The Battle of the Beasts [Monkey King and the World of Myths]
by Maple Lam; illus. by the author
Intermediate    Putnam    256 pp.
8/25    9780593524688    $24.99
Paper ed.  9780593524695    $13.99
e-book ed.  9780593524725    $8.99

In this fast-paced follow-up to graphic novel The Monster and the Maze (rev. 3/24), plucky super-beast Sun Wukong, the monster-hunting Monkey King, continues aspiring to be the first beast to become a god. Joined by his best friend, Cerberus, Wukong travels to the far east and meets Momotaro, a human on a quest of his own to recover his magic weather-controlling mallet from a giant ogre. The two bond over being “oddballs” and together venture to Demon Island, where Wukong learns that beasts are on the verge of war with humans after a human general from the city of Heian-kyo is suspected of burning the beasts’ food crops. Wukong urges caution and—believing the crime is really the work of a monster—offers to investigate the cause of the food shortage. Panels in soft, muted colors offer a variety of perspectives, with some illustrations extending beyond the borders, complementing the spirited, action-packed story. Wukong, Cerberus, and fox-shapeshifter Kit disguise themselves as humans and accompany Momotaro to the city (beasts are forbidden). Kit’s need for revenge threatens the mission, but the group manages to avert war, and the community leaders learn lessons in mutual understanding through the example of these young unlikely heroes. Back matter provides details about the cast of characters inspired by Chinese and Japanese folklore.

From the November/December 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.