REVIEWS+

Bog Myrtle

by Sid Sharp (text) & illus. by Sid Sharp
Annick Pr. Oct. 2024. 156p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781773218922.
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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.
Reviewed by Esther Keller , Oct 01, 2024

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