- Fantasy
- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
The shape of it
The shape of this universe.
Haru is Joe Latham's full-colour fantasy graphic novel trilogy about a small blue bird, a boar friend and a mythic animal world shaped by grief, self-doubt, danger and hope. The series has a beautiful, slightly eerie forest-fantasy atmosphere, with a quest structure that grows from personal longing into a larger battle against blight and hidden family history. It is gentle in presentation but not emotionally slight: Haru's ghostly mother, bullying, bereavement, fear and the darker elements of the journey give the books more weight than many cosy animal fantasies.
A beautiful, emotionally sincere fantasy graphic novel trilogy about friendship, grief, courage and a small bird finding their place in a dangerous world.
Primary themes
Tone palette
- Gentle
- Adventurous
- Suspenseful
- Melancholic
The series
One way in.
Cultural footprint
A shelf of evidence.
Cultural ubiquity
2/ 5A working classic for readers in the know.
Sensitivity
Moderate, and collection-wide.
Content notes
- Death of parent
- Grief
- Bullying
- Scary imagery
Across the collection
All 3 books.
About the creator