afraid of the dark and going to Grade One. The second half of the book takes off in a separate first-day-of school direction. Wild dreams precede the big day, which includes bullies on the playground and instant friend Chelsea. The childlike articulations of the text are endearing, but not quite of universal interest, and don’t add up to a compelling story; children may more readily warm to Gay’s illustrations, which include a dreamlike flying cat, a menacing hot dog, and an uproarious stuffed toy looming over everyday domestic scenes. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 15, 1999
ISBN: 1-55143-107-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
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