NO PLACE FOR MONSTERS

In this third series entry, twin terrors rise to threaten the thoroughly haunted town of Cowslip Grove: the child-snatching Boojum and a school board that’s hostile to progress and inclusivity.

Tim Burton meets Edward Gorey in Merritt’s extravagantly gothic figures and settings, infusing his latest eerie outing with equal measures of chill and charm. Drifting about town in search of its original name, Little Nobody, a small wight covered in tattered paper scraps becomes an enthralled witness to the activities of a group of schoolchildren. They’re rehearsing a stage version of Tololwa M. Mollel’s Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper! under the direction of beloved new teacher Ms. Padilla, whose expansive approach to culture and science has put the shorts of certain local parents in a twist. Meanwhile, the Boojum readers met in former episodes has returned, whispering that change of any sort threatens Little Nobody’s survival and must be fought by burning down the school. In a measured, somber narrative that switches between ordinary text and neatly hand-lettered passages, the ghostly wanderer passes through realms mundane and supernatural, meeting other spirits and coming to understand the value and power of stories even as events culminate in hard choices and terrifying confrontations. Along with again proving that he’s a dab hand at creating a compelling, spooky atmosphere and authentically terrifying monsters, Merritt leaves readers with both a satisfying ending and opportunities to reflect. The human cast is racially diverse.

A creepy delight, with themes both timeless and topical.