Bog Myrtle would be a perfect High-Low read for either upper-elementary or middle-school aged readers. This will be a hit for kids who love fairy tales and the Brothers Grimm stories. I was not expecting the lessons on "leave no trace" and workers rights but I loved it. Union strong bb.

Thank you to Netgalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the arc of this book.

Thank you to Annick Press Ltd. And NetGalley For the ARC! I adored this! Between the cute spiders reminiscent of soot sprites to a really great message and education including kindness, not taking/using more than you should, and Unions/Strikes. This is one I look forward to adding a physical copy to my kiddos library.

This is like a macabre retelling of the Lorax but with cute little spiders. The artwork is lovely, the story is engaging - my 6 year old really enjoyed it. Great for the creepy little kids in your life.

An absolutely stunning and hilarious graphic novel! With spiders that go on strike, two sisters that could not be more dissimilar, and Bog Myrtle, who is just trying her best!

If we can be anything in the world, can we all be a Beatrice. A kind, fun, considerate person who also takes pride in sustainability and conservation. Her sister on the other hand is grumpy, mean and selfish only caring about making money no matter who it hurts. They are both poor. Beatrice has made friends with the scary Bog Myrtle who will turn you into a fly and eat you if she pleases. But she also spins magic silk to make the most beautiful sweaters.
This graphic novel is a bit dark and moody. But I loved it. I also loved the introduction to unions, capitalism and sustainability. Even though this is geared at some younger kids, it is nice to touch on these subjects. They may be the next lemonade enthusiasts. I enjoyed the artwork and Bog Myrtle was kind of scary. I would stay away from her forests too and I wouldn’t want to be a fly in her stomach.

Bog Myrtle
by Sid Sharp
This story would be a favor for kids around Halloween and throughout the school year. The first graders love reading books like this. The Drawings are bright, and colorful. The characters just a little off the dark side but really show how kindness helps others and aspects of our environment. It's also a good social learning book to help children understand others and find common interest and ideas. It also can be used to show bully proofing, expectations and misunderstandings.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

The artwork was cute. The story was surprisingly dark. There were a lot of things going on- even touching on things like workers' rights, capitalism, and sustainability. The ending had a Salad Fingers vibe to me. I was trying to figure out what the message to kids was. I guess it's just not to be a jerk? But the ending for the non-jerk sister wasn't great, either. Maybe kids won't notice that part.

"Two sisters lived alone in a hideous, drafty old house on the edge of town..."

This quirky, cozy, and dark-humored read is perfect for adults who enjoyed Kat Leyh's "Snapdragon" and Melissa Albert's "The Hazel Wood." As someone who grew up reading unusual fairytales and folklore, this book was right up my alley! It's ideal for young readers who enjoy graphic novels under 100 pages, but also books with deeper meaning. Since there is a character death (not gruesome at all), I do think this book should be geared towards kids with the emotional maturity to handle darker stories. Some of my favorite aspects of this book were the themes of sustainability and respect for the natural world, as well as the gorgeous, accessible illustrations. The world of "Bog Myrtle" feels as timeless and impactful as the famous folktales of old.

Beatrice is such a wonderful character, and I would definitely read more of her adventures. This gorgeous goth storybook tells the story of how she earns magical material that her sister tries to use to get rich, while exploiting the workers.
Even though the sister is mean, the sisters started desperately poor and it was beautiful to see the different reactions to their situation. In the end, Beatrice is the one who can be happy without money because she enjoys her place in the world and treats others with kindness.
There are obvious political messages -- I never thought I would read a book where spiders go on strike. This is a goth book, so a happy ending is different from a regular picture book.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp

Two poor sisters, Beatrice and Magnolia, live in a decrepit house next to a forest. The two sisters are very different: Beatrice is kind and Magnolia is terrible, but still Beatrice tries to take care of Magnolia. One day the kind sister goes out into the woods to gather treasures and meets the protector of the forest, Bog Myrtle. What happens next is the stuff of dark fairy tales.

What a macabre, silly, original book! I love this story and the artwork heightens the gothic nature of the tale; the color palette is amazing. The characters are funny and snarky (except for the kind sister, Beatrice, she’s just nice) and readers get a handy teachable moment out of the whole thing. It’s the kind of weird humor kids love and I think they will respond to this book! The spiders are my favorite - they’re so cute - I can picture them in an animated short film of the story. Love this book! While I was reading it, my eight-year-old stole my tablet from me and read the whole thing in one sitting. I loved Sharp’s first book, but I think this one is even better!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This wasn't bad, but I wanted more?

The illustration is great, I loved the character designs and overall set up and artwork. I like that it touched on exploitative foraging, and the desperation of poverty.

The story is a quick jab at capitalism and brief look at workers rights, and in support of found family. I was excited to have some material to reference that wasn't a dirge, something to get teens or beginner workers into why we have workers rights and how capitalism is a direct threat to environment and community... but this was a little too quick and light? It also throws restorative justice out the window, which I think is something very important to consider when dealing with family and loved ones.

