by Christian Slade

Publisher: Top Shelf Productions

Format: softcover, 6x9, black & white, $10.00 (order with code FEB073807)

ISBN: 9781891830907

Reviewed by: School Library Journal

Apart from some explanatory material, this book is entirely wordless; dynamic and elegant pen-and-ink pictures bring the story to vibrant life. In the sylvan world of Korgi, Mollies are small fairy folk who work in concert with Korgis, who look very much like, well, corgis. One young Mollie named Ivy, along with her Korgi cub, Sprout, wander into adventure when Sprout follows a winged insect away from their village. What follows is a tale full of dangerous traps, hungry beasties (including some Tolkienesque giant spiders), daring escapes, and even some surprises from the main characters. Funny, thrilling, and scary in all the right places, Korgi is wide open for sequels and absolutely ripe for animated adaptation. Finding a middle ground between the slapstick fantasy of Jeff Smith's beloved “Bone” series (Scholastic/Graphix) and Andy Runton’s sweet and wordless “Owly” books (Top Shelf), Korgi will draw in fans of graphic fiction, fantasy, fairies, dogs, and good old storytelling. Slade was a Disney animator and it shows in his spirited and expressive characters whose facial expressions and poses leave no need for words. –Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada