Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

More previously untranslated Akissi tales arrive in the United States, featuring the adventurous, one-of-a-kind heroine causing a ruckus in her Ivory Coast village.This anthology corresponds to volumes 4, 5, and 6 in the Akissi series by veteran graphic-novel author Abouet, whose breakout YA comic Aya de Yopougon, illustrated by Clément Oubrerie (2005; first published in English as Aya in 2007), helped draw her international recognition. In her tales about Akissi, Abouet re-creates "the happy memories of being a young Ivorian girl," when "the whole neighborhood was my playground and the people that lived in it were my family." Akissi is absolutely, hilariously uncontainable in her home village, and that means that no one is safe from her impulsive curiosity and fearless missions. This spells trouble for the teenage neighborhood bully, Akissi's sadistic schoolteacher Mr. Adama, and of course Akissi's older brother and rival, Fofana. Walk with caution, because as Akissi knows all too well, "courage has nothing to do with age or height!" Or gender. Just as much as she enjoys a good barnyard laugh, she is determined to step in when a friend is in need. Sapin's playful illustrations drive home the warmhearted levity in these stories, offering U.S. readers a rare glimpse into growing up beloved and meddlesome in an intergenerational, tightknit, actual day-to-day West Africa.Outrageously fun—this indomitable little girl is simply incomparable. (Comics anthology. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

More previously untranslated Akissi tales arrive in the United States, featuring the adventurous, one-of-a-kind heroine causing a ruckus in her Ivory Coast village.This anthology corresponds to volumes 4, 5, and 6 in the Akissi series by veteran graphic-novel author Abouet, whose breakout YA comic Aya de Yopougon, illustrated by Clément Oubrerie (2005; first published in English as Aya in 2007), helped draw her international recognition. In her tales about Akissi, Abouet re-creates "the happy memories of being a young Ivorian girl," when "the whole neighborhood was my playground and the people that lived in it were my family." Akissi is absolutely, hilariously uncontainable in her home village, and that means that no one is safe from her impulsive curiosity and fearless missions. This spells trouble for the teenage neighborhood bully, Akissi's sadistic schoolteacher Mr. Adama, and of course Akissi's older brother and rival, Fofana. Walk with caution, because as Akissi knows all too well, "courage has nothing to do with age or height!" Or gender. Just as much as she enjoys a good barnyard laugh, she is determined to step in when a friend is in need. Sapin's playful illustrations drive home the warmhearted levity in these stories, offering U.S. readers a rare glimpse into growing up beloved and meddlesome in an intergenerational, tightknit, actual day-to-day West Africa.Outrageously fun—this indomitable little girl is simply incomparable. (Comics anthology. 6-9)

School Library Journal (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Gr 3-6 -Akissi, who lives in a West African village, is the youngest child in her family, and she's used to being the center of attention. She often finds herself in a tug-of-war between the greedy and generous sides of her nature. Both this book and its predecessor, Akissi: Tales of Mischief, were inspired by Abouet's childhood growing up in Côte d'Ivoire. Readers need not be familiar with the earlier volume to understand this story. Akissi and her friends get themselves into sticky situations, such as enacting revenge on a strict teacher and terrorizing a school bully. The characters occasionally cross that fine line between causing mischief and bodily harm, but this is ultimately a sweet story. Sapin's artwork pops with life and color; notably, the backgrounds shift hues throughout the stories. VERDICT Akissi's zany, laugh-out-loud adventures brim with appeal. For most collections, especially where the first installment circulates well.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library