In a dark, Victorian setting, readers are introduced to Garlic, a small creature with a garlic bulb for a head and a whole host of worries on her small shoulders. She wants to please the kind witch, Agnes, who created her, she wants to impress her friend Carrot, but she just seems to mess up again and again. She’s late to market, she knocks over stalls, and she keeps annoying judgmental Celery. When the garden hears of a scary vampire returning to his ancestral castle, Garlic is as scared as any of them - especially when Celery volunteers her to take him on alone!
The atmospheric, brooding art is enlivened by the cute vegetables and the ultimately happy and cozy ending. Despite the creepy aspects, and Garlic’s incessant anxiety, she triumphs in the end with friendship and courage backing her up, and discovers that she is brave, even if she’s not a vampire-slayer!
Verdict: This quirky little book will attract readers who like the idea, but not the reality, of something scary and all those who enjoy sentient vegetables finding their courage. Pair with Kaeti Vandorn’s graphic novels, which although brighter in color scheme, include similar themes.
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