The Weird Sisters: A Robin, a Ribbon, and a Lawn Mower

Written by Mark David Smith

Illustrated by Kari Rust

Owlkids Books

981-1-77147-459-7

93 pp.

Ages 7-10

April 2023

They're back! The Weird Sisters of Mark David Smith's early middle grade series are back in their second book, creating mayhem with their magic and their misinterpretations to solve their newest mystery: who vandalized the local tire swing?

From The Weird Sisters: A Robin, a Ribbon, and a Lawn Mower by Mark David Smith, illus. by Kari Rust

The three sisters, Hildegurp, Yuckmina and Glubbifer, who opened their pet emporium and detective agency in the first book in the series–The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole (2022)–are lamenting their lack of business with their young neighbour Jessica who is missing going to school during the summer holidays. When the girl offers to teach them how to use the tire swing to cheer them up, they discover the rope frayed and the tire useless on the ground. They enlist the help of their friend Officer Nazeri who takes them to see Mayor Ronald Bombast who is desperate to attend another ribbon-cutting ceremony and deputizes the group to solve the crime. But there always seems to be another mystery in Covenly and the sisters and their friend are also drafted to help Chelsea Oh attract her local robin who'd been chased off by the Weird Sisters' cat, Graymalkin.

Following a promising lead involving their neighbour Cosmo Keene, creating a love potion for an unlikely pair, and enhancing the power of a souped-up lawn mower, the Weird Sisters and Jessica get to the bottom of the latest Covenly conundrums.

From The Weird Sisters: A Robin, a Ribbon, and a Lawn Mower by Mark David Smith, illus. by Kari Rust

Young readers who are transitioning from early readers to middle grade will appreciate the humour, the plotting and most definitely the characters in Mark David Smith's The Weird Sisters series. With a trio of wacky sisters who want to do good, a young girl who offers a bit of normalcy (though she does have a pet goat), and all manner of secondary characters who do everything from cook seed cakes for robins and are passionate about cutting ceremonial ribbons, there is much to tickle the funny bone. And, for me, the humour is paramount, especially when it revolves around idioms and the sisters' misinterpretations of them. Idioms are often tough for young children to appreciate so they will laugh at the Weird Sisters' confusion about giving someone a lift (we know superhuman strength is unnecessary), going undercover (blankets also needless) and being blue (which does not involve the colour or dye). Coupling the strong storytelling and amusing voice of Mark David Smith's text with a splattering of Kari Rust's quirky black-and-white illustrations, The Weird Sisters: A Robin, a Ribbon, and a Lawn Mower takes us for a wild and loony ride, with or without the swing or lawn mower for conveyance.

The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole

Written by Mark David Smith

Illustrated by Kari Rust

Owlkids Books

978-1-77147-456-6

72 pp.

Ages 7-10

April 2022 

Once upon a time there were three weird sisters: Hildegurp, the round one; Yuckmina, the bony one; and Glubbifer, the one whose knuckles dragged along the ground. Along with their cat Graymalkin, they moved into an old house in the town of Covenly and lived above their pet emporium business.

One day, a young girl, Jessica Nibley, seeks their help to locate her missing baby goat. After all, they knew about animals. But, along with that mystery is a mysterious note found on their doorstep; a neighbour named Cosmo Keene who doesn't like troublemakers and is sure the Weird Sisters are those; and a missing casserole dish of Jessica's teacher Chelsea Oh.

The Weird Sisters may be unusual in their appearance but their behaviour is a little unusual too. What they can pull out of their hats–like a flying broom or the Eye which will point them in the direction of answers–will astound but sadly they reveal to Jessica that they are trying to learn to not be bad witches. 

Will the Weird Sisters solve a mystery or two or will they become the mystery, at least to their neighbours in Covernly?

 

Early readers or early middle grade novels are very challenging to write well. Authors must  be cognizant of giving young children a great plot in a limited word count without the benefit of illustrations that carry the story and Mark David Smith has done this very well in The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole. (Readers will love Kari Rust's black-and-white illustrations that lighten the text and add another element of fun but the art does not tell the story as would happen in picture books.)  How does Mark David Smith do this? Let's start with the plot. It's simple, with the characters seeking to answer three simple questions: Who wrote the note?; Where is the goat?; and What happened to the casserole? Then he's created characters who are quirky and memorable. Beyond the titular Weird Sisters, each one-of-a-kind, there's the poncho-wearing Jessica with her pet goat, the black licorice-loving, justice-driven Cosmo Keene, and the myopic Chelsea Oh. There's also Officer Golsa Nazeri and realtor Rupert Flinch. But for this reader, it's the word play that brought me the most joy. Kids know how confusing homophones can be but in a story in which misinterpretations arise because of those homophones or dual-meaning words, like kid for child and baby goat, and pen for writing and a farm enclosure, it's just entertaining. 

 

Looks like there's more Weird Sisters to come as The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole is just the first book in the new series for young readers. The next mystery has Jessica helping the newly formed Three Sisters Pet Emporium + Detective Agency to solve another town crime so I anticipate more merriment and another well-received tale (or is that tail?) for younger middle grade readers.