The Other Side of the Box

The Other Side of the Box is the first volume in the “Cardbordia” series about a group of kids who are transported through an ordinary box into a fantasy land made entirely out of cardboard. They soon realize that, for reasons unknown to them, they are wanted in Cardboardia by the Grey Queen. Each of these characters has something to contend with in their personal life; siblings Mac and Pokey are grieving the loss of their parents, Bird seems to feel lost in his large family, and Maisie finds herself continually in trouble. When Pokey goes missing in Cardboardia, it’s up to the rest to find her. While they—and we—don’t know yet what it will take to get home, it’s already clear that these four characters are an interesting crew about to embark on a fantastic quest.

While the title led me to expect some similarities to Chad Sell’s “The Cardboard Kingdom” series, it’s not only a completely different artistic style but also a totally unrelated storyline. Cardboardia seems to be less about the imagination of the main characters and more of a fantasy adventure. Characters in Cardboardia seem like strange human-cardboard hybrids, with a very distinct difference between them and the main four humans.

The illustrations in this graphic novel are interesting and complex. The bright colour palette of the real world and the more earthy tones of Cardboardia help give the reader a clear visual of where they are, and I particularly liked the pages that featured a view of the real world as seen from Cardboardia; it took me a few minutes to realize that I was seeing the perspective of someone from that side looking through at Mac, Pokey, Bird, or Maisie. If I had one wish, it would be for a slightly larger font; this volume is a slightly larger format than many graphic novels (8x11), and larger words might help younger or struggling readers.

Without having read much more of the series, I’d be tempted to call this graphic novel a “slow burn”. While I can see students at my grade 7-9 school reaching for The Other Side of the Box, I’ll be sure to advise them to pick up both the first and second volumes at the same time as it’s really only in the last few pages that the action begins.