Comics artist Mark Leiknes delivers a laugh-out-loud story set in a fantastic world of dragons, rock creatures, and golden loungewear. This first book in a trilogy is A Series of Unfortunate Events meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid—introducing readers to a (mostly) fearless fellowship of adventurers, the Quest Kids!
QUEST KIDS AND THE DRAGON PANTS OF GOLD
by Mark Leiknes
Union Square Kids/Sterling, September 2022
(via Writers House)
Okay, QUEST KIDS, you’re hired, but if I don’t have my super-soft zip-up golden track jacket in one year’s time, this town is toast. DRAGON OUT!
The Quest Kids are ready for their first real quest. This time, they won’t oversleep, they won’t be put off by a little rain, and they won’t accidentally burn down the village that hired them. All they have to do is find the Golden-Fleeced Rage Beast, shave it, and make a really nice golden track suit to appease a furious dragon. Simple, right? I mean, check out their crew: Gil, a wizard (well, wizard in training. . . the beard isn’t his); Terra, a 700-year old elf kid; Boulder, a rock troll who, okay, is more of a cook than a fighter; Ace, a flatulent pig-dog-maybe-lizard hybrid; and Ned—their intrepid and overly optimistic leader with his own personal quest: to solve the mystery of his missing parents.
With humor, magic, mystery, and at least one acid swamp filled with skeletal alligators, QUEST KIDS AND THE DRAGON PANTS OF GOLD is a richly illustrated saga of fantasy friendship that’s sure to thrill and crack up readers from all kingdoms! Mark already has the next titles lined up, too – Quest Kids and the Dark Prophecy of Doug (2023), and Quest Kids and the Mystery of the Goblin Gazebo (2024).
Mark Leiknes lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife and three kids. He produced a nationally syndicated comic strip (Cow & Boy) for eight years and now he writes and illustrates books for kids. Mark studied graphic design in college and honed his comedic chops studying improv and sketch comedy at the acclaimed Groundlings School. Visit him online at markleiknes.com.