Grimwood: Let the Fur Fly! by Nadia Shireen (review)

Reviewed by: Grimwood: Let the Fur Fly! by Nadia Shireen Meg Cornell Shireen, Nadia Grimwood: Let the Fur Fly!; written and illus. by Nadia Shireen. Andrews McMeel, 2023 [256p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781524882297 $19.99 Paper ed. ISBN 9781524882273 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 1-3 In this chapter book sequel, orphaned fox siblings Ted and Nancy are happily settled in Grimwood, the weirdest of woods. An illustrated dramatis personae page welcomes new and old readers alike to Grimwood's quirky characters, including bouncy and fierce rabbit Willow and her 345 (or so) siblings, ex-starlet duck Ingrid, queen of the local run-down theater, and of course Sharon, the party crow, last seen shot out of a glitter cannon. Grimwood residents are comfortably used to letting their freak flag fly (especially Sharon), but that's not how things are done in neighboring Twinklenuts, a place the residents, feathered or not, start flocking to once they catch wind of the free concerts (and tennis courts, and new theater, and fancy restaurants). The mayor of Twinklenuts, sly and polished Sebastian Silver, sees a protégé in impressionable Ted, but streetwise Nancy quickly catches wind to something being rotten—outside of the general odd smells of Grimwood. Rallying all the skills and resources of communities new and old, Nancy and Ted resist Sebastian's gentrifying take-over in a conclusion as heartwarming as it is flatout silly, proving time and again that play offers its own kind of joyful resistance. This chapter book provides unique and original ridiculousness in spades, with the comedic routine of Grimwood thoughtfully interposed with moments of character pathos for our favorite foxes. A visual smorgasbord, each page lavishly presents frenetic black-and-white character illustrations, metanarrative jokes and infographics [End Page 70] via an author-insert woodlouse, marginal textures and tones, in-character missives, and multi-media paper-crafting. Pair with Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson's Barb the Last Berzerker series for more chaotic comedy and sticking it to the man. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois