THE LEAGUE OF LITTLES

A group of youngest siblings are challenged by a hamster on the run.

The League of Littles was founded to help protect kids from the “bullying, arrogance, and tyranny of elder siblings,” and when it quickly becomes clear that there’s also a Band of Bigs as well as a Middles and Onlys Guild, one might expect a dramatic confrontation among these birth order–based squads. But in this book at least, the crews generally keep to their own corners. Tasked by more senior Littles with locating a missing hamster (lest the little sister who lost it incur the wrath of its owner, her big sibling), trainees Lexi, Mo, and Eli find themselves chasing the rodent high and low through the school. When it’s revealed that the hamster belongs to one of the birth-order groups, the intrigue deepens. Set up to pave the way for future capers, this graphic novel feels somewhat tentatively invested in its characters’ motivations, and the sibling rivalries take a back seat to the pursuit of the lost pet, perhaps leaving room for future, larger conflicts. Nonetheless, the book has several funny moments; the narrative gag of the Middles lounging in their lair watching the school-wide search in bemusement is truly hilarious. Faber’s lovely illustrations use a soft palette and smoothed lines while gleefully capturing the Littles’ mission with dramatic perspectives. Lexi is Black, Eli is tan-skinned and dark-haired, and Mo presents white.

A brief, amusing romp with potential for future fun.