Graphic Novels

 

Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths. By Graham Annable. First Second, 2019. 133 pages. $17.99. ISBN 9781626725720

Grades 1 - 5. The second graphic novel in a three-part series finds Peter, Ernesto, and their other sloth friends in search of a home after a hurricane destroyed their home tree. The six, multi-colored sloths venture into a jungle and learn many valuable lessons along the way, such as don't sleep in a field unless you want to get bitten by ants! Each cartoon sloth is rendered with unique personal traits that are full of expressive emotions despite not necessarily looking like an anatomically accurate one. They also meet an assortment of jungle animals who help them find their new tree and learn how to share and protect it. Annabele's illustrations are simple, bold, and help readers understand what is happening in the story and also with the passage of time. There a well-crafted blend of full page illustrations designed for the reader to pause and rest in the story before the exciting, adventurous sequential pieces full of sound effects. Using the illustrations to create the pace and tone in the story will allow children to follow the plot along with the conversational speech bubbles used by the characters. There's a bonus section at the end of the book that includes real sloth facts and anecdotal facts specifically about Peter and Ernesto's friendship.

White Bird. By R. J. Palacio. Alfred A. Knopf, 2019. 220 pages. $24.99. ISBN 9780525645535

Grades 3 - 7. White Bird exists in the same world as Palacio's novel, Wonder, and focuses on the character of Julian's grandmother. This graphic novel is structured into three parts plus a prologue and epilogue which allows for an understanding between the present day and the historical periods covered within. The story begins with Julian interviewing his grandmother, Sara, for a school project and, though reluctant, shares about her teenage years hiding in a barn during the Nazi occupation of France. Her narrative includes reflections on not just the conditions of hiding out and the fear of discovery, but also how she treated the classmate with polio whose family she hides with. There is a lot of spiritual reflection on being brave, light versus darkness, and what courage is. Palacio's illustrations are full color and feature simple character line work that includes a lot of emotion. The color palette varies between the bright colors of the present to the warmer tones of the past which allows readers to differentiate between the timelines. The font is a small, handwritten style that is very minimal in comparison to the illustrations which highlights the secretive, journalistic feeling of Sara's story. There are depictions in the illustrations of blood and death, as well as illusions to characters dying such as her mother and Julien. White Bird is a piece of historical fiction but Palacio has an extensive author's note section that includes a glossary with photographs, suggested reading list, and organizations for further research which would make this a good choice for a school library or classroom.

Borders. By Thomas King. Illustrated by Natasha Donovan. Little, Brown and Company, 2021. 194 pages. $24.99. ISBN 9780316593069

Grades 3 - 7. Cherokee author King and Metis illustrator Donovan worked together to create a stand-alone graphic novel on understanding identity as a First Nations member. Told as a fictional memoir from the perspective of a teenage son, we watch the family dynamics between a mother and daughter with a combative relationship. The daughter, Laetitia, decides to leave their home in Canada for a perceived more interesting life in Salt Lake City and she is dropped at the border. Deciding to visit, the mother and son set out but are detained in the no-man's land between the Canadian and American border because the mother states Blackfoot as their citizenship. Over a series of days they sleep in their car and attempt to cross both borders multiple times and are denied which draws media attention, but this aides them in crossing into the US. King's intention to create a reflection on the concept of borders seems to fall flat in his text due to the short, choppiness of the sentences and the teenage narrator seeming to be uninterested in these intentions and more so on food options. The plot jumps around through past and present but there isn't a clear delineation in either the text or Donovan's illustrations. However, the emotions of the characters are well rendered in the illustrations and these do more to carry the story along than the text does. Donovan's illustrations are bright and by not using the traditional cell borders plays into the title of the book. Readers will be able to follow the plot and maybe even have some questions regarding plot holes or the book's ending, but I don't believe they'll fully understand the author's intention when it comes to borders and identity.