Bea Wolf

Starred review from January 1, 2023

Gr 5 Up-High up in the halls of Treeheart, children party for as long as their bodies can stand. Their sweets and games are glorious to behold, but the noise disturbs Mr. Grindle below. Grindle's touch ages his victims, transforming some of the erstwhile partygoers into "aching, anxious, angry at the internet" dullards who obsess over cable news, stock markets, and hygiene. The remaining children are demoralized by his constant cleaning and straightening of their otherwise epic clubhouse. Bea Wolf, who is white, appears one-third of the way into the story, the latest among generations of child-heroes renowned for feats of strength and bravery. The children of Treeheart are a diverse bunch, including Black king Roger and his war-guard Wendy, who is Asian. Several story elements are lightly adapted from the original Beowulf and will reward anyone familiar with the tale. Weinersmith's iambic alliterations will invite intense imitation from readers. Bea and Grindle's powers pale in comparison to those of artist Boulet, whose work with texture, moonlight, and distorted faces stuns at every turn. Back matter includes a history of Beowulf, how it became a popular legend, a comparison between Old English and Weinersmith's modern homage, and some Boulet sketches. VERDICT Readers will wish they could pledge their plastic swords to defending Treeheart and the sanctity of wild childhoods everywhere.-Thomas Maluck

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2022
The first third of the ancient epic Beowulf adapted for a young audience. Long ago, in an unnamed suburb, lived Carl, "detector of gold," who, with toys and treats, cemented a lasting legacy of childhood revels. As time claimed countless kid-kings, the cardboard crown was passed on. Roger, king of our age, turns his ambitions skyward and constructs Treeheart, a stronghold against such evils as bullies. But the safehouse is besieged by detractors, the worst of them the dreaded Mr. Grindle, a cranky middle-aged man able to condemn kids to the pall of adulthood with a single withering touch. One wild night, Grindle desecrates the hall, heralding an age of silent sorrow. Hope washes in from foreign 'burbs in the form of Bea Wolf, "bride of battle," with "sixty kids' strength" in each hand. Will she reclaim Treeheart from Grindle's fell grasp? Weinersmith's richly evocative turns of phrase run the gamut from hilarious to heart-rending and maintain the flavor of the original without bogging the pace down amid the kennings. Boulet's illustrations imbue the shenanigans with gleeful energy and a touch of dark absurdity that children, seeing their own fears and triumphs reflected, will delight in. However tempted time-broken adults might be to scoff at the slapdash magical realism and sympathize with Grindle, doing so in the face of such an unabashedly joyful ode to the freedom of the child's mind is an impossible task. The cast of characters is diverse. Wonderfully weird. (note detailing the history of the original and the author's adaptational techniques, sketchbook) (Graphic novel. 8-12)

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Starred review from February 1, 2023
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Rowdy kids eating too much candy, stockpiling toys, and building an epic treehouse catch the ire of a grouchy old neighbor. Sound like the makings of a classic middle-grade romp? Well, yes, but it's also Beowulf. Storied warriors here are neighborhood kids; Grendel is Grindle, a scowling neighbor tired of their noise, who bests battlers by making them grow old with a touch. Weinersmith magnificently captures the sonic quality of the Old English epic, maintaining a propulsive, alliterative, and over-the-top narrative throughout the entirety of the book: ""But Grindle out-grimmed all. Grindle, gloom's guardian, teacher of grief! / Born mustache-mouthed, tie-bound, baron of boredom." Boulet's heavily crosshatched black-and-white artwork manages to be both utterly serious and completely ridiculous in equal measure, portraying the kids in cobbled-together costumes and chowing down on copious amounts of candy while the adults loom ghastly and monstrous, with exaggerated features and elongated limbs. Dramatic shadows and lighting, cinematic angles, and the stern expressions of kids with underwear on their heads deliciously heighten the drama. It's a madcap adventure that's a sheer delight to read out loud, and that would be plenty on its own, but this uproarious take on a classroom staple slyly introduces some--gasp!--educational elements (summed up in an entertaining author's note) boisterously demonstrating that not all historical literature is as bone dry as it might seem.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from January 16, 2023
Taking the source material as a starting point, this lovingly crafted retelling sets Beowulf among bold suburban children for whom mischief and misbehavior are all. The remix kicks off with an entire chronology of kid-lords, starting with Carl, whose discovery of a golden treasure begins a legendary toy hoard, and continuing down the line to Roger, who establishes a magnificent tree house. Treeheart, as it is known, attracts the wrath of joyless adult Mr. Grindle, whose touch ages kids out of childhood. When Grindle wreaks havoc on Treeheart and adults its inhabitants, mighty five-year-old Bea Wolf, “forged in sparkles and fury,” comes to aid Roger and “banish the hall-beast.” Leaning into alliteration, wordplay, and imagery-rich kennings, Weinersmith (Soonish) creates a joyously lyric, rapid-fire epic that honors the original’s intricate linguistic constructions. Close-hatched b&w cartooning from French artist Boulet vividly illuminates the text, presenting in full spreads and paneled vignettes a racially diverse cast of fierce, distinctively rendered children. It’s a truly fresh, inventive remix that
privileges childhood’s insular sensibilities alongside an unsettling truth: “Time lingers for no kid.” Extensive back matter affectionately and accessibly contextualizes Beowulf’s history and construction. Ages 8–12.