oneangrylibrarian's review
4.0
I really enjoy this series. They are full of heart, fantasy, adventure, and humor. As someone who is not overly familiar with Jewish culture, I love learning about customs and new Yiddish terms.
mjfmjfmjf's review
4.0
The best of the series so far. This spends much more time with the characters than it does with the setting. It doesn't explain how Fruma could be living in the same spot if she was raised Modern. But other than that plot hole. A fun modified fairytale with consequences and history.
ljrinaldi's review
4.0
I got this in the mail today, and opened up, thinking to just browse through it, before putting it aside to read later, and found that I read half the book through before I could put it down. Although the first book will always be my favorite, I really liked this fish of an evil fish that Mirka had to overcome. This time, time-travel (or time viewing) is thrown in, so we see that having magic is a family affaire. If you haven't read the first book in the series, read that, first, just to get a taste of what this series offers.
Mirka is a good heroine, flawed, but good hearted, who loves her family. With witches, trolls and magic fish thrown in, what more could you ask for?
Mirka is a good heroine, flawed, but good hearted, who loves her family. With witches, trolls and magic fish thrown in, what more could you ask for?
mckenzierichardson's review
5.0
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-CycleAnother fantastic adventure in Hereville. I really enjoy this series, especially the blending of reality and fantasy as well as the folklore elements.As these books have progressed, it has been interesting to see Mirka's relationships with her various family members, especially her siblings, and her stepmother always filling an important role within the story. Watching Mirka learn and mature and grow has been such a wild adventure in the best of ways.This book was perfectly beautiful with a lovely ending that really tied the whole story together. As with the other books, the illustrations were amazing. I really love these strange adventures filled with magic, trickery, suspense, and battles of wits.
karenchase's review
5.0
And in this adventure, Mirka learns the importance of family, even if you don't feel like it's your family, and that things are not always what they seem. After a magical fish is accidentally awakened from a long slumber by Mirka and her sister Layele, Mirka learns that her stepmother Fruma has a past that seems not so different from Mirka's own--and maybe even more strange. Chaos erupts as Mirka attempts to free her sister from the fish's malevolent grasp, and the family tries to find calm in their spiritual tradition. What I love about these stories is that Judaism is shown as the foundation for life, but not all actions are informed or dictated by religion, and spiritual connection can provide hope and comfort in times of stress. It is the kind of approach to the conversation that makes me feel like I could find that hope and comfort myself, but I know there is much more to Jewish faith than just that, things I don't think I could accept. However, I admire the portrayal of people of faith who still have crazy adventures that have nothing to do with their religion. I also wonder if we will ever meet Mirka's father, if there are more of these in the future!
briarrose1021's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up this book specifically because it has a fish on the cover (for those of you asking why, "fish on the cover" is a square on a Middle-Grade Bingo Card I'm currently working on). As such, I did not realize this is the third book in a series of graphic novels. After reading this one, I fully intend to go back and read the first two, as there are certainly things in this one that built upon the previous novels (knitting contest against a troll comes to mind; and really, who wouldn't want to see someone engage in a knitting contest against a troll?!?!). Still, I didn't necessarily feel short-changed reading this book first.
Mirka is an eleven-year-old girl who agreed to babysit her annoying six-year-old sister, though she wasn't paying attention when she agreed to it. To say that Mirka is a bad babysitter would be an understatement, but through the course of the novel, she learns a great deal about responsibility, promises, justice, faith and love.
One of my favorite lines from the book, which comes up twice, is that if we only did things when they were easy, it would mean much. It's when we do those things when they are hard that they truly take on their full meaning.
Seeing Mirka grow over the course of this book and internalize the lessons that her step-mother was trying to teach her while also learning and accepting that no one is perfect made for a great story.
The illustrations of this story were also really good, and I look forward to reading the two earlier graphic novels - both for the story and for the illustrations.
Mirka is an eleven-year-old girl who agreed to babysit her annoying six-year-old sister, though she wasn't paying attention when she agreed to it. To say that Mirka is a bad babysitter would be an understatement, but through the course of the novel, she learns a great deal about responsibility, promises, justice, faith and love.
One of my favorite lines from the book, which comes up twice, is that if we only did things when they were easy, it would mean much. It's when we do those things when they are hard that they truly take on their full meaning.
Seeing Mirka grow over the course of this book and internalize the lessons that her step-mother was trying to teach her while also learning and accepting that no one is perfect made for a great story.
The illustrations of this story were also really good, and I look forward to reading the two earlier graphic novels - both for the story and for the illustrations.
amyjoy's review
4.0
Another delightful entry in this series. I'm really glad we got to see some of Fruma's past and see her relationship with Mirka develop.
The art for this perfectly sets the tone, and I love Deutsch's use of a limited color palette.
The art for this perfectly sets the tone, and I love Deutsch's use of a limited color palette.
tmaluck's review
5.0
Every graphic novel aimed at children seems to promise the moon to parents who read the back cover in terms of being visually inventive, clever in its dialog, educational in its cultural influences, funny in its pratfalls, multifaceted in its meanings, and thoughtful about its morals.
99% of them must not be clearing the bar, because books like Hereville exist. This is even better than the first two in the series for so many reasons. Read this and let one of those reasons be your utterly engaged attention.
99% of them must not be clearing the bar, because books like Hereville exist. This is even better than the first two in the series for so many reasons. Read this and let one of those reasons be your utterly engaged attention.