Sheets (1) - Softcover

GOOD COMICS FOR KIDS BLOG (SLJ) -- Marjorie is trying to keep the family business, a laundromat, together. Her mother passed away, and Dad has mostly checked out. She has to cope with self-centered customers and a pushy, smarmy neighborhood businessman. Then the ghosts appear.The spirits all look like the classic children's image, white sheets with a rounded top for a head. But they go to support groups to try and accept how they died, and their world is notably less colorful than Marjorie's. The imaginative Wendell isn't ready for that, so he finds Marjorie's laundromat, which feels like a spa for his sheet.Thummler's style isn't as smooth and simplified as some of the most popular graphic novels for kids. Her lines have more options, more of a sense of uncertainty that works well with Marjorie's struggles. It can mean getting lost in some panels, where the key item isn't immediately visible. Instead of clearly drawing the eye through the story, Thummler's work wanders, and the faces sometimes look odd.SheetsThe pacing could also be improved. Lengthy sections move through day-to-day detail, showing the ennui of Marjorie's existence. The story could have been tightened; as it is now, Wendell and Marjorie finally meet halfway through the 200-plus pages. The meandering structure is more common to reads targeted for an adult audience, where realism is more appreciated; younger readers may not have the patience needed to wait around for things to happen. Elements of the happy ending are rushed and not well established previously.There are honest feelings about loss and sadness expressed here, but the emotional development of the characters is jumpy. There's plenty of detail, but the reader may sometimes wonder what it provides to the core story. Another editing pass might have made for a more satisfying, tighter read.Thummler has some areas to work on, but the combination of laundry, sheets, and ghosts is clever. Sheets fills the gap of something to read between more polished YA graphic novel releases.


Brian Selznick -- Brenna Thummler's first original graphic novel is a reason to celebrate. She announced herself as an artist to reckon with when she illustrated Mariah Marsden's adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. Now she's illustrated her own story of ghosts and family, loneliness and laundromats. I'm sure you'll be captivated, and as eager as I am to see what comes next!



Dana Simpson (Phoebe and Her Unicorn) -- Sweet, sad, funny, warm, and beautiful. If I can be forgiven for using this word, this is one that will haunt me, in the best way.



LEMONY SNICKET -- For days after reading Brenna Thummler's SHEETS, I have been wandering my neighborhood, haunted, enchanted, and in need of freshly pressed clothing.


BOOK RIOT -- If you're looking for an adorable graphic novel that has the same color scheme and tranquility as a Steven Universe episode, look no further. Sheets is a beautifully written and illustrated novel following a girl named Majorie who works at her family's laundromat in a sleepy, autumnal town. One day, she happens upon an abandoned sheet that happens to be Wendell, a ghost who innocently haunts her family's business. Full of pastel colors, a captivating art style, and an even cuter storyline about a girl and a ghost coexisting under one roof, Sheets is a story that will warm the heart of any reader, big or small.


PUBLISHERS WEEKLY -- Marjorie Glatt, 13, pulls triple duty in her life. She navigates the cliques and challenges of school, takes care of her brother and deeply depressed father, and runs Glatt's Laundry, her deceased mother's business. But her balancing act wavers thanks to two arrivals: Mr. Saubertuck, who is scheming to acquire the laundry's building for his new spa, and Wendell, a ghost clad in traditional white sheets. Wendell seeks friendship, but he fouls up Marjorie's work each night, making difficult customers even more unbearable and perhaps necessitating the sale to Saubertuck. To make things right with Marjorie, Wendell may need to reveal himself and the ways of ghosts, which could land him in deeper trouble. With washed-out coloring, many wordless panel sequences of Marjorie alone, and simply drawn facial expressions, the artwork effectively illustrates Marjorie's sense of isolation. Thummler's debut graphic novel tempers references to Marjorie's adult-size responsibilities with a lighter splash of the supernatural to create a smart story about friendship and grit. Ages 9-12.