Stars: *****

I absolutely loved this book! The story was original and fresh; it was full of excitement and kept me reading in (nearly!) one sitting!

Ethan’s dad is a famous comic book artist, which is how Ethan has wound up drawing the artwork on a school project creating their own comic. Problem is…he can’t actually draw. But, he soon discovers Inkling in his room.

Inkling is a creature who has crawled straight from his father’s sketchbook. He feeds on ink and loves to draw. Could he be the answer to Ethan’s wish?

Soon, he finds that what ink he feeds Inkling makes a difference to how he is, what he can do.

Ethan’s sister Sarah has Down’s syndrome and his mother has recently passed away – he often has to care for Sarah because his Dad is ‘stuck’ and is finding it difficult. It references real life situations that children themselves will be in allowing them to either not feel alone or to develop empathy through the characters.

The illustrations were simple throughout – ink blots on the pages – but I loved the feel they added to the story.