Bree PaulsenBesprekingen

perfection, i was crying when the vegetables turned into humans. i love the father-daughter relationship between garlic and count and i love her relationship with carrot so sweet, and of course her mom agnes is so sweet too i want to grow little plant babies

A very simple and cozy little story about some sentient vegetables, a witch, and a vampire. It's not a dramatic story, and lacks a bit of OOMPH, but has an encouraging messages at its heart about not being quick to judge other and working on finding ones courage. It reminds me a bit of an episode of "Over the Garden Wall" just with less pizzazz.

Garlic and the Vampire is a short graphic novel following a cast of animated vegetables, specifically Garlic, as they help Witch Agnes garden. They discover that the castle has a new inhabitant, and Garlic is elected to face the newcomer.

It is such a cute little book! The art style is sweet, and the story is really cute. I really liked the idea it presented of not relying on stereotypes, and allowing people to show you who they are instead. It also shows readers that it is okay to do scary things, and it is okay to do them scared.

It is such a cozy read, and I 10/10 would recommend!

Wasn't sure what to expect -- thought it might be a little scary but it turned out to be rather cute. Like how anxious Garlic overcame her fears. Witch and vampire not scary.

"Maybe that's what being human [is like]... It'll be scary but not all the time."

Cute story about learning to accept change. This also seems to be the end of the series.

Aw, this one is truly a feel-good story! I thought the worldbuilding/lore was very creative. I loved how wholesome Carrot and Garlic were, the witch that cared for them all like children, and the story of how the veggies came to be. Also, veggies selling veggies in a farmers’ market? That’s just fun and slightly dark but that gets explained. I haven’t loved veggies as characters this much since Veggietales.

I feel there are a few messages in this story don’t be afraid; courage isn't the abscence of fear, but persevering through it. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Don’t be a hypocrite, etc, but it’s all woven in seamlessly. It doesn’t come off as an afterschool special, y’know.

I would love to read more about Garlic or another book from this author.

4.5

There was barely any story. And the art wasn't as cute as I was hoping. To be fair, I'm not the target audience for this. But still, I wasn't impressed.

Adorable! Lessons on friendship, growing, and going through changes that are not always wanted or welcome. Garlic is a character that everyone can relate to and learn from. She has her questions and doubts about things but through perseverance she embraces the changes and accepts the challenges that she encounters on her journey.

Cute! It was a great story about the strength/bonds of friendship and believing in your self, no matter if a bully is in your life/way.

It was a bit concerning to me that vegetables were selling vegetables at a farm stand. The images were cute and the colors used were chosen well.

7/10, this was a quick and interesting read, but it was good nonetheless. The art style and colour palette really helped set the tone and setting for the book, it didn't feel too garish and gaudy nor too drab and depressing. I really liked the main character, Garlic, I could really connect to her, and the dynamics with the other characters, such as Carrot, and that one farmer whose name I forgot, were really fleshed out as well. The false antagonist was a superb character, at first, all the protagonists were afraid of him, when they saw signs of someone living in the castle, and they feared that he might kill them all, but that was only a misconception, as Garlic met him and he turned out to be an amiable person, which was really heartwarming, and so was the ending, where the vampire met the village people and essentially hung out with them. If you like a novel with fantastic art and an equally amazing story, this is the book for you.

This is too cute! Cozy, comforting, and inspiring.

This was adorable! Such a heartwarming and funny story. I loved it.

Recommended Ages: Gr. 3-7

Plot Summary: When the community sees smoke coming from the castle chimney in the distance for the first time in decades, they are all wondering who could be living there. Is the vampire back? Celery thinks Garlic should go investigate since she has built in protection from vampires. But their leader sends them both together. What will they find? Who will be in the castle? Will Garlic return home to her family?

Setting:

Characters:

Recurring Themes: bravery, family, perception vs. reality, community, found family, magic

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: Once I got past the concept of vegetables as characters who came alive with magic and became a family, I got wrapped up in the emotions of the main characters.

Genre: fantasy

Pacing: medium fast - graphic novel, lots of contemplation before the action of going to the castle
Characters: a few very well developed
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity:½

It’s cute, sweet and wholesome

I hope that there will be more Garlic books, I just love these graphic novels. The characters are so sweet and thoughtful. I did not expect that twist and Witch Agnes's story of how she was born.

I love garlic and Garlic!

The Garlic graphic novel series follows Garlic, a garlic bulb created to tend a witch's garden along with other produce created for the same purpose. In the series, Garlic is sent on adventures that she doesn’t feel equipped for. It’s through them that she meets new people, forges new friendships, conquers her fears, overcomes her anxiety, and ultimately becomes her true self. Garlic is warm and it’s cozy. It fully embraces being wholesomely cute and is sure to be a family favorite. The story emotes through each panel and translates well for readers of all ages. Hopefully, you all will enjoy the series for the same reasons that I have. They are brief but impactful, easy to digest, and delicious enough to go back for more. I immediately wanted to reread them after my first read and I look forward to more graphic novels by this author.

I love garlic and Garlic!

The Garlic graphic novel series follows Garlic, a garlic bulb created to tend a witch's garden along with other produce created for the same purpose. In the series, Garlic is sent on adventures that she doesn’t feel equipped for. It’s through them that she meets new people, forges new friendships, conquers her fears, overcomes her anxiety, and ultimately becomes her true self. Garlic is warm and it’s cozy. It fully embraces being wholesomely cute and is sure to be a family favorite. The story emotes through each panel and translates well for readers of all ages. Hopefully, you all will enjoy the series for the same reasons that I have. They are brief but impactful, easy to digest, and delicious enough to go back for more. I immediately wanted to reread them after my first read and I look forward to more graphic novels by this author.

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/a1o15dRJBuU

Enjoy!

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/M8dcGXczsyw

Enjoy!

SO CUTE. SO HEARTWARMING. I LOVED IT. I need a copy. Second book comes out in September

Another sweetheart of a book, with gorgeous illustrations and a surprise development for Garlic and her pals. Cute story with kind characters who help each other.

Aww, that was adorably weird, and I loved the artwork. A nice, sweet tale for the kiddies (big kiddies too).

In the midst of a mild trip to a distant market with her vampire friend, our little bulb of garlic faces the greatest adventure of all: adolescence.

It's an offbeat story oddly told, but sweet and pleasing all the same.

In this second sweet, short adventure, Garlic is a little freaked out as her hands are getting a bit more human. Will she turn into a human?! Witch Agnes says yes, but Garlic isn't sure about a big change. Meanwhile, Witch Agnes is trying to come up with an acceptable blood substitute for Count, and Garlic volunteers to travel to the magic market to find bloodroot.

Big changes are scary...but maybe they're also okay. Garlic, Witch Agnes, and Count are the main characters, with Carrot is in a supporting (and supportive) role.