Animal Rescue Friends

At the Animal Rescue Friends shelter, everyone is looking for a way to belong—kids and animals alike. From Epic! Originals, Animal Rescue Friends is a heartwarming, three-book graphic novel series filled with humor and furry friendships.

Welcome to Animal Rescue Friends, where any stray can find a friendly face—furry or otherwise. This first collection of middle-grade comics includes five tales of found family: A lonely girl living in the suburbs finds happiness with a stray pit bull; a protective mama ferret and her six kits learn to trust a shelter volunteer; a shy boy stands up for himself with the help of a strong-willed bunny; a cantankerous cat helps to mend a troubled relationship; and the shelter’s unofficial mascot eventually finds a home. Perfect for animal-loving kids, this adorable comics series will inspire and uplift.

About the Creators

Gina Loveless fell in love with kids’ books when she was eight and fell back in love with them when she was twenty-eight. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from California Institute of the Arts and resides in eastern Pennsylvania.

Meika Hashimoto grew up on a shiitake mushroom farm in Maine. She is a children’s book editor and lives deep in the woods with her husband, two rescue mutts, and a calico cat. She is the author of The Magic Cake Shop and The Trail.

Genevieve Kote is an illustrator from a small town in Quebec who now lives in Montreal. Her work has appeared in parenting and lifestyle magazines, kids’ magazines, newspapers, chapter books, educational manuals, and video games. She is the illustrator of According to Aggie—a comic that appears in every issue of American Girl magazine. She is inspired by vintage children’s books, Manga, animation, and screen-printing. In addition to being an artist, Genevieve is an avid reader, enthusiastic baker, and traveler. She shares her studio with a sweet but tired-looking cat.