WHO'S THE SCAREDY-CAT?

Freddy von Frankenstein is destabilized when his family configuration suddenly changes.

Freddy, an inventor like his father (Victor von Frankenstein), has a built-in best friend in his older brother, F.M. (Frankenstein’s Monster, whom Victor created nine years ago). Freddy’s all set to be his family’s focus for his eighth birthday when a strange girl shows up at the Nepalese palace where they live. Riya has no friends or family, so Freddy’s parents take her in. Wanting things to go back to normal, Freddy tries to poke holes in Riya’s story. When a strangely human-seeming tiger appears in their home as Riya disappears, readers may put together that Riya is a werecat before skeptical superscientist Freddy does. When Riya’s secret is revealed, she, Freddy, and F.M. learn that a magical signal from their palace has also attracted a yeti. As the three work together to distract the hungry yeti with food—and save the campers the yeti has been menacing—Lane offers both action (in the form of Riya’s tiger diversionary tactics) and slapstick, food fight–flavored humor (a grilled-cheese-sandwich cannon saves the day), though the story’s moral is a touch heavy-handed (“Just because something is different doesn’t mean I should be scared of it,” Freddy muses). Riya is from northern India; Freddy is biracial, with a European father and a Chinese mother; cultural backgrounds are made clear through text and lively black-and-white cartoon illustrations. A wordless (except for onomatopoeia) comic book–style segment at the end adds a final laugh.

Unsubtle but lighthearted charm.