Two sisters, friendly oddball Beatrice and fiercely unhappy Magnolia, seek something special from the forbidden forest, come face to face with its magic silk-spinning monster, Bog Myrtle, and learn about environmentalism, labor rights, and anti-capitalism along the way, in this creepily-cute and razor-sharp fable that has all the old-school deadly morality of the Brothers Grimm. A challenging (in both content and vocabulary), dark, yet adorable picture book for fans of Jon Klassen’s The Skull.
Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp, (List Price: $19.99, Annick Press, 9781773218922, October 2024)
Reviewed by Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia