Scurry

A group of house mice struggle to survive a long and strange winter. The humans are gone, the sun is rarely seen, and a cold, dark rain befouls everything it touches.

The mice, long dependent on humans for food, stubbornly cling to their old ways, looting the nearby abandoned houses for any scraps they can find. Once, there was plenty to eat, but now the scavengers return empty-handed, or not at all.

Food is scarce, but danger is everywhere. Poison and traps wait for the unwary in dark cupboards, and a gang of feral cats relentlessly chase the mice whenever the rodents leave the safety of their nest. Now there are even rumors a hawk has come to join the hunt.

As supplies run low and many mice fall ill, desperation creeps in. With the colony at a breaking point, rumors of a wrecked truck filled with food give them hope, but it lies far beyond the forest, where even the cats won’t go.

Included in Scurry, is a two-page READER'S GUIDE. The full TEACHER'S GUIDE can be found on SkyboundComet.com.

Gr 5 Up—Wix, a brave mouse, along with his rat friend Umf, scout for food for their colony. Supplies have been scarcer since the humans disappeared, and what is left is being eaten by any surviving animal. Just outside the colony are the constantly predatory cats, and in the forest beyond them, wolves hunting in packs. To save the colony, Wix must journey out into the world, further than he has ever gone, in search of food. While he's away, the scheming mouse Resher wants to take the colony to the city, believing it holds all the answers, and Pict, mouse daughter of the Council leader, must evade Resher's agents, who seek to take control. Smith's tale, originally published as a webcomic, is reminiscent of The Secret of Nimh or The Tale of Despereaux. This graphic novel excels with its vibrant colors and pulls on readers' heartstrings for these tiny living creatures, left to survive in a dreary post-apocalyptic world. VERDICT An amazing example of a webcomic translated into print. Animal lovers and children of all ages will follow the mice's journey to survive with rapt attention, keeping this heroic tale circulating for years to come. A modern-day classic with an underdog readers will believe in.—Adam Fisher