In this prequel to Philip Pullman’s bestselling The Golden Compass, Texan aeronaut balloonist Lee Scoresby first meets his soon-to-be close ally Iorek Byrnison, the famed armored polar bear King. Once Upon a Time in the North features black-and-white art, notes, and "ephemera" throughout, and includes a fold-out map and a board and card game for readers to explore deeper into the magical world of His Dark Materials.