Soothe your spirit with Melanie Gillman’s (they/them) lovingly rendered Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales. I first became acquainted with artist and author Gillman with their webcomic-turned-print series As the Crow Flies. I was enchanted by their colored pencil artwork and queer-themed storytelling. They channeled those same elements into this collection of seven original fairy tales, complete with table of contents, introduction, and conclusion.
The stories spotlight LGBTQIA+ characters with a total emphasis on women and nonbinary/transgender protagonists (frequently not specified). Main characters are people of color in 4 of the 7 stories. Instead of tired fantasy tropes, Gillman offers themes such as agency, community, acceptance, romance, and self-reflection, all wrapped up with queerness. The tales still have all the furnishings of the fantasy genre—knights, princesses, magical creatures, quests—with a new, refreshing flavor. The stories are all so strong that I can’t pick a favorite. Maybe “Goose Girl,” in which a princess learns important lessons from the titular peasant and does the unexpected; or possibly “Sweet Rock,” in which we find out what happens to the girls who are annually sacrificed to the giantess. Another contender for favorite story is “The Fish Wife,” where a mermaid and a plain, lonely woman fall in love and make sacrifices for each other.
Gillman’s art is soft, rich, and colorful. They convey emotion and detail beautifully without overwhelming the reader with minutiae. The large, clear lettering is easy to read. The immersive nature scenes are exactly what you’d imagine a fantasy setting to look like. The artwork and story mesh together perfectly. Aspiring artists, take note.
This gentle and cozy collection fits in with the current boom of queer-centered modern fantasy books (think The Prince and the Dressmaker;The Deep & DarkBlue;The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich;Magical Boy). Add it to your library’s young adult comics collection. This book definitely deserves a spot on your shelf.
Other Ever Afters New Queer Fairy Tales By Melanie Gillman Penguin Random House Graphic, 2022 ISBN: 9780593303184
Publisher Age Rating: 12-17 NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
Creator Representation: Queer, Nonbinary Character Representation: Lesbian, Queer, Nonbinary, Trans
Katie the Catsitter is back in another installment of her eponymous graphic novel series! This time, she’s preparing to officially become the Mousetress’s sidekick but things like friendship, jealousy, and, oh yeah, robots just keep getting in the way. Katie the Catsitter #3: Secrets and Sidekicks, written by Colleen AF Venable and art by Stephanie Yue, is a fast-paced, colorful adventure in Katie’s New York City.
Katie and her best friend Beth are ready to start their sidekick training. They even have the perfect sidekick names picked out: Aluminum Foiled and Cheesy Justice. Madeline, aka the Mousetress, is one of New York City’s top superheroes, even if the media likes to paint her as a supervillian (but Katie and Beth know the truth!). Along with her literal hundreds of extremely intelligent powerful cats, the Mousetress uses brains and technological know-how to protect the citizens of the city. Meanwhile, Katie’s mom is so busy working all hours of the day that she doesn’t even know what her daughter is up to.
Suddenly, a giant yellow robot is stomping its way through the city, about to destroy everything in sight, until it’s hit by a puddle splash. Turns out, this robotisn’t waterproof. Katie knows this robot is from the heinous Buttersoft Bionics but how can she prove it? No one wants to believe her.
On top of everything going in the world of superheroes and supervillains, Katie’s got regular middle school drama. Her skateboarding crew, the Wheel-las, is dealing with too many third and fourth wheels (pun intended). Katie’s friend Jess really feels the brunt of this, on top of Katie’s suspicions about Jess’s boyfriend’s family who owns Buttersoft Bionics, even though Jess swears they aren’t evil people. Plus, the threat of robots is threatening NYC PopCon, where Katie and her friends are cosplaying. With everything going on, can Katie do the right thing, defend her city, and prove who are the real villains after all?
While some readers might find Secrets and Sidekicks easy to dive into, it’s recommended that readers are familiar with the previous two books in the series, as they’ll give them the world building to help understand Katie’s world of superheroes and supercats. The names and skills of the many featured cats are both adorable and hilarious, readers will love meeting them. The book’s back matter includes Yue’s sketches, as well as words from the creators, some facts about them, and a friendship bracelet making guide, appropriate even for an arm with a paw.
There is a lot of action in the book but there are points where it feels more drawn out, making Secrets and Sidekicks appropriate for a more solidly middle grade audience. Katie’s friendship troubles will be relatable to readers her age. The superheroes aspect gives the book more appeal to readers who might not otherwise pick up a book about cats. As previously mentioned, the art is bright and cartoony at times, matching the action and the vibe of the book perfectly.
