Review by Booklist Review
Safia is heartbroken when her parents die in a fire that also consumes their winsome bookstore, but she finds a hopeful new beginning when she's sent to the home of her mysterious Aunt Whimsy. She is a retired explorer, who regales Safia with tales of her adventures and explains that, because of an unfortunate disfigurement, they can never leave their house. Safia, who's blind, can't see the truth: her aunt is literally a monster. Yee's saturated, jewel-toned color palette is dreamy, and she cleverly uses page layouts to note shifts in elements of the story. Her figures, with touches of classic mid-twentieth-century illustration style, appear in a refreshing variety of skin tones and body sizes and shapes. That gorgeous artwork tidily carries the plot through, and the plot is packed. Whimsy's nemesis announces their imminent archeological dig in the hidden city, where Whimsy was originally transformed, and Nanny (who, it turns out, is quite adept in her own right), a reluctant Whimsy, and Safia, delighted to finally be going on a real adventure of her own, embark on a quest to stop them and protect the city. Amplified by snippets of Whimsy's tabloidesque magazine of odd sights and occurrences from around the world, lots of high jinks keep the pace up, but Yee (Seance Tea Party, 2020) keeps her characters solidly grounded with realistic emotional turns. A few tantalizing plot threads leave room for a sequel (fingers crossed).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
After losing her parents and home to a fire, book-loving Safia Haziz is taken in by distant aunt Walteranne Hakim Whimsy, a great adventurer turned idiosyncratic recluse. Safia, who is blind, can't see that her aunt doesn't appear human; instead, Aunt Whimsy is a monster with blue fur, three yellow eyes, ram-like horns, and taloned feet, cursed to this form following an adventuring incident. When news that Aunt Whimsy's disappeared rival has suddenly resurfaced, Safia, ecstatic for the chance to travel the world, persuades Aunt Whimsy to come out of retirement. The two embark on a globe-spanning journey through zealously developed locales--including a forest-swallowed ancient city and an astoundingly large cruise ship--and meet unconventional explorers, such as gardening ghosts and pale, blond aspiring journalist Hebe. Vivid, flat-colored art by Yee (Séance Tea Party) bustles with blink-and-you'll-miss-it details and visual jokes, and the electric combination of layered paneling and sprawling spreads beg to be pored over. Brown-skinned Safia is an irresistible lead, and her innate sense of wonder and longing for adventure, even as she grieves the loss of her previous life, is heartwarming to the very last page. Ages 8--12. Agent: Jen Linnan, Linnan Literary Management. (Sept.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
All her life, Safia Haziz has dreamed of adventure. Reared on awe-inspiring tales by her bookseller parents, she's lost and lonely when they die. She's taken in by a distant aunt--born Walteranne Hakim, later she became Lady Whimsy, the World's Greatest Adventurer. Having given up her globe-trotting lifestyle after being turned into a blue-furred, three-eyed, wolflike monster by a strange curse, Aunt Whimsy has hidden away from the world with her tough-as-nails housekeeper, Miss Cathryn, for company. When her aunt's archnemesis, Professor Doctor Cecilia Choi, nicknamed Pineapple Tart, resurfaces in the news after a yearslong expedition, will Safia help Aunt Whimsy reclaim her former glory? The answer in this lighthearted romp is a foregone conclusion, as Safia and her aunt travel on a luxury ocean liner, negotiate a magical jungle, and befriend a surly secret agent. These, among other excursions, are depicted in an energetic style reminiscent of a '90s cartoon. Full-page spreads of the sensations, sounds, smells, and tastes Safia experiences on her journeys are particular highlights. Yee's character design is delightful, full of diversity in body type, skin tone, and gender expression. The story is kindhearted and full of fun. Eleven-year-old Safia is blind; her disability is never treated as an obstacle, instead incorporated into her zest for life in realistic ways, such as through the technology and devices she uses. Safia is brown-skinned and has relatives in India and Egypt. Adorable and diverting. (gallery, concept art) (Graphic fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
