Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures

February 23, 2015
Nine-year-old Pip Bartlett kicks off this series opener from Pearce (Cold Spell) and Stiefvater (The Raven Boys) by inadvertently instigating a unicorn stampede—sometimes being able to talk to magical creatures isn’t as wonderful as one might think. When Pip is sent to spend the summer in Georgia with her Aunt Emma, a dedicated vet for magical creatures, Pip gets plenty more practice in communicating with amazing beasts. Excerpts from her favorite book, Jeffrey Higgleston’s Guide to Magical Creatures, appear throughout, illustrated by Stiefvater and heavily annotated by Pip (“bad listeners,” she scrawls on the unicorn page, following the incident in the book’s prologue). When the town is overrun by Fuzzles—small, fuzzy creatures that catch fire at the slightest provocation—Pip has a chance to redeem herself. Fantasy fans will delight in Pip’s humorous adventures in a world whose mix of the magical and the modern feels like a gentler cousin to the ones featured in the authors’ respective YA books. Ages 8–12. Agent: (for Pearce) Josh Adams, Adams Literary; (for Stiefvater) Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

February 15, 2015
Magical animals abound in Pip's world, and she loves them all-especially since she can talk to them.Not that anyone believes her, because everyone knows that magical animals can't talk. But her unique ability comes in superhandy when the Georgia town where her aunt Emma runs a veterinary clinic for the local HobGrackles, Unicorns and like extranatural fauna is threatened by an outbreak of Fuzzles-recognizable to Star Trek fans as similar to the adorable and fertile "tribbles" but with the added tendency to burst into flames when startled. Pearce and Stiefvater pass up no chance to exploit the comedic possibilities, keeping the level of actual danger to a minimum and stuffing the supporting cast with new and traditional mythical creatures of diverse temperament (most memorably a hysterically skittish Unicorn: "Why! Why is the sky so blue today? What does it mean?"). The authors pitch doughty Pip into a nonstop set of crises as she contrives to save the town and persuade the Fuzzles to vanish. Having publicly expressed an intention to depict mythological creatures cuter than baby seals for this outing, Stiefvater outdoes herself in the illustrations with portraits of hopelessly cuddly Griffins, Grims and other generally fearsome monsters sporting big, winsome eyes. Stay tuned for more hilarious ructions. It's a distinct change of pace for two authors better known for intensely romantic teen fantasies, but they carry it off with aplomb. (Fantasy. 8-11)

July 1, 2015

Gr 3-5-In this promising series opener, nine-year-old Pip has the unique ability to communicate with magical creatures-but no one believes her. After the "Unicorn Incident" ruins Career Day at her Atlanta elementary school, Pip is sent to small-town Cloverton to stay with her aunt. Aunt Emma is a veterinarian to magical creatures, and even though she doesn't believe in Pip's ability either, she is willing to let Pip help out around the clinic-especially when an invasion of fireball Fuzzles threatens the town. With the help of her cousin Callie (a fan of musicals) and her new friend Tomas (who is allergic to everything), Pip must use her knowledge and imagination to save the town from fire and the Fuzzles from extermination. VERDICT Fast-paced and sprinkled with diagrams of magical creatures and whimsical details (like Tomas's tendency to exhibit allergic reactions such as hiccuping colorful bubbles or floating), this younger middle-grade offering from Pearce and Stiefvater will please fantasy and animal story fans alike.-Laurie Slagenwhite Walters, Brighton District Library, Brighton, MI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2015
Grades 2-4 Nine-year-old Pip Bartlett is crazy about animals, particularly of the magical variety, and she can't wait to spend the summer with her aunt, a magical-animal vet. When Pip arrives at the clinic, however, life soon turns chaotic: the town is infested with combustible pests (fuzzles), and a ruthless government inspector keeps threatening her aunt. Pip teams up with the neighbor boy and an anxious unicorn named Regent Maximus to save the town from a fiery end and to save the fuzzles from an untimely death. Pearce and Stiefvater perk up the real world considerably with the addition of miniature silky griffins, Pegasi, and lilac-horned Pomeranians to an otherwise realistic setting. Illustrated pages from Pip's beloved Jeffrey Higgleston's Guide to Magical Creatures are included, offering magical animal stats with ample annotations made by Pip. Through conversations with Pipyes, she can talk to the animalsthese creatures prove themselves to be memorable characters in their own rights. Lighthearted and funny, this slim book will delight readers who prefer their stories with a fantastic flair.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Pearce, author of the popular Retold Fairytales series, joins acclaimed fantasy pro Stiefvater (Shiver Trilogy and Raven Cycle), to enchant a new, younger audience. Name recognition alone will drive demand.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)