Melowy, Volume 1: The Test of Magic

April 1, 2018
A graphic-novel series to accompany the Melowy chapter books.A concise pagelong summary opens the story, explaining the distant world Aura, which consists of four island realms and the Castle of Destiny in the clouds, which houses the school for Melowies, winged unicorns with magical powers. Five first-year friends and roommates--Cleo, Maya, Electra, Cora, and Selena--are preparing for a big exam in defense techniques. Each Melowy has a distinctive quirk: Cleo's a bookworm, Maya bakes, Electra likes fashion, Cora's brainy, and Selena's aloof. Cleo also has a mysterious backstory and an equally mysterious locket. The five, along with side characters, all share similar silhouettes (slender, leggy, long-haired, short-snouted, and with the same shape and size wings and horns for all); aside from variations in hair styles and skirt lengths, readers must rely primarily on color schemes to keep track of the large, otherwise bland cast. When the test ends up separating the Melowies, luring them in with desires and then trapping them with fears, Cleo's locket and the strength of her friendships carry the day, allowing her to pass while aiding her friends in the test. The ending confirms the obvious--that Cleo's special--and reveals a villain scheming in the wings for subsequent episodes.It has color, magic, and ponies--but little else. (Graphic fantasy. 6-8)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2018
Grades 2-5 Fans of magical ponies and other fantastic creatures, rejoice! Creator Danielle Star has come up with a new series featuring Melowies, magical unicorns crossed with Pegasuses, and Powell's text and the bubbly, candy-colored art by Jampole constitute the perfect vehicle for these My Little Pony-like tales of magic and friendship at school. With plenty of experience with animated shows under their collective belts, this team is a great fit for cartoony storytelling and characters that fluidly move through the panels while they explore the magic of friendship. The series follows five Melowies, who are brought together by coincidence during entrance exams and have been inseparable since. Cleo, an orphan Melowy of unknown origin, doesn't seem to have any special skill, and that drives the plot for this first installment. Of course, by the end of this first volume, readers will get a little taste of what her hidden power might be and meet a sinister librarian who has some ideas of her own. Fans of whimsical, effervescent comics about magical creatures will be delighted.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)