Roo and the Big Garden Redo

by Steve Foxe, Daniela Barros (Illustrator)

Overview

The humans are redoing their garden! That means Tiny Folk friends Aco and Roo need to pack up their teensy garden-side houses until the work is complete. Aco is excited throughout the temporary move. But Roo is...not. He’s a nervous wreck! Can the pair make it through the forest (i.e., the shrubbery) to stay with a neighbor? And when they return, will home still feel like home? In Tales of the Tiny Folk, follow along as itty-bitty creatures use creativity to thrive in a world that’s not quite their size. With manga-inspired art and lighthearted adventure, young readers will snap up these super-cute graphic novels that are big fun!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781669060178
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	01/01/2024
Series:	Tales of the Tiny Folk
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	7 - 11 Years

About the Author

Steve Foxe is the author of more than 20 children’s books and comics properties including Pokémon, Transformers, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, DC Super Friends, and Grumpy Cat. He lives in Queens, New York, where he thinks a lot about cats, even ones who can’t shoot lasers from their eyes.

Daniela Barros is aPortugueseillustrator and comic artist who delights young audiences with her charming and lively style. Inspired by Manga but with a colorfulvisual language all her own, Danielaworks her magic for publishing houses acrossthe world,creating imagery full of fantasy and intrigue.She has been illustrating for some publisherslike Scholastic,ChiadoBooks, Publishway, Midori Editora, and more recently, on the board gamefield,for Rebel Studio.

Interviews

Adorable chibi style art taps into the red-hot popularity of manga and anime;

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2024

Gr 2–5—In a fantasy world where tiny folk live in the garden and commune with plants and small animals, Roo (who has green skin and a mushroom hat) and Aco (who has brown skin with an acorn hat) seem content living next to each other and spending their days hanging out with their pet ladybug Sparky and their hummingbird friend Flutter. That is, until the resident human (who has light skin) decides to start on a garden redo project. Sensing it's time to take a vacation, Aco is excited to see what changes lie ahead, but Roo is anxious and afraid. Will their home be the same? What if there's no longer a place for them and their friends? Ultimately, Roo learns that while environments may change, that's not always for the worse, especially when they have friends around to support them. Barros's illustrations are bright and mangalike (which should attract young fans of that format), with lots of greens, yellows, and blues. The end of the book features a "Take a Closer Look" section with SEL-based discussion questions for caregivers or teachers to use to extend the story. VERDICT A solid purchase for those seeking to enhance their SEL collections or where there are young manga fans.—Kadie Seitz

School Library Journal