A lighthearted tale with black and brown characters, matter-of-fact Brooklyn bilingualism, and a solid message of creating...
Graphic novelist Mercado celebrates the joy of hip-hop.
This fun, candy-colored Afrofuturist saga set in 1980s Brooklyn introduces 13-year-old budding DJ Wax; his ice cream truck–vendor uncle Rashaad (he swears in ice cream flavors); his pizza-deliverer–turned–best-friend, Cooky P; and his brainy, truth-telling little sister The D, the tale’s real hero. The story opens as Wax produces a colossal sonic disaster (according to his family) for his crush, Pirate Polly. The lovingly honest criticism spurs Wax to try again—and, in the process, he transports them all to a Blade Runner–inspired world called Discopia, accidentally kills King Chug Chug, its ruler, and calls forth a mentor, Kabuki Snowman, who teaches the teenager Sci-Fu, described as “a mix between a martial art and a musical instrument…to manipulate and modulate the sound waves around you” in order to defeat the king’s son Choo Choo and his mixed-gender crew, the Five Deadly Dangers. This trippy, psychedelic adventure, with chapters labeled like album tracks, is as much a call and response to Vijay Prashad’s Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting (2002) and a riff on astrophysicist Neil de Grasse Tyson’s comment that all of the universe is literally made of stardust as it is a not-so-subtle visual reference to Samurai Jack’s villain Aku and a nod to Get Out’s lifesaving-friendship trope.
A lighthearted tale with black and brown characters, matter-of-fact Brooklyn bilingualism, and a solid message of creating through failure and love. (Graphic science fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62010-472-9
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Brava!
From award winner Telgemeier (Smile, 2010), a pitch-perfect graphic novel portrayal of a middle school musical, adroitly capturing the drama both on and offstage.
Seventh-grader Callie Marin is over-the-moon to be on stage crew again this year for Eucalyptus Middle School’s production of Moon over Mississippi. Callie's just getting over popular baseball jock and eighth-grader Greg, who crushed her when he left Callie to return to his girlfriend, Bonnie, the stuck-up star of the play. Callie's healing heart is quickly captured by Justin and Jesse Mendocino, the two very cute twins who are working on the play with her. Equally determined to make the best sets possible with a shoestring budget and to get one of the Mendocino boys to notice her, the immensely likable Callie will find this to be an extremely drama-filled experience indeed. The palpably engaging and whip-smart characterization ensures that the charisma and camaraderie run high among those working on the production. When Greg snubs Callie in the halls and misses her reference to Guys and Dolls, one of her friends assuredly tells her, "Don't worry, Cal. We’re the cool kids….He's the dork." With the clear, stylish art, the strongly appealing characters and just the right pinch of drama, this book will undoubtedly make readers stand up and cheer.
Brava! (Graphic fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-32698-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
SEEN & HEARD
A rather unsatisfying graphic novel, sure to disappoint fans of Ellis’ book.
A graphic-novel adaptation of Ellis’ heartwarming story of Parvana, a young girl in Afghanistan who cuts her hair and dresses as a boy to earn money for her family when her father is imprisoned by the Taliban.
Adding a layer of remove from the original, this graphic novel is an adaptation of the upcoming film version, and it varies significantly from the original book. Notable deviations include the absence of helpful Mrs. Weera, who provides so much support to Parvana and her family in the original book, and two new details: a grudging former student who tattles on Parvana’s father and Parvana’s solo visit to rescue her imprisoned father. Much story is lost as a result of the numerous deviations, which also sadly promote Western views of Afghanistan, such as rampant corruption and violent men. Even as a stand-alone title for readers not familiar with the book, the storyline is bumpy, moving in fits and starts. At one point, Parvana’s mother decides to abandon Parvana and leave for the neighboring village but then changes her mind midway. Another disappointment is the book cover, which shows Parvana selling chai, something she does not do in either story (although her friend does). The only redeeming factor is the beautiful artwork, stills from the film, with its vivid use of colors to display context, such as use of red for war and black for the Taliban rule.
A rather unsatisfying graphic novel, sure to disappoint fans of Ellis’ book. (Graphic historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-77306-118-4
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
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