InFurNation Rotating Header Image

Books and Trade Paperbacks

After the Squirrel, a Moose. Get it?

Earlier this year we told you about a squirrel named Taco, and a book about him written by Andrew Cangelose and illustrated by Josh Shipley. Well now that same team is back with a new hardcover book, this time following Taco’s friend named Whoopsie — in, you guessed it, This Is a Whoopsie! “This is supposed to be a book about all the different things moose can do, like leaping and jumping and being really tall. But maybe Whoopsie isn’t the right moose for the job. You might want to pick a different moose for this book. Maybe instead we can do a book about falling down a lot? Yeah! Whoopsie would be great at that. From the creators of This Is a Taco! comes the hilarious tale of a clumsy moose who shows how sometimes being a little different can make one great story.” It’s available now from Cubhouse, Lion Forge’s imprint for beginning readers. [And with that, we wish you all a happy, safe, and Furry New Year! — ye ed-0tter]

image c. 2018 Cubhouse

Junk… In… Space!

Lion Forge Comics have launched their new Caracal imprint for younger readers with Quantum Mechanics, an all-alien themed graphic novel written and illustrated by Jeff Weigel. “On a nowhere asteroid on the far rim of the galaxy, two young alien girls-Rox and Zam-spend their days tearing apart and repairing clunkers in a spaceship junkyard. These aspiring gearheads yearn for the chance to test their skills on something besides rusted old rockets and broken-down planet-hoppers. Their big chance finally comes when the captain of a mysterious ship called the Quasar Torrent enlists the kids for some repair work. But what initially looks like a golden opportunity quickly becomes a nightmare when the young friends find they’ve been kidnapped by what turns out to be a band of space pirates! Rox and Zam find themselves swept up in the astro-bucaneers’ vendetta against a huge intergalactic corporation that’s forced this motley band of working stiffs from across space into a life of crime. Now the girls must chose: Do they want the comforts of home and family, or the glamorous adventure of a lifetime-to be part of a crew of colorful misfits intent on plunder, revenge, and excitement? Their lives, friendship . . . and maybe even the fate of a galaxy . . . hangs in the balance!” Comicosity has an in-depth review.

image c. 2018 Caracal Comics

What Are YOU Doing This Weekend?

If you grew up between the 1960’s and the 1990’s, we know where you were on Saturday mornings: Seated right in front of the television, catching up with your favorite animated and fantasy TV series. Now four whole decades of weekend TV pleasures are chronicled in It’s Saturday Morning! A Look Back at Four Decades of Animation, Pop Culture, and Tradition (whew!). It’s a new hardcover book written by Joe Garner and Michael Ashley. “With concept art, archival images, all-new interviews, and a foreword by Bobby’s World creator and funnyman Howie Mandel, It’s Saturday Morning! celebrates the shows, characters, songs, and commercials that made Saturday mornings a pop culture event—decade by decade… Broadcasting into family living rooms from the 1960’s to the 1990’s, this wildly creative art form wrought a beloved rite of passage. From the hours of 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., parents could sleep in while their children plopped on the couch to consume cartoons galore. From The Bugs Bunny Show, The Jetsons, and Jonny Quest to The Smurfs, He-Man, and Animaniacs, this window of time promised pure entertainment and an experience that united generations… This entertaining walk down memory lane is made complete by a review of some of the iconic products advertised between these favorite cartoons. ‘After These Messages…’ segments provide fascinating facts about the merchandise that appeared in Saturday morning commercials, such as the Slinky, Lite-Brite, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Golden Crisp cereal.” Yum! Needless to say there are lots of furry-themed shows discussed in these pages. It’s Saturday Morning! is available now from Becker & Meyer.

image c. 2018 Becker & Meyer

The Legend. The Icon. The Mouse.

