The Australian Coucil of Arts/Allen and Unwin ISBN 9781742378527 £9.99
A pleasingly hefty book of 270 pages, at first this appears to be a lengthy read, but when you open the pages and see it is a graphic novel, your perceptions change. This is a strange and other-worldly tale of young piano prodigy Kidglovz whose unbelievable talents are woven into the gloves he wears and that give him his name. He is being exploited by the wicked Dr Eronius Spin, and immediately our sympathies are with the young boy. The story is thrilling and tense, cleverly told by a perfect combination of text, mainly in speech bubbles, and black and white comic-strip type illustrations. Julie Hunt has dreamed up a most unusual storyline and Dale Newman’s sensitive visuals help to make this a most accessible book. There are plenty of baddies and some interesting goodies woven into the tale, to keep us involved, and wondering what will happen next as Kidglovz tries to escape. It’s interesting that this has been published by the Australia Council for the Arts, an indication of the realisation that graphic novels are an increasingly important and popular genre. Age range: 8–11.
Pam Dowson, retired primary teacher and PGCE tutor