ALA Booklist (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

In this third installment in the Cici: A Fairy's Tale series, Cici goes camping with her dad, sister, and best friend, Kendra. Cici is eager to show Kendra everything she loves about her annual camping trip, like eating s'mores, a camping by the lake, and swimming. But this is Cici's first camping since learning she's really a fairy, and in addition to more banal surprises, like bad weather, a magical creature eager to be her friend ruins many of her meticulous plans, and she has a hard time taking things in stride. Once she starts being open to new experiences, though, she realizes that surprises can be truly wonderful. Doerrfeld and Page's colorful cartoon illustrations are lively with fantastic creatures, woodsy settings, and shimmery magic, and Cici's fairy sight, which reveals the true nature of her family members, is a fun visual trick r father, for instance, is a bear, while her mother has tentacles. With a cozy, meaningful message and a charming Latina protagonist, this easy-reading volume is a great pick for elementary-schoolers eager for fantasy comics.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

When Cici's mother starts dating popular classmate Kendra's father, Cici can't resist using her newly discovered fairy powers for revenge (Sight). When Cici and Kendra (now friends) go camping, Cici connects with a forest sprite (Perfect). These early, brightly illustrated graphic novels realistically portray a Latino family of divorce; the fantasy twist adds levity.

Kirkus Reviews

On a camping trip, Cici finds her stubbornness and magic at odds in this third series outing.Ten-year-old Latina fairy Cici cannot wait to take her best friend, Kendra, camping with her little sister and her dad. She's planned out every second of their trip, from kayaking to roasting marshmallows. However, things go wrong as soon as they pull up to the campsite, and one by one, Cici's plans are derailed. On top of everything, Cici is followed by an adorably strange bilingual forest creature with magical powers who wants to be her friend. Since this creature wasn't part of her plans, Cici sees it as a nuisance. Only when she decides to forego her strictures and roll with the punches does Cici realize that the trip had truly been a success and that she can't plan everything. As in previous volumes, Doerrfeld and Page have stayed visually consistent, with a sweeping spectrum of bright, pleasing hues and an emphasis on whimsical pinks and purples. However, this volume—like Cici herself, at times—seems to be conflicted. The narrative arc doesn't need magic to work, and here it feels like an afterthought, there to suit Cici's fairy persona rather than integral to the story. A misstep in the series but not so egregious as to completely alienate fans. (Graphic fantasy. 7-11)

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4 In this third installment in the series about a Latina girl who discovers she is a fairy, 10-year-old Cici is still learning about her powers, including fairy sight, which allows her to see her mother as part octopus, her father as part bear, and her dog as part dragon. Her abuela , or grandmother, tells Cici that this ability will help guide her through life, from coping with her parents' divorce to making new pals. Cici is excited as she sets out on a camping trip with her father, her little sister, her friend Kendra, and her dog, but her grandmother cautions her that nature is a powerful force with magic all its own and emphasizes the importance of having the right attitude. However, Cici has difficulty remembering her grandmother's advice, and things go increasingly wrong, partly thanks to a forest sprite. Though the girl reaches her breaking point, she soon realizes that things aren't so bad, and readers will appreciate her resilient spirit. While this work is set in the world of magic and fantasy, Cici and the problems she encounters are relatable. The artwork is cartoonish and resplendent with color, and Spanish words appear throughout the text. VERDICT Fans of the earlier books will be excited about Cici's latest escapade. Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC