Trumpets of Death - by Simon Bournel-Bosson (Paperback)

About the Book

After being left at his grandparents' house in the woods, young Antoine attempts to get along with his huntsman grandfather until one day in the forest Antoine transforms into a deer.

Book Synopsis

One rainy night, Antoine gets dropped off at his grandparents' remote house in the middle of the woods. He's stuck between a doting grandmother and a grandfather openly hostile to his presence, and time crawls by while he waits to hear from his parents. When Antoine ventures out with his grandfather to forage for mushrooms, intergenerational conflict and mysterious forces of nature culminate in a fearsome hunt through the forest that will resolve their differences once and for all.

Review Quotes

"This stunning, introspective story is short, but its firm grasp on the multifaceted themes of growing up and getting old promises readers will take their time with each image and think about the implications of the plot long after they've reached the end."--School Library Journal

-- (8/13/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"Simon Bournel-Bosson's debut graphic novel is a surreal, emotional, and intriguing exploration of intergenerational conflict, growth, and human nature."--starred, Shelf Awareness

-- (8/8/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"The artwork is certainly the showpiece, with a bold color palette adding to the 1990s nostalgia the book quietly evokes, while the sleekness of the cartoon character design adds a modern polish to the project. A fascinating tale."--Booklist

-- (7/9/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"A beautiful graphic novel about a boy whose transformation into a stag leads to personal growth and maturity."--Foreword Reviews

-- (5/27/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"An unsettling, thought-provoking coming of age."--Kirkus Reviews

-- (5/6/2025 12:00:00 AM)