The Saga of Rex

While children may enjoy this graphic novel for its gorgeous art—especially the cute characters—its story line will more likely be appreciated by older readers. The almost wordless story isn't meant to be read on a literal level but instead on more a mystical and dreamlike level. Characters include aliens and deities, and a mysterious being referred to as the Guardian-Shepherd. The Guardian-Shepherd is a tentacled alien who controls "Blossoms" that copy what they see. Rex is a fox who gets taken off to another planet and has a Blossom turn into a female, purple fox to mirror his own image. Though they clearly love each other, they are not always together. Rex soon dies after that, in a bloody image that might distress some readers, and returns later like a fox unicorn with a single horn on his forehead. Sometimes a single picture will take up a whole page, and other times pages are blocked into boxes. Gagné has done creative work for such animated films as The Iron Giant and Ratatouille; here he offers a sensitive and intriguing graphic novel for people who like a little enigma in what they read. Ages 9–12. (Nov.)