Kid Savage

On an unnamed and untamed planet, Kid Savage—a muscly, loincloth-clad youth cast out of his community—ekes out an existence battling (and feasting on) deadly, gigantic beasts, with an occasional assist from his two-headed, ferretlike pet. When a human family’s spaceship crashes on the planet, Savage is captured by the widowed father and his children, Ethan and Alina. After the family’s ship is attacked, Kid Savage helps acclimate them to the planet, and they take turns helping each other survive the hazards that arise. Tales of shipwrecks in distant lands, with aid coming from a curious native, have a long history in literature (think Robinson Crusoe), and Ilya’s vibrant color palette and mixture of prehistoric and futuristic visuals makes this adventure come off like a combination of Heavy Metal and Lost in Space. Kelly keeps the dialogue to a minimum (though there’s no shortage of antagonistic banter between Ethan and Alina). And while the family can’t understand Kid Savage’s language, thought balloons help readers understand his intelligence, his people’s belief systems, and his falling out with his community, which are likely to get further exploration in future books. Ages 9–12. (Apr.)