Oude tijden, Geen kus van de koning #[nn]

Joann Sfar's Oude tijden: Geen kus van de koning pulls readers into a murky, enchanted forest where a determined young boy wades through shallow water clutching a striped staff, surrounded by an unsettling gathering of creatures — a looming troll-like giant, a ghostly blue woman with flowing hair emerging from gnarled roots, a wide-eyed rabbit, and other strange beings lurking in the shadows. Sfar's cover linework, rendered in moody greens and grays, gives the scene a fairy-tale unease that feels both ancient and alive. Published in 2010 by Oog & Blik and De Bezige Bij, this Dutch-language volume is a striking showcase of Sfar's distinctive ability to make the mythic feel intimate and strange all at once.