TINY FOX AND GREAT BOAR

The inevitability of death is the name of the game in this tale of a mayfly on her Most Beautiful Day in Life.

While exploring the forests and meadows, friends Tiny Fox and Great Boar meet and befriend a nymph who is looking forward to growing her wings. The next day the little bug gets her wish and flies off immediately, leaving Fox and Boar behind. Fox is miffed, but all is forgotten when the mayfly returns and immediately dies. Distraught, Fox runs from the shadow of sadness now chasing him. It’s only when Boar finds him and the two are able to talk about their feelings and the mayfly they loved that the healing can begin. The watercolor art of this graphic novel takes on a distinctly atmospheric tone. The illustrations convey transitions between different moods and capture beams of light as adeptly as they do darkness and dusk. This Polish import—the third starring these woodland pals—gives adequate time and attention to the seriousness of its topic. For those children for whom the mayfly’s death is a shock, the book does an excellent job of showing methods for navigating grief.

Brief and beautiful, much like the mayfly’s life—children will come for the comics and leave with much to chew on.