A unique format that was fun and interesting. Definitely will add to the library. It is a great way to get non poetry fans to find a poetry book they like.

This was a fun and creative graphic novel celebrating theater and poetry! The table of contents outlines the book in an overture, acts I, II, and II, curtain call, and backstage (back matter). Illustrations start in all blue, act II introduces a yellow spotlight, and act III is illustrated in full color. All of the text is written as poems with fun rhythm and rhyme. Most text is from the point of view of inanimate objects in the theater such as the script, piano, curtain, instruments, etc. Because of this, it's important for readers to pay attention to the visuals. They tell a different story of the (unnamed) crew preparing for their performance. The show itself is about different decades which make for a variety of costumes in the illustrations. Characters are visually diverse. The backstage section provides all of the poems without illustration, information about what kinds of poems are included, and a glossary of theater terms, making this is a fun graphic novel for both theater/poetry-kids and those new to both hobbies.

Limelight is a sweet and short graphic novel of POETRY! I know! I have never read a graphic novel of poetry either! Both the illustrations and poems stand out on their own and are sweetly combined to make a story theater kids are likely to love.

Act I: Putting It Together has monochromatic illustrations of blue and shades of white that are beautiful and understated. Act II: We All Play a Part adds some yellow into the blue. Readers can sense the build from auditions and rehearsals getting closer to the performance. Act III: Curtain Up is in full color! This is a clever way to use the visual form of graphic novels to make this book of poems feel cohesive.

I will say, Act I really turned me off as an adult reader. I don’t need all the poetry in the first few pages to rhyme. I nearly didn’t read on. It adds a cheese factor that makes me a little hesitant to recommend this to middle schoolers who may not get far enough in to stick with it til the good parts of Acts II and III.

In Act II, Interview with the Stage was a step in the right direction with the use of comic speech bubbles echoing the formatting of stanzas on the page was innovative for the form of poetry comic. Lights was another standout. A shape poem fit perfectly in a spotlight was charming. Everything comes together in Act III, and I was properly won over by this little book.

In the final pages of the book, the poems are written out in just text with no illustrations. Following those pages, there is an explainer on each poetic form employed by the author in creating each poem. There is also a glossary of theater terms at the end for those less familiar with “curtain calls” and the like! I could see this being used in a classroom setting.

This was really sweet! I think especially 6th graders will enjoy this as they enter our arts focused middle school.

Thank you to Netgalley and Charlesbridge for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5/5
Pub date: October 28, 2025