Clementine Fox and the Great Island Adventure: A Graphic Novel

by Leigh Luna

Meet Clementine Fox, Professional Amateur Adventurer! Clementine is supposed to be on her way to school... but why not go out for a day of adventure and exploration instead? She recruits her friends Nubbins Squirrel and Penelope Rabbit and heads to the beach, where Jesse Otter is preparing to take his giant Turtle, Annabella, to a mysterious local island. Clementine's great-aunt Marnie lives there—far away from math tests and tutors—so Clementine and her friends hitch a ride to the island as stowaways. What could go wrong? This is Leigh Luna's funny and charming debut graphic novel about a group of young animals who set out on an adventure and learn the true value of friendship, family, and what it means to stick together and work things out!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Adventure

208 pages, Paperback

Published May 16, 2023

Reviews

[Leigh Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book! I think it’s pretty good!

[Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant entry into junior graphic novels. It’s eye-wateringly bright, super cute, and fantastic at worldbuilding. And it has solid lessons for the kids. A must read for the young at heart or adventurous!

[Tawny Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter felt like she could really connect with the main character and that dreadful feeling that math gives her. Super cute book and easy read with pastel fairy illustration vibes 🧚 They were able to bring the problem back around as part of the solution in the end and tied it up nicely ☺️ Favorite graphic we’ve read so far !

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clementine, Nubbins, and Penelope stow away on a giant sea turtle headed to the island off shore instead of going to school. Clementine needs an adventure (and is trying to escape getting a dreaded tutor) and wants to see her Aunt Marnie. Nubbins is worried about the sea turtle, who is a family steed. And to her great horror, their rule-following friend Penelope gets stuck along for the ride. When they get to the island things don't go according to plan, they accidentally wake a local giant, upset some fairies, and of course get in deep trouble with their families.

Even though this is a very ill-conceived adventure, the characters do learn some lessons along the way and come out better for it. It is a very whimsical adventure, and Aunt Marnie is a hoot. Penelope learns to loosen up a bit. Nubbins learns to not overreact. And Clementine eventually discovers that tutors aren't as scary as she thinks and that her actions have consequences not just for herself but others.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: There's potential for violence at one point but everyone ends up ok.
Ethnic diversity: N/A they are all animals and mythical creatures.
LGBTQ+ content: Clementine's tutor uses the pronouns they/them.
Other: The kids get consequences from parents for their actions. Some prejudices are diminished because of the adventure.

[Eliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clementine Fox and the Great Island Adventure by Leigh Luna
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5 (3.5/5) or 7.42/10 overall

Characters - 7

Atmosphere - 8

Writing - 7

Plot - 7

Intrigue - 8

Logic - 7

Enjoyment - 8

[Simone Hagemann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Den var fin nok, men fangede mig aldrig helt.

[Emily Humes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. Animal characters who go on an adventure. Very cute.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! I loved it a lot!

[Jessica Woodring · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun adventure/fantasy graphic novel with a hilarious heroine who loves adventures and by the end of the book maybe learns to love (or at least see the importance of) math too.

[Ricki · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has pretty art and it’s not scary, but I have to totally thumbs-down it because there are like six situations in which different kids hide what they’re doing/where they’re going/lie and cover for their friends to grownups. The kids vs grownups dynamic is HUGE in this book, and when the grownups are eventually told, it’s almost 50/50 whether it was worth it. (In fact, one grownup offers the mad rock giant some of the kids to eat! Who does that?)

I want my kids to know that we can be on the same team and communicate and they can come to me with any problem. So this book is a no for me!

[Tory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awwww this was SO cute! If you liked "Garlic and the Vampire", you'll definitely enjoy Clementine Fox. Very fun conversation/banter between characters!

[Elizabeth Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second graphic novel. I see why kids like these. They are just like reading comic books. A fun adventure with math and cute characters. Lessons learned, and lots of great art!

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

― Rating: 4 Stars ★★★★
Clementine Fox can best be described as silly, adventurous & cozy graphic novel following a fox who'd much rather go on an adventure than work on math homework! With the absolutely fun & hilarious charm of the story to the page-turning story, this was a fantastic start to a new series!

