This batch features royal snowcats, mouse survival, the newest project from The Tea Dragon Society creator K. O'Neill, a family tale about finding space, and a new book from Mis(h)adra creator Iasmin Oma Ata.
SNOWCAT PRINCE TP
(W) Dina Norlund (A/CA) Dina Norlund
Syv is a snowcat and the youngest in a family of princes. When his father dies, Syv and his brothers are all in line for the throne. Eager to become kings themselves and wary of how well-liked Syv has become by the citizens, Syv's brothers send him on a dangerous quest to find the long-lost magical crown that once belonged to their royal ancestor, the Eldking. Legend says that the snowcat who finds the crown will break the curse on their land and bring great honor to the family. But failure could mark Syv with three black stripes, and he'd be banished forever.
Along his journey, Syv will face dangerous beasts, dark powers, and the ever-lurking sandfoxes-sworn enemies to the snowcats. But when Syv discovers the truth about the legend of the Eldking and his magical crown, he'll have to learn the new meaning of honor and find another way to break the curse.
From Norwegian author Dina Norlund comes The Snowcat Prince, a beautifully illustrated tale of bravery and honor.
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Why this caught my eye:
I've been following Norlund's art for a bit online, definitely check out some of their amazing work.
SCURRY TP
(W) Mac Smith (A/CA) Mac Smith
"An incredibly beautiful book!" -JAMES TYNION IV (THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH, Batman, Something is Killing the Children)
The middle-grade webcomic and Kickstarter smash hit from MAC SMITH arrives in a single-print volume for the first time!
Enter a world where humanity is gone and only animals have survived. Wix, a brave scout from a colony of house mice, must embark on a perilous journey into parts unknown, where he'll face dangerous threats, fantastic new creatures-and a destiny he never expected.
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Why this caught my eye:
Smith's art is pretty fantastic, so I'm glad to see the Kickstarter make it's way to broader distribution.
MOTH KEEPER HC GN
(W) K O'Neill (A) K. O'Neill
Being a Moth Keeper is a huge responsibility and a great honor, but what happens when the new Moth Keeper decides to take a break from the moon and see the sun for the first time? A middle-grade fantasy graphic novel about passion, duty, and found family.
Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn't exactly what Anya thought it would be?
The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anya's dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sun's warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.
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Why this caught my eye:
O'Neill's work on the Tea Dragon Society books as well as Princess Princess Ever After makes this a must have. You can check out some preview work over at their Instagram.
SQUISHED HC GN
(W) Megan Wagner Lloyd (A) Michelle Mee Nutter
From the powerhouse duo behind the instant bestseller Allergic comes a spirited new graphic novel about finding your own space... especially when you're in a family of nine!
Eleven-year-old Avery Lee loves living in Hickory Valley, Maryland. She loves her neighborhood, school, and the end-of-summer fair she always goes to with her two best friends. But she's tired of feeling squished by her six siblings! They're noisy and chaotic and the younger kids love her a little too much. All Avery wants is her own room -- her own space to be alone and make art. So she's furious when Theo, her grumpy older brother, gets his own room instead, and her wild baby brother, Max, moves into the room she already shares with her clinging sister Pearl! Avery hatches a plan to finally get her own room, all while trying to get Max to sleep at night, navigating changes in her friendships, and working on an art entry for the fair. And when Avery finds out that her family might move across the country, things get even more complicated.
Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter have once again teamed up to tell a funny, heartfelt, and charming story of family, friendship, and growing up.
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Why this caught my eye:
'Children dealing with relatable stressors that often get overlooked' feels sort of like an untapped sub-genre that needs to be regularly stocked at libraries.
NAYRA & THE DJINN GN
(W) Iasmin Oma Ata (A) Iasmin Oma Ata
Nayra Mansour feels anything but at home in her New England boarding school. There's the constant pressure from her strict family, cruel bullying from her classmates, and exhausting friendship demands from Rami, the only other Muslim girl at school. Nayra has had enough. Just when she's considering transferring schools to escape it all, Marjan appears. As a djinn, a mythical creature in Arab folklore, Marjan uses their powers and wisdom to help Nayra navigate her overwhelming life. But Marjan's past in the djinn realm is fraught with secrets, guilt, and trouble that have a way of following them all the way to the human realm. And so they must face what they've done before Nayra is pulled into the mess they've made.
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Why this caught my eye:
If you've never checked out Iasmin Omar Ata previous book Mis(h)adra then I recommend taking a look. Meanwhile, preview pages for Nayra are looking pretty solid.
That's it for this batch, we'll hit up action/adventure on the next round!
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