From Top Shelf is a new graphic novel for younger readers.
Made for middle schoolers, Red Panda & Moon Bear is a book that tackles larger than life problems on a middle schooler's level. While the super siblings solve mysteries and fend off new monsters, they also use their powers of empathy and love to help a distraught cloud child who ran away from her parents. She speaks to our heroes about how her parents’ impending divorce and constant fighting has made her feel sad and ignored. Our heroes help her voice those feelings to her parents, who immediately apologize, reassuring her how much they love her, before vowing to change their negative behaviors.
In their second amazing graphic novel, these Cuban American kids are getting even better at using their powers to protect the community… but has their luck just run out?
When an evil curse descends upon the city of Martí, it’s up to Red Panda and Moon Bear to put a stop to it…but it won’t be easy! First, they’ll have to solve weird mysteries, fend off new monsters, and uncover the secret history of their neighborhood. With their trusty dog companions and some magical new friends by their side, Red Panda and Moon Bear must find a way to defeat Mal de Ojo — The Evil Eye — and keep it from ruining the lives of everyone they love!
Jarod Roselló is a Cuban American cartoonist, writer, and educational researcher from Miami, Florida. His debut graphic novel, The Well-Dressed Bear Will (Never) Be Found, was published in 2015 by Publishing Genius Press. His chapbook, The Star, was the winner of the 2015 Epiphany Literary Magazine Chapbook Contest. His short fiction and comics have been published in The Rumpus, Hobart, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Sonora Review, and The Collagist, among other places. His childhood and educational research has been published in Bank Street Occasional Papers, International Review of Qualitative Research, and Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood. He teaches comics and fiction in the creative writing program at the University of South Florida.
Red Panda & Moon Bear (Book Two): The Curse of the Evil Eye is out on April 12th 2022.