Review Detail

SLOOMOO: MAKING FRIENDS is an engaging and colorful graphic novel about a young girl who loves slime mold and has a tough time making friends. Daisy is an 11-year-old who loves to talk about slime and has her own channel where she discusses it, as well as the mystery of what happened to Sloomoo and Miss Joon, who disappeared years ago.

When she is checking out the old Slime Institute building one day, she notices packages are still being delivered. When she stalks them, she finds her way in - and discovers Miss Joon, waking up Sloomoo when she cries from loneliness.

Soon, she discovers a new friend, Ren from school, who also likes slime - but when he doesn't acknowledge her at school, she feels lonelier than ever. Luckily, with some clarity and shared love of slime, Daisy is on her way to making new friends with Ren, Sloomoo, and Slahmoo.

What I loved: This is such a colorful and fast-paced graphic novel that readers will love to visually explore. The story begins with Daisy recounting the story of Sloomoo and Miss Joon before diving into her own life, setting up a good mystery and start of the series. Themes of friendship and loneliness appear throughout the book. These will resonate with middle grade readers who may be navigating their own relationship challenges in school and beyond as they find their passions and people.

The book includes a lot of explanatory text boxes in addition to dialogue, though it never gets too dense. The focus of the story stays on the images, which is great for a graphic novel. The illustrations are fantastic with expressive characters and lots of details and colors to explore. Backmatter adds to the introductory story with facts about the main characters and information about slime mold and the Slime Institute.

Final verdict: SLOOMOO: MAKING FRIENDS is a charming and relatable graphic novel about friendship, loneliness, and slime. This will work well for middle grade readers!