I knew from the summary alone I'd really enjoy this one & this was delightfully fun, silly and I loved every moment of it! if you're looking for a more fast-paced cozy adventure story, this is a perfect read you could get through in hours because its just that fun. Clementine is a dramatic little fox who detests math, loves baking and would rather forget her problems for any new adventure that comes her way. Joined by her friends Penelope (a rabbit), Nubbins (a squirrel), they learn that a sea-faring turtle Annabella isn't feeling to well and needs to be taken care of by Clementine's great-aunt Marnie who dabbles in magic on the secluded Giant Island!

Luna's dialogue and expressions through her artwork made this so charmingly funny, I was actually laughing out loud while read this! The chaotic energy of literally this plot and the adventures Clementine + friends embark on will no doubt leave you smiling (or laughing) throughout the entire book. The world was fun to be immersed in and I loved that their hometown (Cherry Creek) alongside the Giant Island - Luna had woven a plethora of details throughout her art making these places come to life.

Well the characters were all absolute firecrackers that make the already funny story even more of a great time -from Clem & Nubbins meeting the fairies to Penelope & Jesse (beaver ferryman) staying with Clem's great-aunt when they get split up. From there I loved how the plot tied together with the parents back at Cherry Creek finding ways to make sure their kids got back safe (the interactions between different characters were still hilarious).

Characters, world and humor all blend miraculously into the plot where you want to see the what new adventure Clementine embarks on next. I like how friendship, as well as the messages about working through your obstacles rather than literally avoiding them were woven with a great amount of humor & charm-- Clementine's baking & hate for math came full circle & I loved how that was done + her apologizing to Penelope.

Now explaining the 4 stars- there's a lot of plot actually looking at this graphic novel as a whole, yet the adventure felt rather split up between all the POV's where there could have been more page-time spent between Clementine & her friends but I like how it came together in the end. I'm so looking forward for the new installment in this series bc it was srsly the cutest 🦊🧡

Clementine Fox was a truly a fun & incredibly funny start to a new series about a Fox who sets out on adventures with the element of friendship always at the center. With a fun setting, great dialogue, silly characters, as well as learning to grow + overcome amid unexpected obstacles - its hilariously cozy!

This was the 3rd graphic novel in my Week-long readathon!
―❀Read & Finished June 3 ♡⁀➷ ༘♡*ೃ༄

[Bonnie Lambourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story made especially lively by it's main character's adventure-seeking traits. An underlying issue of being bad at math and fear of having to take private lessons from a tutor sets Clementine to run off to her aunt who has witchy powers... and is a mouse not a fox. Of course a witch-mouse lives on a magical island with fairy-like people called Plips. There are "mers" in the water [more fish than mermaid going by the illustrations] a giant that comes alive from a rock mountain - reminiscent of the Trolls in HILDA but mostly friendly like BFG in character – and a large number of friends and other characters in this book. Credit to the author/illustrator for handling a large crew and making each character easy to know, like, and kid-relatable, including most of the adults, even if it's a like/dislike situation at times.

At a surprisingly fast and fun read for lengthy 200 pages of story without chapter breaks, [208 total] this is the most refreshing fantasy adventure GN I've read for ages - 7 - 10 / Grades: 2 - 5.
I enjoy that the emphasis is on positivity and problem-solving overall. Bits of learning here and there, a few strands of diversity acceptance thrown in, but the main diversity is really that these friends are different unique individuals. Wouldn't;t it be boring to all be the same?

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clementine Fox is always looking for a way to get out of going to school. So when she finds out Jessie Otter is taking his giant turtle over to the island where Great-Aunt Marnie lives, Clementine can't resist - and stows away with a couple of friends to spend an adventure-filled day away from school. But when plans go awry from the get-go, Clementine and her friends find themselves in the middle of an unplanned and difficult adventure.

Clementine is a funny and spunky main character. As an adult, I struggle with her decisions and the fact that she brings her friends along for the ride. Luna's illustrations remind me of cartoon network shows, which I think readers will find appealing. The story is full of fairies, all sorts of animals, and a lot of twists and turns. An engaging read with some nice life lessons. The characters are animals.

