Early Book Review: The Doughnut Kingdom (Cucumber Quest) by Gigi D.G.

The Doughnut Kingdom is the first book in the Cucumber Quest series by Gigi D.G. This graphic novel is currently scheduled for release on October 10 2017. What happens when an evil queen gets her hands on an ancient force of destruction? World domination, obviously. The seven kingdoms of Dreamside need a legendary hero. Instead, they'll have to settle for Cucumber, a nerdy magician who just wants to go to school. As destiny would have it, he and his way more heroic sister, Almond, must now seek the Dream Sword, the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Queen Cordelia’s Nightmare Knight. Can these bunny siblings really save the world in its darkest hour? Sure, why not?

The Doughnut Kingdom is a fun adventure about bunny siblings taking on a quest. I liked that the main characters are set on being themselves and are tired of others trying to force them into the expected roles. The little sister as the grand warrior and the big brother as a scholar made me happy.  I enjoyed the artwork, it reminded me a bit of the drawings of Cece Bell, but some of that could have been because of the shared use of bunnies. I found the colors and the detail work to be a perfect pairing to the story. I liked the quest and adventure, and the young characters finding their way despite everyone trying to get them to change. I was annoyed that most, if not all, of the adults were so, um, well unsupportive, of the young bunnies being true to their own strengths. However, since we all come up against people like that in our lives, the encouraging theme of perseverance is important and very well executed. 

The Doughnut Kingdom is a fun and fast read. I liked the artwork, the story, and the defying of gender roles all wrapped up in a story about cute bunnies on a quest. I greatly enjoyed the read, and I think many young readers will as well.

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