Translated: French

Between Snow and Wolf / Agnes Domergue, Hélène Canac (Illustrator)

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Between Snow and Wolf
By: Agnes Domergue, Hélène Canac (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 88
Published: November 16, 2021
Publisher: Magnetic Press
Dates Read: December 30, 2025
Format: Hardcover

Lila lives with her father on a snowy island where he has protected her from a curse and a demon. One day, when he is away for longer than originally planned, Lila decides to go looking for him, even though the snow scares her. Once outside, she discovers a forest asleep under all the snow and is populated by spirits and a white wolf.

I legit grabbed this graphic novel off the shelf at Barnes & Noble and then never let it go. The art definitely took my attention for its Studio Ghibli likeness but also I loved the color pallets (I am a sucker for when a character’s hair color is naturally a unique color like purple). 

Some of the dialog was a little choppy, especially from the statues, which I know are supposed to be the haikus but it didn’t ever really catch on to it easily.

I’m not sure of the Japanese fairy tale this is inspired by, but it is about a courageous little girl who, though she’s scared, faces her fears with the help of her frog friends.

Overall, still a cute and adorable story with beautiful art that anyone needing a cozy read would enjoy.

The Love Report Volume 2 / BéKa, Maya (Illustrator)

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The Love Report Volume 2
By: BéKa, Maya (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 200
Published: February 13, 2024
Publisher: Hippo Park
Dates Read: June 16, 2024
Format: Library Book / eBook

Grace and Lola are back to uncover more truths about romance and friendship in volume two of The Love Report. Grace tries to find balance with her parents’ split, but dividing her time between two different homes can be a headache. Lola and Grace help Adele find a place to stay, and Lola wants to help Felicity after one of the boys starts harassing her.

Summer comes just in time for the girls where it brings them to the island of Sardinia where they continue to discover the ins and outs and relationships.

The Love Report series focuses on girls in middle school (the grade they’d be in in America – though it’s set in France) as they navigate those first love butterflies and wonder. It’s really sweet. I absolutely love the artwork and the characters are genuine and realistic. Topics of bullying, divorce, step parents, and self image are talked about in this novel that are written appropriately for the age group it’s targeting.

This is one of those graphic novels that I will definitely be trying to get my hands on physical copies one of these days. The girls’ style is very French and you can see that within the panels (it just makes me smile).

Overall, I can see myself recommending this series to those who just love the cutesy, coming of age romances. I will be waiting anxiously for the third book.

The Prickletrims Go Wild / Marie Dorléans, Polly Lawson (Translator)

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The Prickletrims Go Wild
By: Marie Dorléans, Polly Lawson (Translator)
Genre: Children’s
Number of Pages: 44 
Published: April 9, 2024
Publisher: Floris Books
Dates Read: March 10, 2024
Format: ARC / eBook

The Prickletrim family are very proud of their perfectly trimmed and managed garden. They LOVE nature – as long as it’s controlled properly. But one day, their gardener can no longer stand their rules and quits. Finally free of the restrictions, the garden explodes, spilling its greenery into the Prickletrim’s house and every corner of their lives. Can the Prickletrim learn to live with nature?

This is so adorable and filled with beautiful and colorful garden illustrations. It’s cute to see the little hidden objects within the garden when it explodes and the Prickletrim’s are learning to live with it.

The story behind the greenery isn’t necessarily about gardens and nature, but more along with change and how to handle and live with it.

I’ve got a few small families I know who will love this book and I can’t wait for them to be able to get their hands on a translated copy here in April.

*Thank you Floris Books and Edelweiss+ for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review