Review by Booklist Review
Mira and Rosie have been left on babysitter duty. Their parents recently departed for an important expedition, leaving the two girls to look after their little sister, Peanut. Seems like an easy gig, right? Not the case. Peanut has begun to transform into a strange creature when her emotions are high, leaving her sisters completely baffled. After doing a little research, Mira and Rosie realize their sister might be a werebeast, which wouldn't be a bad thing, except that monsters are hunted in the city of Whisper Cove, where they live. To make matters worse, unbeknownst to the sisters, a creepy blob has been accidentally released from a magic cube in their house and is rapidly growing in size as it gradually sucks up the magic expended by Peanut. With their parents still gone, the two girls must do their best to keep Peanut safe and hidden, which is easier said than done. Tysoe blends whimsy and magic with plenty of heart in this playful, engaging story, and those elements extend to her playful, brightly colored, and cartoonishly rounded artwork, which has the energetic motion of a Cartoon Network animation. Superb pacing and meaningful stakes will keep the pages turning in this excellent fantasy adventure with just the right amount of humor and meaningful emotion. Hand to readers who loved Svetlana Chmakova's Weirn Books series.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Tysoe (Purranormal Activity) blends supernatural adventure with heartfelt family drama in this captivating and emotionally layered graphic novel. With their monster-hunting parents away, human teenage sisters Mira and Rosie must care for their toddler sibling, Peanut, while juggling combat trials at their adventurer school. Instead of expected infant troubles like teething, however, the teens must contend with Peanut crying literal floods, breathing fire, and inexplicably turning into a furry creature with alarming power. When a monster-hunting stranger arrives in town, Mira and Rosie attempt to keep Peanut's creaturely transformation hidden. The color scheme embraces gentle lavenders, pinks, and oranges that conjure a magical, twilit ambiance; dreamy, whimsical details and flowing cloud-like shapes enhance the enchanting atmosphere. Titular werebeast Peanut--with her puff of bright blue hair, sweetly pointed ears, and singular fang-toothed smile--endears with her high-energy theatricality throughout this goofy fantasy romp, which thoughtfully explores themes of childhood anxiety, adolescent responsibility, and personal identity. Human characters have varying skin tones. Ages 8--12. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--8--Three sisters discover that magic, long rumored to have disappeared from the world, is alive and well in this enchanting new graphic novel. Rosie and Mira live with their adventuring parents and younger sister, Peanut, in Whisper Cove, which informs readers with a wink and a nod that "no magical beasts live anymore. Definitely not." But something is up with Peanut: she cries so hard that the house floods, and she's been turning into a blue-furred beast. As they try to hide Peanut's emerging abilities until their parents return, Mira and Rosie must navigate bullies and crushes while keeping their grades up at Whisper Cove High. Filled with briskly comical moments, Tysoe's story is fast-paced and compulsively readable. Sibling frustrations are relatable and resolved in good time. Bright, bold illustrations are eye-catching and playful, and the Big Bad villain promises a return somewhere down the line. Rosie and Peanut have tan skin like their mother, and Mira has pale skin like their father. VERDICT Filled with familial love and high adventure that will leave readers with the warm fuzzies, this is a wonderful addition to middle grade graphic novel collections.--Rosemary Kiladitis
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Review by Horn Book Review
When their adventurer parents are out of town, Mira and Rosie Wolf-Drake have their hands full babysitting their little sister, Peanut, who, like many small children, has nightmares, draws on the walls, and acts up at daycare. Except Peanut happens to be a werebeast, liable to flood the house with her tears, bring her drawings to life, and shapeshift in front of her classmates. In a world that has long since turned its back on the corrupt, destructive magic of the past and now prioritizes technology and monster-hunting, Mira and Rosie frantically try to keep Peanut's abilities under control and a secret from the rest of Whisper Cove, all while contending with their parents' extended absence, their school rivals, and a sinister lurking creature. Tysoe's graphic-novel characters sport elastic, exaggerated facial expressions and distinct appearances (such as Peanut's shock of electric-blue hair and Mira's oversized glasses), and her world-building will be perfect for fans of the modern-fantasy worlds found in Nimona and the Lumberjanes series -- the sisters study sword-fighting at school but own cell phones -- especially as Whisper Cove reveals itself to harbor more magic than expected. The story concludes with an appreciation for unconventional, diverse communities -- in this case, among magicfolk -- and enough cliffhangers to offer hope that the Wolf-Drake sisters have a bright, magical future ahead of them. Emma ShacochisNovember/December 2025 p.80 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A trio of sisters deals with magical secrets and dangerous trials. In the wake of a century-long war among magicians, magic has become a matter of history. Tell that to the residents of the Wolf-Drake House, where Rosie and Mira struggle to keep up with their little sister Peanut's shape-shifting and other magically mischievous abilities. Their parents are away on an important expedition, and the phone line to connect with the older daughters is unreliable. Familial love sees the girls through their parents' absence, such as when they clean up Peanut's mess while listening to a recording of their mother's good-night lullaby. Tysoe portrays the cast members as a pack of charming goofs, all puffy cheeks and doe-eyed expressions. The visual humor helps maintain a sense of levity throughout the story, including when Rosie and Mira engage in combat training at Whisper Cove High's Adventure Academy and have a showdown with a shadowy creature that seeks to steal Peanut's magic power. Dashes of warmhearted romance and friendship round out this appealing tale: Rosie has a crush on classmate Yana, and Peanut makes a friend, Lydia, who can also transform. A couple of final plot beats hint at more to come, which readers will welcome like a heartfelt hug. The characters have diverse skin tones and hair textures, a variety that's present within the Wolf-Drake family. Delightfully funny and exuberant.(Graphic fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