In case you haven’t gotten the word yet, it’s Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday! The Disney superstar’s big celebration is bringing many special events to Disney parks around the globe. Meanwhile, over on the comic book side of things, IDW has a new full-color trade paperback, the Mickey Mouse: 90th Anniversary Collection. “Mickey’s celebrating the big Nine-Oh, and he’s joined by all of his best friends! Goofy, Minnie, Pegleg Pete, and Atomo Bleep-Bleep are all here to celebrate our modest mouse’s big day in style! Includes the thrilling ‘Sacred Spring of Seasons Past’ and ‘Return of the Phantom Blot!’ Celebrate Mickey’s big anniversary with this epic anthology featuring his most beloved creators and most exciting adventures!” Check it out over at Previews. It’s scheduled for release in early January. [And with that — Merry Christmas and a Blessed Solstice to you all!]

image c. 2018 IDW Publishing

That’s A Lotta Bull, Lass

A classic folk tale comes to us in the form of a new full-color graphic novel series courtesy of Image Comics. “The sibling writer/artist duo of Cat Seaton and Kit Seaton (AFAR) team up for Norroway, Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway, the first in an original graphic novel series based on the Scottish tale of the same name. Sibylla had always craved adventure, but she never guessed it would show up at her door in the form of a giant, magical bull. Who knew a prophecy could be so literal?” The first book is available in trade paperback.

image c. 2018 Image Comics

Don’t Let the Cat-Fish Bite

And found at a local bookstore: Snazzy Cat Capers, a new adventure novel series for middle-school readers written by Deanna Kent. “Life is short. Diamonds are fur-ever. Internationally famous cat burglar Ophelia von Hairball V adores jewels. The only thing she loves more is a challenge. She’s never met a safe she couldn’t crack. Now the Furry Feline Burglary Institute (FFBI) offers her the ultimate caper: Steal the giant Himalayan diamond and win their top award! There’s a catch! The FFBI sends an enthusiastic inventor to help Ophelia… but this cat works alone, and Oscar Fishgerald Gold smells fishy. Can the smartest, stealthiest, and snazziest of cats learn to work with a fintastic sidekick and prove she’s still the world’s most purr-fect burglar?” Check out the offical SCC web site for more, including a preview of the 2nd book, The Fast and the Furriest.

image c. 2018 Imprint

Jingle Egg Shells, Jingle Egg Shells…

A perfect seasonal item, now on the bookshelves: It’s The Christmasaurus, a new novel for young readers written by singer/songwriter and YouTube celebrity Tom Fletcher. “Once upon a time–long, long ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth–an egg rolled away from its mother and landed in the ocean, where it froze solid and stayed peacefully for thousands of years. Then one day Santa and his elves discover the frozen egg, and Santa sits on it to see if it will hatch. But he can’t guess what’s inside. . .  a dinosaur! Meanwhile, a young boy named William Trundle has only ever wished for one thing for Christmas: A dinosaur! So when Santa accidentally gives William the real Christmasaurus instead of a stuffed replica, it’s the Best Christmas Ever! Until an evil man known as the Hunter decides a dinosaur will be the perfect addition to his collection…” With illustrations by Shane Devries, The Christmasaurus is available now in hardcover from Penguin Books/Random House.

image c. 2018 Penguin Books

Feline Foundations

New from First Second: “All Marmalade wants to do is build things. She is, after all, a trained architect. She’s also a distractingly adorable kitten. Fed up with not being taken seriously because she’s so cute, Marmalade bands together with a handful of other aspiring builders—all of them kittens. But in a world where humans call the shots, can the Kitten Construction Company prove their worth… without giving up the very things that make them kittens?” Meet The House Kittens is the first volume of the Kitten Construction Company, a new full-color graphic novel series for young readers written and illustrated by John Patrick Green (creator of Hippopotamister, which we’ve talked about before). It’s out now in hardcover, distributed by Macmillan & Company.

image c. 2018 First Second

Bunny Bound by Magic

Found this thanks to Animation World Network: “Netflix has announced that it will produce the animated feature film, Escape From Hat, from two-time Academy Award-nominated director Mark Osborne (Kung Fu Panda, The Little Prince) together with writer Adam Kline (Artemis Fowl, The Clockwork War)… The screenplay is by Kline and Osborne, based on the book of the same name by Kline [illustrated by Brian Taylorye ed-otter], a new middle-grade novel that will be published by HarperCollins in Winter 2020… Escape From Hat brings light to the ancient mysteries of magic. In a fairy tale where black cats are bad and magic rabbits are good, balance is threatened when one such rabbit is cast into a mysterious realm of danger and shadow. There, our desperate hero rallies an unexpected band of allies and undertakes an impossible quest to escape from inside a magician’s hat – and return to the human boy he dearly loves.” Netflix say they plan to release the film in 2022.

image c. 2018 HarperCollins