Graphic Novels

 

Benton, Jim. Jop and Blip Wanna Know: Can You Hear a Penguin Fart on Mars? And Other Excellent Questions. Illustrated by the author. Harper Alley, 2021. $8.99. 9780062972934 Gr 1-5.

In this book, two silly-looking robots ponder some excellent questions and share random historical and scientific knowledge. The large cartoon panels include bright, beady-eyed illustrations. The all-caps print adds to the cartoon-feel of the book; the style will most likely appeal to children who enjoy DogMan and other similar works. The book is divided into three sections, with each section mostly focusing on one main question, but throughout we also get information on other topics. The many unrelated facts do support the book’s main idea about asking questions, but the randomness created a lack of cohesion. It might be difficult for some children to follow. I also felt the lack of focus on one topic made me less invested in the information I was being given. Overall, the information is certainly interesting, but the execution was somewhat off-putting. This book was advertised as #1, suggesting that there would be a series, but no more have been made so far. Benton does have several other series, such as Catwad.

Durfey-Lavoie, Lee. Just Roll With It. Illustrated by Veronica Agarwal. Random House Graphic, 2021. $13.99. 9781984896995 Gr 3-7.

This graphic novel, which I would recommend for older elementary or middle school students, covers a lot of ground. Maggie, the protagonist, has the regular stresses of starting middle school and making new friends, and she is also struggling with OCD-like behaviors and anxiety. She loves role-playing games and carries a die with her that she rolls when she is afraid to make decisions. Younger elementary children might have trouble understanding that some of the things Maggie imagines in her anxiety are in her mind and aren’t really happening. However, by the end of the book, the authors do make her situation clear. The text narrates the events of her day and her conversations with friends and family, but the illustrations heighten our awareness of her inner life. The illustrations convey Maggie’s different emotions and fears through her facial expressions, such as when her eyes get wider and completely white when she is overwhelmed or when a dark background and/or black scribbles are used to show that her anxiety is getting the best of her. Together, the text and illustrations successfully depict Maggie’s experiences and feeling in an entertaining and engaging way. The cast of characters is diverse and quirky, and the many supportive family and friends who surround Maggie make this book a joy to read. A new book in this series came out this summer, starring a different main character but still from the same “world.”

Kibuishi, Kazu. Amulet: The Stonekeeper (Book #1). Illustrated by the author. Graphix, 2008. $12.99. 9780439846813 Gr 3-7.

This graphic novel is action-packed. It is illustration heavy; many panels are solely images. The graphics are beautiful, with a gloomy and mysterious color palette. Often main events in the plot are told visually through a series of progressive panels. For the most part, text is used for dialogue alone as opposed to narration or internal thoughts. Children who enjoy looking at images carefully will enjoy this format, but children who are used to textual narration or who don’t know how to interpret certain visual cues may struggle to follow the plot. Children should be encouraged to take their time reading the illustrations rather than skipping forward to words; otherwise, they may miss important plot points. Taking time with the illustrations is worthwhile to appreciate their artistry; the author uses characters’ facial expressions effectively to show inner conflict and emotion. The novel ends on a major cliffhanger, but luckily all nine books in the series are available.

Paulsen, Bree. Garlic & the Vampire. Illustrated by the author. Quill Tree Books, 2021. $15.99. 9780062995087 Gr 3-7.

This is a sweet story with the most unlikely of heroes: a garlic bulb named Garlic! The text and illustrations work very well together. At times the frames zoom in to better show a character’s expression, such as when a frame zooms in on Celery’s narrowed eyes to show that he is annoyed with Garlic. White lines suggest sparkles when a character is using magic. These techniques get across emotion and action without words being needed. The expressions on the characters’ faces are charming and novel, especially in the case of the vegetable characters. Children might be a bit confused about why vegetables are alive; near the beginning of the story, Witch Agnes does explain that she created them, but younger readers might not quite catch the detail. However, the vegetables are so cute that most children won’t have trouble accepting them and being invested in their concern about the dangers of a potential vampire. The rest of the plot is easy to follow; transitions from place to place are made clear with zoomed out illustrations of distance being covered. There is one more book about these characters, Garlic & the Witch, and the author has a new book called The Firelight Apprentice coming out October 29^th.