Kodi (Book 1)

by Jared Cullum

Overview

The gorgeous story of two friends separated by everything in the world — except love. Readers and animal-lovers of every age will want to relive this journey over and over again.

Katya and her Meema are spending another summer at their cottage in Alaska, when a chance accident leaves Katya face-to-face with the biggest creature she's ever seen... an enormous kodiak bear with a gentle heart and a knack for fishing. But when Katya must suddenly return home to Seattle, the two are torn apart, leaving Kodi to do whatever it takes to reunite with his fragile human friend. It's a wild journey packed with breathtaking views, brave new companions, and adventure around every turn.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603094672
Publisher:	IDW Publishing
Publication date:	08/25/2020
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	476,885
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jared Cullum was born in 1985 in Johnson City, TN. He is a cartoonist-writer and painter of things living in Pittsburgh, PA with a deep passion for connecting with people through visual story-telling. Between developing stories he teaches traditional painting and anatomy and spends his days exploring the lessons that can be learned from 19th century painting and how they can be used to innovate in story-telling. He has also written and painted stories for Boom!-Archaia and Jim Henson Productions working on titles such as: Planet of the Apes, Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock, and Storyteller.

Editorial Reviews

06/08/2020

Katya loves comics, fears water, and has suffered years of bullying from her peers about her protruding ears. Used to being alone, she spurns her Meema’s suggestion to leave their summer cottage and make friends, but when she is caught in a rainstorm, she befriends a larger-than-life bear pinned by a downed tree. A sincere, heartfelt bond blossoms between them through touching moments: feeding Kodi, as she calls him (“That’s enough to feed a bear,” the fishmonger quips after a sale); reading comics; and wandering in the Alaskan woods. When Katya unexpectedly returns home to Seattle, Kodi pursues her to and through the city, hilariously disturbing residents and assisting a local fisherman. Each panel offers detail that merits close and appreciative examination. Lush, thoughtful watercolors breathe a stunning vibrancy into mundane activities (making a cup of tea) and places (a light-saturated urban street), and sweeping landscapes overlooking Alaskan wilderness. Though side stories—notably the absence of Katya’s parents and the cause of her hydrophobia—go unexplored, the duo’s winningly rendered friendship more than makes up for it. Ages 9–12. Agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary Studio. (Aug.)■

Publishers Weekly

"Jared Cullum brings to Kodi a fresh watercolor style that's brimming over with personality. His characters come alive in their world, and they'll convert a casual reader into a devoted fan." — James Gurney, creator of Dinotopia

"Kodi is the perfect combination of an exciting adventure and a heartwarming tale of friendship. Jared’s exquisitely painted pages bring his characters to life and invite you to get lost in the gentle embrace of this wonderful story. Even though Kodi doesn’t say a word, Jared uses every brush stroke to delicately communicate his very real emotions. I absolutely love Kodi and you will too!" — Andy Runton, creator of Owly

"Cullum’s rich watercolors... capture Alaskan wilderness and Seattle’s urban grit with equal beauty and accuracy... Beautifully crafted, thoughtfully paced, and sweet as can be, this tale is ideal for reluctant and voracious readers alike, to be savored and shared between friends young, old, and in between." — School Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2020

Gr 3 Up—The gift of friendship comes in many forms, and here, it takes the immense, fuzzy form of a wounded Kodiak bear. After shy, bookish Katya encounters Kodi with a leg pinned under a fallen tree in the woods near her grandma's Alaskan cabin and nurses him to health, the two become bonded for life. When Katya abruptly returns to Seattle, Kodi makes an epic journey to find his best friend. The bare bones of the story are familiar, but whimsical twists pull readers into Kodi's quest quickly, even with the near certainty of a happy ending. Cullum's rich watercolors, perfectly blended on rough textured paper, capture Alaskan wilderness and Seattle's urban grit with equal beauty and accuracy. The relative sparseness of dialogue and narration makes this a great addition to the adorably anthropomorphic animal genre. It's not always easy to communicate convincingly without dialogue, but our understanding of Kodi's feelings, motives, and personality becomes richer as the story progresses. VERDICT Beautifully crafted, thoughtfully paced, and sweet as can be, this tale is ideal for reluctant and voracious readers alike, to be savored and shared between friends young, old, and in between.—Emilia Packard, Austin, TX

School Library Journal