Willa the Wisp

August 1, 2020
Grades 1-3 Auxier (Sweep, 2018) puts his self-professed love of monsters and nonsense to good use as he kicks off this early chapter book series, Fabled Stables. To visit, readers must travel to a small island at the top of the world, where a one-of-a-kind boy, Auggie, cares for the magical and mythical creatures that call its stables home. Each animal is cheerfully attended to by Auggie, who loves his job. One afternoon, a loud bang sends the boy running to the stables to discover that a new stall has added itself to the interior?but for whom? Demidova's chapter illustrations sparkle with whimsy and color and appear on almost every page, pulling double duty by enhancing the story and supporting children ready to step beyond leveled readers. Auxier's gleeful and imaginative writing will charm, even the grumpy Fen?a literal (enchanted) stick-in-the-mud?and Auggie's nighttime adventure to rescue the stable's newest occupant injects excitement into the plot. This series will find a happy home beside the likes of The Unicorn Rescue Society and Zoey and Sassafras.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from October 19, 2020
Young Auggie has a job that many children will covet: he cares for the magical, mysterious, and “just plain weird” creatures at the Fabled Stables, located on an island at the top of the world. Auggie loves his work, overseeing meals, snacks, and the raucous “hurly-burly hour,” but he has a problem: he longs for a friend. When the stables rearrange themselves to welcome a new arrival, Auggie undertakes a rescue mission to bring the new creature—playful Willa the Wisp, pursued by hunters and hounds—to safety. Graceful text by Auxier (Sweep) moves nimbly from one suspenseful moment to the next, building tension as Auggie, clever and resourceful as well as modest and good-hearted, resolves an array of threatening situations. Folkloric illustrations by Demidova (A Friendship Yarn) portray a fantastical world that brims with life; animals dash with fervor across luminous spreads as startling noises pop off the pages: “The hounds SNARLED and SNAPPED and SPLASHED after their prey!” Words and pictures partner to create a captivating, promising series starter that boasts quirky secondary characters and a sympathetic hero. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Joe Regal, Regal Literary.

October 30, 2020

GR 2-4-Beginning chapter book readers will appreciate this simple yet engaging story about a boy named Auggie and his sidekick, Fen, a stick-in-the-mud who can transform into almost anything. Together, they live with mystical and magical animals at the Fabled Stables located on an island on top of the world. Though life is full of adventure for Auggie, he longs for a friend to play alongside him. One morning, a new arrival appears at the Fabled Stables, and it is immediately chased by hunters and hound dogs. Auggie must quickly figure out why the new creature is sought after and how to help it. Could this be the friend Auggie has been patiently awaiting? Readers will be rooting for Auggie and Willa the Wisp as they travel through the swamp to outwit the hunters. The colorful illustrations fit perfectly with the text, allowing the reader to feel and see what the characters are experiencing. VERDICT A first rate purchase for libraries whose young patrons are fans of fantastical beginner novels.-Martha Rico, Yselta I.S.D., TX

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2020
"At the top of the world sat an island. And at the heart of that island lived a boy named Auggie." So begins this early chapter book full of magical creatures, puzzling situations, and playful nonsense. Auggie's job on the island is to take care of all the one-of-a-kind creatures at the Fabled Stables, such as the Long-Beaked Curmudgeon and the Yawning Abyss. Auggie has a unique rapport with animals as well as a Horn of Plenty that produces the appropriate food for each creature on command. He's helped by a "stick-in-the-mud" named Fen, who begrudgingly mucks out the stalls. One day, the stables magically expand to make room for a new creature: a wisp. Unfortunately, the wisp needs to be rescued before it can move in, and adventures ensue. Plentiful illustrations with small bursts of text on the pages make for a high-energy story full of twists and turns. Many mysteries around the nature of the island and its inhabitants remain unsolved, including the motivations of Professor Cake, the island's owner. "He was very old and very clever. He collected things that were one-of-a-kind. Things like Auggie." Great for reading aloud, this lively first entry in a projected series offers a curious setting and an imaginative cast of characters.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2020
"At the top of the world sat an island. And at the heart of that island lived a boy named Auggie." So begins this early chapter book full of magical creatures, puzzling situations, and playful nonsense. Auggie's job on the island is to take care of all the one-of-a-kind creatures at the Fabled Stables, such as the Long-Beaked Curmudgeon and the Yawning Abyss. Auggie has a unique rapport with animals as well as a Horn of Plenty that produces the appropriate food for each creature on command. He's helped by a "stick-in-the-mud" named Fen, who begrudgingly mucks out the stalls. One day, the stables magically expand to make room for a new creature: a wisp. Unfortunately, the wisp needs to be rescued before it can move in, and adventures ensue. Plentiful illustrations with small bursts of text on the pages make for a high-energy story full of twists and turns. Many mysteries around the nature of the island and its inhabitants remain unsolved, including the motivations of Professor Cake, the island's owner. "He was very old and very clever. He collected things that were one-of-a-kind. Things like Auggie." Great for reading aloud, this lively first entry in a projected series offers a curious setting and an imaginative cast of characters. Julie Roach

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from August 1, 2020
A series opener about a caretaker of stables for magical and odd creatures. Auggie is the caretaker of the mysterious Professor Cake's Fabled Stables, home to one-of-a-kind creatures of all sorts. As the only boy on Professor Cake's private island, Auggie's lonely--the closest thing he has to friends are Miss Bundt (who he suspects was once a pirate) and Fen, a literal stick in the mud (who transforms to aid Auggie in his jobs and is not keen on friendship). One day, a new stall suddenly appears in the stables, meaning a soon-to-arrive creature is in trouble and needs rescue. Auggie must use his cleverness and resources to rescue Willa--a playful, shape-shifting, newborn wisp--from three robed hunters. When the hunters catch them and threaten Willa to try to get at a nonexistent treasure, Auggie cleverly tricks them and summons a rescue from a not-as-apathetic-as-he-pretends Fen. But back at the stables, Willa's still not out of danger--wisps are moon creatures that only last for one night....The straightforward plot never allows tension to simmer too long without relief for the young audience; add in the comedically inventive creatures, and this book is calibrated to please. The full-color artwork throughout is vibrant in its shading and dreamy in execution, physically grounding the story while enhancing its fantastical otherworldliness. Auggie is depicted with beige skin and brown, curly hair and Mrs. Bundt with blue skin and hair; the hunters are diverse both racially and in gender. Whimsical fantasy with the right amount of speed and cleverness for the audience. (Fantasy. 5-9)

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