The Sleepwalkers

 “WONDERFULLY IMAGINATIVE AND INVENTIVE.” – BOOKTRUST

My first graphic novel, ninety-four pages and in full colour! Available now! Check your bookshop, or your preferred online book retailer.

The Sleepwalkers are three friendly sheep who travel through dreams in their nightmare-seeking house to help humans who are lost in fear. They have knowledge, kindness – and the Sword of Rin, Slayer of Trouble.
But they are old, and it is time to conjure a team of apprentices… this is the story of a new Beginning. Will Bonifacius the bear be afraid every single day of his life? Is there anything that Amali the sock monkey can’t do best? And does it matter that Sophia the crow doesn’t have a head?
But most of all, can they be a team of true heroes?

You will meet beasts and monsters great and small, prehistoric and mechanical, deafening, invisible, friendly and hungry. You will see places above the sky, under the sea, and the very heart of darkness. You may turn into a tree, or learn to fly a plane.

And also you will learn to make a friend out of socks and a breakfast drink to get you through dreadful times. And I’ve included blueprints of some of the more interesting vehicles.

Published by Walker Books in the UK and Australia, and Candlewick Press in the U.S. – ask your local book store!

Shortlisted for a British Comics Award (best comic for Children) in 2013.

 “Wonderfully imaginative and inventive.” – Booktrust
*Starred Review* Rather than truly scary, these dream environments and enemies are equal parts lyrical and eerie, and, consequently, this British import strikes a unique tone of charming strangeness. The imagery is presented with a warbling line in predominantly tiny panels, also capturing the vague, sometimes claustrophobic sense of a dream. More than a simple (if weird) adventure, Schwarz constructs a fascinating and intricate mythology and even leaves readers with an echo of haunting poignancy. Bonifacius, a big golden bear who is chief among the new recruits, is scared out of his wits most of the time, but he soldiers on to do his duty, presenting both great accessibility and a great example for young readers. Grades 2-5.” –Jesse Karp
“This is full-on and frantic as three learned sheep attempt to rescue small children from their nocturnal nightmares, making quick-snap decisions on the hoof.  … Schwarz’s cartooning is an expressive joy, ebullient in action but also as tender and moving as early Disney feature film during the quiet moments of loss.” – Page 45
“Beautifully illustrated in both style and substance; rewards those who give in to its infectious sense of optimism in discovering one’s own place in the world.” – Popzara