Join Cactus Kid as he zooms through the Neverending Desert on his sweet ride, seeking the ultimate magical powers to become the greatest wizard of all time. But also, getting into huge amounts of explosive trouble, deadly motorbike races, and a lot of embarrassing encounters…Life’s not always easy for a Cactus. This particular one wants to impress his all-powerful dad with his epic magic skills, and he’s not about to let anything stop him on his solo hero’s journey. All he needs is a chunk of star rock to level up his potions. There’s just one problem – there’s none left. The only way to get a single slice of the stuff is to enter the deadly MotoBrawl race, find a way to stop accidentally turning bugs into giant fire-breathing creatures, befriend the lizard gangs that roam the desert, and
maybe make a friend along the way. But does a lone hero even need any of this stuff?
Emmanuel Guerrero was born in Santa Ana, California, a suburb 40 minutes south of Los Angeles. He is a comic artist that has tabled at multiple festivals in cities across the US and his comics can be found in independent book stores across LA.
‘If you’re looking for magic, motorcycles, and adventure, pick up Cactus Kid! Just…watch out for the prickly bits.’ —
John Patrick Green, creator of the InvestiGators series.Potions? Check! Motorcycles? Check! Wizards, cute little creatures, mysterious lizard antagonist …check! What’s there not to love about Cactus Kid! -
Miguel Gonzalez, Art Director at Nickelodeon Animation Studios.Cactus Kid feels like Mad Max meets Gumball meets Mario Kart in all the best ways. The cast of knockabout characters, delicious colors, gorgeous effects, and stellar world-building make my heart happy and have me rooting for this cute but tough little cactus the whole way through. -
Valerie Schwarz, Art Director at Cartoon NetworkTeeming with offbeat humour and quirky characters [...] this wacky tale would appeal to fans of Bunny vs Monkey. -
BookTrust, BookTrustCactus Kid competes in an epic and death-defying motorbike race to try and get his hands on a piece of star rock and prove to his father that he is the best wizard alive. -
Charlotte Eyre, The Bookseller March PreviewsYou know this one is going to be a great read…its first word is VROOM!!!!! taking you are straight into the action and not slowing down...Aimed at Middle Grade readers, this is an ideal book for children who are new to graphic novels. This copy already has a really long waiting list at school. -
Helen Byles, Armadillo Children's BooksA young cactus wizard runs away from his powerful patriarch to seek a star rock fragment to fine-tune his magic skills in the desert, where he encounters a motorbike gang and a bounty hunting lizard. Ages 8–12. -
Meg Lemke, Spring 2024 Preview: Middle Grade Comics & Graphic NovelsReaders will be swiftly drawn in on Cactus Kid’s journey of adventure and self-discovery in this super fun and action-packed graphic novel brimming with dynamic illustration and engaging text. -
Ruth Concannon, RTE