Katie the Catsitter #3: Secrets and Sidekicks is a charming addition to the series. Any cat loving reader will enjoy this book, as well as readers who enjoy the Paws or Making Friends graphic novel series, both of which have similar elements (cats! magic!) to Venable and Yue’s series.
Katie the Catsitter #3: Secrets and Sidekicks By Colleen AF Venable Art by Stephanie Yue Penguin Random House Graphic, 2023 ISBN: 9780593379691
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
Dan Thompson, a comic artist best known for the satiric Rip Haywire and L’il Rip Haywire comic strips, steps into early chapter books in this new series from Random House Graphic.
The story opens with a plump, orange and white housecat scampering into the zoo. He makes his way to the tiger enclosure where Lily, a full-grown tiger, is napping, and loudly announces that he’s home. It turns out that Tig is convinced he is a tiger and the bewildered Lily finds herself accommodating his demands while starting to doubt which of them is the “real” tiger. A look at her enclosure sign reassures her, but when Tig disappears and meets the other tigers, how will he react to being told he’s just a housecat? Will Lily defend her new friend?
The cartoon art is bright and attractive; the cover shows the orange-striped Lily looking shocked while Tig, standing on his hind legs on a rock, cheerfully announces he’s a tiger. The anthropomorphic characterization continues throughout the story as the tigers walk about on their hind legs and the simple blue and green backgrounds make their bright oranges and Tig’s more subdued yellow-orange pop out. The simple art makes it easy for beginning readers to follow the dialogue as the characters move around the enclosure. Although some tiger facts are included at the end, as well as a guide to drawing the characters, there is no attempt to show natural tiger (or cat) behavior.
On the surface, this is a simple story following the plot line of numerous picture books like I am a Cat by Galia Bernstein and Stripes the Tiger by Berengere Delaporte, where a housecat claims kinship with a big cat. The odd couple friendship is the traditional motif of nearly all early readers, from Frog and Toad to Elephant and Piggie. However, some reflection on the underlying themes and actual behavior of the characters in this story should make librarians think twice about introducing it to their readers. Lily, a female, has her enclosure invaded and taken over by Tig, a male. He doesn’t just want to be recognized as a tiger—his identity as a tiger is dependent on gaslighting Lily into thinking she’s not a tiger. Lily, even as she tries to reassure herself of her own identity, finds herself falling in with Tig’s demands and remaking her space to suit him. When Tig is told by other tigers in the enclosure (an odd encounter considering both he and Lily have told the reader that tigers are solitary) that he is not a tiger, and Lily finds him crying, her immediate reaction is to defend him by reusing Tig’s arguments to confuse the other tigers about their own identity. The two depart as “friends” with Lily acknowledging Tig as a tiger, “You can be whatever you want to be” and asking him to stay with her, despite the fact that he shows no remorse for his behavior and does not reciprocate by acknowledging her identity in any way. This isn’t an example of friendship or supporting others’ identity, it’s a blueprint for an abusive relationship with underlying anti-trans rhetoric.
The cute cartoon art makes it tempting to automatically add this title without looking deeper; however, there are many, many better titles about identity, such as Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn by Shannon Hale and Shark Princess by Nidhi Chanani as well as a vast selection of beginning chapter comics modeling healthy friendships from Lemon Bird Can Help by Ganucheau to Shelby and Watts by Ashlyn Anstee. After reading and considering this title, I chose to cancel my order and do not recommend it as an addition to any school or library collection.
Tig and Lily, Vol. 1: Tiger Trouble By Dan Thompson Penguin Random House Graphic, 2023 ISBN: 9780593486283
Publisher Age Rating: grades K-3 NFNT Age Recommendation: Easy Readers (5-9)
Soothe your spirit with Melanie Gillman’s (they/them) lovingly rendered Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales. I first became acquainted with artist and author Gillman with their webcomic-turned-print series As the Crow Flies. I was enchanted by their colored pencil artwork and queer-themed storytelling. They channeled those same elements into this collection of seven original fairy tales, complete with table of contents, introduction, and conclusion. 
become the Mousetress’s sidekick but things like friendship, jealousy, and, oh yeah, robots just keep getting in the way. 
Dan Thompson, a comic artist best known for the satiric Rip Haywire and L’il Rip Haywire comic strips, steps into early chapter books in this new series from Random House Graphic.
