Nell of Gumbling: My Extremely Normal Fairy-Tale Life by Emma Steinkellner is a cute story about fitting in, our personal and town history, family, and friendships. The build up to the final showdown was a bit slow for this adult reader, but I think ages 10 and up crowd will be fine and even ages 8 and up will be fine, but there are a few “little things” that might be conceptually a bit “much” for the more sensitive reader (I admit, even at aged 10, the skeletons and being locked in the dungeon might have been a little much for me, but I know that most kids today will be fine). Overall, it is a nice story with modern themes and a fairytale classic feeling.
We follow Nell who likes her town, even if it is a bit dull at times. It has her dads, her younger siblings (one who loves baking and learning magic, the other has a bevy of animal friends and is rambunctious), her two best friends, her school, her family farm, and a lot more. Sometimes there are tourists to the town, but sure that’s okay, usually they are nice. And so what if her best friend is part fairy and her second best friend is small enough to ride on her shoulder? Or her enemy is a centaur-unicorn-girl who loves bragging about her opera singing mother? This is home. Or it is until two outsiders (really not very nice) come in and claim to be the long lost prince and princess of the kingdom and it is their duty to change some things to make this sleepy little town better and make money.
The adult reader knows where things are heading, but the aimed reader will be on the edge of their seats as Nell and friends (and even an enemy) get together to try and save not only the day, but the town, their homes and even will they get their happily ever after?
The fun part of things is the puns and quirks of the characters. The names are not subtle in naming the villains and the family Stargazer has a star farming business. The witch of the story is Baba Yaga, only a lot nicer (probably). And the idea that our history is important is not a new theme, but is giving a new twist by showing how it can be relatable to a “today” crowd. The artwork also helps in this area. While not in a traditionally “pure” graphic novel format, this illustrated novel is bright and bouncy. There are fun and as needed details. It is a happy story and we root for our diverse cast of characters. And while the main theme of “history and home” is the focus, there are several little messages along the way, too.