Juniper Mae: Knight of Tykotech City

Young inventor Juniper Mae lives in Tykotech City, a technological utopia surrounded by a foreboding forest and powered by an energy source called the Core. Unexplained Core interruptions have been plaguing the city; when a surge occurs while Juniper is out testing her latest invention—the Juni Jet, which resembles a jet pack—she crash-lands in the forest. To her surprise, instead of encountering the rumored terrible beasts feared by the city folk, she finds Albie, a tiny turtle-like creature known as a tama-tama, who accompanies her home. Albie also gifts her with an ancient artifact from the humans’ and tama-tamas’ shared past. Using the artifact and a new energy source derived from forest plants, Juniper determines to protect Tykotech and the forest from whatever is causing the power outages. Soh’s radiant illustrations stand out with a combination of compellingly cute character designs and nifty mechanical touches, channeling Steven Universe vibes. Without being heavy-handed, Soh utilizes succinct dialogue and a loose, fast-paced plot to convey themes of synchronicity between nature and technology and of breaking down barriers and making friends, presenting a joyful read. Ages 7–9. (Mar.)