Imelda & the Goblin King

Blending a 1970s palette with an aesthetic that feels right at home with contemporary indie comics, Smith makes an assured debut as she brings a fresh look to an old- fashioned story of fairies, goblins, and comeuppances. Her heroine, Imelda, spends her days with the fairies who live in the nearby woods. With her bare feet, dirt-smudged face, peasant frock, and kind spirit, Imelda comes across like a cousin to Snow White, had she settled in with fairyfolk and been less concerned with tidying up all the time. Casting a pall over everyone's fun is the local Goblin King, as grouchy as he is greedy. After inviting the king to the fairies' solstice celebration ("Dress code: smart casual") leads him to kidnap the Queen of the Fairies, Imelda uses bravery and ingenuity to save the day and become the Queen of the Goblins in the process--proof that "happily ever after" isn't one-size-fits-all. Imelda's mettle, the Goblin King's transformation from toothy grump to helpless earthworm, and a closing reconciliation between Smith's feathery-winged fairies and goblins make for an all-around satisfying read. Ages 5-7. (Oct.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Enchantingly illustrated [...] delicious illustrations—jammed with pixies, fairies, toadstools, dragonflies and, at one point, pies and roasts and fruits and cakes
—Wall Street Journal

Blending a 1970s palette with an aesthetic that feels right at home with contemporary indie comics, Smith makes an assured debut as she brings a fresh look to an old-fashioned story of fairies, goblins, and comeuppances. [...] an all-around satisfying read.
—Publishers Weekly

Smith's lively illustrations fill each page with scratchy, loose figures, beautifully colored in a rich, saturated palette, all in an old-fashioned aesthetic that perfectly complements the timeless tale.
—Booklist

I LOVE the illustrations! They are absolutely beautiful and completely have my heart. Check this one out, you won't regret it!
—Book Nerd Mommy