MY BUNKMATE HATES PUPPIES

The first in a new early chapter book series that reimagines Disney baddies as youngsters.

It’s the first day of a new session at Lilliputian Villages Summer Camp, run by a former evil sorcerer with help from his daughter, Bloom. While the campers are a mix of witches, werewolves, and fairies, it isn’t clear what category Bloom falls into, though she has magic capabilities. Bloom welcomes her new bunkmates, including a dog-hating little girl with black-and-white hair named Cruella. The name of the series, Camp Lil’ Vills, might clue readers in to its premise: Each book features a childhood version of a famous Disney villain, in this case, Cruella De Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmations. Young Cruella tries to turn a cuddly magical creature into a hat, so, in an effort to teach her empathy, Bloom and her friend Benji transform Cruella into a Dalmatian—a plan that goes about as well as readers aware of adult Cruella’s exploits might expect. Featuring lots of whimsical phrases (“laughing our spell-socks off”), the story is predicated on readers’ familiarity with Cruella—though even ardent Disney fans may find the featherweight plot a bit lackluster. Characters’ race and ethnicity aren’t described in the text. In the black-and-white art, characters have skin the white of the page; Benji presents Asian.

Unlikely to enchant even readers who get the joke.