Escape from the Lizzarks

October 20, 2014
The peaceable life of a young “Nnewt” named Herk is shattered when a group of marauding Lizzarks invade his village in this first title in TenNapel’s fantasy saga, which began as a webcomic and which imagines an epic conflict between amphibious and reptilian creatures. Though confined to water due to his underdeveloped legs, Herk manages to escape certain death, but winds up alone in the outside world, barely able to drag himself across the ground. From here Herk’s journey to herodom begins, as he meets new friends, flees dogged enemies, and tries to find his footing (in more ways than one). While keeping the action rolling, TenNapel (Cardboard) shapes Herk’s world, an expansive and magical everglade populated by strange creatures and steeped in history and lore. His soft spot for oddballs and outcasts gives the book a warm emotional center that, along with offbeat humor and some slapstick moments, balances the story’s not-infrequent violence (Herk’s mother puts up a good fight, stabbing one Lizzark in the chest before being brutally cut down with a sword). A visually rich and abundantly imaginative adventure that lands some serious emotional punches. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)■

November 1, 2014

Gr 4-8-In the quiet village of Nnewtown, live the Nnewts, a happy community of amphibians. Herk is a young Nnewt confined to his home's spawning pool because his legs are not strong enough to support his body. When Nnewtown is attacked by the evil Lizzarks, Herk's parents are killed and he is forced to flee. Alone on this journey and pursued by the Lizzarks, he encounters several characters who help him grow and confront the Snake Lord, the villain who replaced his original strong legs with weaker ones while Herk was still an egg. The first volume of a new graphic novel series by the creator of Bad Island (2011) and Cardboard (2012, both Scholastic), this originally appeared online as a web-comic. While Tennapel creates a generally uplifting story, there are several inexplicably strange turns and occurrences. Most notable among these is in Herk's victory over the Snake Lord when the constellation Orion, which the book does establish as a focus of worship for Nnewt culture, suddenly takes an active role in the story's events, deus ex machina-style. There's also a potential tone-deafness toward students with disabilities, presenting Herk's originally weak legs, described at one point as "withered," as an obstacle that must be fixed in order to achieve completeness. Tennapel's cartoonish illustrations are the work's strength, and its intended audience will find them exciting and humorous. It may be best to wait and see how the story progresses in the next installment before adding this to a graphic novel collection.-Ryan F. Paulsen, New Rochelle High School, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2014
Grades 3-6 A small village of peaceful nnewts has fallen victim to a surprise attack from their worst enemies. Herk, a young nnewt unable to walk yet, witnesses much of the violencehis father is eaten by a weretoad, his mother is slaughtered by lizzarks, and his sister has been abducted. Swimming away from his village, Herk goes on a quest to find his legs and the magic that will help him avenge his family. Though the labyrinthine plot and dialogue may lead TenNapel's fans to feel that this work isn't as outstanding as Bad Island (2011) or Cardboard (2012), his signature cartoon style nonetheless shines through, and in typical fashion, he presents an edgy story, adding touching death and afterlife scenes for Herk's family that some children's writers wouldn't touch. The action-heavy panels, packed with lots of motion and sound effects, make this a great fit for reluctant readers, especially those who like fantasy adventure tales. Kids drawn in by Herk's quest will be happy to know there are more adventures to come.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)