The adventures of a mischievous child dressed in a tiger costume make for an adorable comic book for young readers in author Agata Loth-Ignaciuk and illustrator Berenika Kolomycka's Mika and the Gurgler. Much like its predecessor, Mika and the Howler, this title uses minimal text to tell a grand story.
Toddler Mika follows their laundry-toting parent to the closet. There the child encounters a mysterious device with a door set at Mika height. The toddler crawls in and the machine spins. "Look, Frog! A merry-go-round!" Mika squeals before giving Frog a turn. As the stuffed animal completes dizzying spins, Mika's parent fills the merry-go-round with clothes, shuts the door, and "beep"s some buttons. This is no longer an amusing game--this is a gurgling, whirring, shaking monster. Mika recruits stuffed animal friends Spider and Caterpillar to figure out how to save Frog from the gurgler.
The lack of text in Loth-Ignaciuk's sweet story does not limit its depth. Kolomycka's animated illustrations include striking nuances: delightfully evil expressions adorn the gurgler; an explosion of colors, symbols, lines, waves, and characters visually narrate the battle between child and machine; and Mika's emotions and determination radiate from their young face. Expertly accenting Kolomycka's genius art is lettering by Crank! that shows the auditory clash between Mika and the gurgler. The trio responsible for this delightful childhood exploit shows a true understanding of how extreme the experiences of daily life can be for a toddler, and have blended their talents seamlessly for an exciting literary triumph. --Jen Forbus, freelancer