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Hardcover Books

Big and Ready to Rumble

Things take a turn for the decidedly strange in Louie and Bear in the Land of Anything Goes, a new graphic novel written and illustrated by Brady Smith. “Welcome to the Land of Anything Goes! It’s a world filled with wild creatures, absurd chicken-boy hybrids, and oh, did we mention the giant, winged, kid-eating monster called a Cacapoop? When Louie and his pet hamster get sucked through a portal into a bizarre new land where truly anything can happen, they have no idea the adventure that’s waiting for them. Really, they’re less focused on adventure and more concerned about the fact that Louie has turned into a wrestler, Scooty the hamster has become Bear the giant bear, and they’re now being chased across a purple planet by a terrifying monster!” Told you! The book is available now in hardcover from Penguin Workshop.

image c. 2022 Penguin Workshop

Would You Turn Back?

We really don’t know how to properly summarize this “modern fairy tale” by Shelley Moore Thomas — so we’ll let the publisher do it for us. “Off the coast of Ireland, on the island of Hybrasil, lives a Magician and four enchanted rabbit sisters. One by one, the rabbits have been leaving the island, accompanied by a Boy and his boat. When the rabbits leave, they can turn back into girls. The last rabbit, Albie, remains. She doesn’t want to leave, but the island is sinking. Before deciding where she wants to go, Albie visits each of her sisters. Caragh has joined a circus. Isolde is the captain of a pirate ship. And Rory wants to go home to the family’s house in Cork. Through many furry twists and hoppity turns, we learn how one mistake can lead to many consequences, and that forgiveness and family are always within reach.” The Last Rabbit is available now in hardcover.

image c. 2022 Penguin Random House

Snout for Justice

Recently Penguin Books published When Pigs Fly, a new full color graphic novel by Rob Harrell. We’ve mention Mr. Harrel before, as he’s the creator of Monster on the Hill — which of course was the basis for the recent animated film Rumble. Now we have this: “Gary Yorkshire was your perfectly average, fuzzy pink pig who loved tasty sandwiches, video games, mud baths, and hanging out with his friends Carl the fish and Brooklyn the bat. Until one day . . .  a radioactive bat bite gives him powers he never would have dreamed of! Inspired by his old Crimson Swine comics, Gary decides that he’ll use his powers for good and becomes (drumroll) Batpig! Now he just needs a good zinger of a Batpig slogan, a spandex costume that flatters his rear end . . .  and maybe a little advice about how in the world to defeat supervillains?” Order it now and find out.

image c. 2022 Penguin Books

Wish We Had Summer Camp Like That!

Another book series we came across: Dragon Mountain by Katie Tsang and Kevin Tsang. “When 12-year-old Billy Chan finds out his parents are sending him to a summer camp in middle-of-nowhere China, he doesn’t know what to expect. There he meets fellow campers Dylan, Charlotte, and Ling-Fei, and together they stumble upon an age-old secret: Four powerful warrior dragons, hidden deep within the mountain behind the camp. They have been trapped since an epic battle with the Dragon of Death and need the children’s help to set them free before terrible evil is unleashed on the earth. Billy and his friends must set off on a dangerous adventure that will take them to the heart of the Dragon Realm. But can they save the dragon and human worlds from destruction?” Several titles in the series are out now, available in hardcover and paperback.

image c. 2022 Simon & Schuster

All Species Advance

The things you find! We came across this series when we were looking up another book entirely. We’ll let the publisher describe it: “The Endangereds is the first book in a thrilling new adventure series by world-renowned environmentalist and Emmy-nominated host of Xploration Awesome Planet Philippe Cousteau and award-winning TURBO Racers author Austin Aslan. Innocent animals are in trouble: temperatures are climbing, tides are rising, and nature is suffering. Someone needs to step in to rescue animals from extinction. Someone needs to turn this mess around, before it’s too late. And that someone is . . . the Endangereds, the unlikeliest heroes you’ll ever meet—a super-strong polar bear, a pangolin with a genius for engineering, an extremely sarcastic narwhal, and an orangutan with a big dream. Together, these four daredevils are determined to save endangered species across the globe, no matter what the risk.” Book #2, Melting Point, is already out as well, and there’s more coming in the future. [And with that, we wish you all a happy and safe New Year!]

image c. 2021 Harper-Collins

Spare the Pod

Catching up with some good books we hadn’t mentioned before. A Whale of the Wild is a new novel for young readers by Rosanne Parry, published by Greenwillow Books. It’s based on extensive research into the lives and struggles of orca whales in the real world. “For Vega and her family, salmon is life. And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder, preparing for the day when she will be her family’s matriarch. But then she and her brother Deneb are separated from their pod when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable. Vega must use every skill she has to lead her brother back to their family. The young orcas face a shark attack, hunger, the deep ocean, and polluted waters on their journey. Will Vega become the leader she’s destined to be?” The author is also known for another wildlife-based adventure book, A Wolf Called Wander. Both are available in hardcover at your favorite booksellers.

image c. 2021 Greenwillow Books

Rise The Pig

Looking to get caught up with Image Comics’ anthropomorphic series Unnatural? Look no further! Image has brought together the first 12 issues in a new hardcover collection, the Unnatural Omnibus. More from Previews: “Leslie J. Blair is a simple pig girl. She loves sushi, and she hates her job. Her world is dominated by a totalitarian government that interferes in the personal lives of its citizens, punishing transgressors for so-called ‘unnatural’ relationships. Leslie dreams of something different for herself, but these dreams are quickly becoming dangerous. And when she wakes up, it feels as if she’s being watched. For the first time, the whole suspenseful erotic fantasy series that made Mirka Andolfo [writer and artist — ye ed-otter] a rising star is collected in a unique hardcover book, featuring loads of bonus content and an all-new cover by Mirka herself.” Coming this January to a comic book seller near you.

image c. 2021 Image Comics

No, He Doesn’t Like Mushrooms

Another graphic novel for young readers, this time from a writer and illustrator known only as Dav. Magnetic Press describes Beneath The Trees: The Autumn of Mr. Grumpf as being in the spirit of Disney Animation or Don Bluth films. “Winter is fast approaching and all the animals in the forest are in full preparation: storing food and provisions, dining on the last worms with the neighbors, etc… All the animals but one: Grumpy badger Mr Grumpf just can’t finish sweeping the dead leaves off his doorstep with everyone coming by to disturb him! Grumpf!” There’s a preview at the publisher’s web site.

image c. 2021 Magnetic Press

Lost and Found and Furry

Drew Brockington has returned to Little Brown Books with a new graphic novel spun off from their their much-talked-about Catstronauts series. “One very special Saturday, Dad-Cat decides to take Waffles and his sister Pancake to the big city to go to the science museum! While they’re there, the kittens see extraordinary things, like dino-cats, hairballs in 4D, and even the planetarium. But as the kittens learn about constellations and Neil Pawstrong, they get separated from Dad-Cat. Oh no!” Waffles and Pancake Volume 1: Planetary Yum is available now.

image c. 2021 Little Brown Books