The Royal Crane

Somewhat reversing the usual tack, this colorful digital storybook began life as an animated film concept. When the studio shut down, Lavski — a screenwriter, game designer and occasional comicker — decided to hang on to the idea. Under 20 pages, the cartoonish tale is set during the French Revolution, when the king’s favorite bird is taken from the palace and caged in the Paris zoo. With the help of a clever sewer rat, the crane is able to escape, embarking on a grand adventure through the city on his way back to his royal owner. Nathan, a concept artist for animation and videogames, manages to illustrate the adventure so beautifully that you can almost ignore the incongruity of a children’s picture book being set during one of the bloodiest periods of modern human history.

— Mercedes Milligan