Windmill Dragons: A Leah and Alan Adventure by David Nytra (review)

This second graphic novel featuring Leah and Alan (from The Secret of the Stone Frog) brings together bits of Don Quixote, Jewish mythology, medieval legends, and even hints of Native American canoe design and mixes all that with two stalwart protagonists traveling through a fantastic world and determined to put a suddenly chaotic world back to normal. There is stunning intricacy in the monochromatic illustrations, which are dense with delicate linework and hatching, that will keep readers transfixed as they explore the astonishingly detailed monsters that will please even the most demanding monster-crazed audience. Alan and Leah serve mostly as visual checkpoints to orient viewers as they negotiate the far more complex and sophisticated non-human creatures that the protagonists encounter with alarming frequency. Offer this to early artists as aspirational material and to middle-graders up for a wonky but exhilarating adventure. End matter gives additional information on the literary sources involved.