The Magic Fish #[nn]

Trung Le Nguyen's The Magic Fish is a 2020 original graphic novel from Penguin Random House that wears its heart on its sleeve — the cover shows a young boy absorbed in a book, rendered in lush green tones, while a graceful mermaid figure floats dreamlike in the background behind him. The interplay between the bookish kid in the foreground and the fantastical figure emerging from the space around him suggests a story where the worlds of everyday life and fairy tale imagination beautifully overlap. Nguyen handles every creative role here — writing, art, inks, color, and lettering — making this a singular, deeply personal vision from start to finish.