Reviewed by Karen Hendriks
Xavier Bonet is a self-taught international illustrator and comic artist. He has illustrated many children’s books and lives in Barcelona, Spain.
Lily Halfmoon
has moved house, and at her new school she meets Gigi and Mai. They take her to
the library, which is really The Royal Library of magic studies. Inside this
magical world Lily discovers that she’s a witch and that she must keep her
identity a secret. Her task is to protect the people of Piedraville from evil.
This gets tricky when there’s a dangerous creature on the loose.
Bonet has
written dialogue that is engaging and clever. But my birthday is tomorrow.
We know… Your present is a box of coloured pencils! Zoe that’s not how presents work. Instantly
you know that something is odd and want to know more. Lily is a strong
character, and the secondary characters are just as strong and well-rounded.
The story setting is child relatable and mirrors what children worry about at
school and home. The page turns keep a
reader wanting to know more. Lily, nothing happens by accident.
The animal
guardians are matched to their owners and the gems hold different powers. The
language is engaging, and the dialogue uses questioning and answering to move
the plot along or to share information. Really? What power does it hold?
I love that as the story builds, information is built into the text. For
example, Cleaning Slime is a cleaning potion and there are two full pages of
information including how to make and use it.
The
illustrations are gorgeous. Vivid, bright, and warm, they create a totally
believable and engaging story world. When information about magic is shared,
the pages are distinct and detailed with floral borders. This adds to the
authenticity by looking scientific. The body language and facial expressions of
the characters are cartoon-like, and the action is propelled with perspective
and movement. I love how the page spreads are varied in shape and size
according to the needs of the story.
The Magic Gems: Lily
Halfmoon is a graphic novel for those aged
7-11 years. The themes of friendship and letting your own special talents shine
are popular with this age group. This book is an exciting read that is sure to
capture readers and spark their imagination.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Buzz Words Books would love to hear what you think.