This is a very cute middle grade graphic novel that hits many of the themes I enjoy — school narrative, siblings having to work together, magic, and actually supportive adults so that the kids don’t have to do things all on their own. Mira and Rosie have been left to look after their little sister, Peanut, while their parents are off on an adventuring expedition. This is a world in which there used to be magic, but it supposedly vanished hundreds of years ago after all the magicians fought a long war. There also were magical beasts, but the hunters have exterminated basically all of them (as far as everyone is aware). The girls’ mom is a very famous adventurer and Rosie especially wants to follow in her footsteps and be #1 in all the school trials. While their parents have been gone, Peanut starts displaying magical powers, which seems impossible given that there’s not supposed to be any magic left, and Mira and Rosie are left struggling to balance going to school while cleaning up after their little sister’s outbursts of magic.
I also liked the side characters and the way in which the world was fleshed out. The ideas here were interesting and the way that it’s presented makes me hopeful that there’s more to come after this. There are a lot of threads left unsolved and I wanted Mira especially to find something she was passionate about! The way the girls have to work through negative feelings and stress felt realistic and I think there was a good lesson here about needing help from adults after a certain point. I will say I didn’t leave this book loving their parents, who seemed pretty irresponsible and leaving a lot of stress on two tween/teen girls. I also wondered where their parents’ friends and families were, but maybe if there’s another volume or two, they’ll get more into that. The art is very charming and cute and I especially loved Peanut’s design! I think this would also work for a YA audience because the kids seem more like 8th graders or older tweens.
This features children in peril and some bullying.
