Chickenpox
by Remy Lai; illus. by the author
Intermediate    Holt    240 pp.
1/25    9781250863300    $22.99
Paper ed.  9781250863294    $14.99

Lai (recently Ghost Book, rev. 9/23) crafts a unique and humorous graphic novel based on her recollection of events (with some names and details altered, per an author’s note) surrounding her and her siblings’ bout with chickenpox. Set in 1994 Indonesia, the tale is related from a surprising first-person viewpoint: that of her oldest sister, Abby. At twelve, Abby finds little peace at home with four little brothers and sisters constantly quarreling and demanding attention. School, piano lessons, and going over to friends’ houses provide brief relief from the chaos. Then all the Lai children come down with chickenpox, and Abby is forced to spend a week in “the zoo.” Home confinement is stressful: the rash is itchy, her siblings are annoying, and friendship drama ensues over a misunderstanding involving a birthday party. But as the story (and the pox) progresses, the tween begins to see her family in a new light—and to mature into her role as a more caring big sister and better friend. An entertaining and ultimately heartening slice-of-life comic, illustrated with inviting pastel hues and an approachable loose-lined style, that will appeal to fans of Telgemeier’s Guts (rev. 9/19) and Lloyd’s Squished (rev. 5/23).

From the March/April 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.