Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers

Gabby Torres is only 9 years old, but she’s very mature for her age. She’s the youngest member in the Sea Musketeers Club, a group of students who do fundraisers to help save the oceans. Gabby has the best idea to help the club reach more people – make a social media page! What Gabby doesn’t expect is that her post gets three comments – and one of them is mean! Even worse, she is caught going online without her parents’ permission and accuses her friends of being cyberbullies! She’s in big trouble, but she can fix it. . . right? 

Gabby has a great idea to increase awareness for the Sea Musketeers Club: start a social media page. After convincing her parents to let her on social media (with some very strict rules), Gabby makes her first post. Despite having orders to never go on social media by herself, Gabby checks her post and finds a mean comment. She is outraged and determined to find out who wrote it. Gabby rudely interrogates people she knows. When she accuses her friends of leaving the mean comment, Gabby has a falling out with them.  To make matters worse, Gabby’s parents catch her sneaking online, and they have a much-needed talk about social media safety. She realizes that the person who left the mean comment is probably just an internet troll. Gabby apologizes to the people she hurt and makes up with her friends. Afterwards, Gabby passes on the role of social media organizer of the Sea Musketeers to an older, more qualified candidate and decides to stay off social media. 

Gabby is a very likable and energetic protagonist who narrates the story. The full-color illustrations— molded from her imagination—add a charming and humorous touch to the narrative. While Gabby is only nine years old, she is mature enough to understand the lessons the book teaches, explaining complex issues like social media in a fun and easy-to-understand way. However, Gabby is still at times rebellious and rash in her actions, and she learns her lessons from their consequences. The book also includes a diverse cast of characters, from Gabby’s friends to her extended family. This ensemble creates a full world with a warm atmosphere that young readers are sure to enjoy. 

Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers excels at infusing different cultures into the story in a natural, educational way. It begins by introducing Gabby and her family: she has a diverse Latino-white background and often visits both sets of grandparents. This creates a blending of the two cultures in Gabby’s home, and they positively interact with each other. Because of her background, Gabby speaks both English and Spanish. While Spanish appears infrequently throughout the main story, it adds cultural depth. When Spanish words are used, Gabby explains their meaning in brief asides, helping non-native speakers learn about the language through natural integration. Gabby also has an Indian friend who hosts a Diwali party, and readers learn about the holiday along the way. These inclusions of diverse cultures enhance the book’s value and represent the increasingly diverse world we live in. 

The main message is about social media. However, Gabby’s social media page centers around ocean and animal conservation and promotes much-needed activism among youth. The handling of social media itself is very well done, demonstrating both the good and the bad that can come from it. Gabby’s parents teach her about the dangers of social media, and she in turn relays those lessons to the reader in an interesting and digestible way. When Gabby receives a negative comment, she becomes obsessed with finding the culprit, insulting many of her friends in the process. This illustrates how social media can have negative consequences. In the end, Gabby decides to stay off social media, imparting valuable wisdom to young readers growing up in a digital age. 

The charming book delivers its story through an entertaining mix of a traditional book and a graphic novel. Each page has a fun illustration such as a grumpy cat wearing an octopus hat, while others include pictures that highlight Gabby’s emotions. For example, one picture shows Gabby with a huge smile and hearts in her eyes. In addition, Gabby’s friends are diverse, and their faces are full of emotion. Gabby’s social media post looks like a computer screen complete with pictures, hashtags, and icons to leave a comment.  

Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers is an essential book for young readers today. It tackles important topics in a simple yet effective manner, exposing readers to many positive ideas. Most importantly, the format and illustrations will immediately draw readers in, and Gabby’s personality will make them love the book even more. However, the lessons on social media are what make the book a must-read. Overall, it is a stellar first installment in the Gabby Torres Series that children are sure to love. 

Sexual Content 

• None 

Violence 

• None

Drugs and Alcohol 

• None 

Language 

• None 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None 

by Brent Krueger