Horn Book (Thu Sep 07 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

When a mischievous black cat runs off with a little jack-o'-lantern child's purple mouse stuffie, the child must face their fears to find their beloved friend. In the end, stuffie and child are reunited, and our hero discovers a reserve of courage they didn't know they had. A lot happens in this wordless Halloween adventure that plays out in cleanly rendered panel illustrations. The jack-o'-lantern travels across a river and into a forest where they encounter a skeleton, ghosts, a witch (sad about her missing black cat), a giant octopus, and, scariest of all, the dark. The details sound frightening, but the art's soft palette and comforting round shapes signal to young readers and listeners that they needn't be. Kitty Flynn

Kirkus Reviews

Cartoonist Misdea constructs a quest replete with Halloween motifs in this nearly wordless, picture book–graphic novel hybrid.Troubled at bedtime by imagined scary beings-a skeleton, a green-skinned witch, a ghost, and even more monsters under the bed-a personified little jack-o'-lantern finds comfort with a treasured toy mouse. Next day, a whooshing wind separates the protagonist from the toy, engendering a seek-and-follow adventure. The Jack-child spies a black, fanged cat with the pilfered toy and pursues the feline in a motorboat across a river where a giant octopus makes its home. Reaching land, the child reunites a skull with its bones. The protagonist tucks the skull under their arm like a football and runs toward the skeleton with it; comically, the skeleton repays the favor in kind, kicking the Jack-child into the air for a temporary flight with a squad of ghosts. Landing in a cauldron, our hero finds a witch bawling disconsolately over a flyer for a lost cat. Realizing that the missing feline is also the thief, the Jack-child's off again to put things right. Misdea's narrative can be read as a child's dream or a hero's fulsome adventure. Featuring a muted palette of charcoal gray with orange, yellow, and blue tints, this debut's round-edged panels compress zigzagging emotions into an adroitly constructed tale using classic folkloric tropes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Appealing, for Halloween or anytime. (Picture book/graphic fiction hybrid. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Creatures of the night have troubles of their own in this wordless children’s debut from cartoonist Misdea. In paneled vignettes, a little humanoid figure with a round jack-o’-lantern head depends on a beloved purple stuffed mouse to ward off the frightening dreamlike figures that seem suspended over the bed after lights-out. When a strong wind blows the mouse away, and a stylized black cat runs off with it, the child goes on an epic pursuit through a nocturnal landscape peopled by the creatures of their dream. Crisp line drawings and striking, moody gray tones lend a satisfying frisson of eeriness to the dramatic stakes. Centering a reluctant but persevering protagonist facing their nightmares, it’s a portrait of empathy, independence, and bravery that champions the literal and figurative light within. Ages 3–7. (Aug.)