North for the Winter

Animator Podesta deploys economic pacing and sitcom humor in this cozy mid-1950s-set graphic novel debut. Twelve-year-old Virginia Kay and her father struggle to connect following her mother’s recent death. During the duo’s move from Arizona to Colorado three days before Christmas, Virginia meets a reindeer that inexplicably flies away, leaving behind a glowing compass. Upon arriving at their new home, her aunt Frances tries to lift Virginia’s spirits by decking the halls to the nines. Though Virginia isn’t feeling particularly festive, she bonds with chipper tween neighbor Benny Alvarez, with whom she shares the secret of her reindeer encounter and the glowing compass. Enlisting Benny’s older sister, the new friends embark on an adventure to reunite with the creature—and, perhaps, scrounge up some holiday cheer for Virginia and her father. Conflicts with zealous game hunters, suspiciously cheerful mall employees, and overworked Continental Air Defense operators inject hijinks into a story of family, trust, and imagination’s power to uplift during life’s bleakest turns. Flat coloring and simple backdrops emphasize the characters’ emotive facial expressions and fluid movements across illustrations that sparkle with vintage holiday-TV-special charm. Characters are portrayed with varying skin tones. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer March Soloway, Andrea Brown Literary. (Sept.)