The Stonekeeper

January 28, 2008
Almost too clever and poignant, Amulet
is, on the surface, about navigating the murky waters of adolescence and, beneath that, an exploration of abandonment and survival. Emily and Navin are lost children, literally lost in a dark, new world and struggling to save their mother, who has been kidnapped by a drooling, tentacled beast. With stellar artwork, imaginative character design, moody color and consistent pacing, this first volume's weakness lies in its largely disjointed storytelling. There is the strong, young, heroine; cute, furry, sidekicks; scary monsters—all extraordinary components, but pieced together in a patchwork manner. There is little hope in his dark world as Kibuishi removes Emily and Navin's frame of safety. Their hopes rest in a magic amulet that seems to be working in the interest of the children—until it suddenly isn't. The most frightening element of Amulet
is the sense of insecurity we feel for Emily, fighting her way through uncharted terrain with no guide and no support system. This first volume of Amulet
isn't a disappointment, but it does feel like a warmup to the main event. If anything, it's a clear indication that Kibuishi has just begun skimming the surface of his own talent.

January 1, 2008
Gr 4 Up-Hurrying to pick up her brother, Emily and her parents have a tragic accident, and her father dies. After this dark beginning, the story skips forward two years to when the remaining family members are forced to move to an ancestral house in a small town. Rumored to be haunted, it is unkempt and forbidding. The first night there, Emily's mother goes down to the basement to investigate a noise and doesn't return. The kids search for her and discover a doorway into another world, where their mother has been swallowed by a monster and is being taken away. An amulet that Emily found in the house tells her that together they can save her, but her brother isn't so sure that this voice can be trusted. Still, what other choice do they have in this strange place? Gorgeous illustrations with great color bring light to this gloomy tale. Filled with excitement, monsters, robots, and mysteries, this fantasy adventure will appeal to many readers, but it does have some truly nightmarish elements."Dawn Rutherford, King County Library System, Bellevue, WA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2007
Kibuishi, the creator of the action-packed Daisy Kutter series, sets his sights on a slightly younger crowd here. This first volume in the new Amulet graphic novel series introduces Emily, who has relocated to a strange house in the woods, where she finds a magical amulet left behind by her great grandfather. Soon after, she and her brother engage in a wild adventure to learn the secrets of the amulet and save their mother. Emily is ashigh-spirited a heroine as you are likely to find, and, propelled by uncluttered visuals, heraction-packed adventure sequences move at an exciting clip. However, therearealso dark elements in the tale?the gut-wrenching openingin whichEmily loses her father in a car accident. the autumnal tones of the animation-like art, and the ambiguous agenda of the amulet itself.Part fantasy (anthropomorphized animals, elves) and part manga (transforming robots, tentacled monsters), this volumehas much to appeal to readers, thoughthey may be in for a more emotionally complex read than expected.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2008
Emily and Navin move to a spooky house from which their mother is abducted into a world full of strange creatures and robots. Aided by a mechanical rabbit, the sibs set out to battle villains, championing perhaps more than their mother. Deep-hued, deftly paced panel illustrations in this graphic novel convey both the adventure's copious action and its emotional undertones.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)