Thursday, September 15, 2016

Zita the Spacegirl

Book Review: Zita the Spacegirl by  Ben Hatke

The story: When a mysterious meteor crashes to earth, Zita and her friend Joseph find a device inside.  Headstrong Zita immediately activates the device, kickstarting an adventure that carries them to a far off planet that's about to be destroyed by a meteor.

The Good: Rollicking fun adventure and gorgeous illustrations. 

The Bad: The graphic novel includes mild peril.  That's it.  And even that is balanced out with pervasive humor.


The Thoughts: The book is visually like watching a Star Wars directed by Jim Henson and illustrated by Bill Watterson, in the best way.  The action never stops.  The protagonist is a plucky young girl whose impulsiveness first led to chaos, but whose big heart, courage, and unwavering loyalty more than atoned for.  The story is a maze of unexpected twists and turns, while avoiding predictable tropes.  The ending sets the stage for more galactic adventures for the heroine and her friends, which I will be acquiring as fast as possible (we have the three currently available, and, given the enthusiasm for them by all my readers and non-readers, everything else released by the talented Ben Hatke).  The story can be gleaned by children who are not yet reading fluently, but is by no means a "baby" book.  

Favorite nickname: Strong-strong calls Zita "lost girl" throughout.  <3

Five stars.



No comments: