Umbra

by Jordan Speer

Jordan Speer 's untitled picture book for younger readers, follows a a plucky wizard who sets out on a quest to save a forest from the malicious magic of the Gremlins. Through dark woods, open fields, and rocky ravines, the wizard must journey to the castle Umbra and seek an ancient creature imprisoned within its walls. Will his courage see him through the darkness? Or will the forest burn? Jordan Speer's illustrations have been featured in The New York Times , Bloomberg , and The New Yorker , while his animation work has appeared across numerous platforms, including Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Adult Swim.

50 pages, Hardcover

Published October 29, 2024

Reviews

[Drew Dzwonkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning feat of imagination and execution. A high-fantasy epic told with no text whatsoever, each page encourages you to engage with it to puzzle out the story being told. The book begins, like many fantasy books do, with a map of the territory, but Speer has illustrated the map with a level of detail that makes it possible to recognize landmarks when they pop up in the story. So as you progress through the book, you will find yourself constantly flipping back to the map, and it's a massive pleasure to track exactly where you are in the geography. The feeling of interactivity is thrilling. Speer leans on fantasy archetypes to help tell his wordless tale, but enough is left ambiguous that you're able to sort of make up your own story as you go. If I had kids, I would have a blast walking through the story with them, asking them what they think is happening on every page, what they think will happen next, where they think they are on the map. I also think you could smoke a joint and have a similarly delightful reading experience on your own. (Pure speculation on my part.) Masterpiece.

[Robert Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is possibly my favorite book I've "read" all year. It's a wordless picture book, with a narrative sequence depicting a wizard on a perilous journey to save the land from destruction by an avericious kingdom. Each spread is gorgeous, illustrated in a funky style, using a method that's a mystery to me. It's just an all-around amazing picture book. I have spent hours staring at it. I would recommend it to anyone.

[Kendry A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's one of the most visually appealing books I have ever laid my eyes upon. Every page is so amazing!