Penny Dora & The Wishing Box, Vol 1

by Michael Stock, Sina Grace (Artist)

Once upon a time (on the day before Christmas) a young girl named Penny Dora found a mysterious box on her front doorstep. A magic box with the power to grant wishes. Which sounded great...until Penny Dora found herself face-to-face with a horde of fire-breathing dragons, oodles of monsters and at least seven dwarves...all thanks to the girl she used to call best friend, now known as Princess Elizabeth. An all-ages fantasy/ adventure book for fans of Coraline and Courtney Crumrin! Collects PENNY DORA & THE WISHING BOX #1-5

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Graphic Novels Comics

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2015

Reviews

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice girl meets creepy magic in this graphic novel that was a hit at my house. It all starts when a mysterious package arrives at Penny's house on Christmas Day. She and her mother assume it's a gift from her father. That day turns out to be the best Christmas ever, as quite a few things happen just the way Penny wishes they would. That night, she starts to hear whispers... coming from the box. Which knows her name. And her father doesn't know anything about it. Penny and her best friend Elizabeth discover what the box can do, and must decide whether it's a good or bad thing.

The subtlety with which the box begins to shape Penny's life, and the transition from bland suburban life to fantastical danger, builds tension *very* effectively.

The only downsides: the lettering is fairly small (my husband had trouble with it) and the back cover has what I consider significant spoilers.

[Suraia Munia · Rating 4 out of 5]

concept is good. The book is inspired by the writing of a 8 year old as mentioned at the back of the book but i still think the book could be edited better.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too young for my taste, and a little too easy of a fix in the end.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story.

[Simone Hagemann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Den var okay. Jeg læste den hurtigt, da historien flød ret godt, og illustrationerne fungerede rigtig godt i forbindelse med denne. Men jeg blev ikke rigtig fanget af hverken personerne eller historien, og det er derfor heller ikke en serie, jeg kommer til at læse mere af.

EDIT: Efter at havde tænkt lidt over det, har jeg valgt at rykke min rating ned til to. For selvom det var en okay tegneserie, så skuffer den mig mere og mere for hver gang, jeg tænker på den.

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This comic is the first instalment in a series aimed at children. Penny Dora is mysteriously given an empty box at Christmas. However, it has the ability to make wishes come true. Although Penny is wary of the magical box, her best friend is eager to take a turn having the box grant her wishes.

This story has a nice, clear, illustration style, and prominent female protagonists, as well as a pet cat! Although the story is a relatively standard, "be careful what you wish for" scenario, it is well done and Penny proves herself to be a promising heroine. I look forward to further instalments.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. That was cute! Definitely young for me but it was fun to buy the comics as they were released. I'm interested to see what happens next after that cliffhanger. Also Elizabeth was a straight up troll.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful graphic novel selection for young readers. Like most children's titles it sneaks in lessons here and there but without the feeling of being overly intentional or preachy. Rather it's a fun field trip into what mythology could be today. And boy is it a ride.

[Rod Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writer credits his daughter as a co-creator since this graphic novel adapts a story she wrote when she was eight. (The prose story is included in the back of the book.) It's a fine story for an eight-year-old, but not so much for the grown-ups who exploit it so poorly.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cute and a fun idea, though it was really predictable. Still, I'd probably read more.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a young readers' version of "The Monkey's Paw".

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jennifer]

Amazing premise. Also adorable. And it teaches children to think about the consequences of their actions in an outlandish way.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of like Jumanji.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of like Jumanji.

[Kat Ice · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the cutest graphic novels in a long time! thought the plot was amazing and loved the hidden disney references in it. quick to read and leaves a message for the reader! loved this!!