Review by Ian Keogh

Shannon Hale has a considerable reputation in the young adult market, and has previously collaborated with her husband Dean on graphic novels, so a good choice, then to investigate Wonder Woman’s life as a youngster. This is as Princess Diana, growing up in Themyscira, the largest of the Paradise Islands long hidden from the view of humanity.

Considering being a Princess is the dream sold to millions of young girls, it might be assumed Diana has an idyllic life, but that’s not entirely the case. It’s shown there are certainly privileges, but also responsibilities, and the adults closest to her have even greater responsibilities, which leaves very little time for Diana. However, she reasons that as she was moulded from clay before being given life, perhaps the solution is to create some life from clay herself, and that’s how Mona arrives.

She’s a smart way of investigating some existential questions, although never at a level that won’t be understood by young children, and likely to be similar to the questions they ask. Mona comes pre-packaged with issues, and urges Diana to take more chances, and break rules and boundaries. However, as drawn by Victoria Ying she’s every bit as cute as Diana. While Ying keeps the art simple, it also shows a very attractive world, and when the dangers arrive, Ying ensures they’re drawn at a level that won’t give kids nightmares.

Adults reading this to youngsters may suspect after a while that Mona isn’t all she seems, but Hale & Hale ensure it’s unlikely to be picked up on by the younger audience, so the surprises drop as planned. By the end lessons are learned, and the good aspect is the adults learn as well as Diana, so the result is something better for everyone. This a charming reinterpretation of Wonder Woman’s legend, and there’s a sequel in Diana and Nubia, Princesses of the Amazons.