May's Wild Walk

October 9, 2017
French comics creator Miss Paty introduces a trio of very different siblings in this jaunty first entry in the Whiskers Sisters series. The three receive a letter as they wait for their grandfather, the Guardian of the Forest, to return from a long trip. The two older children—Maya, a girl with pink hair and antlers, and Mia, a black cat who is clearly the sister in charge—excitedly read the letter, neglecting to share its contents with (human) toddler May, who can’t read yet. Maya and Mia immediately begin planning a party (like May, readers don’t immediately learn what the letter says), and May climbs inside Mrs. Owl’s mailbag. As they soar over the forest, the bag snaps, dropping May and 348 fluttering letters into the woods; May joins forces with various animals, who understand her babbling perfectly, to locate the letters. There’s a surreal edge to the illustrations (all three siblings have hauntingly large eyes) that fits the unusual nature of their world, and the story’s cartoony innocence and happy ending make this a fine, quirky starter comic for readers moving out of picture books. Ages 5–9.

September 15, 2017
Grades 2-5 The Whiskers sistersantlered Maya, feline Mia, and baby May, who can't talk just yetare granddaughters of the Guardian of the Forest. When Maya and Mia decide to throw a party, they are determined that everything will be perfect, but in their excitement, they don't realize that May has disappeared. Luckily, the animals of the forest are eager to help out. Miss Paty's sweet tale is a sure-to-please mix of all things girly: cute animals, pretty dresses, and gently bickering sisters. Though Maya and Mia get caught up in their own worlds, it's clear that they love each other and their sister. For her part, May's frustrations at not being understood by her family are played for laughs, especially when it's clear that her animal friends get her drift. Everything is drawn with thin but detailed lines and colored in warm, soft hues, such as Maya's pink hair and the warm teal of the summer sky. Give this to readers who want a tale with a heart.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017

Gr 3-5-This French import tells the story of Maya, Mia, and baby May, who live in their (absent) grandfather's cottage. Mrs. Owl, the mail carrier, arrives one morning with a thump and a letter. The two older sisters read the message and immediately decide to throw a big party. Ignored by her busy siblings, May crawls into Mrs. Owl's mailbag and is carried out into the forest along with the invitations. Weighed down, the strap on the bag breaks, scattering all 358 letters and tumbling May into a startled bird's nest. Luckily, the forest animals all seem to understand May, and they help her gather the letters and spread the word about the party. This is a slight, somewhat off-kilter story. Manga-style illustrations that rely on a cotton candy palette establish a surreal tone. Mia is a teal cat (who stands on two legs and wears clothes), while Maya has paper white skin and pink hair and, despite a set of furry antlers, appears human. Baby May, also human, has enormous eyes with pink irises (and no pupils). The sisters' unusual appearance is presented without comment, adding to the strange tone. VERDICT Recommended for large graphic novel collections where cute, fanciful titles are popular.-Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2017
A sweet woodland fete may fizzle if the hosts cannot find their younger sister.The three Whiskers sisters--Maya, who has paper-white skin, pink hair, and antlers; Mia, a blue-gray cat with a cheery yellow gaze; and May, the youngest, also paper-white but with orange tresses and wide pink eyes--live in a pastoral wood, where they await the return of their grandfather, the Guardian of the Forest. Only a toddler, May's kept in the dark when an exciting letter arrives. When her frustrations mount, the precocious toddler stows away with a mail-delivering owl. As Maya and Mia merrily plan their surprise party, they soon discover May's absence; will they be able to find her in time for their big event? Originally published in France, this bubble-gum graphic import is heavy on cute but unfortunately light on narrative substance. The plotting is little more than pablum, building up to an extremely predictable and saccharine denouement. The worldbuilding is somewhat intriguing, and as this is the first in a series, perhaps subsequent volumes will offer a bit more than fuzzy forest creatures and pink pulchritude. However, the preciously envisioned characters depicted with perky, manga-inspired stylizations may garner favor with some. As substantive as cotton candy. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

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January 1, 2018
Three quirky-looking sisters--a teal cat, a girl with antlers, and a pink-eyed toddler--living in the forest plan a festive party for a special guest. Then toddler May disappears. This French graphic novel's spare text and short length target early readers, but a thin plot without adequate backstory will likely confuse them. Fanciful, manga-style illustrations imbue all the characters with enormous, expressive eyes.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)