A hilarious graphic novel/diary hybrid told from the perspective of a girl living a very average life with her two dads in the land of Gumbling, a magical enclave of the modern world.
Twelve-year-old Nell Starkeeper loves life with her two dads, 10-year-old brother Rib, and 6-year-old sister Schmitty on their star farm in Gumbling. Gumbling isn’t a kingdom anymore, ever since the king vanished; the castle is now a community center. To Nell, it’s just home, although out-of-towners view it as a fairy-tale land, she tells us in her part-text, part-drawing diary.
Nell is 12, and is excited about being assigned an apprenticeship like all of her fellow seventh graders. She just knows she’ll be assigned to Wiz Bravo, the town’s most famous artist … except she’s not. Instead, she’s paired with Mrs. Birdneck, the town lorekeeper, who (rumor has it) is boring, harsh, and “shush-y.” Not only that, but her frenemy Leabelle is paired with Wiz, and Voila Lala, the stuck-up girl centaur, is apprenticing with her dads! Nell thinks her life is ruined. Her best friends Myra (who’s part fairy) and Gil (a thumbkin, or thumb-sized person) are happy with their assignments, though, and Myra has even shockingly started hanging out with Leabelle. Nell isn’t pleased.
Amidst this tween social turmoil, two strangers arrive in town, intent on turning Gumbling into a profitable fairy-tale-themed resort. Myra wants to help save the town, while Nell is stuck copying old texts about the town and its legends. But Nell’s burgeoning knowledge of the town’s history just might be the key to saving it, though it’s going to take the combined skills of friends, frenemies, and even her siblings. Can Nell navigate her shifting friendships, find her own place, and rescue Gumbling?
While the story hits many typical beats of coming-of-age tales, it does so in a totally original setting with a dose of humor and an imaginative eye. There’s also a clear lesson about how people’s differences are really a strength, but it’s lightly done. Author/illustrator Emma Steinkellner has perfectly nailed the blend of relatable, contemporary characters and magical, fairy-tale worldbuilding. There are also entertaining asides, in text and images, about the culture of Gumbling and of Nell’s life, but they never bog down the overall narrative.
Highly recommended and absolutely delightful—and while there’s a fully satisfying conclusion, I am hoping for a sequel in this charming world.
Nell, her Pa, and siblings are White; her Dad has slightly darker skin and could be read as White or Latino. Myra is Black and Gil and Voila are White. Leabelle is Asian.
