Cici A fairy's tale

So far, Cici's tenth birthday isn't shaping up well. For starters, her dad just left, her crazy abuela moved in, and her best friend wants to go to a party thrown by the popular girls. This all would be more than enough to handle, but on the morning of her birthday, Cici wakes up with . . . wings?? Thankfully, her grandmother is here to help her out, explaining that fairies run in the family, and Cici has begun to discover her powers. But Cici has only one day to decide if she wants to embrace her fairy heritage or forget and be human. The bold panels are large and bright, making it easy for younger readers to follow along. Cici's adventures are humorously depicted. Her fairy sight allows her to see things as they are, which means her multitasking mom suddenly has octopus arms, and the popular girls are all identical, chattering hens. The multicultural cast and universal themes make this a promising start to a series and a solid introduction to graphic novels.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2016 Booklist

The husband-and-wife team of Doerrfeld (Matilda in the Middle) and Page (the Chicagoland Detective Agency series) launch the Cici: A Fairy's Tale series about a Latina girl who discovers she is a fairy. With Cici's 10th birthday approaching, she unexpectedly sprouts pink wings one morning. Her abuelita then reveals her own wings and tells Cici that the two of them are hadas, or fairies. Cici's powers include "fairy sight": her mother seems to use octopus arms to juggle multiple tasks one busy morning, while Cici's younger sister retreats into a turtle shell, upset by their parents' impending divorce. This is essentially a setup tale-a plot line in which Cici and her friend attend a hot tub party competing with Cici's birthday plays into a follow-the-crowd vs. be-yourself dynamic that helps Cici decide whether to embrace her newfound magical heritage. While the plot is fairly thin, Doerrfeld and Page's vivid cartoons are full of humorous details, while reflecting the deeply felt emotions of a family in transition. Ages 7-11. Author's agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.