Bumpy Oak Books

5 stars

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

In Dewdrop, Kay O’Neill brings us a children’s graphic novel surrounding our titular character, Dewdrop the axolotl, and his town’s preparations for the sports fair. There is a running message of the competition being with one self primarily, and enjoying what you are doing.

I have been a fan of Kay O’Neill for some time now, and I just absolutely love her art style. I also enjoy that she frequently has themes of acceptance and various types of representation in her graphic novels. One of the things in this vein that stood out was that a female turtle character was the one competing in the weight lifting competition, which I would have loved to see as a child.

Overall, I find that all of Kay O’Neill’s graphic novels have a wonderful positivity, brightness, and feel-good quality coupled with her beautiful artwork and use of color. While this isn’t my absolute favorite of all of the graphic novels by this author, it certainly features all of the things that make me recommend Kay O’Neill’s work again and again.