Banned Book Spotlight: Snapdragon is an essential story about acceptance (and witches)

Kat Leyh’s middle grade graphic novel Snapdragon follows a young girl named Snap who becomes friends with the rumored local witch... who actually does turn out to be a witch. Through this unlikely friendship, Snap learns not only how to put skeletons of deceased animals back together (What a hobby!) but also how to nurse baby possums until they can survive on their own. Oh, of course, she also learns a bit of magic along the way too.

At its core, Snapdragon is a beautifully drawn story about magic and taking care of the creatures who can't care for themselves, but Snapdragon isn't just about animals and witches. Woven within all the fun parts of a off-beat middle grade story is a multigenerational story of love, acceptance, and bravery in the face of a world that can be harsh and harmful sometimes.

Though Snapdragon presents a picture of a sometimes-scary world, it also provides a protagonist who finds her way through it, looking past the stories that others tell to find the truth and her own place. Kat Leyh's story is an example of the best of children’s literature with a strong focus on kindness and strength, spinning a magical tale all the while giving kids a way to navigate fear and the hard parts of life without losing their's spirit and what makes them special.

Snapdragon was written and drawn by Kat Leyh and published by First Second.

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