'Hilda and the Bird Parade' is not as good as its predecessor, 'Hilda and the Midnight Giant', nor its sequel comic issues, but it is still a fun experience.
Welcome to Trollberg. It's Hilda's first time living in a town, and as such living near other people, not only magical creatures. What new observations will she discover? What people will she meet? What possible creatures will she find in this crowded, messy, noisy, and light-polluted human environment?There's the start of a fresh development between Hilda and her mum, who has become stricter and more protective of her outgoing daughter since moving from hermitage into a town; into a society. It's a big change from the mountains and the outskirts of Trollberg. It's not an easy situation for a parent to deal with, when her child loves getting lost and not knowing where she's going - it's more adventurous that way!
I love their odd but nonetheless real relationship. Any other fantasy series would have made Hilda an orphan, in order for her to not have to deal with familial and caring authority figures, and she can just do whatever she wants all the time, for her stories to progress. That's not the case here. Hilda's mother clearly loves and cares for her, and she is a character in her own right and not simply an obstacle for the young heroine to overcome. She is one of the best fictional mothers I've seen in recent media - one of the best fictional single mothers I've seen (how often do they get represented? And in children's media at that?).
'Hilda' contains a positive, touching and normal (considering the circumstances) mother-and-daughter relationship, and it is a major focus in the series - this is one of its many accolades. Compared to that, the raven and his story in 'Bird Parade' aren't nearly as interesting.
I can't wait for more. Hilda's mum is as much a main character as her daughter - and is as much a reason to read this series as the fantasy elements.
Final Score: 4/5
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