Weapon Kosher may not be the hero we deserve. He may not be the hero we need. But he is the hero who comes in 
brine. In the latest installment of Scott Morse’s middle grade graphic series, Magic Pickle and the Roots of Doom, our bread and butter superhero faces his biggest challenge yet.
While fighting three villainous candies, the Tricky Treats, Magic Pickle (Weapon Kosher if we’re being formal) accidentally creates two new sentient vegetables. First, Herb Cloveson (aka Strong Scent), a clove of garlic suddenly thrust into complex awareness who just wants a friend and guidance. Despite the part he -unintentionally- played in Herb’s creation, Magic Pickle immediately rejects the allium’s attempts at friendship and is quickly overwhelmed by his powerful, garlicky punch.
The other new vegetale villain is Square Root, a power hungry turnip who will stop at nothing on the path to world domination. Square Root offers Herb the friendship Magic Pickle denied, even if he is just using the bulbous baddie for his powers. This becomes a very big dill for Magic Pickle when he loses his powers to Square Root and must face off against a bushel of tuberous terrors. Can Magic Pickle move past his half-sour disposition to find strength in unexpected places and rely on others, like his sidekick/partner/assistant JoJo?
This graphic continues Morse’s track record of engaging, silly content that the intended reader will love. Nearly overflowing with pickle based puns, Magic Pickle and the Roots of Doom is a bright, funny, quick read with decent deeper messages. Herb doesn’t know how to push back when he feels like his new friends aren’t the kind of tubers he can root for. Magic Pickle doesn’t know how to ask for help or what to do when he finds himself in a… well, pickle. These are concepts that tween readers can definitely connect to, folded into the familiar traps and tropes of a traditional comic. Yes, it’s a silly book about a pickle. And yes, there’s the potential for life lessons between the salty puns.
Guy Major’s vibrant colors enhance Morse’s bright, dynamic illustrations and make this a very easy graphic to look at. Morse’s background in animation is evident, letting the characters jump and move across the page. There are segments, however, where the panels lose their natural flow, usually in action-based moments. This makes some pages a little messy, to the point where small, green directory arrows are included as visual clues for reading as opposed to the action directing the reader’s eyes. This only pops up on a few pages, but it does muddle the flow of those pages a little. Additionally, there are no built-in chapter breaks in this book. While this is a quick read, given the publisher’s target reader is 8-12 years-old, having action breaks to allow for a break in reading would be handy.
Despite these small points, this is a great book. It doesn’t require any previous knowledge of the Magical Pickle universe and it’s just a fun read. This is an easy pick for readers who have aged out of Dog Man or The Bad Guys and who would relish a new hero.
Magic Pickle and the Roots of Doom  Vol.Â
By Scott Morse, Guy Major
Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2024
ISBN: 9781338188066
Publisher Age Rating:Â 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Tween (10-13)
