Rey Terciero (aka Rex Ogle) made a cute, modern story (a diverse cast) that has a fun take on the Don Quixote story with Dona Quixote V01 Rise of the Knight. The history, culture and modern issues of a Hispanic family unfold while we deal with the idea of trying to be “not too much” but then again being who we are all the while fighting monsters, shapeshifters, ghosts and real world creatures. There are a few cliques (the best friends’ family are “jocks and meatheads” who say “no son/brother of mine will dance”) but it all works to move the story forward. The ending has a slight “scary moment” or two, but no worse than a usual Saturday morning cartoon (Scooby Doo was more scary). There is a side story arc that mentions where the missing cats went (we see this only as missing cat/pet posters and one character mentioning it to throw the action in a certain direction) but not gross or overly gratuitous, so there are one or two spots that might be “a lot” but know your reader. The closed ending (this chapter of the story has wrapped up) is also open allowing for a book two to happen.
Monica M. Magana’s illustrations are perhaps my favorite part. They are bold, colorful, and while “edges to them” they are also smooth, comfortable and even the “bad guys” are kinda cuddly looking. Things are simple, supporting the story/text, but also are a character too as somethings are shown (like the cat posters) that are needed in the bigger picture. The colors are perfect to show the culture and there are items that we don’t always see but are solid representations of our young heroine and her family.
Sometimes I was not a huge fan of Lucia, our Dona Quixote, as she is a bit “much” and I needed a breather from her. And as an adult I could see the clues that she is blatantly missing and it was frustrating. I found myself mentally yelling at my book, “Lucia! She’s the Lady In White! That’s never good in folklore! And look at those spooky eyes! Of course spooky eyes are for BAD GUYS!” Of course for the aged (strong) 8 to 12-year-old reader, it is the perfect way to be. Her best friend (her Sancho) is a lovely character, realistic but also the ideal companion to someone who tilts at more than windmills.
Was this my favorite book? No. Was it enjoyable enough to go onto book two? Yes.