When Debbie Fong took a bus tour with her family at age 8, an illuminated underground waterfall struck her fancy—and ultimately inspired the magical Cessarine Lake central to her wonderful graphic novel debut, Next Stop.
The Ignatz nominee and illustrator of the bestselling How to Be a Person has carefully crafted a contemplative tale that invites readers along on middle schooler Pia Xing’s weeklong summer bus trip across the desert. Her dad meant to come along, but a broken leg strands him at home. No worries, though: Pia’s a smart, trustworthy kid, and the tour guide, Caroline, is a family friend.
Caroline’s plucky daughter, Sam, immediately befriends Pia, and the other travelers are kind and quirky. They share their hopes for what their visit to Cessarine Lake—known for “mak[ing] IMPOSSIBLE things happen”—will bring them, but Pia can’t bring herself to join the conversation. It’s only been a year since a tragic accident plunged her family into grief, and nine months since they moved to a new town for a fresh start. Pia’s mom blames her for what happened, and Pia’s dad is exhausted by his efforts to console his wife while protecting Pia. Perhaps, she hopes, the lake can help her assuage her family’s pain.
Each day of the trip reveals a new array of cleverly conceived tour-stop wonders, including a chicken-shaped hotel, a cactus petting zoo and a watermelon so huge it casts a shadow over the tour bus. Fong’s illustrations are witty and detailed with a strong eye for color. Sepia-toned flashbacks add context to Pia’s present-day emotions, and vividly kooky set pieces become increasingly peculiar the closer the bus gets to its mystical destination. Might magic be afoot after all?
Next Stop is an immersive, empathetic tale of an important journey that sensitively explores grief and loss even as it celebrates friendship and new experiences. Charming and interesting back matter that reveals more about the author’s creative process and her background (including that childhood bus trip!) nicely rounds out a top-notch reading experience.
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