This hefty little book only takes about an hour to read, and it’s so worth it! Cyril Pedrosa’s artwork is incredible. Each panel feels full of movement; it’s easy for the images to come to life. The characters are cartoonish, yet they convey muscle and hair and sometimes just overall sliminess (for the “less morale” ones you meet along the way).

It’s hard not to just talk about the art, but really, this is an awesome story. Young Joachim lives on a farm with his mother and father, leading a sweet and simple life (isn’t that what farms are always like in books?). Then one night, Joachim sees three shadows on the hill, and everything changes. The three shadows continue to haunt the family, always lurking. When Joachim’s mother realizes that this omen is something they must accept, the boy’s father takes him and leaves in an effort to escape the shadows. We follow them on their journey

At the end of the story, we learn some of the background as to why Pedrosa wrote this book. It’s a powerful story about enjoying what time we have with those we love, as well as the length a parent is willing to go to protect their child.