In KaBOOM!’s “The Princess Who Saved Her Friends” graphic novel for young readers, writers Greg Pak and Jonathan Coulton allow us to see what friendship truly means and whether this friendship can withstand its challenges.
You see, The Princess, (Princess Gloria Cheng Epstein Takahara de la Garza Champion to be exact) along with the Queen, Dragon, Snake, and Bee all play together in a pop-rock band. And there’s a show coming up soon. But Dragon keeps screwing up in rehearsals, which leads to an ultimatum: either Dragon is fired from the band, or another band member will leave!!
It’s tastefully told, this tale of fractured and frayed nerves, with friendships on the rocky road. The scenes unfold in a way that young readers get to know the characters, and can understand their interaction, their drama.
Artist Takeshi Miyazawa (Colours by Jessica Kholinne and Triona Farrell) illustrates the book in a kid-friendly manner, with great attention to clearly rendered figures, faces, and situations. It’s a brightly-hued, easy-to-read jewel of a hardcover, with nicely lettered (via Simon Bowland, letterer) dialogue and captions.
BOOM! Studios KaBOOM! Imprint, The Princess Who Saved Her Friends, $16.99 for 42 pages hardcover
Newsdesk