Review: Garlic & the Vampire

Title: Garlic & the Vampire
Author: Bree Paulson
Page Count: 160
Publication: September 2021

[Amazon | IndieBound | BN | Find it at your local library]

(Other reviews: Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus)

Cheese and chives! This graphic novel is just really fucking delightful.

Really.

The enchanting story of an anthropomorphized Garlic, along with her friends Celery, Carrot, and others, help witch Agnes tend to her garden as well as sell the un-anthropomorphized versions of themselves at the local market. Magicked as Agnes’ “mute little helpers that keep me company,” the local garden produce have grown and prospered into their own personalities from anxious Garlic to her best friend steadfast Carrot, and the mean Celery to the cheery Potato and Tomato.

One day, Witch Agnes notices smoke rising from a local castle. Using her magic, she deducess a vampire is living there! The garden, now asunder with fear and anxiety, beg Garlic, the vampire’s natural enemy, to go and seek out what the vampire is doing and to banish him away from their land.

But what if, just what if, the vampire turns out to be a super nice guy who is really into gardening?

There is a lot to be learned her from self-reliance and growth of oneself to taking chances and going outside your boundaries. Paulson’s color scheme, the warm rich colors of a beloved fall day, make all the difference to the story. Drawn and colored any other way would just not seem right. Paulson is also an illustrator which gives the drawings a lifelike feel to them. There is just something warm and cozy about this book.

While geared for children, this book should bring a big hug of delight to just about anyone who reads it.