Maddy Kettle: The Adventure of the Thimblewitch

Canadian artist Orchard tosses readers headlong into the world of his debut graphic novel, a gorgeously illustrated if narratively quirky quest starring 11-year-old Maddy Kettle, whose parents have been turned into kangaroo rats. The story opens with the family on a train on the run after "that terrible night" when the Thimblewitch and a horde of spider goblins descended on her parents' bookstore for reasons unknown. "I looked everywhere for mom and dad. I finally found them in the pantry," Maddy remembers as Orchard shows the two rodents poking out of a bag of flour. After the spider goblins return to kidnap Maddy's parents and her magical spadefoot toad, Maddy's rescue efforts bring her into league with semi-bumbling "cloud cartographers" Silvio the raccoon and Harry the bear. Magic and misunderstandings ensue, but while Orchard's delicately inked, richly colored artwork conjures a fascinating and creepy setting of goblins, witches, and scarecrow armies, Maddy's successes come too easily, and a general lack of context may leave readers feeling like they don't really know Maddy or her world very well by book's end. All ages. (Aug.)

Gr 2-6--Maddy Kettle's parents have been turned into rats and the powerful Thimblewitch is suspected as the culprit. But an attack by the evil spider goblins, who kidnap not only her parents but also Ralph, her magical floating spadefoot toad, projects Maddy on a quest across unusual landscapes and into dangerous predicaments. The heroine is joined by a pair of cloud cartographers who help her navigate to the castle of the Thimblewitch and to the floating kingdom of the spider goblins in order to reunite her family. Orchard's use of blue and yellow tones help to contrast that which is safe and unknown with all that is threatening, dark, and evil. His line work on the characters and setting portray a world that's every bit mysterious as it is fantastic, using jagged edges and dark shading to communicate a gritty and harsh world. The characters display little emotion, which at times feels disjointed from the dialogue. Though at times distracting, it is not enough to detract from quickly-moving story. The panels are large and thinly bordered and the story is paced nicely at each page turn. There is much in Maddy Kettle's world that is left unexplained, leaving room for additional volumes, though the story here reaches a satisfying conclusion with important plot lines resolved. It is clear that this world holds a great number of adventures for Maddy Kettle, and readers will look forward to journeying with her.--Matthew C. Winner, Ducketts Lane Elementary School, Elkridge, MD