Friends Bea and Parker are young comic fans eagerly anticipating their first comic convention, and they’ve decided that cool costumes are a must, but they’re not sure where to begin. Readers finding themselves in a similar predicament may be relieved to discover that Costume Critter, an adorable and helpful hamster, is on the scene in this comic-format DIY guide to cosplay, costume-play as pop culture characters. Costume Critter has arrived to help guide Bea and Parker through planning and construction of 11 different costume ideas, and he even accompanies them to Comi*Con in the end to offer some useful safety and etiquette tips for first-time convention attendees. Projects include a wizard, superhero, alien, astronaut, and an animal hoodie, and serve as starting blocks for cosplayers wishing to embellish and customize the projects into their favorite characters. Techniques introduced include basic sewing machine skills, paper-mache, cardboard and foam construction, and more. The projects focus primarily on recycling and repurposing old materials to make projects more cost-accessible and environmentally-friendly, and there is a refreshing emphasis on body positivity and having fun in your own skin under your costume, despite what the character may look like.

This graphic-novel format is a creative way to appeal to a target audience of middle and high school comic and manga fans, but the actual instruction becomes a bit muddled at times in this medium. For example, necessary materials and tools are not as comprehensively outlined, and more detailed project steps, such as applying bias tape to a wizard’s robe, are not always clear. However, this and other books in the Maker Comics are worth considering if your juvenile or YA nonfiction collection is in need of some contemporary how-to guides, with added graphic appeal that might draw in new readers that would otherwise overlook this part of the collection. Recommended for grades 6-12.

Reviewed by Kat Luedke, Long Island Community Library