Korgi, Book 1: Sprouting Wings, Vol. 1 Book

As Christian Slade's book is entirely without words (save for the introductory page), it's a pretty quick read. But it's the kind that fills you with bubbles of joy. It may actually be the cutest thing I've ever read. Korgi, vol. 1 follows a single misadventure of Ivy and her little friend Sprout (one of the titular Korgis, a race of "fox-like" creatures). The characters have a sense of life and joy about them but the real pleasure is the Korgis themselves. The two-page spread featuring the hustle and bustle of Korgi Hollow (the central village of the story) is an absolute wonder as we see Korgis (which really just look like Welsh Corgis) of all shapes and sizes engaged in numerous tasks around town. I think my favourite was the one large enough to act as another character's noble steed. In reality, Korgi is just a pile of cute overload and while there is some story going on, we may have to wait for future volumes to note any real sense of development.

I picked this up because, I confess, I own a corgi myself, and I thought my wife would think it was cute. Then I read it - silent, epic, beautiful - as good an all ages read as I've encountered since Bone. Before I even left the store, I had to have all three volumes. I'd recommend it to anyone with a soft spot for the kind of stories that enchanted them when they were a child, presented in such a way as to satisfy even the most mature reader.

Also, hope the monster gets his eyeball back eventually.