Review by Booklist Review
A greedy grouch gets her just deserts in this richly painted fable. Good-natured Beatrice decides to make her mean-spirited sister, Magnolia, a cozy sweater, so she collects some forest treasures to exchange for yarn. When her plan fails, Beatrice returns the treasures to the forest, only to run into the dreaded Bog Myrtle, a gigantic spider who turns anyone stealing from the forest into a fly. But Myrtle and Beatrice bond over their love of the forest, and Myrtle gives her some magical silk--even better than yarn! When Magnolia exploits Beatrice's knitting skills, however, it raises important questions about what actually constitutes stealing. Sharp takes classic fable elements--talking wildlife, an ominous creature, and an unrepentant villain--and gives them a modern spin with a moral about not only greed but also stripping the environment of resources and not treating workers fairly. The paintings' rich color palette and exaggerated bodies and expressions nicely telegraph the characters' personalities and firmly establish the off-kilter atmosphere of the story. A perfect choice for fans of macabre takes on fairy tales.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sharp (The Wolf Suit) utilizes vibrantly colored folk art against dark backgrounds to introduce fair-skinned sisters Beatrice and Magnolia. While Beatrice, who wears a bright red dress, enjoyed "observing the local wildlife," bespectacled Magnolia liked "pulling the legs off of spiders." Despite being "so poor that they ate rats for breakfast," Beatrice endeavors to buy wool to knit a sweater for Magnolia. When the fabric store owner fails to see the value of Beatrice's currency--a stone, a twig, and a cicada shell--Beatrice returns them to the woods, where she meets the fearsome spider witch Bog Myrtle. Initially intending to turn Beatrice into a fly, Bog Myrtle is instead charmed by her appreciation of the forest; she spins material that Beatrice then knits into a sweater, which is seemingly impervious to wear and tear. Seeing the garment's value, Magnolia sets Beatrice and the household spiders to knit night and day. Though this droll graphic novel fairy tale becomes a nightmare for one sibling, it's a lighthearted and surreal take on evergreen themes surrounding the benefits of kindness that's more Brothers Grimm than classic Disney. Ages 6--11. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--6--Perfect for Halloween, this strange and unconventional graphic novel will grow on readers if they stick to the end of the story. Sisters Beatrice and Magnolia live together and are so poor that they eat bugs. Beatrice is pleasant and kind. Magnolia is just mean. Even so, Beatrice sets out to find treasures so she can barter for some yarn in town. She wants to knit her sister a sweater to keep warm in their drafty house, but alas, her bartering idea doesn't work. Upon returning the items to the forest, she meets the fearsome Bog Myrtle, known to turn people into flies and eat them. The Bog Myrtle isn't as frightening as everyone believes and offers magic silk to Beatrice, which begins some of the best parts of this story. This isn't a scary story, but the artwork is an interesting mix of eerie, suspenseful, and quirky. The characters are drawn in an exaggerated manner. The backgrounds are dark, but Beatrice, in her red dress, brightens each page. VERDICT While there isn't a moral to the story, there are definitely lessons to be learned, but mostly, this title is just fun reading, with an amusing twist at the end.--Esther Keller
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Review by Horn Book Review
An unconventional graphic novel for the budding young activist with a sense of humor. Sunny Beatrice lives with her selfish, scowling sister, Magnolia. On a well-intentioned errand, Beatrice takes a few treasures from the forest, incurring the wrath of the spiderlike creature Bog Myrtle. With a bit of reasonable conversation, that wrath turns to friendship ("I thought she was going to eat me, but it turns out she's just really into sustainability") and leads to a magic silk sweater for Magnolia...and then to a magic-sweater factory under Magnolia's draconian direction. Beatrice is a heroine to root for, pure of heart in a way that only works in fairy tales, while the deadpan delivery ("Beatrice was very resourceful and good at making crafts, and Magnolia was excellent at telling Beatrice what to do") adds plenty of humor and makes it clear the story shouldn't be taken too seriously. The illustrations in an earth-toned palette, made with "pencil, gouache, watercolor, ink, beet juice, and dirt," are painterly and only sometimes use panels, granting a picture book-like accessibility to this tale of environmental issues, labor rights, terrible sisters, and unexpected friendship. Shoshana FlaxJanuary/February 2025 p.91 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two sisters' fates are changed when one encounters a unique creature in the forest. Living together in a drafty house, pale-skinned siblings Beatrice and Magnolia are opposites in many ways. Short, wide Beatrice is happy and curious, whereas lanky Magnolia is cranky and tyrannical. One day Beatrice ventures into the nearby forest and meets Bog Myrtle, a giant, gray-skinned spider woman who's deeply committed to protecting the forest and is known for turning people into flies and eating them. She gives Beatrice some of her magic silk. With the help of the spiders that live in their home, Beatrice turns the silk into a soft, warm sweater for Magnolia. Greedy Magnolia sees an opportunity to make money by creating and selling more sweaters; she exploits Beatrice and the house spiders until her cruelty is no longer tolerated. With its short text and many simple, expressive, and attractive full-page illustrations, this book will entice young readers. Older kids, however, will likely have a better understanding of its sometimes challenging vocabulary and themes of sustainability and labor rights. These thought-provoking topics are smartly woven in as the story maintains a sharp humor and folktale feel throughout. The sisters epitomize the classic folktale binary of good and evil, and it's wonderfully satisfying when they each get what they deserve at the end, all infused with a slightly twisted sense of humor. Kindness is key in this droll and charming tale.(Graphic fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
