Canadian artist Orchard tosses readers headlong into the world of his debut graphic novel, a gorgeously illustrated if narratively quirky quest starring 11-year-old Maddy Kettle, whose parents have been turned into kangaroo rats. The story opens with the family on a train on the run after "that terrible night" when the Thimblewitch and a horde of spider goblins descended on her parents' bookstore for reasons unknown. "I looked everywhere for mom and dad. I finally found them in the pantry," Maddy remembers as Orchard shows the two rodents poking out of a bag of flour. After the spider goblins return to kidnap Maddy's parents and her magical spadefoot toad, Maddy's rescue efforts bring her into league with semi-bumbling "cloud cartographers" Silvio the raccoon and Harry the bear. Magic and misunderstandings ensue, but while Orchard's delicately inked, richly colored artwork conjures a fascinating and creepy setting of goblins, witches, and scarecrow armies, Maddy's successes come too easily, and a general lack of context may leave readers feeling like they don't really know Maddy or her world very well by book's end. All ages. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 2-6-Maddy Kettle's parents have been turned into rats and the powerful Thimblewitch is suspected as the culprit. But an attack by the evil spider goblins, who kidnap not only her parents but also Ralph, her magical floating spadefoot toad, projects Maddy on a quest across unusual landscapes and into dangerous predicaments. The heroine is joined by a pair of cloud cartographers who help her navigate to the castle of the Thimblewitch and to the floating kingdom of the spider goblins in order to reunite her family. Orchard's use of blue and yellow tones help to contrast that which is safe and unknown with all that is threatening, dark, and evil. His line work on the characters and setting portray a world that's every bit mysterious as it is fantastic, using jagged edges and dark shading to communicate a gritty and harsh world. The characters display little emotion, which at times feels disjointed from the dialogue. Though at times distracting, it is not enough to detract from quickly-moving story. The panels are large and thinly bordered and the story is paced nicely at each page turn. There is much in Maddy Kettle's world that is left unexplained, leaving room for additional volumes, though the story here reaches a satisfying conclusion with important plot lines resolved. It is clear that this world holds a great number of adventures for Maddy Kettle, and readers will look forward to journeying with her.-Matthew C. Winner, Ducketts Lane Elementary School, Elkridge, MD (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Intrepid young Maddy encounters goblins, flying whales, and allies ranging from a friendly vampire bat to a pair of "cloud cartographers" in this kickoff chapter. It's bad enough that her mild-mannered parents have been transformed into kangaroo rats by the fearsome Thimblewitchwhen they're kidnapped by spider goblins, along with her beloved floating spadefoot toad, Ralph, there's nothing for it but to set off to the rescue. Traveling with two chance-met balloonist mapmakers, Maddy is amazed to discover that there's a whole unsuspected world in and above the clouds. But more surprises await: Though Orchard draws both the witch and the goblins with sharp teeth and menacing red eyes, when Maddy tracks her down, the witch turns out to be a well-meaning tinkerer whose magic has gone awry. Moreover, the goblins are skittish but not hostile creatures desperate to replace the stolen power source that keeps their smog-belching city afloat. In return for Ralph and having her parents restored to their original forms, Maddy flies off into future episodes to recover the goblins' magic. The tale is a stream of imaginative twists and aerial wonders, flowing along easily in a mix of full-page scenes and large sequential panels of lucidly drawn action and pithy dialogue. A sweet-mannered debut with plenty of lift, despite the abrupt and wide-open ending. (Graphic fantasy. 8-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Ever since the Thimblewitch turned Maddy's parents into kangaroo rats, she's been planning to find a way to restore them to normal. It's not until she accidentally falls off their train and meets some cloud mappers, though, that she gets her chance. In lush, crosshatched panels, Maddy traverses the desert on foot, in a balloon, and by magic boat until she's in the cloud-bound city where her parents are held captive, and with her ingenuity and pluck, she finds solutions to everyone's problems. Orchard, whose artwork looks like a happy combination of Windsor McCay's and Dr. Seuss' art, tells a classic and charming adventure tale in whimsical images bursting with atmosphere. Sweeping vistas part to reveal spooky castles. Inky black, star-filled skies loom over desert rock formations. A big, yellow moon peeks cartoonishly from behind periwinkle clouds. Maddy's quest, involving witches, spider goblins, friendly animals, and a floating magical toad, is appealingly simple, and it's a great contrast to the shadowy, fanciful pictures. Luckily for fans of Maddy Kettle, the ending leaves room for more adventures.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2014 Booklist