Graphic Novel Review - 'Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and Her Crew of Lady Pirates' by Cassandra Federman

Oh my goddesses, what a fun, funny, joyful kids' comic.

'Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and Her Crew of Lady Pirates' - it is exactly what you'd expect from a title like that. It is a romp. A rumpus ode to girlhood, sisterhood, and feminism told in modern children's fairy tale comic form:

Sisters! Princesses! Lady pirates! Female friendship and companionship (and other ships ;) ) over men. Females having adventures and being creative and spontaneous (and diplomatic!) over a happily ever after "true love" with a man, a "prince".

Dragons! Mermaids! Spiders! Sharks! Sentient monster garbage trucks! Volcanoes! Vampires (sort of)! This graphic novel has it all!

Practically every female of every kind is represented here, even if in the background.

(That includes POC rep and LBGTQ+ rep in the art.)

What delightful imaginations young girls have! We need to celebrate stories like these.

There's even an environmental message to go with the sisterhood, the storytelling, the subversive fairy tale, and the feminist teachings.

Who knew that a simple narrative about two very different sisters - the older "mature, intelligent" Kennedy and the younger "stupid, out of control, messy, tomboy" Devon - who try to navigate and compromise when telling their own fairy tale to their baby sister, Eve, to get her to sleep at night, could be so hilarious, fun and infectious? It is wild and random (but not really) in the best way. It is a great way to showcase children making up a story on the spot, and who learn to communicate, see the benefits in each other's differences, and accept and love each other as they are.

Kennedy and Devon's much younger sister brings them closer together by the end of the progressively feminist tale.

Sisters forever!

I don't have a sister. Not a sister by blood, anyway I sometimes wish I did. But I imagine this is a realistic, if exaggerated for cartoony and comical effect, yet positive depiction of early childhood sisterhood. It is chaotic, but sweet.

'Story Spinners''s art is like that of a simple cartoon, or a comic strip, but it is very fitting, as is the use of shadowing and colours. The real world of Kennedy, Devon and Eve is mostly in purples, lilacs, blacks and whites (Kennedy's orange shirt and dialogue balloons stand out, as do Devon's blue clothes and dialogue balloons). The sisters' bedtime story, their princess fairy tale world, is all in colour, and it is action-packed and exciting.

'Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and Her Crew of Lady Pirates' is not as silly as it seems. It is genius.

It is like the best Nickelodeon cartoons. It is like 'The Powerpuff Girls' meets 'Princeless' (especially its spinoff, 'Princeless: Raven The Pirate Princess: Captain Raven and the All-Girl Pirate Crew') meets a less fantastical 'Of Her Own Design'. It should be adapted into an animated series. I hope it continues as a graphic novel series, at least.

Sisterhood, storytelling - it is its own magic, and journey of self-discovery. I've always known it, always reiterated it, and 'Story Spinners' is the newest reminder and reinforcer of this truth.

Happy Story Spinners and Sisters, Eve!

Final Score: 5/5