Gus Gordon, Into the Bewilderness, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, July 2025, 192 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761211287
Let me just wipe away the tears of laughter so that I can review this glorious, hilarious, heartwarming book. I would love to be inside Gus Gordon’s head for a day!
Those familiar with Gordon’s books will know that he always creates anthropomorphic characters, attributed to his love of Wind in The Willows. As you read his narratives, you can sense the influence of Toad, Mole, Rat and Badger, with their distinct personalities and voices.
Gus Gordon never fails to create endearing characters, such as Wendy the daredevil chook, and the New York city dwellers, Herman and Rosie, to name but a few. In this book, readers meet best friends Luis the bear (aka Furball) and Pablo the mole (aka Turnip). They remind me of the original odd couple Felix and Oscar from an American sitcom, with their endless disagreements and reconciliations, and their diametrically opposed and humourous character traits.
The two friends spend their days together wandering through the woods, enjoying picnics, eating daffodil sandwiches and singing songs, whilst also pondering one of life’s big questions “Is there more to this life?” Luis needs answers, and when he wins two tickets to see a theatrical production of The Weary Mermaid, the pair set off for their first trip to Big City.
Gordon writes with wit, warmth, and compassion. He shares small but important insights into humanity, whilst also exploring more philosophical themes such as understanding our place in time and space, explaining the elegant chaos of the universe or unpacking the meaning of culture, all of which are handled deftly with humour. Readers are also gifted little “facts” shared between the two friends, one example being Airplanes shrink as they move further away. This is believed to be a technique to conserve energy.
This is Gordon’s first graphic novel, and with 192 pages it is long, with much to explore on every spread and with some big ideas and quite advanced vocabulary. Younger readers would struggle with the language and themes.
A gem of a book, highly recommended for 8 years all the way to adulthood!
Reviewed by Bronwyn Joseph
