- Fantasy
- Haru collection
- Ages 8–12
Haru
Part of the collectionHaru→Best for readers who want a lyrical-feeling graphic fantasy with animal characters, emotional depth and a quest that becomes bigger and stranger as it goes.
- Books3 / 3
- Arcs3
- Span2024–2025
- StatusComplete
The series
At a glance.
Haru is a three-book full-colour graphic novel series by Joe Latham. It follows Haru, a small blue bird who lives in the Valley with their little brother Goose and the presence of their ghostly mother, alongside Yama, a boar friend with dreams of leaving home. When a dangerous force attaches itself to Yama, the friends begin a quest that leads them beyond the Valley and towards deeper truths about family, courage and the blight threatening their world. The series is visually rich, forested and mythic, with an emotional register that suits thoughtful middle-grade readers who like beauty with a darker edge.
Best for readers who want a lyrical-feeling graphic fantasy with animal characters, emotional depth and a quest that becomes bigger and stranger as it goes.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Gentle
- Adventurous
- Suspenseful
- Melancholic
Read in order: Spring, Summer, then Fall. The trilogy follows one continuous emotional and fantasy quest.
Three arcs
A series that changes as it goes.
- INarrative arcBook 1 · 2024Moderate sensitivity
Leaving the Valley
Haru and Yama leave the Valley after the heart of briar pulls them into a dangerous quest.
The opening arc establishes Haru's emotional position: small, uncertain, grieving and not yet able to become the bird they hope to be. Spring introduces the Valley, Haru's little brother Goose, Yama's restless friendship and the ghostly presence of Haru's mother. When the heart of briar attaches itself to Yama, the story shifts from quiet longing into quest fantasy. This is the best entry point, but it is not weightless: bereavement, bullying, self-doubt and uncanny danger are central from the start.
- IINarrative arcBook 2 · 2024Moderate sensitivity
The quest deepens
Haru, Yama and their allies push further into the wider world as danger and self-doubt intensify.
Summer is the bridge section of the trilogy, broadening the world beyond the Valley and making the quest feel less like an escape and more like a test of identity, friendship and endurance. The full-colour artwork keeps the reading experience inviting, but the emotional tone remains sincere and sometimes eerie. Haru's doubts and Yama's danger continue to matter, and the story's fantasy threat becomes more than a strange object attached to one friend. This is a rewarding middle volume for readers who are already invested in the characters rather than a clean starting point.
- IIINarrative arcBook 3 · 2025Moderate sensitivity
Secrets of the Valley
The trilogy reaches its conclusion as family secrets, the blight and Haru's self-belief come together.
Fall is the concluding arc, resolving the series' central mysteries around the Valley, Haru and Goose's mother, the blight and the wider meaning of Haru's journey. The book raises the stakes while keeping the visual beauty and animal-world tenderness that define the trilogy. For sensitive readers, this is the most emotionally loaded section because grief, family secrets, final danger and self-belief all converge. The sensitivity remains moderate rather than high, but it is worth treating Haru as an emotionally serious graphic fantasy rather than a cosy animal comic.
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Reluctant-reader friendliness
High
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Adult crossover
High
Grows with the reader
Designed to
Sensitivity envelope
Moderate overall, and consistent.
Content notes
- Death of parent
- Grief
- Bullying
- Scary imagery
Per-arc breakdown
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
About the author