Haru: Spring
By Joe Latham
Middle grade fantasy adventure graphic novel series
Andrews McMeel, March 12, 2024; 240 pages
Series: Haru
Subrights Info
- Translation rights available via Andrews McMeel
- UK/ANZ rights available via Andrews McMeel
- Film/TV rights available via Janna Co.
- Merchandising and commercial rights available via Janna Co.
Haru and Yama are picked on by their classmates in the valley, but they’re best friends and always have each other. Not to mention Haru’s plucky little brother, Goose. But when Yama finds a strange artifact that quickly reveals sinister effects, Haru and Yama are swept into an epic journey to destroy the artifact and save the world. At its core, Haru is an adventure story about good versus evil, with central themes based around death and rebirth, growing up, love, and the sacrifices we make for those that we love. It spans the changing of seasons, beginning in spring, and progressing through each book until it finally finishes on spring again at the end of the third book, the cycle completed. Haru combines the characterization of Bone, the thrill of Amulet, the atmosphere of the The Dam Keeper, and the emotional weight of Three Shadows.
Reviews
“Latham sets this dazzling work in a Tolkienesque world, employing clever pen and ink drawings awash in luminous colors to deliver a cliffhanger ending that will have readers eagerly anticipating the next installment.”
“Latham’s tale is lush and evocative, recalling the quirky whimsicality of Hayao Miyazaki and striking an original balance between contemplative and exciting. … A series opener that both enchants and captivates.”
“While their Tolkienian quest merely begins in this volume, they encounter friends and enemies and must traverse a moody, rundown shopping mall, an unusual locale for epic fantasy which, along with the school-based social issues and the colloquial language, makes for a distinctive, grounded mixture that could prove enticing to genre neophytes.”
– Booklist
Awards and Accolades
- Broken Frontier Awards winner for best colorist 2024
- Broken Frontier Awards nominee for Breakout Talent 2024
- Leeds Book Awards 2025 Middle Grade Graphic winner
This book might appeal to fans of Hilda and the Troll by Luke Pearson and Lightfall by Tim Probert.
If you are a rights buyer or a reviewer and wish to access the pdf, email me.
Author Bio
Joe Latham is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Bristol, UK. He cut his teeth creating custom MySpace Pages (RIP) for bands, which lead to a lot of interesting projects. From designing bespoke Golf Balls for celebrities to animating music videos for Cradle of Filth. Joe has done design work for Jilly Cooper, The Joy Formidable, Five Seconds of Summer, Uniform Dating, Ok Cupid, IndieGoGo, a number of UK Universities, Sony Music, and Warner Music, to name a few. He’s designed and illustrated a lot of albums, singles, and t-shirts. Some things end up popular, some things disappear into the sea. Joe has self-published a number of comic books, and regularly exhibits at UK comic festivals, planning to exhibit at other European and international festivals in the future. He loves meeting people and talking to them about his work. Her most recent books include A Seed Named Hope, A Step By Step Guide to Living With Lightness, and Lustration & Other Stories. Visit Joe at https://www.lookhappydesign.com/.
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