Hilda meets ER in this kid-friendly graphic novel set in a magical hospital, where the youngest characters help look after unicorns, giants, fairies and more!

What do you do with a sick dragon, a concussed troll, or a unicorn with a broken horn? You take them to the only place that can help: Creature Clinic! From Super Sidekicks creator and New York Times-bestselling cartoonist Gavin Aung Than comes this action-packed and heart-warming graphic novel set in a magical hospital.

Welcome to Creature Clinic, where a team of dedicated doctors and nurses at the world's finest—and only—hospital look after mythical creatures. Here, everyone from trolls and unicorns, to tooth fairies and giants, can expect the very best treatment. Well, with one exception: humans are absolutely, 100% not welcome.

So when doctor-in-training Kara Orc discovers an injured human child at the hospital, her world is turned upside down. Sure, most humans are dangerous, destructive beasts, but Kara took an oath to help all creatures. Even humans deserve care and compassion! But how long can she keep such a big secret from her boss … who happens to be her mother? And what happens when the human child – whose name is Mitch – decides that he wants to stay at Creature Clinic?

‚òÖCreature Clinic is a new release from Figment Books, the home of the best, boldest and most exciting graphic novels in Australian publishing.

Creature Clinic is perfect for:

• Independent readers aged 8-12
• Fans of Remy Lai's Ghost Book and Jason Pamment's Ember, who will love the detailed world-building, pitch-perfect pacing and the memorable, vibrant cast.
• Parents, teachers and librarians seeking entertaining, immersive yet accessible fantasy stories with high-quality visual storytelling.
• Gift-givers looking for a kids' graphic novel with beautiful artwork, memorable characters and plenty of belly laughs.
• Graphic novel and young readers' book clubs seeking a fun and fast-paced illustrated novel with opportunities to explore themes such as decision-making, caring for others and right vs wrong.

Details

ISBN13: 9781761215599
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 224
Edition:
Publication Date: 13 May 2025
Publisher: Hardie Grant Children's Publishing
Publication City, Country: Australia
Dimensions (cm): 21(H)x14.8(L)427
Weight (gm): 427

Author Biography

Gavin Aung Than is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. After working in the corporate graphic design industry for eight years, he quit his unfulfilling job and sold his house to follow his true passion: cartooning. His work includes Zen Pencils, the middle grade graphic novel series Super Sidekicks and picture book series Baa Baa Black Belt. His graphic novel Creature Clinic was one of the first titles published by Figment Books, Hardie Grant's ground-breaking graphic novel imprint. He lives in Perth, Western Australia.

Reviews

Praise for Creature Clinic:

'Readers will check in, but they won’t want to leave this doctor’s appointment ... Aung Than’s pacing and empathy for the cast shine through in every scene' –Kirkus Reviews

'An exciting, accomplished tale for young readers with great characters and plenty of inspiration embedded into the story. This full-colour graphic novel has many positive wellbeing themes: it celebrates kindness and doing the right thing, and is highly recommended for ages 8+.' –Readings Books

‘This bold, brightly colored fantasy graphic novel turned kid-friendly medical drama (tackles) a complex tale about xenophobia in which the trust earned and lost within friendship and family dynamics take center stage.’ –Publisher's Weekly

'A magical story about helping others in need, no matter how big or small they might be.' –Kazu Kibuishi, bestselling author of the Amulet series

'A hilarious, spellbinding mix of pharmacy and fantasy that you won't want to miss!' –John Patrick Green, bestselling author of the InvestiGators series

'A delightfully diverse cast of characters skip through a candy-colored story packed with sly references and visual gags from across the world's mythologies. A PRESCRIPTION FOR FUN.' –Ben Hatke, bestselling author of Zita the Spacegirl

'A charming romp of a tale that keeps you turning pages until the very end!' –Jo Rioux, author of the Cat's Cradle series

'A meticulously woven tale of mythical creatures and adventure, bursting with empathy, acceptance, and fun!' –Maria Scrivan, bestselling author of the Nat Enough series

'Gavin Aung Than's ER-meets-Lord of the Rings dramedy is great fun, even as we watch Kara and her creature colleagues wrestle with the question of what to do when we know the rules are wrong.' –Mike Cavallaro, author of Nico Bravo and Eowulf