Pending Plays > Comics & Graphic Novels > Bog Myrtle – Children’s Book Review

Bog Myrtle – Children’s Book Review

Arden Skye04 mins
The front cover of "Bog Myrte" by Sid Sharp on the right: Beatrice, in a red dress, a round woman with brown short hair, is standing in the left bottom corner on a hill. She's surrounded by many green to blue hills and trees. The hill at the top looks like a hill, but is actually the green head with two eyes and hands that are holding onto the other hills, looking curiously down to Beatrice. On the left, the german back cover is seen. Text: "Die gutherzige Beatrice möchte ihrer Schwester Magnolia, die immer friert, einen Pullover stricken. Von Moor Myrte – einer Spinnenfrau, die im Wald lebt und sich für dessen Erhalt einsetzt – kriegt sie ein Zaubergarn geschenkt und macht daraus einen magischen Pulli für ihre Schwester. Aber anstatt sich über das Geschenk zu freuen, möchte sich Magnolia am Pulli bereichern und befiehlt Beatrice und den ihr helfenden Spinnen, noch viele weitere zu stricken. Was, wenn Moor Myrte das herausfindet? Sid Sharps erstes Buch »Der Wolfspelz« war für den Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreis 2024 nominiert." The front cover of "Bog Myrte" by Sid Sharp on the right: Beatrice, in a red dress, a round woman with brown short hair, is standing in the left bottom corner on a hill. She's surrounded by many green to blue hills and trees. The hill at the top looks like a hill, but is actually the green head with two eyes and hands that are holding onto the other hills, looking curiously down to Beatrice. On the left, the german back cover is seen. Text: "Die gutherzige Beatrice möchte ihrer Schwester Magnolia, die immer friert, einen Pullover stricken. Von Moor Myrte – einer Spinnenfrau, die im Wald lebt und sich für dessen Erhalt einsetzt – kriegt sie ein Zaubergarn geschenkt und macht daraus einen magischen Pulli für ihre Schwester. Aber anstatt sich über das Geschenk zu freuen, möchte sich Magnolia am Pulli bereichern und befiehlt Beatrice und den ihr helfenden Spinnen, noch viele weitere zu stricken. Was, wenn Moor Myrte das herausfindet? Sid Sharps erstes Buch »Der Wolfspelz« war für den Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreis 2024 nominiert."
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Very sweet! And quite unexpected, especially the ending. Although also nice to have a different kind of happy end for a change.

I love that …:

  • it’s painted with watercolors (on paper, I think?). 
  • the spiders are on the heroes’ side and have their own voice – additionally are very cute; I’m sure it could help children or adults get over arachnophobia.
  • the skinny ones are the “bad”, whereas the fat are the good.
  • Beatrice is so kindhearted and always wanders through life with curiousness as well as respect. She calls all her relationships with individuals ‘friends’, though some might not know/remember or even dislike her.
  • sustainability and environmentalism is praised.
  • (anti)capitalism is a topic and has been woven well into the whole story. (Pun intended. ;))
From the publisher’s site.

My only critique: that animal exploitation/harm is still supported. For example, the sisters kill and eat rats and insects (no plants? In a forest?). Or Beatrice goes to the city to buy wool. If she lives in a forest and communicates with animals, can’t she just ask a sheep for wool? At the end, she may have gotten garn from someone who willingly gifted it to her, but still a bit odd with all the environmental points.

Overall recommended for young and old alike.

CriteriaScoresOur Score
Art1-54.5
Pacing1-55
Characters1-54
Writing Style1-55
Originality1-54

Finale Grade

A

I’ve read the German translation ‘Moor Myrte und das Zaubergarn’, which was released in February 2025. Thank you to the NordSüd publisher on Netgalley for a digital review copy.

Finished reading: 29th March 2025
~Arden Skye

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Written By: Arden Skye
Favorite game/film/book: doesn’t have one, cause there are too many good ones!
About: generalist, who likes a bit of everything, but especially has a love for magic, queerness and melancholy. When they’re not arting, they’re probably dreaming/reading through another world, or spending time in nature with their dog.
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