Beobuck

by Robert Julyan

The two wandering orphan sisters, Megan and Robyn, have been seized by the Slave Traders, and it is up to the third member of their odd little family, Gumbel, to save them. But as he journeys to Slyrrh, the vile town where the girls await being sold, Gumbel saves another victim of the Slave Traders, the giant bear, Beobuck. The funny little man and the largest, most ferocious bear anyone has ever seen, become unlikely friends, especially when joined by an even more unlikely companion, the mouse, Moon Bug. After escaping from Slyrrh, they undertake a dangerous journey, but one that often is silly and fun, to understand and confront the dark changes happening in their world. Robert Julyan has created a compelling fantasy tale of a world in which terrors and evil abound but also a world of beauty and fun and silliness. A world of candy mines and funny fungi, of secret archives and mysterious cats, of silly wood and chicken festivals, of harrier hounds and black foxes. And it’s refreshingly free of dragons, wizards, and the usual fantasy tropes. A wonderful book to read to children, or let them read for themselves-or yourself.

356 pages, Paperback

Published August 17, 2016