Sometimes, we need books that are sweeping, epic, and deep. Other times, we need books that are so cute that we want to pinch the pages and give them candy.
Garlic and The Vampire is definitely the latter. This middle-grade graphic novel focuses on anxious little Garlic, one of the many enchanted vegetables that tend Witch Agnes’ garden. When a vampire moves into the nearby woods, the nervous veggies insist that despite her own fear and worry, Garlic be the one to drive him out–after all, she’s got an advantage. 
This book is cute and lovely without being too syrupy-sweet. It’s written for kids, but the story is fun for everyone. It’s well-illustrated and never gets too dark or heavy. The supporting cast is interesting, too, especially loyal Carrot and Celery, the town jerk.
I could see this being a nice gift for a particularly anxious kid who hasn’t yet realized that the rest of the world isn’t actually staring at them waiting for them to mess up. It’s a nice refresher for adults who need to scrub their work brains with something that isn’t too taxing but still carries a certain amount of resonant emotional truth.
This was a nice Friday night read that put a smile on my face and gave me a much-needed breather from a much more taxing read.
Brave actions and unexpected friendship to Garlic and The Vampire.
(Beautiful people, they don’t all have to be deep. Sometimes they just have to be nice. To find more diverse books that are deep and nice, check out the Equal Opportunity Bookshop, where I’ve curated a bunch of booklists to help us all find books that remind us we are our #ownnormal. Remember that it’s an affiliate shop, so I get paid a commission for any books you buy at that link. Thanks in advance for your purchases! Now, go read something good! Peace!)
Equal Opportunity Reader 