Myths and Legends: The Comics Edition

George O'Connor is the author of several picture books, including the New York Times bestseller Kapow!, Ker-Splash, and Sally and the Some-thing. He’s also the author and illustrator of The Olympians, a series of graphic novels for young readers about Greek Mythology, as well as such graphic novels as Journey into Mohawk Country and Ball Peen Hammer. Thrown from Mount Olympus as a newborn and caught by Thetis and Eurynome, who raised him on the island of Lemnos, Hephaistos had an aptitude for creating beautiful objects from a very young age. Despite his rejection from Olympus, he swallowed his anger and spent his days perfecting his craft. His exquisitely forged gifts and weapons earned him back his seat in the heavens, but he was not treated as an equal―his brothers and sisters looked down at him for his lame leg, and even his own wife, Aphrodite, was disloyal. In Hephaistos: God of Fire, the latest installment of George O'Connor's bestselling The Olympians graphic novel series, Hephaistos creates a plan that’ll win him the respect he deserves.

Jarod Roselló is a Cuban-American cartoonist, writer, and educational researcher from Miami, Florida. He is the author of the graphic novel, The Well-Dressed Bear Will (Never) Be Found, (Publishing Genius Press) and the chapbook, The Star. His short fiction and comics have been published in various publications including The Rumpus, Hobart, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Sonora Review, and The Collagist. His childhood and educational research has been published in Bank Street Occasional Papers, International Review of Qualitative Research, and Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood. He teaches comics and fiction in the creative writing program at the University of South Florida. In Red Panda and Moon Bear (Top Shelf), Roselló´s first book for young readers, two Latinx kids, the title characters, battle supernatural threats to their working-class neighborhood with the power of science, magic, and some very special hoodies. Together, this sister and brother superhero team rescue lost cats, face evil dogs, scold bullies, and solve mysteries, all before Mami and Papi get home. But lately, the mysteries have been extra mysterious. All of their powers may not be enough to handle spooks, supervillains, alien invaders, and time warps! It’ll take all their imagination — and some new friends — to uncover the secret cause behind all these events before the whole world goes crazy. Duncan Tonatiuh, author of Dear Primo and  Separate Is Never Equal, called Red Panda & Moon Bear “fun, wacky and heartfelt. Everyone can enjoy this adventure, but it will resonate especially with Latinx kids. I look forward to seeing more!"

Mike Cavallaro has worked in comics and animation since the early 1990s. His comics include Eisner Award–nominated Parade (with Fireworks), The Life and Times of Savior 28 (written by J. M. DeMatteis), Foiled and Curses! Foiled Again (written by Jane Yolen), and Decelerate Blue (written by Adam Rapp). Nico Bravo and the Hound of Hades (First Second) is his latest book. Got a problem? At Vulcan’s Celestial Supply Shop, you can find the magical merchandise to set things right. The seasoned staff―a kid named Nico Bravo, a sphinx named Lula, and a unicorn named Buck―pride themselves on providing “legendary service and expertise in all areas of the arcane.” But Nico’s world is about to be turned upside down, and it’s all thanks his latest customer: Eowulf, the pint-size descendant of the monster slayer Beowulf. Determined to carry on the family business, this would-be warrior plans to slay Cerberus, the terrifying, three-headed hound of Hades. There’s just one problem―Cerberus is the only thing preventing the hordes of the Underworld from entering the land of the living. Can Nico stop Eowulf from unleashing a zombie apocalypse?