Lint Boy

In her first graphic novel, Leijten (Bella & Bean) introduces a wisp of a hero born in a clothes dryer when “three buttons, a pluck of wool, and a ball of lint bumped into each other so hard that they didn’t come apart.” (“Where the friggles am I?” the doll wonders in a voice that demands to be read as squeakily as possible.) A friend, Lint Bear, soon follows, but their happy idyll is interrupted when the bear is captured by the dryer’s evil owner, Mrs. PinchnSqueeze, who has spent her life trying to prove that dolls are alive. Framing many panels with gorgeous, swooping art nouveau borders, Leijten creates a vintage atmosphere that underscores the evergreen appeal of dolls. Her quirky story has many charms, particularly in the artwork, but although there are hints of depth to Mrs. PinchnSqueeze’s character—it’s clear that, underneath the malevolence, she loves dolls—nothing comes of them. Likewise, it seems odd that the various dolls would choose a lifetime of imprisonment and abuse over simply revealing to their captor that, yes, they are indeed alive. Ages 7–10. Agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (June)