African tales get makeovers in this eclectic collection of fables in the form of comics.In Nicole Chartrand's opening story, a beautiful, vain, and "disobedient daughter" turns out to be clever and independent-minded, escaping from the monster who tricked her into marriage and turning her escape route into a business. A loving brother and sister who have run away from home outsmart cannibals and make off with their riches in Katie and Steven Shanahan's "Demane and Demezana." An arrogant young woman fails to impress the chief, while her humble, kind sister earns his offer of marriage, in Sloan Leong's treatment of a tale from Zimbabwe. Some tales are familiar in form, such as an Anansi tale from Jose Pimienta, a myth called "Why Turtles Live in Water" from Jarrett Williams, and D. Shazzbana Bennett's "Gratitude" fable, which is reminiscent of "The Lion and the Mouse." Other stories feature Egyptian gods or science-fiction twists. Each is adapted and illustrated by a different artist, which makes for nice variety even if the different illustration styles and plots seem geared toward slightly different age groups. While the black-and-white drawings are expressive, some seem more like sketches than finished work, and regrettably, one, Mary Cagle's "The Lion's Whiskers," lacks an African aesthetic. Despite these inconsistencies, the collection feels balanced and diverse. Thumbnail bios of each contributor follow along with a few concept drawings.Dynamic and thought-provoking, this foray into the world of African fables and fairy tales is sure to entertain young readers who welcome both strong messages and open-ended myths. (Graphic folktales. 9-13)

Gr 6 Up-Originally published in 2014 through a successful Kickstarter campaign, this graphic novel features 15 African tales adapted by different indie comic artists, including best-selling author Faith Erin Hicks. The stories and the black-and-white art range in style and tone. The entries preserve the intent of the source material but offer intriguing new takes. In the titular entry, a beautiful yet vain young woman attracts the attention of a skull who wishes to marry her. The skull happily bounces across the grass, with hearts in his eyes, then calls The Boys on his cell phone for help in hatching his scheme, though they ask how he is even using a phone. In a tale about how Anansi the spider spends his days creating webs after he is punished for trying to steal wisdom from the elders, Anansi and the other animals are drawn with thick line art and minimal background. Bonus pages include select concept sketches. VERDICT A notation about each piece's country of origin would have been helpful, but this is otherwise a solid addition to most YA graphic novel collections. Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