Review: Lightfall: The Girl & the Galdurian

By Tim Probert

New York, NY: HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020. Graphic Novel. 246 pages.

In The Girl and the Galdurian, we're first introduced to a pig wizard and his adopted granddaughter Bea who run a tonic and tinctures shop deep in the forest. This stunningly creative adventure begins to take shape as Bea is rescued by Cad, an axolotl-type Galdurian, who is on his way to speak with Bea's grandfather. Upon reaching the shop, the two new friends discover the forgetful pig wizard has wondered off on a mysterious yet dangerous errand. They team up, determined to find him. Their quest leads them across the world of Irpa, through one beautifully imagined landscape after the next. Along the way, a complex back story is hinted at as they are pursued by shadowy bird creatures who seem to be after the endless flame lantern Bea was gifted from her grandfather. Bea and Cad are a engaging duo who will have you cheering for them from the first page, and this compelling mystery with a cliffhanger ending will have you scrambling to pick up its newly released follow-up, Shadow of the Bird.

Comments

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Review: The Library in the Woods

The Library in the Woods Written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie Minneapolis, MN : Carolrhoda Books, 2025. Picture Book. I am always intrigued by picture books that tell stories from the past in beautiful and meaningful ways, leaving the reader educated, and also hopeful and inspired. This book definitely did that for me! The cover is a beautiful peek into the story waiting on the pages. Junior and his family have lived on a farm that is having a hard time producing what it needs to for the family to survive economically. The parents make the hard decision to move away from the farm and into the city. Junior misses a lot of things about his life in the country. However, when Junior's friends tell him about a library in the woods, things change for him in the best way! He is amazed by the seemingly endless collection of books, and is eager to check some out for his family. Junior excitedly borrows a few books, including one about a farmer for his dad ...

Review: Tumblebaby

Tumblebaby Written by Adam Rex Illustrated by Audrey Helen Weber New York : Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2024. Picture book. I love a funky picture book. Slumbering Tumblebaby rolls out the door and into a wonderfully meandering yarn, thwarting scoundrels and coyotes, scaling unclimbable mountains, and even building a community center in Colorado City. Adam Rex's text reads like a folksy tall tale, punctuated by funny lines and rhyming chants. Weber's colorful, round illustrations feel a little Fauvist, a little cubist. It's a sort of "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" but in reverse - we learn in the last few pages that, in fact, that baby was YOU! This revelation made my young son gasp, which made me choke up. Tumblebaby is a surreal delight perfect for reading together.

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog