A delightful childrens graphic novel about two friends (a bear and a mole) who live in the woods and one day win a trip to a performance in the big city. Eventually they are off on an adventure. I love the discourse between the two as they mainly do nothing but sit around and talk and get the occasional visit from their friend Bigfoot who is always lost.

This is the type of book that doesn't have a clear target audience. The talking animals make it seem like a children's story but the plot and type of humor are more directed at an adolescent/young adult age group. This was filled with my type of humor and I found myself laughing out loud on a few occasions. Their misunderstanding of the Little Mermaid was especially funny. Two big thumbs up!

✨Book Review✨
🌳Into the Bewilderness 🌳

My thoughts:
🤔 I really liked the illustrations and the how-to-draw page in the back of the book.
🤔 I think this one is intended for young readers, but the content is pretty strange and dark sometimes. Some of the vocabulary and concepts are quite challenging for young readers as well.
🤔The humor is pretty mean instead of funny, and I didn’t like that Turnip slaps Luis.

🥰Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books/HarperAlley @harperalley and @NetGalley for this gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Something about this story didn’t work for me. I found the characters slightly annoying and I think that as a kid I wouldn’t have the attention span required to read this. It’s simple in theory but there’s so much text that you actually need to focus. I liked the small details of life happening around them, both in the woods and in the city, but it wasn’t enough to captivate me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Luis and Pablo are best friends living together in the woods. Luis wishes there were more things to do in the woods and asks Pablo thought provoking questions to which Pablo answers and thinks Luis isn’t very smart; calling him a pea brain. Luis gets tickets to see a movie in the big city and tries to get several of his friends to go, without luck. Luis sets off while Pablo stays at home. He thinks he’ll enjoy the solitude but realizes he misses Luis; so decides to join him. They learn about the big city and about friendships. Even though you won’t agree on everything, you can still be friends.

DNF at 39 pages.
Bear and Mole live in the woods. They live together but have a type of odd couple relationship. Mole is constantly calling Bear names like noodle head and dundermuffin. It does not come off as endearing. Then you have what I’m assuming is a Sasquatch come into the picture and he’s a behemoth. I do like this book for vocabulary challenges and showing lots of words that mean the same thing. But other than this, the bear is looking for culture, which I understand, and the mole is like “redneck” in the woods. I just don’t vibe with this dynamic and find it’s a little mean spirited. So I chose to DNF this book.

Into the Bewilderness is a visually rich and emotionally thoughtful graphic novel. Gus Gordon weaves a tender story full of whimsy, quiet humor, and heart, all set against beautifully illustrated pages that invite you to slow down and take it all in. The characters are quirky and endearing, and the message—about friendship, curiosity, and embracing the unknown—lingers long after the final page. I would’ve loved just a bit more depth in some story beats, but overall, it’s a wonderful, meaningful read that’s perfect for fans of offbeat, soulful adventures.

I wanted to love this -- the warm and whimsical art! The not-scary Bigfoot! The odd couple friendship!

Unfortunately, the cerebral tone was too much to overcome and will be a barrier to lots of kid readers. Young readers will be drawn to the art style, but will get bogged down with lines like "the decline of romanticism in a postmodern world," "bereft of culture, class, and civility" and more (yes these are actual lines from one of the cutesy characters).

The meandering plot makes this more philosophy ASMR than story, though I suppose the descriptor could be catnip for the right reader.

Very cute story of friends who go on a trip to the big city. Luis and Pablo are such fun characters. Their banter is very funny. The story was a quick read but completely entertaining. I recommend for early readers and beyond.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is such a fun whimsical novel about two friends who go on an adventure to the big city. Everyday is the same two unlikely friends, a bear and a mole. They navigate the familiarity of the everyday life, while one friend is content with the mundane routine of everyday life, one is not. Bear wants to explore the big city. After he wins tickets to a show in the city, he and his friend mole, journey through the forest on an adventure to the big city, making new memories along the way! Such a fun book for any age! I recommend it for all ages!

This was a wonderful story of a bear and a mole living the slow life in the woods. This book is definitely for someone who likes to ask cerebral questions about life and why things are the way they are. The art is so cute and the world makes you want to know more about these characters an their lives! Perfect read for a pensive rainy day.

