When Debbie Fong took a bus tour along with her household at age 8, an illuminated underground waterfall struck her fancy—and in the end impressed the magical Cessarine Lake central to her fantastic graphic novel debut, Next Stop.
The Ignatz nominee and illustrator of the bestselling How to Be a Person has rigorously crafted a contemplative story that invitations readers alongside on center schooler Pia Xing’s weeklong summer season bus journey throughout the desert. Her dad meant to come back alongside, however a damaged leg strands him at dwelling. No worries, although: Pia’s a wise, reliable child, and the tour information, Caroline, is a household good friend.
Caroline’s plucky daughter, Sam, instantly befriends Pia, and the opposite vacationers are sort and quirky. They share their hopes for what their go to to Cessarine Lake—identified for “mak[ing] IMPOSSIBLE things happen”—will convey them, however Pia can’t convey herself to affix the dialog. It’s solely been a yr since a tragic accident plunged her household into grief, and 9 months since they moved to a brand new city for a contemporary begin. Pia’s mother blames her for what occurred, and Pia’s dad is exhausted by his efforts to console his spouse whereas defending Pia. Perhaps, she hopes, the lake might help her assuage her household’s ache.
Each day of the journey reveals a brand new array of cleverly conceived tour-stop wonders, together with a chicken-shaped lodge, a cactus petting zoo and a watermelon so large it casts a shadow over the tour bus. Fong’s illustrations are witty and detailed with a powerful eye for colour. Sepia-toned flashbacks add context to Pia’s present-day feelings, and vividly kooky set items develop into more and more peculiar the nearer the bus will get to its mystical vacation spot. Might magic be afoot in spite of everything?
Next Stop is an immersive, empathetic story of an necessary journey that sensitively explores grief and loss even because it celebrates friendship and new experiences. Charming and attention-grabbing again matter that reveals extra in regards to the creator’s inventive course of and her background (together with that childhood bus journey!) properly rounds out a top-notch studying expertise.
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