Published by Harry N. Abrams
Summary: Batcat is part bat, part cat, and fully annoyed by the ghost that has moved into their treehouse. They consult a witch about how to get rid of the ghostly invader and get sent on a quest to gather the three ingredients needed for the proper spell. Along the way, Batcat meets up with some bats and some cats who assure them that they are lacking some of the bat and cat qualities to be either animal. Batcat gets increasingly despondent about their deficiencies until they meet up with a couple of griffins who assure them that one does not have to be one thing or the other. After embracing their one-of-a-kind identity, Batcat returns to the witch where they slowly realize that maybe the ghost isn’t so bad after all. The witch works her magic, and Batcat and the ghost become friends and roomies. 96 pages; grades 2-4.
Pros: This cute and clever graphic novel has humor, spookiness, and a subtle lesson in self-acceptance that works well with both Batcat’s dual-animal identity and their nonbinary pronouns. I’m happy to see that this is book 1 and look forward to a sequel soon.
Cons: I could have enjoyed some how-to-draw-Batcat pages at the end.