Down the Mysterly River

by Bill Willingham

Max the Wolf, who is not a wolf at all but a Boy Scout who likes to solve mysteries, has suddenly found himself in the middle of a very big one. Awaking in a forest, he has no memory of how he got there. Encountering a talking badger named Banderbrock further distresses Max, for obvious reasons, but also because the badger is equally confused. As the two attempt to determine their whereabouts, they pick up a feisty barn cat named McTavish and a bumbling but lovable bear sheriff, Walden. This unlikely group soon finds themselves under attack by a band of vicious men and women called Blue Cutters. Their magical swords hack away at victims, changing their personalities until they no longer resemble the person (or animal) they once were. Max has to find out why they're all in this strange land, all the while dodging, fighting, and trying to outsmart the Cutters. Readers will cheer for this motley crew, and the crazy McTavish is good for more than a few laughs. While the ending is slightly predictable, it doesn’t diminish the enjoyment readers will feel when the mystery is solved, and they’ll race through it to get there. Mark Buckingham’s simple but effective black and white illustrations give faces to our friends at the beginning of each chapter. Willingham has skillfully created an imaginative fairy tale world, and an adventure quest with heart.