THE STORY OF GUMLUCK AND THE HEROES

Gumluck the wizard joins three fledgling adventurers on a quest and finds it difficult to protect them from themselves.

At the request of the majestic Qamar, the lovely and Very Wise Wizard Who Lives in the Moon, smitten Gumluck supervises three avid would-be heroes: gung-ho warrior Gora, elven archer/balladeer Frindlefoot, and cloaked thief Walnut. The last, perhaps in a wink to the Guardians of the Galaxy films, is a raccoon. Keeping them from doing anything they or anyone else might regret turns out to be a tall order as the trio make alarming plans to capture a unicorn for its horn and then brave the armies of the Goblin King to steal a huge diamond. Narrated by Gumluck’s raven friend Helvetica, the story is simply yet elegantly phrased and laced with endearing asides as Helvetica tends lovingly to her offspring. Rex explores notions about what heroism, real and otherwise, looks like. Without harping on his message, the author makes the differences clear enough. Though Gumluck may look like a small, pie-faced simpleton in Rex’s comical pencil drawings, he devises quick, clever stratagems each time to avoid violence. Better yet, with his actions, he leaves his charges (and readers, perhaps) a little wiser about making good choices. That’s true wizardry. Qamar is dark-skinned; other characters have skin the white of the page.

Funny, smart, and shot through with truly admirable exploits.