Runaway

A cow and a runaway train are on a collision course. How will it all end?

The captain is indisposed and there's no one left to pilot the train. But a train mostly drives itself, right? What could possibly go wrong?

And with that, Cordell Barker's allegorical tale of greed, ignorance and the social cost of self-importance is away

Adapted from the 2009 animated short of the same name, Runaway is a rollicking and fast-paced comic that is short on dialogue, big on laughs and ends with a bang.

Pleasingly devoid of any pedantic tendencies, Barker's story, expertly adapted for the page by children's author Sarah Howden, comes alive with visual jokes, poignant pauses and plenty of action.

Rendered in Barker's signature, energetic illustration style, and set in an era of steamer cars and top hats, Runaway is a heavy-duty story cleverly disguised as a simple comedy of errors.

National Film Board of Canada Collection In the tradition of the NFB's creative and innovative storytelling on film comes the National Film Board of Canada Collection: a series of celebrated animated films, documentary films and media projects adapted for the printed page.

Whether discovering a much-loved classic for the first time or interacting with a favorite film in a new and exciting way, readers will be delighted with the thought-provoking stories and inventive presentations of the National Film Board of Canada Collection.

Cordell Barker is an award-winning animator whose films include the critically acclaimed The Cat Came Back (adapted to book form in 2017) and Strange Invaders. Barker lives in Winnipeg where he can be found playing tennis when not animating.

Sarah Howden is a children’s book author and editor best known for her 5-Minute Stories for Fearless Girls collection. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.