Bog Myrtle

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.)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

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

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"The sisters epitomize the classic fairytale binary of good and evil, and it's wonderfully satisfying when they both 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." 

"The oddity of the story carries over well to the quirky, exaggerated illustrations, with Beatrice a lively, vaguely triangle-like figure bouncing through the pages, with the beanpole, sour-faced Magnolia as a perfect foil. A timely bit of humor is added as the spiders go on strike and march through the pages with signs demanding fair pay and justice." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 09/24

“I adore this book as much as I adore empowered spiders, poker-faced narrators, and cooperative bookstores. It’s wry, whip-smart, and freaking gorgeous. Sid Sharp is a maestro of comic timing and subversion.” —Kyo Maclear, author of It Began With a Page