Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring

Gr 2-5--Prunella lives in a walled village, among neighbors who are terrified of monsters. Prunella doesn't worry about monsters; one day she's digging in her garden and is transformed into a skeleton herself. She is swiftly banished and finds herself living with a cast of different types of monsters, all much kinder than the humans in her town, who help her as she tries to figure out how to turn back into a human. This colorful, lighthearted story explores themes of acceptance and fears of the unknown while remaining upbeat and plot driven. Prunella's quest up Mount Leviathan, and the cast of skeletons, dragons, and giants she encounters along the way, will keep readers eager to see if she can turn back to a human, even as they will wonder why she would want to change from her skeleton form. The bubbly cartoon style lends itself well to the upbeat story and helps provide fuller character development of the spirited Prunella. The vocabulary is approachable, although some words may be challenging to younger readers. The context clues and illustrations will help comprehension, and there are plenty of wordless panels, which makes for a nice balance. VERDICT This colorful story where the true monsters are the humans will appeal to young graphic novel fans who enjoy cartoony styles and fantasy elements. A suggested purchase for collections where graphic novels circulate well.--Ellen Conlin

After Prunella--portrayed with voluminous red hair, pale skin, and a wide grin--finds a cursed ring while working in her garden, it morphs her into a living skeleton, resulting in exile from her monster-hating town in this creature-filled adventure. When her inattentive mother and fellow villagers don't recognize her, post-transformation, Prunella is banished. Once she's beyond the town's high wall, she learns that the monsters who inhabit the lands outside the village are not as terrifying as she was led to believe. While searching for the wise Cat Sphinx, who might be able to break her curse, Prunella visits a town home to yoˉkai; fields teeming with animated stone heads; and a cove filled with playful skeletons just like her. Though she worries she may not be able to break her curse, Prunella's pure heart wins her a score of friends along her journey. Rounded, heavily inked line art and bold hues by Loux (the Time Museum series) render the characters comically expressive. This fast-paced adventure, populated by classic fantasy creatures with charming quirks and paired with a buoyant tone, urges acceptance and peaceful coexistence. Human characters are portrayed as white. Ages 6-10. (Oct.)

This fun and spooky adventure has a twist that readers do not want to miss, and it serves as an effective and playful reminder to not judge based on appearances, encouraging young readers to be their most authentic selves.—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books