Her Muddy Majesty of Muck

“Few books in th[e] genre treat both their subject and their readers with as much respect as …Alemagna’s do. These aren’t didactic works. They are art, with soul-stirring depth and resonance…. Alemagna is one of the greats, up there with Tomi Ungerer, Maurice Sendak and Leo Lionni…”—The New York Times Book Review

★ “Exceptional creator Alemagna again brings glorious mixed-media art to enliven this marvelously imagined emotional journey: washy color fields, expressive daubs, and exuberant marks filling textured patterns evoke a delightfully detailed subversive underworld any kid would happily visit, where unpleasantness reigns with cheerful acceptance. A truly inventive, empathetic tale acknowledging that all big feelings—even the murky ones—have their place.”—Booklist, starred review

★ “In the best tradition of enlightening literary journeys, the duo pass through Wicked Woods, Lake Youbegone, and the Grumporium. Each setting is wondrous, the earthy palette incorporating shimmering blues and textured mixed-media patterns. Comic relief comes in various forms, among them the smelly, mean Boogers that trail after them. As she travels with Her Royal Muddiness, Yuki learns some profound truths about family and emotion: ‘When people get angry, they take it out on the things they love.’ Tenderness undergirds Yuki and Shen’s ensuing reunion. Alemagna’s narrative employs lovely alliteration, striking figurative language, subtle exchanges between characters, and delightful images to probe the siblings’ complex emotions while allowing readers to discern meaning for themselves… An imaginative, deeply satisfying odyssey.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“(A) fantastical journey… (and) deeply empathic picture book…. (with) surreal mixed-media illustrations… Alemagna (Pepper and Me) uses fantasy not to escape negative feelings but to make them tangible—and offer hope that tangled wires can finally be smoothed.”—Publishers Weekly