Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian

July 16, 2018
What if there were a superhero who could give people in trouble the very book they need most? Weinstein (Hyacinth and the Secrets Beneath) spins this winning concept out with cheeky hilarity, starting with the evil Doctor Glockenspiel’s threat to set an army of giant moths loose on the world’s books if he doesn’t get “one billion trillion dollars.” After Glockenspiel’s henchmen capture the world’s best secret agents, a mysterious plumber slips the ill-used henchmen a book called Your Boss Can’t Do That, and an imprisoned hero finds a copy of How to Pick Locks in a bowl handed to her by a jailkeeper sporting suspiciously dark shades. But who could be supplying these books? Lyric McKerrigan, of course! Caldecott Honor–winning artist Brosgol (Leave Me Alone!) draws heroes and evildoers with wit: the henchmen are portly white men in three-piece suits, while the heroes are a diverse bunch, each with their own splendid sense of style. Against a palette that ranges from hot oranges to celestial blues, Lyric McKerrigan, with her pink bangs and lime green leggings, saves the day by dint of book recommendation. Ages 4–7.