Cat's Cradle

September 9, 2022

Gr 4-8-A foundling was born in the Land of Monsters and brought to the Valley of Galatea by a fire-breathing dragon, or so the story goes. Suri's claim is the stuff of legends. But as an orphan, she tags along with a group of traveling merchants and pays her way by telling monster stories for money. Her dream of becoming a monster tamer plunges her into a fantastical world of mythical creatures and a ball of golden twine. When she uses the twine as a chain for a dragon tooth amulet that she purchased from a peddler, she unexpectedly starts to find her "great power." This first in a trilogy is a reprint of a story that was published in 2012, with new scenes added and artwork that has been redrawn and recolored. Terracotta and black Prismacolor pencil lines add warmth and structure. The color palette of blue, green, gold, and crimson is rich and applied digitally with textural effects. Shadow and light are used to create both spooky nighttime and soft daytime scenes. The pages engage readers with a mix of full-page panels and irregular panel layouts. Rioux masterfully uses perspective to offer a cinematic experience, with eye-level, worm's-eye, and bird's-eye views of the expressive characters and thrilling action. Following a cliffhanger ending, back matter includes excerpts from Suri's journal that provide amusing facts about the magical creatures she encounters. VERDICT A fantasy graphic novel that provides young readers with quick scares and a fast-moving storyline.-Rita Baguio Christensen

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September 23, 2022
Grades 3-6 Suri has hitched her wagon, so to speak, to a traveling fair, turning its vendors into her pseudo family. Whenever the caravan stops at a fairground, Suri attempts to ply her trade as a self-taught monster tamer. Dismissed as a joke by the grown men who claim the profession, Suri remains confident in her abilities, though she buys herself some insurance with a dragon's tooth talisman, which she strings around her neck with some cast-off golden twine. That twine, as it happens, is imbued with magic and belongs to a shape-shifting monster known as a catsith, and he and his family are determined to get it back. Suri, oblivious to the twine's significance, suddenly finds herself the object of a heated pursuit. Her nighttime escape is excitingly depicted in lively artwork, which melts into dusky teals and purples overlaid with amber whenever firelight illuminates a scene. Originally published in 2012 from Kids Can Press, this ""reboot"" has been completely reimagined and redrawn by Rioux. Its blend of fantasy, adventure, and humor is just right for the Amulet crowd, and the ending, though quite abrupt, ensures a ready audience for the next installment of this planned trilogy.

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June 1, 2022
A plucky orphan embarks on an adventure crossing paths with imps, monsters, and other creatures. Suri, an orphan, has stowed away in a traveling merchant camp that moves through the valley of Galatea. Galatea is located just below a mountain chain known as the Dragon's Belt, which was split open 500 years ago by the Spider Witch, allowing monsters to enter through the gap. Suri's true desire is to be a heroic monster tamer, but she spends her time doing odd jobs for the camp's merchants, entertaining the other youth with scary tales of monsters, and evading the camp leader, Leon, who is constantly trying to chase her out of the camp. One night, she unwittingly comes into possession of some magical twine, which holds powers for a band of caitsiths, catlike shape-shifters, who desperately want it back. In their pursuit, they separate Suri from the camp. Full of moxie, Suri has charmed her way into most of the camp merchants' hearts, as is apparent when they have to pack up and leave without her. Though this book was originally published in 2012, Rioux has reillustrated it. Artwork full of energy and comedic timing brings this steampunk-esque, magical world together as it lays groundwork for what will become a trilogy. Journal pages at the end have more info on the kinds of monsters discussed. Suri has tan skin and dark hair; other characters are racially diverse. A captivating series start that will have readers clamoring for more. (Graphic fantasy. 8-14)

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