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Goodreads takes me to some strange places sometimes.
The stranger, the more obscure and girly, the better.
I couldn't help myself.
So.
'Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe'
It's cute all right.
Yet, for such a small comic and chapter book made to look cute and appealing, and to teach children to read and follow comic panels, it is surprisingly enjoyable for me, too.
The brilliant, vibrant, bouncy, funny, chibi, manga-esque artwork, the pink and purple colours, the entirely-POC cast of characters, and, other straight facts: the Black little girl protagonist with a flooffy skirt and a Steven Universe T-shirt, Mimi, is a magical girl. She is cute, but she wants to be seen as more than that - "cute" is not her whole personality, and it frustrates her.
She has an outrageously yet serenely adorable little plushie mascot bestie called Penelope, who is magic and can transform Mimi into different outfits. This seems to only effect her outward appearance, not granting her magical powers. Hmm, a be-yourself metaphysical commentary? Or am I reaching in a comic intended for five-year-olds?
I'd like to know the backstory of Mimi and Penelope. How did they meet? How did they become best friends? Was Penelope an ordinary plushie originally, magically given life? What makes Mimi so special as to be gifted a magical, talking plushie, that all of Mimi's friends and family know about and are cool with?
Morals and lessons abound in this story. Good ones for kids to take to heart. Like, be yourself. Be a kid and get dirty! Play with your friends. Help your friends.
Cute or not, 'Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe' is a fun, sweet little product for the kiddies, by Shauna J. Grant, a Black, pink-and-cute-and-magic-loving author, on a mission to add diversity to the comics community. I especially recommend her 'Mimi' creation to kids who love pink and girly things, and magical girls.
It is like a preschool cartoon. It should be adapted into a preschool cartoon series.
There you have it, a small review for a small book.
How charming, and, heh, cute.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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