Not From Home, Not From Beyond by Dina Omut (Mini Kus! #138)

Dina Omut’s whimsical entry in this batch of mini kus! is a near-wordless story that  plays like a subverted fairly tale. It’s a dreamlike adventure, with fine lines to the artistic style and intricate details in the early pages with the protagonist being whisked away from her bed, that bring to mind an almost Garden Gnome/Winsor McCay-like fantasy sequence. She travels attempting to find the source of a smell, with beautiful two-page spreads that are revealed smack-dab in the middle of the book, featuring a rocky outcropping and the lair of a serpent. In what we initially think is the final denouement, there’s a Hansel and Gretel-esque abode, but instead of resolution, the quest continues in what seems to be an infinite loop of faux discovery. It remains unclear if the house represents danger or safety, and it remains unclear if there’s ever any resolution – and that’s the point. The quest mirrors the never-ending dichotomy we can all feel and experience, the lure of adventure balanced against returning to the comfort of home, the perpetual paradigm that is life.