pub: Titan Books. 192 page squarish hardback graphic novel. Price: £14.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-0-85768-142-3).

check out websites: www.titanbooks.comand www.mouseguard.net

In 'Mouseguard: Legends Of The Guard', we are taken back to a time when the mice were bold and didn't live on scraps of cheese. These guys are tough and stand for no nonsense. Drinking in a bar and competing to tell the stories about their brethren, this showcases a series of tall tales that may have some moral and meaning.

This is a sort of sequel to the original 'Mouseguard' illustrated hardback. This time we are given lots of different stories. These are written by a collection of writers and illustrated by different artists.

David Peterson, the original author, has collected these stories together under the umbrella of 'Legends'. They are not meant to be part of the continuity of the 'Mouseguard' but are essentially fables. They all have their own unique narrative style and a distinctive artistic look. This has been achieved by a variety of authors and artists and gives a distinctive and pleasing look to this book.

The stories are funny and sad. It makes an impressive hardback book and a nice gift for a child who likes this kind of adventure and graphic novels are a good way to get kids into reading and there are so many available now there is plenty of choice.

If you're not already a fan, take a looks at the interactive website associated with these books as there is a lot of free content on there as well.

Sue Davies
July 2011