Monkey King and the World of Myths 2: The Battle of the Beasts (graphic novel)

延續第一集中中西神話的精彩碰撞，本書帶領悟空與Cerberus來到日本平安時代。這次冒險不僅有桃太郎與九尾狐等日系角色登場，更揭開人妖之間誤解背後的真相。作者Maple Lam以明快線條與色彩構築出節奏分明的圖像故事，同時探討信任、偏見與對話的可能性。這部結合幽默與神話的系列作，既好笑又富有思考性，適合喜愛奇幻冒險與多元文化元素的中小讀者閱讀。

Percy Jackson meets Dragon Ball in the second book of this adorable, funny, and action-packed graphic novel series! Now the Monkey King and his sidekick Cerberus are bursting into the world of Japanese folklore!

Monsters of the East, beware! Sun Wukong (aka the Monkey King) and his trusty three-headed pal Cerberus are headed on their next monster-hunting mission to Heian-Kyo, capital of ancient Japan—a city where long ago humans and beasts lived together in peace. But since the great war, the beasts have been cast out of the city and things seem more divided than ever.

When he crash lands in the city, Wukong finds himself in the middle of it all. He soon meets a boy named Momotaro who believes the beasts have stolen an important magical object, and a kitsune named Kit who is convinced humans have burned down the beast’s only source of food in the wild. With these latest incidents, the tension between beasts and humans comes to a breaking point.

But Wukong suspects something more sinister is behind everything: a monster trying to get the two sides to fight. He and his new friends must race against the clock to uncover the true villain before all-out war breaks out in the city. Packed with characters from Japanese folklore, magical weapons, and epic battles, this will be the Monkey King’s greatest adventure yet!

Story Locale:Japan

Series Overview: Spring 2024 - Monkey King #1 (Greek Mythology)
Spring 2025 - Monkey King #2 (Japanese Mythology)

Praise for Monkey King and the World of Myths:

★ “A stellar illustration of the time-honored, universal power of friendship, communication, and mutual trust. Lam again weaves a colorful and exhilarating pictorial narrative that will delight readers . . . [ and her] charmingly expressive and endearing illustrations add humor to this rollicking adventure.” —Kirkus (starred review) on The Battle of the Beasts

★ “This humorous and heartfelt series opener is packed with exciting action scenes and a whole lot of monkey business unfolding in cute, colorful, and exaggerated illustrations that are reminiscent of manga. Lam seamlessly weaves together threads from Chinese and Greek mythology to great effect, throws in a cast of highly likable characters, and presents a compelling story focused on a quest for friendship, self-acceptance, and belonging. A thrilling, wholesome remix of a classic Chinese tale.” —Kirkus (starred review)

“Wukong is perceptive and kind, and he quickly realizes that there is almost never anything in the world as simple as pure good or evil. The artwork vibrates with action and humor. . . [but] nothing is too visually intimidating in this colorful, zippy graphic novel.” –The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Lam intertwines lessons in employing critical thinking skills to understand others with fast-paced writing and appealing panel illustrations. With plenty of humor, adventure, and heart, this first book makes for a rousing read.” —Horn Book

“A funny, inventive opener. Maple Lam weaves together elements from different world mythologies in clever, playful ways that will leave kids excited to join the Monkey King on his next adventure.”—LitHub.com