A gripping saga about foxes Lukas and Ty, which delves into themes of being different, mental illness, and the journey of self-discovery.

Ty has never felt like the other forest foxes. Instead of being brave, cunning, and clever, he shies away from fighting, is no good at hunting, and even gets bullied by other forest animals

One day, Ty decides to prove he can catch his own meal — and accidentally winds up locked up on a fox farm! There he meets Lukas, a sheltered fox whose paws have never even felt grass.

Ty promises to show Lukas the world… But will they first be able to escape their cages?

Humorous and warm, Wild Paws is a stand-out children’s book series that impresses with its gripping storytelling. It was nominated for the ARK Children’s Book Prize and the Norwegian Ministry of Culture’s Comic Prize.

I really liked this. It’s such a sweet story. It opens up with Lukas as a child (then known as Five) on the fox farm during the rumblings of a storm. He sees the leaves blowing around and calls them “greenies,” and is curious about the world outside his cage.

Then we flash forward years ahead into the forest and meet Ty, a good and kind fox who unfortunately doesn’t have the bravery his friends and brothers have. There’s a plan to distract a bear and then have Ty bite the bear in order for the foxes to steal her fish.

Ty is too freaked out to actually do this, so another fox shows up to to the job (Kian), while Ty ends ups feeling dejected and worthless, especially when he’s in charge of carrying off the fish only for two birds to steal them from him.

Kian reunites with Ty and finds him fishless, and Kian sees the birds in the trees taunting Ty for being useless and afraid. Kian manages to jump up into the branches and secure a single fish before the birds fly off with the rest. Ty lets Kian have the fish. He wants to say something more to Kian, but keeps his mouth shut, feeling awful about himself.

Ty is starving, though, and explores a way on his own to find food, only to be captured and brought to the fox farm. There he meets Lukas, and the two become fast friends. I thought the scenes here were quite emotional (I am really sensitive about characters crying) and well done, and Lukas and Ty make a great pair with really distinctive personalities.

The two end up eventually escaping after some tender friendship moments together, and then it’s Lukas’s turn to be emotionally overwhelmed: this time at how big the outside is.

The volume ends with the two foxes vowing to always be together.

This was an incredibly sweet story filled with emotions that are meticulously depicted through the art. I felt like I was looking at top-tier animation with how expressive the characters were. As you know from my previous reviews, facial expressions and body posture are very important to me when I read comics and manga, and this book did not disappoint. Everything was beautifully rendered, right down to the droop of the ears and position of the shoulders.

The color schemes are beautiful, including the depiction of the “outside,” and each fox is rendered in a unique way–you can’t mix them up; they’re each individuals.

I know this comic is for children but as a middle-aged woman I still really enjoyed it, got in touch with my feelings as I read it, and loved the artwork. I do recommend this to kids of all ages, but I think preteens would like it, too. Maybe even teenagers who are fans of animal stories.

In the blurb about the comic, it’s said that this won numerous awards, and I can believe it. It’s a top-notch entry to the world of children’s comics and I look forward to the next volume.

4.5/5.

---

Wild Paws, Volume 1: The Fox Farm is available today from a variety of booksellers online and in person, and you can get it directly from the publisher.

I received a digital ARC of Wild Paws, Volume 1 directly from TOKYOPOP with the intention of leaving a review of my own accord. I’m happy to do so.