by Luke Pearson (Illustrator)
Hilda is coming to Netflix in fall 2018!
Getting used to life in the big city is proving difficult for Hilda. The diminutive explorer is still missing the enchanted valleys and magical friends that surrounded her home in the fjords. But tonight is somehow different; tonight is the night of the mysterious Bird Parade.
Finding herself lost on the streets of Trolberg, Hilda befriends a talking raven. Together they encounter all manner of bizarre creatures from outcast Trolls to ferocious Salt Lions and deadly Rat Kings--maybe the city isn't so boring after all.
As the pair try to find their way home, it becomes clear that the amnesiac raven has an important mission to attend to . . . if only he could remember what it was.
Format: Illustrated
Pages: 48
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Published: 01 Oct 2013
ISBN 10: 1909263060
ISBN 13: 9781909263062
Children’s book age: 5-7 Years
Plain smart and moving. John Stanley's Little Lulu meets Miyazaki.
--Guillermo Del Toro
Pearson's utter lack of pretension keeps Hilda feeling fresh, while his reading of folktales and Tove Jansson's Moomin series embeds Hilda in the long history of children's stories. [...] Hilda's dilemmas, while fantastic, also feel real [...] Pearson has found a lovely new way to dramatize childhood demons, while also making you long for your own cruise down the fjords.
--The New Yorker
A perfect pitch between childlike adventure, subtle mystery, and gentle lyricism.
--Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
[Hilda's world] is... a glorious, exciting if also rather menacing place -- one children will be eager to enter. It's also visually arresting: exuberant and lively and faintly Miyazakian
--The New York Times Book Review
For adults ... Pearson's measured storytelling ... and detailed, imaginative artwork make Hilda and the Bird Parade an absolute treat to dive into. It's hard to imagine a better all-ages comic will be published this year.
--Slate
Although Trolberg initially seems grim (down by the docks, the bird scares Hilda with a story about a rat king, to which she responds, You can't remember who you are but you can remember that? ), Pearson shows how Hilda's optimism, curiosity, and self-assuredness help her make the most of this unfamiliar new setting. The reds, golds, and blues in the palette (Hilda's signature colors) hint at the way her outlook transforms the town from intimidating and rundown to a place where magical, wonderful things can happen.
--Publisher's Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
If you know a young comics reader, or a a child that you'd like to turn into a comics reader - especially if they love fairy-tale-like stories - this would be a great place to start them. Hilda isn't a superhero, but she sure saves the day.
-Okazu
A joyous riot of animist magic.
--The Times
A beautifully drawn (literally and figuratively) comic.
--The Observer
The attractions of the Hilda series are quite easily surmised. There is the clever knitting together of various northern European traditions, the artist's increasing competency with page composition, his good ear for simple but humorous dialogue, his pleasing character designs, and his consistent and attractive line which has achieved a fine flowering in The Bird Parade and The Black Hound.
--The Hooded Utilitarian
Pearson has hit his stride with this world. The book has the same wonderful color scheme as the previous and maintains similar tonal shifts as well, with warm colors for cozy home scenes and cool colors for outdoor night scenes. The lettering is crisp and strong.
--Comics Alliance
My admiration for Luke Pearson just grows. Hilda's new urban world is wonderfully drawn for his enchanting female character and is sure to rouse admiration for her independent, sympathetic spirit. [...] The panels are engaging, often humorous and full of adventure. Perfect graphic storytelling!
--Sal's Fiction Addiction