Review by Booklist Review
When you're a member of the Point-of-View family, it's important to know how to tell a story, so Bitsy sets out to create one exactly the way her sisters Prima (who tells stories in first person) and Midi (second person, of course) have taught her. Telling her story in third person with her buddy Boozle the wizard acting as the protagonist, Bitsy sets Boozle on a quest to find Happily Ever After, sending him through the town of Rising Action and up Story Mountain to Climax Peak, where he meets the Big Central Conflict. Bitsy's directions on how to create an exciting story are cleverly delivered in the form of an exciting story. The use of a fairy-tale trope that should be familiar to most readers makes it easy for new storytellers to insert their own tales into the described format. The colorful artwork is energetic, cartoony, and approachable. A playful, smart way of teaching storytelling formats, Bitsy's successful journey as a narrator should encourage readers to give writing a try.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A tale of derring-do serves as the educational vehicle for a lesson in story structure in this graphic novel yarn by collaborators Goetter and Riess (The Bawk-ness Monster). Beginning with a welcome to the Realm of Narration by Bitsy--one of the three cyclopean Point-of-View sisters--the pink-skinned storyteller introduces her two older siblings: Prima, who tells of her adventures as a knight in first person, and cantankerous witch Midi, who writes interactive stories in second person. Eager to begin a tale of her own, Bitsy--an aspiring third-person narrator--calls upon stout, mustachioed wizard Boozle to become her reluctant protagonist. Communicating via pictograph, Boozle agrees to help Bitsy in exchange for his "very own Happily Ever After." Using foreshadowing and flashbacks--storytelling techniques that Bitsy explains in bard-like ditties that address the reader--Bitsy chronicles Boozle's journey, during which he assists troubled villagers, gains allies named after literary principles, and encounters a fearsome antagonist. Throughout the fluidly drawn and brightly colored adventures, Bitsy doubts her narrating chops, but encouragement from Boozle emphasizes the creators' assertion that everyone's POV is unique, making for a memorable story-within-a-story and a noteworthy tale. Ages 6--10. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--5--A fantastical and educational exploration into story structure. Collaborators Goetter and Riess (The Bawk-ness Monster) introduce the Point of View (POV) sisters and their careers as storytellers. Bitsy POV is a storyteller-in-training, and the youngest ogress sibling. She sets out to tell her first third-person story using Boozle, her wizard friend, as the protagonist. Boozle does not speak, but punctuation marks and facial expressions are beautifully constructed to reveal his thoughts and feelings. An unwilling participant, Boozle is forced to climb Story Mountain and face tasks Bitsy sings or narrates alongside his panels. Pen and ink, rendered digitally, are rich and vibrant. The use of space around panels to indicate Bitsy's story, and then her leaning over panels when Boozle resists playing his role, are brilliant. It allows the story to breathe and demonstrates the difficulty writing can present with quirkiness and compassion. Story structure terms, such as rising action, climax, flashback, foreshadowing, and more, are used well and with a great sense of humor. In one scene, Bitsy attempts to pronounce denouement, asking, "how are you supposed to say this, then." A glossary of terms and explanation of Boozle's speech bubbles are provided as back matter. VERDICT Visually stunning and funny, this is recommended for all libraries serving children and has potential to be used in language arts classes beyond elementary as a prompt for writing projects.--Rachel Zuffa
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The basics of narrative structure, imparted through a humorous fantasy plot. Bitsy, a pink-hued cyclops in medieval-style garb, is a storyteller by family profession. The youngest member of the Point-of-View sisters, she tells stories about others in the third person. The other person at the center of this particular tale is Boozle, a light-skinned, diminutive wizard tasked with ascending Story Mountain. Along the way, he encounters Mayor Dilemma, who begs him to save her town from the dastardly Gruffin of Clawmax Peak. She instructs Boozle to employ her grandchildren, Tension and Suspense, to locate the creature; he also makes use of montages, time-skips, and other tricks of the trade. Once Boozle's quest is through, he must meet up with Mayor Denouement in the town of Falling Action. You get the picture--the text is relentlessly, unapologetically educative. But there's a soupçon of mystery as to the Gruffin's motives, and Mayor Dilemma's intentions seem slightly suspicious. Readers will be eager to unravel the plot's true nature. Bitsy explicates Boozle's odyssey with zest, and Boozle's speech bubbles, filled with snarky nonverbal pictograms, perfectly telegraph his irritation at being Bitsy's puppet player. The tabletop role-playing game vibe, coupled with the narrative concepts being put into practice, together make this a great fit for young writers, gamers, and creators. The bright, bouncy, expressive cartoons give the story even broader appeal. Characters vary in skin tone. Delightful, deliberate, and engaging. (glossary, pictogram guide)(Graphic fantasy. 7-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