SPOILER BELOW:
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As a person who has had to cut ties with family members, this was waaaay off base. The sister is essentially murdered and there's no grief, no regret, no growth, no lesson - except that capitalism is bad and murder is the only option for reset (and that's a whole other topic I won't get into). Like, clearly Beatrice loves her sister Magnolia, but is somehow unphased by her death and just carries on like nothing happened and she never existed?? I wish Magnolia was given a tribulation, a comin-to-Jesus, if you will, that also allowed her to grow and learn instead of just death. Y'know, she's just a poor crabby kid living off rats, she wasn't a corporate overlord, yet, so give her the chance to be a full character and develop some depth. Why is she so sour? How can her skills be incorporated into the new set up? What do the characters around her do to keep her greed in check? What's a responsible system for living off the land/foraging?

Thank you Netgalley for approving me for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An entertaining, Gothic tale for children. There are a lot of good learning moments in this book. This is a book about kindness and generosity of spirit. It's also about environmental awareness, protection, and sustainability. It teaches young readers about fair working conditions and striking. Lastly, it warns readers against rudeness and greed.

Fun and dark, but also packed with knowledge. A great read for children.

I can't stop thinking about this graphic novel.

As soon as I put it down, it occupied my thoughts for the rest of the night.

Let's start with the characters. I adored both Beatrice and Bog Myrtle. Beatrice is a breath of fresh air and has such a lovely personality. I also loved Bog Myrtle and their love of the forest. Although extremely grumpy and greedy, Magnolia made me laugh, and her character design was perfect!

The artwork of this graphic novel is also top-notch. I loved the drearyness of the home but the calm of the forest. The illustrations are unique and expressive, and every page dazzled me.

The story is really where this graphic novel shines. The emphasis on environmentalism was excellent and extremely meaningful. The focus on labor rights, however, is what made me love this book so much more. Labor rights are such an important topic, and it was fantastic to see it as a focus of this book. It was done so in a way that young minds can easily understand and recognize the importance of worker rights.

Overall, I am so delighted to have read this graphic novel and plan to share it with my kids once they are a bit older. 


Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the arc of this book.

I absolutely adore Bog Myrtle! From start to finish it is a sweet, slightly silly, but very meaningful story.

Beatrice is a delight. The world needs more Beatrice in it! I literally laughed out loud when she said hello to her “friends” Basil and Rosemary. Actually, I laughed quite a lot — the name of the yarn shop, the discussion about the smoothest stone, the spiders on strike.


The artwork is beautiful in its minimalism. I wouldn’t hesitate to hang prints in my home.

This was such a fun read! The only thing is, I was very confused with the target audience age group. The book reads like a young children's book, but the subject matter is more for young teens learning about business practices? I thought it was a very clever way to introduce things like unfair labour conditions, and supply and demand, etc... but the book looked way too juvenile to interest any young teen that would be able to understand the content, in my opinion.
That being said, I loved the characters, the style of the story, and the illustrations! I had fun reading it and Beatrice was absolutely adorable!

Thank you NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd for the opportunity to read and review Bog Myrtle!

First of all, I am a retired preschool teacher and mother of seven, grandmother to two, and I LOVE children's books. I have a huge collection and have read probably thousands of them. There are so many out there that are just okay, but this one is special.

This is a story of two very different sisters! Beatrice is curious and kind and full of adventure, while her sister, Magnolia, is grumpy, selfish and bossy. And then there is Bog Myrtle, the pro/antagonist of the story who is not at all what she seems.

I loved the language in the story - words like "miscalculation," "disregarding," "cooperative," and "resourceful." The author used a vivid vocabulary that you might not typically find in children's books, but these words gave even more characterization to Beatrice and to the story. There are messages of unselfishness, kindness, and taking care of the earth. The illustrations are so detailed and interesting - I loved the little spiders and webs on almost every page.

Wonderful book!

I've read a lot of children's books that subtly hint at sustainability, corporate greed and/or the eventual downfall of late stage capitalism...

...BUT THIS BOOK!

It hits you over the head with it in the most delightful way possible.

I am officially obsessed. I will go to such great lengths to procure this book for my child and every "unoppressive, non-imperialist" child, fly and spider I come into contact with. (A few adults I know might need a copy, too.)

This beautiful little book is witty and uproariously funny. It makes all of these complicated, real world problems easy to understand. For while the Magnolia's of the world continue to point at Bog Myrtle as the problem, we can clearly see who is really up to no good.

I can't wait to read this book with my kiddo!

Bog Myrtle was a great tale about treating workers right!! I loved the illustrations, they were unique and really interesting. I loved the storyline and being kind to the forest as well. A lovely tale!

SO funny and so real, I loved how this story wrapped up sustainability, anti capitalism, and unionizing into a quirky, silly folklore. I think the art and humor will catch the attention but the messages within are what will root this story into your heart.

Recommended for any age of young readers! Thanks to Netgalley for my advance copy!

There's nothing I love more than spiders and bog witches- except anti-capitalist, pro-union, sustainable messages for kids!!
This book is a stunner. Starting with the charming sister story and beautiful appreciation of nature and ending with humor and an important message.
The only thing I don't like is having to wait until October for this book!!