Once Upon a Tail (Once Upon a Tail #1)

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Author(s)

Audrey Perrott

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Charlene Chua

Publisher

Abrams Fanfare

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

April 21, 2026

ISBN

978-1419770722

Buy This Book

Full of heart and humor, this early reader graphic novel series stars two best friends in a fantastical medieval setting, perfect for fans of Narwhal and Jelly and Peter & Ernesto

Wallace is a knightly horse who loves rules. Poppy is a free-spirit dragon who loves adventure.

These two unlikely pals disagree on most everything—but still manage to have a lot of fun-filled shenanigans together in the Land of La-Dee-Dah.

Told in three short and silly stories with subtle social-emotional themes, this young graphic novel follows the everyday adventures of two best buds as they step out of their comfort zones, discover hidden powers, and eat a LOT of banana pudding. With a high-interest fantasy setting, accessible reading level, and kid-perfect humor, this series is designed for emerging and reluctant readers alike.

Editor review

1 review

fantastically fun graphic novel!

April 18, 2026 (Updated: June 03, 2026)

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

ONCE UPON A TAIL is an entertaining early graphic novel with plenty of humor and themes of friendship. The book is broken into three stories with a roundtable at the end. In the first story, Poppy the dragon wants to be a superhero, but Wallace says that dragons are supposed to be the villains. Once they shrug off societal expectations, they decide that their skills are pretty super - and they are both superheroes! In the second story, they try new foods, and in the third, Poppy gets a haircut.

What I loved: These are fantastically fun stories, perfect for early independent readers. The graphic novel features large panels, short dialogue, and plenty of color and detail. This is great for early independent readers who are moving on from picture books, but not fully into chapter books (or anyone who loves to laugh!). The dialogue is easily attributable and written in a clear font, so it is easy to follow and read.

The stories themselves have great themes of friendship, being true to yourself, and not bearing the weight of social expectations. Across the stories, these are all conveyed well, with plenty of humor and good fun. A goat that appears throughout provides extra humor and delivers some of the funniest lines and faces! Poppy and Wallace are both charming characters that children will enjoy - a delightful new graphic novel duo!

Final verdict: ONCE UPON A TAIL is a delightful new graphic novel with strong themes, charming characters, and easy-to-follow text that is perfect for early independent readers!