bo the brave

Bethan Woollvin’s picture books are always beloved by the littles in my life. Kids are enamored of Woollvin’s subversive reinterpretations of classic fairy tales, and her art’s distinctive color schemes and shapes. Their parents and grandparents are (usually) amused too.  When a publisher sent me Woollvin’s latest, Bo the Brave, I was sure I’d fall in love with it just like I did with Rapunzel and Hansel & Gretel and Little Red. And I did! And so did the two children (ages 3 & 5) I tested it with. It’s a winner!

Once, there lived a little girl called Bo. Bo wanted to be just like her brothers and capture a fearsome monster. Bo is small, too small to catch a monster—or so her brothers say. But Bo isn’t one to take no for an answer, so she sets off on a quest to catch a monster of her own. Can she defeat the furious griffin, conquer the hideous kraken, and triumph over the monstrous dragon? Or has Bo got the wrong idea who the real monsters are?

Author-illustrator Bethan Woollvin, the creator of the New York Times Best Illustrated Little Red, employs her signature style in this original fairy tale with a clever twist. Readers are sure to fall in love with Woollvin’s newest vibrant and sassy protagonist.

When Bo asks to come along on their quest, her brothers Erik and Ivar say no. At first Bo stews a bit, but then she decides to do something about it, and sneaks out to catch a monster of her own. Along the way Bo’s quest changes course – and new friends help her reimagine the world and her place in it. Bo, who christens herself “the Brave,” is my favorite sort of princess – one who doesn’t judge based on appearance, values friendship and good behavior, and is “smart, and strong, and brave!” She also has pink hair!

 

The best sorts of fantasy books start with a map – and Bo the Brave has maps for endpapers – a sign of delightful things to come, and at the end a delightful recap of the storyline. This book introduces the reader to several traditional science fiction and fantasy monsters: dragons, a kraken, and a griffin to start. But there are more hiding in the trees… for little ones and adults to identify on their own (and imagine their powers!).

 

Woollvin’s text emphasizes using your senses AND your thinking before making decisions or judging folks – and that’s an excellent lesson for readers of all ages. As an English teacher I love the idea of teaching inferences (based on behavior) to the younger set this way, and of course as a reader it’s fun to see the tired old monster-hunting script turned on its head! This, combined with Bo getting her chance to save the day after being told ignominiously that she’s too little to join her brothers, will resonate with young readers and have them asking for read aloud after read aloud.

 

And finally, the most important bit: ART. Woollvin’s signature style uses geometric shapes and uncomplicated human figures (with big eyes) to great effect. Add in a limited color palette of black, gray, teal, pink and orange, and the look is effective and engaging. Woollvin’s monsters’ different textures (scales, feathers, etc.) are created using simple methods: scallops, dots, and lines! The overall look is a cross between cute and uncanny, and I can’t think of a better way to describe the book as a whole, so… there you go!

 

Bo the Brave is a funny, unexpected tale about a girl determined to do great things, even when no one else believes in her. I’m super fond of it and I’m sure it’ll be a hit for holiday gifting! It’s A+ fun!

 

Recommended for: fairy tale and mythology fans ages four and up, clever and faintly subversive books for storytimes and read alouds, and anyone who likes seeing tired old tropes turned on their heads.

Fine print: I received a copy of this book for review consideration from the publisher. I did not receive any compensation for this post.

sea change

Sea Change has a glorious hook.  I knew I wanted to read it when I saw the words girl, kraken, fairy tale and adventure all together in the description.  Also, that marvelous cover art didn’t hurt on first impression.  It’s been so much fun to answer the weekly question of, ‘What are you reading right now?’ with, ‘A book about a girl who loves a kraken.’  I see friends’ eyes widen with disbelief and/or interest.  Luckily, S.M. Wheeler’s fantastical prose lived up to that hook – Sea Change is an enchanting, disturbing, and altogether wonderful tale.

The unhappy child of two powerful parents who despise each other, young Lilly turns to the ocean to find solace, which she finds in the form of the eloquent and intelligent sea monster Octavius, a kraken. In Octavius’s many arms, Lilly learns of friendship, loyalty, and family. When Octavius, forbidden by Lilly to harm humans, is captured by seafaring traders and sold to a circus, Lilly becomes his only hope for salvation. Desperate to find him, she strikes a bargain with a witch that carries a shocking price. 

Her journey to win Octavius’s freedom is difficult. The circus master wants a Coat of Illusions; the Coat tailor wants her undead husband back from a witch; the witch wants her skin back from two bandits; the bandits just want some company, but they might kill her first. Lilly's quest tests her resolve, tries her patience, and leaves her transformed in every way. 

A powerfully written debut from a young fantasy author, Sea Change is an exhilarating tale of adventure, resilience, and selflessness in the name of friendship.

Lilly has grown up lonely in a manor house by the sea.  Her only friend is a kraken, Octavius.  Just when her home life becomes such that leaving is her best option, Lilly finds that Octavius is missing.  To get him back, she’ll have to go on a transformative journey that will test her will, her memories and her heart.  In this twisted, beautifully-described tale, good doesn’t always win, everyone has a fault (or many), and surviving will take sacrifices, luck, and very hard work.

The first thing I must tell you about Sea Change is that it is an adult fantasy.  Yes, Lilly comes of age, but no, it is definitely not typical YA material.  Second, it is very much a character-driven story, despite the journey that frames three-quarters of the book. Lilly is the main focus, though other characters join the narrative and show their many selves in different situations.  I will also warn you that there is quite a lot of murder (attempted and otherwise).  Sea Change teeters on the brink of dark fantasy, and it is all the lovelier for it.

The story’s main strength is its dreamlike, lush description.  Word pictures and fabulous similes clash with wrenching choices forced by pitiless antagonists.  At the same time, Wheeler leaves the reader to infer many of the details, creating an aura of mystery and the perfect amount of distance for an atmospheric fantasy.  In the midst of it all, Lilly is (mostly) honest with herself, even as she adapts as her adventure demands.  Her deep and loving friendship for Octavius guides the narrative, and if there is something the reader is meant to take away from the tale, it may be that deep friendships will change a person forever and in ways unknown at the outset, and that fairy tales are sharper and harder in reality than they seem in the telling.

Sea Change is a book to savor, and will be best appreciated by those who will take time to absorb the delicious descriptions and fairy tale connections.  If that sounds like you, you can enter to win a copy of Sea Change on the author guest post.

Recommended for: fans of Margo Lanagan’s The Brides of Rollrock Island or Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, and anyone with a taste for metaphor, fairy tale and magic.

Fine print: I received an e-ARC of Sea Change for honest review from Tor (Macmillan) via NetGalley, and I did not receive any compensation for this post.