Willa the Wisp (The Fabled Stables Book #1)

by Jonathan Auxier, Olga Demidova (Illustrator)

Overview

The Fabled Stables: Willa the Wisp is the first in a fully illustrated chapter book series from New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Auxier and artist Olga Demidova.

Welcome to the Fabled Stables, a magical building filled with one-of-a-kind creatures. Creatures including the Gargantula, the Yawning Abyss, the Hippopotamouse . . . and Auggie.

Auggie is the only human boy at the Stables, and he takes care of all the other animals. The Fabled Stables have a mind of their own, and every so often, the building SHAKES and SHUDDERS, TWITCHES and SPUTTERS—it’s making room for a new arrival! It’s Auggie’s job to venture out and rescue a new creature from mortal danger. But will he be able to complete his mission before it’s too late?

With some help from Fen (a literal stick-in-the-mud) and his animal companions, Auggie saves the day and makes a new friend in the process.

“Whimsical fantasy with the right amount of speed and cleverness for the audience.” —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

“Words and pictures partner to create a captivating, promising series starter that boasts quirky secondary characters and a sympathetic hero.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

The Fabled Stables series:
The Fabled Stables: Willa the Wisp (#1)
The Fabled Stables: Trouble with Tattle-Tails (#2)
The Fabled Stables: Belly of the Beast (#3)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419742699
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	10/20/2020
Series:	The Fabled Stables
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	371,462
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Jonathan Auxier is the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author of Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, The Night Gardener, Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard,and Sweep. He lives with his family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/19/2020

Young Auggie has a job that many children will covet: he cares for the magical, mysterious, and “just plain weird” creatures at the Fabled Stables, located on an island at the top of the world. Auggie loves his work, overseeing meals, snacks, and the raucous “hurly-burly hour,” but he has a problem: he longs for a friend. When the stables rearrange themselves to welcome a new arrival, Auggie undertakes a rescue mission to bring the new creature—playful Willa the Wisp, pursued by hunters and hounds—to safety. Graceful text by Auxier (Sweep) moves nimbly from one suspenseful moment to the next, building tension as Auggie, clever and resourceful as well as modest and good-hearted, resolves an array of threatening situations. Folkloric illustrations by Demidova (A Friendship Yarn) portray a fantastical world that brims with life; animals dash with fervor across luminous spreads as startling noises pop off the pages: “The hounds SNARLED and SNAPPED and SPLASHED after their prey!” Words and pictures partner to create a captivating, promising series starter that boasts quirky secondary characters and a sympathetic hero. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Joe Regal, Regal Literary. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"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 reader. . . Auxier’s gleeful and imaginative writing will charm."

Booklist

10/30/2020

GR 2–4-Beginning chapter book readers will appreciate this simple yet engaging story about a boy named Auggie and his sidekick, Fen, a stick-in-the-mud who can transform into almost anything. Together, they live with mystical and magical animals at the Fabled Stables located on an island on top of the world. Though life is full of adventure for Auggie, he longs for a friend to play alongside him. One morning, a new arrival appears at the Fabled Stables, and it is immediately chased by hunters and hound dogs. Auggie must quickly figure out why the new creature is sought after and how to help it. Could this be the friend Auggie has been patiently awaiting? Readers will be rooting for Auggie and Willa the Wisp as they travel through the swamp to outwit the hunters. The colorful illustrations fit perfectly with the text, allowing the reader to feel and see what the characters are experiencing. VERDICT A first rate purchase for libraries whose young patrons are fans of fantastical beginner novels.—Martha Rico, Yselta I.S.D., TX

School Library Journal

★ 2020-07-14
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)

Kirkus Reviews

"Great for reading aloud, this lively first entry in a projected series offers a curious setting and an imaginative cast of characters."

Horn Book Magazine

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Whimsical fantasy with the right amount of speed and cleverness for the audience."—Kirkus Reviews

"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 reader. . . Auxier’s gleeful and imaginative writing will charm."—Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Words and pictures partner to create a captivating, promising series starter that boasts quirky secondary characters and a sympathetic hero." —Publishers Weekly

"Great for reading aloud, this lively first entry in a projected series offers a curious setting and an imaginative cast of characters."—Horn Book Magazine

"Readers will root for Auggie and Willa the Wisp." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher