SMALL MAGICS

The useful part

Sara is headed to her aunts' quiet island home while her parents go on a research trip. Taiwanese American Sara arrives at the dock, and her maternal Aunt Bea rows their boat through heavy fog. After they pass through it, her aunts' dogs start speaking to her: "Whew, finally!!!…We've heard so much about you!" The two dogs are friendly and loquacious—ideal island guides.

How it works

• Between the garden, chicken coop, scenic bluff, secret cave, and cherished canine stick collection, there's lots to explore, and Sara gradually settles into summer's rhythms.
• She solves a dilemma for the chatty chickens, weathers a dangerous storm (and helps clean up afterward), learns to handle the rowboat, and gauges the island's mood by its breezes.
• The talking animals and the landscape's animistic aspects are magical, but the story's most enchanting quality is its gentle focus on living in harmony with nature and the pleasures of an unplugged,...
• Sara's self-reliance grows quietly but steadily as summer passes, and by the end, she's beautifully changed.
• Aunt Bea is portrayed with a larger body, and her partner, Aunt Meg, appears white.

What to take from it

Tetri's expressive, simply drawn characters move about the idyllic island, which glows with a peaceful palette of greens, blues, and golds.