Walter Moers in the Philadelphia Inquirer

A glowing review of Walter Moers’ new novel RUMO & HIS MIRACULOUS ADVENTURES ran in Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer:

It's hard not to like a novel with illustrations. Whether it's our inner child or our grown-up artistic sensibilities, there's something delightful about a visual counterpart to text, particularly in a book clearly intended for adults. Yet illustrations are only one part of the genius that is Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures by Walter Moers. Moers' drawings (yes, he did them himself) are fantastic, in both definitions of the word, but what's truly appealing is the world that he creates in this marvelous tale of adventure and self-discovery.

Moers' greatest strength, as evidenced by the multitude of characters he presents, is his creativity. His story is unlike any other; though he seems to pull from the best of other authors - a little J.K. Rowling, a dash of Tolkien and Richard Adams, a sprinkling of the Brothers Grimm - he incorporates it all within his own marvelous originality. While Moers' story sometimes follows familiar patterns, such as when Rumo goes to school (Rowling) or when Smyke tells a story (Tolkien), he takes them beyond the usual formulas into fresh, unconventional territory.

It's less a text and more an imagination on paper.

--John Mark