Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A series opener about a caretaker of stables for magical and odd creatures.Auggie is the caretaker of the mysterious Professor Cake's Fabled Stables, home to one-of-a-kind creatures of all sorts. As the only boy on Professor Cake's private island, Auggie's lonely-the closest thing he has to friends are Miss Bundt (who he suspects was once a pirate) and Fen, a literal stick in the mud (who transforms to aid Auggie in his jobs and is not keen on friendship). One day, a new stall suddenly appears in the stables, meaning a soon-to-arrive creature is in trouble and needs rescue. Auggie must use his cleverness and resources to rescue Willa-a playful, shape-shifting, newborn wisp-from three robed hunters. When the hunters catch them and threaten Willa to try to get at a nonexistent treasure, Auggie cleverly tricks them and summons a rescue from a not-as-apathetic-as-he-pretends Fen. But back at the stables, Willa's still not out of danger-wisps are moon creatures that only last for one night….The straightforward plot never allows tension to simmer too long without relief for the young audience; add in the comedically inventive creatures, and this book is calibrated to please. The full-color artwork throughout is vibrant in its shading and dreamy in execution, physically grounding the story while enhancing its fantastical otherworldliness. Auggie is depicted with beige skin and brown, curly hair and Mrs. Bundt with blue skin and hair; the hunters are diverse both racially and in gender.Whimsical fantasy with the right amount of speed and cleverness for the audience. (Fantasy. 5-9)

ALA Booklist (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Auxier (Sweep, 2018) puts his self-professed love of monsters and nonsense to good use as he kicks off this early chapter book series, Fabled Stables. To visit, readers must travel to a small island at the top of the world, where a one-of-a-kind boy, Auggie, cares for the magical and mythical creatures that call its stables home. Each animal is cheerfully attended to by Auggie, who loves his job. One afternoon, a loud bang sends the boy running to the stables to discover that a new stall has added itself to the interior t for whom? Demidova's chapter illustrations sparkle with whimsy and color and appear on almost every page, pulling double duty by enhancing the story and supporting children ready to step beyond leveled readers. Auxier's gleeful and imaginative writing will charm, even the grumpy Fen literal (enchanted) stick-in-the-mud d Auggie's nighttime adventure to rescue the stable's newest occupant injects excitement into the plot. This series will find a happy home beside the likes of The Unicorn Rescue Society and Zoey and Sassafras.

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

A series opener about a caretaker of stables for magical and odd creatures.Auggie is the caretaker of the mysterious Professor Cake's Fabled Stables, home to one-of-a-kind creatures of all sorts. As the only boy on Professor Cake's private island, Auggie's lonely-the closest thing he has to friends are Miss Bundt (who he suspects was once a pirate) and Fen, a literal stick in the mud (who transforms to aid Auggie in his jobs and is not keen on friendship). One day, a new stall suddenly appears in the stables, meaning a soon-to-arrive creature is in trouble and needs rescue. Auggie must use his cleverness and resources to rescue Willa-a playful, shape-shifting, newborn wisp-from three robed hunters. When the hunters catch them and threaten Willa to try to get at a nonexistent treasure, Auggie cleverly tricks them and summons a rescue from a not-as-apathetic-as-he-pretends Fen. But back at the stables, Willa's still not out of danger-wisps are moon creatures that only last for one night….The straightforward plot never allows tension to simmer too long without relief for the young audience; add in the comedically inventive creatures, and this book is calibrated to please. The full-color artwork throughout is vibrant in its shading and dreamy in execution, physically grounding the story while enhancing its fantastical otherworldliness. Auggie is depicted with beige skin and brown, curly hair and Mrs. Bundt with blue skin and hair; the hunters are diverse both racially and in gender.Whimsical fantasy with the right amount of speed and cleverness for the audience. (Fantasy. 5-9)

Horn Book

At the top of the world sat an island. And at the heart of that island lived a boy named Auggie.