February 1, 2023
Grades 2-4 Batcat, who has always enjoyed being alone, finds themselves being haunted by a ghost. The ghost mostly just hogs the remote and is annoying, but it must go! Batcat visits the Island Witch for a ghost-ridding spell, which requires gathering the essence of darkness from the Cavernous Caves, collecting dust from a whistling graveyard, and stealing a griffin's egg. On their quest, when Batcat can't figure out echolocation, the bats say Batcat isn't batty enough. When they can't remain aloof, the graveyard cats say Batcat isn't catty enough. But the griffins think Batcat, like them, is a wonderful blend of two fantastic things. This graphic novel for emerging readers spins an eerie yarn full of dead trees and secrets into a winning combination of charming and funny. Round, pink Batcat is adorably kawaii as our nonbinary antihero; the narrator has some unexpected sass; and the story flies along at a brisk clip to a terrifically satisfying ending. This intentional celebration of nonbinary identity reminds readers that they don't have to be only one thing; they just have to be themselves.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from March 1, 2023
Gr 2 Up-Batcat is a cute, round, and pink creature who enjoys living on Spooky Isle all alone. They are happy because they don't have to share their mushroom pizza or their hot cocoa or their video games with anyone else. When a ghost shows up in their tree house and refuses to leave, Batcat asks the Island Witch for help. The Island Witch tells Batcat to travel to different locations to gather ingredients for the spell that will get rid of the ghost, but this turns into an unusual journey. Along the way, Batcat meets bats, cats, ghosts, and other creatures. Batcat is a nonbinary character, so they have trouble fitting into just one category. As they explore their world and meet other characters, they face a dilemma about not being enough of a bat to please the bats, and not enough of a cat to satisfy the cats. Batcat will start to learn about how they fit into the world as a one-of-a-kind creature, and think about whether they want to remain alone or are ready to start making friends. This story is charming, uplifting, and silly, with adorable and colorful artwork that will make readers laugh. VERDICT For young readers who love funny animal stories, as well as sweet stories about self-acceptance.-Andrea Lipinski
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 1, 2023
The adventures of a creature who is not entirely one thing or the other. A ghost has made itself at home in Batcat's comfy Spooky Isle treehouse, hogging the remote and stealing snacks. Batcat goes to the island's witch--who is "neither a good witch nor a bad witch," but, like Batcat, "somewhere in between"--for a magical solution. Gathering ingredients for the promised spell leads to scary and thrilling encounters with true bats in the "cavernous caves," snotty cats in the graveyard, and a pair of wise griffins (who, as half-birds, half-lions, are also not one creature but parts of several), and eventually Batcat resolves nagging identity issues by accepting that they are unique in themself. The message is clearly in the driver's seat here, but the story and the visuals are sturdy and charming enough to carry it easily. In the full-color art, Ramm depicts Batcat as a rotund, Pikachu-cute figure with whiskers, pointy ears, and small (but working) wings. Likewise, for all the impenetrable darkness, mysterious graveyard screams, and seemingly deadly hazards of the spooky stops along the way, the smiling, brown-skinned witch (the only human figure) and the rest of the spectral, undead, and mythological cast have benign looks that keep the overall tone light. Spooky fun, with a theme that's relevant on Halloween and every other day besides. (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.