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Summary
Summary
From New York Times bestselling authors Shannon Hale and Dean Hale comes a story about making mistakes, learning the hard way, and growing up to become a hero.
Eleven-year-old Diana has an almost perfect life on the island of Themyscira. But even though she has a loving mother and many "aunties," she is an only child. The only child on the entire island, in fact. Every other person on the island is an adult who's the best in their trade and mighty in body, while Diana is small, sometimes clumsy, and not particularly good at anything. She's not Wonder Woman...yet.
What Diana needs is someone her own age whom to talk to. Taking matters into her own hands, she creates a playmate out of clay. It's all fun and games for a while, until things get out of control and Diana has to decide whether she's made a new friend...or a monster!
Author Notes
Shannon Hale was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 26, 1974. She received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah and a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Montana. Her first book, The Goose Girl, was published in 2003. She writes for both adults and young adults. Her adult books include Austenland, Midnight in Austenland, and The Actor and the Housewife. Her young adult books include Book of a Thousand Days, Princess Academy, Palace of Stone, and the Ever after High series. She co-wrote the graphic novels Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack with husband Dean Hale.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--6--Diana is the only child on Themyscira, island of the mythic Amazons, and her tween years are a little less enchanting than her storied birth from magic clay. She has outgrown some of her childhood interests, but the adult Amazons, including her mother, Queen Hippolyta, are too busy to play with her. Diana makes a new friend from clay, Mona, who quickly bonds with her and also worries about feeling forgotten. However, Mona nudges Diana into making fun of others, stealing, antagonizing those who correct her, and faking injury to gain sympathy. Diana seems to understand that what she's doing is wrong, but she doesn't want to lose her only friend. Readers will enjoy seeing the ins and outs of Amazon life, including Diana's "aunties," who have different body sizes and skin colors and fulfill a variety of roles. The island aesthetic consists of green grass, blue skies, and pillared structures with touches of magic, like the Doom's Doorway that contains monstrous spirits. Ying's cartoon illustrations convey Diana's journey from self-doubt to excitement to guilt to, finally, triumphant pride and maturity. Wildlife abounds on the islands, including dolphins, birds, rabbits, felines, and a conspicuous colorful bird that becomes more noticeable on repeat readings. Drawn in sepia, Mona's design includes shading and highlights that the Amazons don't have, making her stand out. VERDICT A young Wonder Woman leads a playful, emotionally astute morality tale about the responsibilities children and adults have to each other. For comics fans and newcomers alike.--Thomas Maluck, Richland Library, SC
Publisher's Weekly Review
Indigo-haired Diana, "too old or too young for everything," gets more than she wishes for when she succeeds in breathing life into a clay figure she hopes will be her friend. Diana's the only child among the Amazons, female warriors who never age--and her mother is their queen, with little attention to spare: "Not yet, Diana," she snaps after being asked to play, then turns to a colleague: "Senator, I understand your concern." By contrast, Mona, Diana's clay creation, offers her loyalty and warmth: "We're birds of a feather," she tells Diana. But Mona has no scruples, and making trouble amuses her: "Don't be a wimp," she taunts in one scene. "Aren't Amazons supposed to be brave?" In this smartly paced adventure, the Hales (the Princess in Black series) create a persuasive portrait of a girl torn between her need for companionship and her inner doubts about Mona's demands. Ying (Meow!) draws Diana with polished lines and facial expressions that make her conflicting emotions plain. A suspenseful climax offers action on a supernatural scale, and with an all-female cast of warriors, there's no shortage of role models. Ages 8--12. (Jan.)
Kirkus Review
A young Diana of Themyscira makes an unusual friend.Not quite Wonder Woman yet, this preteen princess of the Amazons is finding it more and more difficult to find her place on their isolated island. Too old to be considered the village baby but too young to be trained in combat, Diana spends her days trying to stay out of trouble. After mixing clay with wet sand to sculpt another young girl to talk to, Diana is shocked when her sculpture springs to life. Diana and her new pal, Mona, enjoy each other's company, but Mona may not be as innocent as she seems. Ying's comic panels move effectively, conveying action and emotion with ease, while the Hales craft a pleasant, upbeat adventure for Diana that doesn't lean too heavily on Wonder Woman lore to work. Young readers intimidated by the PG-13 rating applied to Patty Jenkins' 2017 film will find a brightly colored and softly structured entry point here. Diana presents white, but there is racial diversity apparent in the secondary cast of characters. While there's nothing here that radically redefines the character or breaks narrative ground, it's refreshing to have a Wonder Woman story for kids that gives them a proper steppingstone into the fandom.A cute and brightly rendered bit of backstory for DC's Amazon warrior. (Graphic adventure. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In this middle-grade graphic novel, Diana, soon to be Wonder Woman, current princess of the Amazons, is a kid living on the island of Themyscira. With her mother spending less time with her and more time being queen, Diana is starting to feel very lonely. One day, she uses magic to conjure up a new friend. Diana is having a great time with someone her own age, but as their tricks become dangerous, Diana wonders if she's doing the right thing. Finally, the tricks cause a huge problem, and Diana must decide if she will stand up for her aunties and queen or continue down the treacherous path her new friend has created. This inviting introduction to well-known Wonder Woman nicely complicates the classic superhero story and shows young readers that even superheroes can feel lonely and be frustrated by their circumstance. Beautifully colored artwork, featuring clearly choreographed action and expressive, kid-like figures, in easy-to-follow panels makes this particularly well-suited to comic-book newbies. Hand to kiddos eager for an entry into superhero comics.--Traci Glass Copyright 2020 Booklist
