Lumberjanes: Book One was created by ND Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Gus Allen, and Casey Nowak and published by BOOM! Studios.
Lumberjanes from BOOM! Studios is one of the best children’s comics of the last twenty years. Created by creative powerhouses ND Stevenson (Nimona, The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir, Scarlet Morning), Grace Ellis (Flung Out of Space, Moonstruck), Shannon Watters (Hollow), and Gus Allen, Lumberjanes: Book One collects the complete first story arc along with several shorter stories from the series.
I grew up reading Lumberjanes and found its take on femininity, sisterhood, and childhood in general unique and refreshing, in line with other children’s media giants of its time like Adventure Time, Stephen Universe, and Nimona. All of the series’ ensemble cast of characters are girls at a Scouts-style summer camp, exploring a strange, mystical forest inhabited by demon foxes, bear-women, and labyrinths. Each chapter consists of one adventure in which the Lumberjanes must confront a puzzle, monster, or mischievous goddess, and use their skills and the power of friendship to overcome them. It’s a simple, but charming and effective, structure completely lacking any kind of irony which makes it all the better as both a story and a children’s book.
Lumberjanes is one of the rare series (even rarer nowadays) when two girls can be in a romantic relationship, or can be masculine, and have it be both celebrated and not an overwhelmingly big deal. It’s a comic that I often reach for as a bookseller when parents come in asking for good books for their kids. The art style is wonderfully loose and cartoony, even when guest artists take over from Gus Allen and Casey Nowak. It’s the kind of art that speaks directly to the wild, free imagination of a child with a plot to go along with it. Much like a series like Adventure Time, in which anything can happen as long as it’s original and fun, it’s nearly impossible to predict the plot of Lumberjanes, since the forest offers up nearly infinite fantastical beasts and puzzles for our heroes to work through together.
If you’re a parent looking for a good book for readers between the ages of eight and thirteen, I would strongly recommend picking this up, especially if your kid is a fan of work like Hilda, or any of the aforementioned comics and series. Like most feminist fiction, Lumberjanes offers so much to readers of any gender and identity. It strives above all, to value kindness and friendship when faced with adversity.
Creative Team: ND Stevenson (writer), Grace Ellis (writer), Shannon Watters (writer), Gus Allen (artist), and Casey Nowak (artist)
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
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