Woundabout by Lev Rosen (review)

Siblings Connor and Cordelia have barely processed the explosion at the family’s training ranch for bomb-sniffing capybara, which tragically took their two dads and their whole lives away in an instant. Off they go to live with their well-intentioned but strange aunt Marigold in Woundabout, a place that appears cozily quaint but is hiding many secrets. The kids shake things up in dramatic ways, adding newness and resistance in a place where routines and compliance have long kept things safe: if change isn’t permitted, then nothing bad can happen. The lesson that good must come at the cost of accepting change and heartbreak is gently, subtly conveyed, and the book effectively expresses the way tragedies can make otherwise sensible folks go along with a plan to essentially stop all progress and time in their town. The Mayor, the villain who used magic to halt this town, is complex and layered, and even he is ultimately a sympathetic figure in a book that explores the complexity of life in a startlingly sophisticated, thoughtful way. It’s not all harshness, either: there is a hint of levity in the absurd setup and the aunt’s complete inability to remember the word “capybara,” and the kids are supported by Gray, a man who has never stopped believing his beloved town can awaken. Black and white illustrations, with digital lines that suggest quick ink strokes, suggest all will ultimately be well in spite of the tragedies the protagonists have endured, as the kids gaze with unflinching determination into whatever lies next.