The Chaos Monster [Secrets of the Sky]
by Sayantani DasGupta; illus. by Sandara Tang
Intermediate    Scholastic    240 pp.
7/23    9781338766738    $17.99
e-book ed.  9781339006086    $17.99

Fourth-grade fraternal twins Kinjal and Kiya couldn’t be more different. Kiya, “Lady Logic,” is all facts, while Kinjal believes magic is real and is often accused of being a “chaos monster” who gets into trouble. When their dog is taken from the backyard by a swirling gray cloud, they set out to find him and are transported to another dimension in the multiverse called the Sky Kingdom, which is populated by magical creatures from Bengali folklore. The twins find assistance from several pakkhiraj (winged horses), who give them a larger mission of saving endangered bees. Without the bees’ honey, the pakkhiraj and other mythical beings will die. In this fast-paced adventure, the twins learn that their immigrant parents are magical beings from another world who were exiled from their homeland. Lighthearted in tone, full of sibling banter, and composed of short, easy-to-digest chapters with interspersed grayscale illustrations, this book gives readers much food for thought about the role of myth in the everyday and the importance of conservation. In the afterword, the author posits that “string/multiverse theory…feels in keeping with the immigrant experience” of feeling out of place and “not really knowing where you come from.” DasGupta’s (The Chaos Curse, rev. 5/20, and sequels) thoughtful first installment of a new Kingdom Beyond–set multiverse series will leave readers eager for what comes next.

From the July/August 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.