Review: ‘The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Big Day’

The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Big Day
by Gale Galligan, based on the novel by Ann M. Martin
Graphix, $10.99
Ages 8-12

The sixth installment of the super-popular Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel series revolves around a major, life-changing event. Kristy’s mom is getting married, which means Kristy is moving to a new, bigger house in a different neighborhood.

The club is now made up of six members, and Kristy worries about how she’ll stay president once she moves. She’s counting on having one last summer together, but a sequence of events means a wedding in less than a month. Kristy and her club, to help out, agree to take care of 14 kids for a week.

Karen, Kristy’s step-sister-to-be, is one of the standout kids. She tells exaggerated, imaginative, scary stories. Readers of a certain age will realize how ridiculous her tales are, but the younger kids freak out, demonstrating the power and responsibility of storytelling.

The figures drawn by Galligan, the second illustrator of the series, don’t have quite the skill and energy of Raina Telgemeier’s work, but they’re expressive, and the storytelling makes for easy reading. The soft coloring is also lovely.

There’s a lot going on here, which means that as much as events feel rushed (much like Kristy’s experiences), there’s always something new to read about, keeping the audience’s attention. Along the way, there are lessons on organization, note-taking, hard work, and creative ideas on how to entertain kids.

Younger readers will understand more about what a wedding means after enjoying this graphic novel, while readers of all ages will appreciate how it’s easy to pick up, even without reading any of the other books. The challenge mentioned early on, about how Kristy will stay in the club, isn’t settled here, but the good feeling of celebration is a nice high note to end on.

Filed under: All Ages, Graphic Novels, Reviews