[Lindsay Bray · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Themes: Middle grade, adventure, family and friendship

Format Read: Paperback

My Review:
I’m not much of a graphic novel reader, I maybe pick up two or three each year but I rarely gravitate toward them. I find them choppy and lacking in the plot and character development. However, I’m really glad I gave this one a try. It was so cute, I enjoyed the graphics and thought the storyline was great. A super quick read that had a wonderful focus on family, friends and the importance of facing your problems. It did end off a little abruptly but that’s my only complaint. I look forward to Clementine’s next adventure.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully cute fantasy adventure set in a world of "Sylvanian Families"-type animals, magical beings, and a pastel-hued landscape. Clementine struggles mightily with math, but the adults around her model patient and helpful behavior and allow her to learn at her own pace. (You mean not being yelled at and accused of 'not trying' is actually an option?!)

Clementine eventually finds a way of solving a math problem to help her friends that uses her own skills and strengths. The adults in the audience who had their own learning struggles may find themselves feeling vindicated.

[Amanda Boehm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SO cute. It was funny, there was adventure, there was a close friend group who cared about each other and knew when to apologize... I love that while Clementine struggled with math, her mother didn't make it feel like the only thing that mattered, instead focusing on improvement and finding ways to help her, and also acknowledging that she was super great at other things! Aaaand I love the way that math and having help from her friends to learn math wrapped back around in the story as the solution to solve their Giant problem. Very cute!

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the look of the giant turtle on the cover of this book. Sadly, the turtle played a less central role in the action of the story than hoped for. Still, it was a good, solid story appropriate for the (middle school-ish) target audience. For my part it was enjoyable but didn't offer anything especially novel or interesting. The end of the book teases a sequel which I would read, but sadly it doesn't seem to exist yet.

[Cristina Mrozek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a SSYRA book for this school year. It’s a graphic novel (which aren’t normally my favorite), but I actually think this book needed to be told in this way as the illustrations and dialogue were perfect for this format. The storyline is ok. The characters are likable, but nothing special. I read it with my 7 & 9 year old children and they agreed that it was just ok. It had some funny parts and I would recommend it as a one off, but not a series.

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just want a silly read, and I did adore this very much. The art style is very reminiscent of Adventure Time, and I think a lot of people would relate to hating math in school which make Clementine a relatable character. Enjoyable and I can't wait to see what the next volume has in store.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and fun. I love how Clementine's struggles with math are handled by her friends and family. They make it clear that trying to learn is what truly matters, and it's okay if you learn differently or need a tutor! I placed it under middle-grade, but I feel like it skews towards the younger side of middle-grade and maybe a bit below. I would say great for ages 7-11.

[Josephine Sorrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cutting math class turns into a magical adventure.
Clementine, a fox, loves adventure and hates math. Clementine stows away on a ferry turtle to visit her great-aunt Marnie’s island along with Nubbins the squirrel. Then there are too many characters to keep up with.
It wasn’t for me but here is a winsome adventures in friendship and magic, filled with lovely illustrations.

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clementine and her friends sneak aboard a turtle to get to the Big Island. Hi-jinx (and parental fretting) ensue.

Clementine, her friends, and her family are surprisingly complicated and dynamic characters. That makes for a pretty engaging graphic novel. Bright art and some decent (some nonexistent too) backgrounds add to the fun.

[Ninjamechanic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a delightful graphic novel that works will both for emerging readers who still read with a buddy and middle grade readers who enjoy a bit of whimsy. Not too babyish and not too grown up, this fantastic adventure deals with choices being made and creative problem solving that doesn't end with anyone having any damage more permanent than being grounded.

[Ashley]

I really wanted to like this because the artwork is CUTE AF OMG. Like I've never seen a cuter, more precious book in my life. But I couldn't really get into the story, I kind of felt like I was dropped into the middle of it and there was just a lot going on. BUT IT'S SO CUTE!

[Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book, super easy to read with lots of pictures. It's a fun idea and I can definitely relate to the characters. 6+ Just keep in mind this is a playful world so don't try this at home.
(9 year old)

[blueygurl2016 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty cute graphic novel with a pretty good message at the end that it’s okay to be a different kind of learner and it’s never good to run away from your problems but also at the end Clementine asked if she wasn’t grounded anymore and that didn’t sit well with me.

[Kimberly Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an okay read for me. There are 3 main problems in the book. The 3 problem is covered in detail with lots of adventure. The other 2 problems are touched on. Overall it’s a cute 3-5th grade read.

[Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am OBSESSED with this whole little world that Luna has created - it is the cute cottage core sweet animal adventure story of my dreams. I can’t wait to recommend this to all the kids at my store!