A middle grade graphic novel follows the adventures of a magical boy from Maya mythology. The first of a series based on ancient Mesoamerican myths and legends. Sayam has always been different from other kids-he's very short for his age, his best friend is a monkey, and most curious of all: he was born from an egg! His grandmother, a witch, found him and taught him all the ancient magic she uses to help her people. So when a giant snake starts terrorizing a nearby city, Sayam decides it's time for him to use his knowledge to help others, and steps into action. But the beast might not be Sayam's biggest problem: the ruthless King Kinich Kak Ek sees Sayam as a threat to his throne. Prophecy declares that whoever succeeds at three impossible tests will be king. Monstrous snakes and impossible tests are a lot for a boy to handle, but Sayam is brave and has a loyal monkey, a wise grandmother, and magical knowledge on his side! Fans of adventure tales with a mythological focus-such as Bowles' previous work with Latin American myths, The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande and the Garza Twin series, as well as Rick Riordan Presents, especially the Storm Runner novels-will love this exciting and accessible graphic novel. Rise of the Halfling King is also an invaluable educational tool for middle school students-it's a well-researched introduction to Maya culture, made accessible by an expert in Mesoamerican culture and juvenile literature. Bowles previously stitched together tales from Maya, Aztec, and other ancient mythology from pre-Columbian Mexico in the critically-acclaimed YA book, Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky. David Bowles is a Mexican American author and educator based in South Texas. He has written fourteen books. His middle grade novel-in-verse They Call Me Guero has been the recipient of numerous honors such as the Pura Belpre Honor, the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, the Claudia Lewis Award for Excellence in Poetry, the Walter Dean Myers Honor Award for Outstanding Children's Literature, the Texas Institute of Letters Best Middle Grade Book Award, the Skipping Stones Award; the book is also an Americas Book Award Commended Title and was named in the Bluebonnet Award Masterlist. Some of his other books are Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky and The Smoking Mirror. Charlene Bowles is a comic artist and illustrator based in Texas. She graduated from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2018. Rise of the Halfling King is her debut graphic novel and her work has also been featured on the covers of the award-winning Garza Twins books. She is currently developing many of her own comic projects.

All three exciting books in one volume Swift and his friends were ordinary cats until they were transformed by a virus meant to fix human DNA. Now they are able to think, speak and act like people. What's more, each cat-human also possesses a distinct ability that goes beyond what is biologically possible. These special powers make them both dangerous and useful, and the US government is eager to get them under its control. The problem is that some cat-humans just don't want to be controlled...

Second edition. Swift was just an ordinary house cat until a mix-up in the lab of his owner, Dr. Gonzales. Now he's part human... and not really sure if he likes it. Pretty soon, everybody wants a cat-human of their own. But when Dr. Gonzales starts to create more, he accidentally makes a dangerous villain. And Swift is forced to become a hero.

Swift is in a coma. Reaves is searching for the human girl who once owned him. Dr. Gonzales and Enzo are in jail. Kenmei is hiding out in Mexico, and the rest of the cat-humans have been rounded up by the government and placed in a special facility. As if things weren't bad enough, a terrifying cat-beast is about to creep out of the shadows, and in order to end his crime spree, the team will have to first overcome the obstacles that keep them apart.

Reaves has escaped, and pretty soon everyone figures out that he's a bigger threat than ever. He has injected himself with a virus that puts poison dart frog DNA in every cell of his body, and now no one can touch him, not even Swift. It will take more than just Swift and Kenmei to shut down Reaves' plans: they need to recruit a team of cat-humans. The question is will the government let them?