So, maybe this is intended for adults. It feels like one of those odd newspaper funnies where you wonder who it was written for and why those people would find it funny. OF course, graphic novels don't have to be funny. This is very much an introspective, why are we here kind of story that I doubt most young people would be into. Also mole is kind of mean.

Thank you for the ARC.

A cozy story about two wild friends on a journey to The Big City. There are many moments of joyful friendship throughout the graphic novel, which had me chuckle at the one liners, but also bask in the heartwarming-ness of two friends being together.

It made me think of Jory John's series of Bear & Duck, with how genuine the characters were, and similar humor.

But... why?

I spent most of my reading time making a really weird face, wondering what the point of this was. It has the general shape of a story, I guess, but it mostly felt like random things were being said that were supposed to sound wise but weren't. I wasn't sure who the audience was, because it seems like it's supposed to be kids based on the humor, but also there are a lot of things that seemed more aimed at adults, and neither end of that spectrum worked for me. I don't need a book to have a moral, but I would like there to be SOMETHING. This was all pretty jumbled and random in a way that I didn't enjoy.

There are also no stakes. The only real choice either of the MCs makes is to be a real jerk, and then there are no consequences. At all. It made me actively dislike the characters by the end.

I think the best way to sum this up is that, IMO, a story can be 'random' and nonsensical so long as it has an internal logic, but this didn't. Bewilderness indeed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I see other people had a good time with it, so maybe I'm just no fun.

This graphic novel is a philosophical journey for two animals and the community they inhabit, as they explore big questions like: Can we have culture in the woods? Their adventure leads them on a quest to find answers.

The artwork is absolutely lovely, and I especially appreciated that the story takes place in its own unique world—complete with a map. The philosophical musings, presented through animal characters, are fun and thought-provoking. I think there’s a specific subset of middle grade readers who will be drawn to this blend of quirky humor and introspective themes.

That said, the intended audience feels a bit unclear. While it’s marketed for younger readers, much of the tone feels quite adult. The humor—particularly Pablo’s—can veer into snarky or even mean-spirited, and the pacing is notably slow.

The absolute highlight for me—and the character who completely stole my heart—is Ray. I’m lost too, Ray. He’s beautiful, and honestly, he (along with the artwork) is what saved the book for me. My rating is entirely based on him and the visuals.

A worthwhile purchase for middle school libraries, especially for readers who enjoy offbeat humor, deep questions, or stunning illustration.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

“Into the Bewilderness” is a fun and heartwarming graphic novel with a colorful art style and lots of charm.

The story follows Luis, a good-natured bear who dreams of seeing the Big City. When he wins tickets to a play there, he sets off on an adventure, accompanied by his grumpy best friend, Pablo.

Luis’s and Pablo’s journey is entertaining and made for a great middle grade book that I can definitely recommend reading.

This was a super cute graphic novel about getting out of your comfort zone and going on an adventure to the big city. The illustrations are adorable and Luis and Pablo’s friendship is just so sweet.
Thanks to HarperAlley and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

An absolute delight and so hilarious. This book was somehow incredibly deep yet still so light and innocent. I would 100% watch this as a cartoon; it is so cute and funny! Luis and Pablo’s friendship is so sweet and makes me so happy. I hope get to see more of them!

This is a fantastical, imaginative, and creative sweet and humorous animal story sure to be a hit with kids ages 7-10 who love animals and out of the box humor.
The art is full of interesting details especially of the scenery of the forest and the city and readers will find lots of details to pour through.
There is excellent messaging about friendship, going outside of your comfort zone, and appreciating what’s in your own backyard.
Give this to fans of Frog and Toad, Skunk and Badger, and The Eyes and the Impossible.

Wow, I enjoyed it so much!
It was humorous, thought-provoking, and deep, all while being silly and fun. I laughed out loud and even had to share parts and quotes with friends because, wow, it was that good.
In some parts, I had to pause for a moment and reflect...
The characters were fun to get to know (and sometimes uncannily relatable—I mean, really, how do we distinguish a light meal from a large snack?)
The art was clear, with vivid colors and a nice flow.
Overall, an incredibly enjoyable read.