Review - The Flamingo

The Flamingo: A Graphic Novel Chapter Book
by Guojing
Date: 2022
Publisher: Random House Studio
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 144
Format: e-book
Source: library

From a highly acclaimed illustrator comes a stunning graphic novel filled with adventure and wonder about an imaginative girl and her obsession with flamingoes.

A little girl arrives, excited for a beachy vacation with her Lao Lao. The girl and her grandmother search for shells, chase crabs, and play in the sea, but when the girl finds an exquisite flamingo feather in her grandmother's living room, her vacation turns into something fantastical.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I'm not sure why the subtitle of this one is "a graphic novel chapter book". It's more like a really long, (mostly) wordless picture book with two parts. There are no real "chapters" to speak of. In fact, there are only a few sentences of text, so the book could be suitable for pre-reading kids as well.

Actually, readers of all ages will probably find something to delight them in this story about a young girl who goes to visit her grandmother by herself. When she finds a pink feather in her grandmother's house, the old woman tells her a story about a little girl who finds a mysterious egg on the beach.

The art is charming. Done in two different colour schemes (a muted, pinkish palette for the real world and a brighter, full-colour palette for the fantasy scenes), the artwork is a showcase of whimsy, imagination, and very cute characters.

I previously read Stormy by the same author/illustrator, and was eager to read more of her books. I wasn't disappointed with this one.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 ladybugs