ERIN AND YRSO

A young girl must work with a strange creature to save the world.

Erin recently lost her parents to a car crash, and now that she’s about to move from their home in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, to live with extended family, she feels as though she’s saying goodbye to them all over again. Plants have always been her passion (“It feels like we understand each other”), and gardening offers a refuge—as does a new friend, a towering, plantlike creature who calls himself Yrso. Yrso is one of several colossi, giants with the power to protect the planet—with help from a select group of children. Meanwhile, in icy Qaanaaq, Greenland, the mysterious Mr. Crossland is working to unearth another colossus, Alyphar, who represents a threat to the entire world. Though this graphic novel moves quickly, readers will find themselves slowing down to admire the gorgeous, lush visuals marked by verdant forest scenes. Erin is a warm, spirited protagonist, as willing to offer gardening pointers to her younger cousin as she is to knee a bully in the groin. Yrso’s arrival brings larger stakes that include other colossi to be found by children around the world. This wide-ranging narrative requires art that balances poignant emotions with sweeping action, and Drouin is up to the task.

A tender tale of grief propelled into a fantastical, globe-trotting adventure.