Bea Wolf

Weinersmith's richly evocative turns of phrase run the gamut from hilarious to heart-rending and maintain the flavor of the original without bogging the pace down amid the kennings. Boulet's illustrations imbue the shenanigans with gleeful energy and a touch of dark absurdity that children, seeing their own fears and triumphs reflected, will delight in.

Gr 5 Up--High up in the halls of Treeheart, children party for as long as their bodies can stand. Their sweets and games are glorious to behold, but the noise disturbs Mr. Grindle below. Grindle's touch ages his victims, transforming some of the erstwhile partygoers into "aching, anxious, angry at the internet" dullards who obsess over cable news, stock markets, and hygiene. The remaining children are demoralized by his constant cleaning and straightening of their otherwise epic clubhouse. Bea Wolf, who is white, appears one-third of the way into the story, the latest among generations of child-heroes renowned for feats of strength and bravery. The children of Treeheart are a diverse bunch, including Black king Roger and his war-guard Wendy, who is Asian. Several story elements are lightly adapted from the original Beowulf and will reward anyone familiar with the tale. Weinersmith's iambic alliterations will invite intense imitation from readers. Bea and Grindle's powers pale in comparison to those of artist Boulet, whose work with texture, moonlight, and distorted faces stuns at every turn. Back matter includes a history of Beowulf, how it became a popular legend, a comparison between Old English and Weinersmith's modern homage, and some Boulet sketches. VERDICT Readers will wish they could pledge their plastic swords to defending Treeheart and the sanctity of wild childhoods everywhere.--Thomas Maluck

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Taking the source material as a starting point, this lovingly crafted retelling sets Beowulf among bold suburban children for whom mischief and misbehavior are all. The remix kicks off with an entire chronology of kid-lords, starting with Carl, whose discovery of a golden treasure begins a legendary toy hoard, and continuing down the line to Roger, who establishes a magnificent tree house. Treeheart, as it is known, attracts the wrath of joyless adult Mr. Grindle, whose touch ages kids out of childhood. When Grindle wreaks havoc on Treeheart and adults its inhabitants, mighty five-year-old Bea Wolf, "forged in sparkles and fury," comes to aid Roger and "banish the hall-beast." Leaning into alliteration, wordplay, and imagery-rich kennings, Weinersmith (Soonish) creates a joyously lyric, rapid-fire epic that honors the original's intricate linguistic constructions. Close-hatched b&w cartooning from French artist Boulet vividly illuminates the text, presenting in full spreads and paneled vignettes a racially diverse cast of fierce, distinctively rendered children. It's a truly fresh, inventive remix that privileges childhood's insular sensibilities alongside an unsettling truth: "Time lingers for no kid." Extensive back matter affectionately and accessibly contextualizes Beowulf's history and construction. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.