Hereville

Starred review from August 2, 2010
Spunky Mirka wants to be a dragon-slayer, but everyone in the small Orthodox Jewish community of Hereville is against it. When a witch and a talking pig turn up in the woods near home, Mirka can’t help getting involved, much to the dismay of her seven sisters, brother, and argumentative stepmother. The book brings new material to the original Web comic, completed in 2008, allowing Deutsch to make a great comic even better. His expressive, surprising drawings give life to Mirka’s quest and to the unusual and genuine relationships she has with family members and magical creatures. Deutsch weaves in information about Shabbos, phrases in Yiddish (translated at the bottom of the page), illustrations of the different looks (rebel, pious, popular) girls create with the white shirts and long black skirts they wear—and all of it is lively and engaging. Fantastical elements mesh perfectly with the deep emotional heart of Mirka’s story. “I live in the family your mother made, surrounded by her children and under her roof,” Mirka’s intelligent, prickly, loving stepmother tells her, in one poignant scene. This is a terrific story, told with skill and lots of heart, that readers of all ages will enjoy. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from November 1, 2010

Gr 4-7-To the delight of his online followers, Deutsch's popular web comic featuring "Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl" is now available in print. Mirka is the heroine that girlhood dreams are made of: questioning and smart and willing to take on the world. She constantly battles wits with her stepmother, Fruma, whose argumentative nature and sharp nose conceal a warm and caring nature. Readers view the image of Mirka's deceased mother, who continues to play an influential role in her life. The child, stuck at home with knitting needles, longs to wield a sword and do battle with dragons. Instead she finds herself caught in a battle of wills with a talking pig. That's right: scenes of an Orthodox Jew with a pig add to the humor. The story is a captivating mixture of fantasy and a realistic look at a culture. The girl encounters both a mind-reading witch and a multilingual troll in her quest for a sword with which to fight dragons. Yiddish language and Jewish customs are an essential part of the story and provide excellent bedrock to the tale without overwhelming it. Mirka outwits the troll and obtains the sword, bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion. However, there is more to tell and it is obvious that further adventures await this young heroine. The illustrations are done in a monochromatic palette, with a color change from a warm earthy orange/cream for daytime scenes to a cool lavender/blue for the night scene. With engaging characters and delightful art, Hereville is pure enchantment.-Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2010

Like all 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girls, ebullient Mirka must face a six-armed troll to avoid becoming his dinner and obtain a dragon-slaying sword--wait, what? This utterly ingenious graphic novel spins the darling yarn of Mirka, who finds tasks like knitting dull and tedious. She keeps herself amused while stitching by conversing with her stepmother, Fruma, a top-notch debater who can adeptly argue her way out of any dispute. A magical encounter leads Mirka to discover a witch who sends her on a quest to acquire a sword perfect for a fledgling dragon-slayer, just the role Mirka envisions for herself. When Mirka must battle a fierce troll, the skills she's learned from Fruma prove to be not so entirely useless. Deutsch creates a beautiful, detail-rich world with a muted, ethereal palette that masterfully blends faith and fantasy with astounding harmony. Each page conveys fluid motion through his panel layout and text-bubble placement; readers can easily grasp and empathize with Mirka's feelings. Undoubtedly one of the cleverest graphic novels of the year; let's hope this isn't the last of Mirka. (Graphic fantasy. 10-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

October 15, 2010
Grades 3-6 Set in a well-realized contemporary Orthodox Jewish community, this sweet and engaging tale of 11-year-old Mirkas thirst for a dragon-slaying adventure unfolds in well-integrated images and text. Mirkas family includes a stepmother who is strict but not evil, a marriage-obsessed older sister, and a little brother for whom Mirka alternately takes responsibility and finds unwontedly cumbersome. Deutsch creates authentic characters spiced with just enough fantasy to surprise: the members of the community use Yiddish and Hebrew expressions, which are translated as they appear in the text, and the arrival of a talking pig in the village presents a challenge for Mirka, as pig and girl compete to outmaneuver each other in arguments as well as actions. And then theres the space alien who challenges Mirka to knit for her life. Details of Orthodox daily life are well blended into the art and given just the right touches of explanation to keep readers on track. Mirka is a spunky, emotionally realistic, and fun heroine for her peers to discover.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2011
Eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg, a Hasidic Jew, is not your average dragon-slaying heroine. The Shabbat-observing protagonist finds herself first battling a furious talking pig then competing in a knitting contest against a troll. A large part of this graphic novel's unique charm is the contrast between the very traditional and super fantastical, reflected in both story line and illustrations. It's also laugh-out-loud funny and thoroughly engrossing.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2010
Eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg is not your average dragon-slaying heroine. For starters, she's a Hasidic Jew. Then there are the crazy quarrels with her stepmother, Fruma, who defends one side of an argument, then, in a heartbeat, switches to the other. Case in point: "You want to slaughter innocent dragons? How could you?" quickly morphs into "Mirka! You mean you'd let a dragon devour me and the whole town? How could you?" With her ankle-length skirt and long-sleeved shirt, Mirka certainly doesn't look like she's ready to take on a fire-breathing monster. And that's a large part of this graphic novel's charm: the very traditional versus the super fantastical. It's a contrast that Deutsch plays with in both his story line and his illustrations. His Shabbat-observing protagonist (who first appeared in a shorter webcomic) soon finds herself up against a talking pig who vows: "I will rip the chupa at your wedding! I will take your firstborn child! I will knock over the casket at your funeral!" The source of all this porcine fury? Mirka stole a single grape from the pig's garden. After besting this very non-Jewish foe, she's in for another adventure. What's involved? A troll, a knitting contest, and a sword fit for a dragonslayer. Deutsch's graphic novel is unique, laugh-out-loud funny, and thoroughly engrossing. Sequel, please! tanya d. auger

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from December 24, 2012
Eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg is as disheveled, prickly, competitive, and impulsive as ever in this companion to Deutsch's Hereville (2010). She's both a fish out of water (she dreams of being a sword-wielding dragon slayer) and committed to her Orthodox Jewish faith, family, and community. All of this makes her one of the most original and comically endearing heroines to come down the pike in a long time. The meteorite in the title is actually an alien life formâdubbed "Metty"âthat becomes Mirka's reverse doppelganger: a too-good-to-be true twin who's not only neater, defter at dispatching bullies, and better at basketball than Mirka, but also determined to permanently displace her. With unexpectedly effective help from Mirka's family (who are savvier and more accepting than Mirka realizes), her messy personality triumphs over perfection. The drably handsome olive and peach palette provides visual cohesionâan anchor that allows Deutsch's extravagantly chronicled emotions to fly highâwhile simultaneously making the story's extraterrestrial elements and scenes (colored in bold yellows and blues) all the more magical and alien by contrast. Ages 8â12. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary Agency.