Out on a Limb

March 15, 2020
Cassandra the animal psychic is back for a new adventure in this French import. On the heels of her best friend's move to another town, Cassandra is moving forward. She's adjusting to life with her mom's partner and his daughter now sharing their home and navigating a nascent relationship with her crush, Tristan. Amid all of this she stumbles upon an animal in crisis who needs her unique psychic empathy to help find a new home. Garrett is a loving cocker spaniel whose owner must move into a retirement home that does not allow dogs, but Cassandra, with the help of her sheep dog, Miss Dolly, may have already found the perfect new owner. Like Cassandra, Garrett struggles to find his bearings in his new normal, but Cassandra has just the ticket to help him acclimate while helping her new friends at the retirement home, too. Though the progression of the plot sometimes jumps unexpectedly from one panel to the next, the quick pace makes for an accessible hi-lo text with broad appeal for middle-grade through younger teen audiences. Embedded tips for the care, feeding, and rehoming of pets are a helpful, practical addition for Cassandra's animal-loving audience. Cassandra's race is not explicit, though her brown complexion and dark curly hair alongside her mother's slightly lighter features imply a mixed-race heritage. Supporting characters, including love interest Tristan, are largely white. Another fast-paced adventure for animal lovers, with a side of light romance. (Graphic fantasy. 9-14)

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