ARC provided by netGalley

Tired of the standard everyday fare in graphic novels? Looking for something different and exciting? Then come one and come all, step up to the tent of wonder in the Wrinkle's Traveling Circus. See Heratio, the boy faced fish, Randy the man with the strength of a slightly larger man, and Lula the bearded girl! And joining them as the newest attraction after hatching from an egg in Lula’s wagon the amazing, the fearsome, and the somewhat hairy Chimichanga! But all is not well. The circus is failing and the other performers don’t care for Chimichanga so a plot is hatched to get rid of him once and for all. And then Lula is taken hostage by a local cooperation to use her beard for a potion! What will they do? Will Lula’s grandfather, who runs the circus, be able to get her back? Will the circus close? Will Lula lose her beard? And what will happen to Chimchanga? Read the book and find out!

First off I love the beginning of the book. It's just so different from the average story and funny as all get out with the image of of a little bearded girl taking on the giant monster. And that she's a precocious little 6 or 7 year old girl with her polka dotted underpants showing and that she's not afraid of anything, except of course for working at the fishing canning factory, just creates an even richer character. The story seems a bit preachy when it comes to dealing with the cooperation, but it's still such a charming adventure that it can be overlooked. And although you could say this might be the classic story of a girl and her monster...wait, nope its not an old classic, but a new one.

The artwork is bloody brilliant in this book. From how the grandpa is drawn with fat rolls to Heratio the boy faced fish to Chimichanga, we can connect to the characters and get a sense of who they are from just how they look and move on the page. We can tell that Chimchanga really does care for the little girl Lula and that the villains in the story have no remorse. Their expressions are distinctive and feel real. The colors are rich and vibrant and seem to leap off the page. The backgrounds aren't always the most detailed, but that's ok they don't have to be. And when they count they are just as rich and sumptuous as the characters themselves. You could get lost looking at the dept and details of the characters themselves.

It’s a fantastic little book that takes what could have been an average tale and spins it in a different direction. If you like the unusual and the different, if you like the adventurous then this book is for you ( )

I don't normally read humorous graphic novels, can't say why but it just doesn't happen. Chimichanga was a delight to read. The story of a young bearded girl, Lulu, who's grandfather runs the circus. She gives away some of her whiskers to a witch in exchange for a shiny rock and a wagon. The rock turns out to be the egg. It hatches a beast she names Chimichanga (after her snack that he eats). What happens is an amusing battle between this little girl, the circus and a pharmaceutical company that wants to use Lulu's whiskers in a gas remedy.
Short, sweet and appropriate for most readers. Chimichanga can be a little frightening to sensitive readers. ( )

Not my cup of tea. (141) ( )