Batcat

by Meggie Ramm

Overview

A new graphic novel series for emerging readers about accepting yourself and others from up-and-coming author-illustrator Meggie Ramm

Batcat loves being all alone in their home on Spooky Island. Up in their tree house, they pass the time playing video games and watching TV. But when Batcat suddenly finds themself haunted by an annoying, ice cream–stealing ghost, they visit the local Island Witch for a spell to remove their ghastly guest permanently!

With their Ghost-B-Gone spell in hand, Batcat travels across Spooky Island to gather ingredients—to the Cavernous Caves where the bats tell them they’re too round to be a bat, and to the Whispering Cemetery where the cats will help only if they commit to being a true cat. But Batcat is neither and that's what makes them special, right?

From up-and-coming author Meggie Ramm comes a sweet and fun story about accepting yourself when you're perfectly in-between here and there.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419756573
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	03/28/2023
Series:	Batcat , #1
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	83,326
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Meggie Ramm (they/them) is a non-binary cartoonist from Michigan. They spent their twenties teaching comics to kids in Oakland, California, and it was the best job in the whole world. They’ve had work in the New Yorker, Everyday Feminism, and Silver Sprocket, and have a limerick-based comic strip called The Littlest Dungeon Guard distributed through Sunday HaHa. They love rhymes, reading gay sci-fi and fantasy, and comics.

Editorial Reviews

This graphic novel for emerging readers spins an eerie yarn full of dead trees and secrets into a winning combination of charming and funny. The story flies along at a brisk clip to a terrifically satisfying ending. This intentional celebration of nonbinary identity reminds readers that they don’t have to be only one thing; they just have to be themselves.

Booklist

Batcat is a treat! Kids are going to pick up a pencil and start making their own round, pink, ghostly comics as soon as they finish it!

author of Beetle and the Hollowbones Aliza Layne

Readers of all ages who have wondered about their own place in a world keen on dividing things into categories will relate to this quandary and delight in the playful ways that Batcat defines themself outside of the binary.

author of Gender Queer: A Memoir Maia Kobabe

★ 03/01/2023

Gr 2 Up—Batcat is a cute, round, and pink creature who enjoys living on Spooky Isle all alone. They are happy because they don't have to share their mushroom pizza or their hot cocoa or their video games with anyone else. When a ghost shows up in their tree house and refuses to leave, Batcat asks the Island Witch for help. The Island Witch tells Batcat to travel to different locations to gather ingredients for the spell that will get rid of the ghost, but this turns into an unusual journey. Along the way, Batcat meets bats, cats, ghosts, and other creatures. Batcat is a nonbinary character, so they have trouble fitting into just one category. As they explore their world and meet other characters, they face a dilemma about not being enough of a bat to please the bats, and not enough of a cat to satisfy the cats. Batcat will start to learn about how they fit into the world as a one-of-a-kind creature, and think about whether they want to remain alone or are ready to start making friends. This story is charming, uplifting, and silly, with adorable and colorful artwork that will make readers laugh. VERDICT For young readers who love funny animal stories, as well as sweet stories about self-acceptance.—Andrea Lipinski

School Library Journal