Agnes

Reading Agnes feels like rediscovering that dressing-up box stuffed at the back of your childhood wardrobe. It has been patiently anticipating your return and can’t wait to burst into a flurry of toys, jewels, ornaments and accessories! Some things you find here feel truly cosy and nostalgic whilst others might seem a tad strange or even totally new, but you enjoy them all the same… In this treasure trove of a story, we follow two heroes - a girl and her loyal pet dog - as they journey through a landscape shaped by classic folk stories and fairy tales. But don’t let these long-established motifs fool you into thinking you know what is waiting around the corner! For each familiar encounter - like a tempting trail of treats or an unsettling, sickly-sweet villain - there is plenty of oddity and excitement to be found. Brie Moreno’s work is serious about being silly, and her new comic Agnes is no exception. She often blends surreal and playful references with her own child-like curiosity. ‘How many apples can you balance on a teapot? What if you could speak to your best friends in love-hearts? Why does being angry feel so fuzzy?’ asks Moreno, through the cheeky and joyful disposition of her characters and their cornucopia of trinkets. These bits-and-bobs are not just for show, though; the lessons in Agnes are in fact hidden inside of the soft and pillowy illustrations of each scene which - like the contents of your old dressing-up box - are itching to be uncovered. So, why not get all dressed-up, come outside and explore this world for yourself? You might even be rewarded afterwards with a very, very well-earned snooze…zzz