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UNICO

AWAKENING

From the Unico series , Vol. 1

Lively illustrations, strong storytelling, and an appealing hero.

A little unicorn, spirited away from a vengeful goddess, offers his magic in service of others.

A prologue tells how Venus, threatened by Unico’s unusual power, which was born of his friendship with the goddess Psyche, dispatches Zephyrus, the West Wind, to get rid of him. Zephyrus chooses instead to save the little unicorn, repeatedly transporting him through space and time. Tragically, he wakes up disoriented, having each time forgotten all that came before. Finally, Unico, who’s appealingly rounded and big eyed, lands in a busy city, where he’s rescued by Chloe the cat. The new friends are soon abandoned by the jealous girlfriend of Chloe’s doting owner. Chloe’s search for a witch who might help leads the pair to a kind old lady, and Unico’s magic allows Chloe to briefly turn human to help Granny. But Byron, a sinister, wealthy trophy hunter, soon sets his sights on Chloe in her human girl form. When Venus senses that Unico has reappeared on Earth, she seeks to destroy him using Byron as her tool. Plenty of action and outsized baddies keep the excitement level high, and Unico’s sweetness overcomes the wickedness—for now. Sattin’s work is inspired by Japanese creator Tezuka’s 1970s manga, and Gurihiru’s full-color art updates the characters’ looks while remaining true to the feel of the original. The jewel-toned palette and creatively varied panel shapes sustain a high level of visual interest.

Lively illustrations, strong storytelling, and an appealing hero. (story notes, additional art) (Manga. 8-12)

Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781339036342

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024

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LITTLE MONARCHS

Superbly written and illustrated; keeps readers breathless and guessing until the end.

A 22nd-century picaresque with nefarious characters, chosen family, unavoidable camping, and lifesaving butterflies.

It’s 2101, and most mammals have died from sun exposure—a fate the few remaining humans suffer if they don’t live underground as Deepers. Some Deepers are friendly; others will take what they can get by any means necessary. Since Elvie’s parents departed for Michoacán, Mexico, 8 years earlier in search of more monarch butterflies, ran into danger, and have not returned, 10-year-old Black science whiz Elvie has been cared for by her guardian, Flora, a White scientist. Flora and Elvie hope to make a vaccine that enables humans to tolerate sunlight. They struggle to find food, and Flora’s awful cooking sometimes makes their foraged food inedible. Elvie’s journals, which contain her homework, science notes, and sketches, trace their journey—including tracking their latitude and longitude daily—as they follow the amazing migration path of the monarchs, whose young have the ingredient necessary for making both the sun sickness antidote and the vaccine. The eclecticism of Case’s lively visuals in this riveting graphic novel will keep readers both enthralled and learning. The book teaches some astronomy, botany, biology, entomology, animal science, knot tying, and more. Elvie’s special relationship with Flora, along with her quick wit, scientific knowledge, and careful observation skills, makes her a character worth following. Yet she’s all kid—and one who badly wants to be reunited with her parents.

Superbly written and illustrated; keeps readers breathless and guessing until the end. (author's note) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: April 5, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-8234-4260-7

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House

Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022

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ASTER AND THE MIXED-UP MAGIC

From the Aster series , Vol. 2

Imaginative, feel-good fun.

More magical al fresco adventures abound!

In this full-color follow-up to Aster and the Accidental Magic (2020), Aster and her talking dog, Buzz, return in two new tales. In the first, “Why So Much Wool?” strange accidents repeatedly occur around Aster’s village, and upon investigation, she and Buzz discover a rogue band of muttonheaded sheep (known as the BAAAAAH-ligerent Army) led by a talking ram named Keras, who has proclaimed himself the Great Leader of the Sheep Revolution. Lucky for Aster, the dimwitted sheep are easily outsmarted, but not Keras, whom she must stop before he destroys her home. The second tale, “The End of Everything (and What Was Left),” focuses more on the natural magic from the previous volume. Each season has a royal who helps preserve the balance, passing along a crown to mark the transitions between their reigns. When the crown disappears, Aster ventures to the Labyrinth of Chimeras in an attempt to reforge it and restore the balance before the trickster Rapscallion can escape. This second outing pulls readers into a delightfully wrought world with a strong emphasis on nature and the outdoors and the real and imaginary magic contained therein. Joyous, effervescent illustrations mark this French import. For Aster aficionados, further journeys are hinted at in a subsequent volume in which Aster and her family travel to Japan. Aster and most human characters read as White.

Imaginative, feel-good fun. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

Pub Date: March 2, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12534-2

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Random House Graphic

Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021

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