For a picture book written for adults, it's very well done. I don't think I'd share it with a child younger than say 7-9, its not that this is offensive or anything, it's just more complex a topic than a younger child can comprehend.

Solid world-building, believable likable characters with real wants and needs and backstories, all supported by solid and clear writing.

The only thing I don't like about this book is that it says "book one" on the cover. I think this is a lovely stand-alone and i"m wary of it being ruined by a sequel. Clearly, though, I will read the sequel.

Relatable characters and a lovely drawing style.

The rare second book that is actually better than the first. I love SO MUCH about it. The casual queerness of everyone, the magic that makes sense, the way the conflict of the last book comes full circle to close loop, the compelling new characters, and on and on.

This book had such potential! Solidly clear writing, characters who felt real, a deep historical backdrop. BUT. There are too many stories going! There is the historical mystery. There is Alzheimer and its impact on families. There are racial tensions within children's friendships. There is the retired army dad with PTSD. There are excerpts from a novel written by a character. There is

Spoiler

the sudden death of a parent

. It's all just too much to fit into one mid-grade novel. Lengthen it a bit and make it an adult novel, sure. Or possibly YA. But the narrative is too full and the storytelling too choppy for a mid-grade novel. If I were the editor, I would have suggested the author take one or even three of these threads for the first novel and save the rest for a second and third book.