Tug of War

author: Naomi Howarth
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/06/17
date added: 2018/06/17
shelves: childrens
review:
'Tug of War' by Naomi Howarth is a story about how being little doesn't mean you can't be someone's friend.

When Tortoise is looking for a friend, he finds Elephant and Hippo. They both laugh about how small he is. This makes Tortoise sad, until he uses his brain to show them that he has things to offer these two huge animals.

I really liked this well illustrated story with it's message for the small. It's a picture book to be read and thought about.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Frances Lincoln Children's Books, Quarto Publishing Group, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Jeremy - Volume 1 - Paradise Island (Jommeke strip)

author: Jef Nys
name: Wayne
average rating: 1.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2018/06/10
date added: 2018/06/10
shelves: graphic-novels, childrens
review:
'Jeremy Vol. 1: Paradise Island' by Jef Nys is an English translation of the Flemish comic Jommeke. The comic was first published in the 1950s, so the title has either a dated or charming feel depending on how you feel.

Jeremy's friend Frankie has won a contest, thanks to Jeremy answering all the questions for him. The prize is an around the world cruise and Frankie can take 4 friends along. Of course, one is his pet dog, which they dress up like a girl. On the ship, the kids run into a nemesis who strands them on a desert island, but the kids end up making the best of things with their new friends, a group of chimpanzees willing to do labor and a chorus of parrots who sing to them every night.

The art and story remind me of a lot of the kids comics I grew up reading, like Donald Duck and Little Lulu. The art style is completely charming. The story has elements that feel a little outdated, but I expect that from something that is 60+ years old. It would be a fun read for younger readers with some discussion about why it's not okay for such a thing as girl's work and boy's work.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Last Jungle Book - Volume 1 - Man (Le Dernier livre de la jungle)

author: Stephen Desberg
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2018/06/10
date added: 2018/06/10
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Last Jungle Book: 1.Man' by Stephen Desberg with art by Henri Reculé states that it is freely adapted from Kipling's The Jungle Book, and it's not a bad adaptation.

The framing story involves an older Mowgli traveling back to where it all began. He has a series of flashbacks showing how he was orphaned by a fierce tiger, then taken in and raised by a pack of wolves. The wolves protect him from the tiger, but there may not be complete harmony amongst the pack. The story is intercut with the old Mowgli on his journey as he relects on his childhood.

I liked the story and it's a mostly faithful adaptation of the source material. The art works well for the story. It has a classic adventure style to it that suits the story. I would have liked more of the older Mowgli story, but I suspect that will happen in the later volumes.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Rise of the Superheroes: Greatest Silver Age Comic Books and Characters

author: David Tosh
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/06/10
date added: 2018/06/10
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Rise of the Superheroes: Greatest Silver Age Comic Books and Characters' by David Tosh is an overview of one of the greatest eras of comic books.

It's not an especially deep book, but it gives a really good overview to the era from it's beginning in 1956 with the release of Showcase #4 featuring the Flash. It talks about the industry pressures and influences that led to the era. It mentions the key issues and creators and storylines. The best part is the covers and art pages of the era, including recent auction prices. It's fun to see some of these up close.

There are insets about today's modern superhero movie characters and where they got there start. The author includes some commentary about his life during the era, that lends a fun perspective on the times. The book finishes with a post-lude on collecting, auctions, and the names of the different pedigreed collections featured in the book.

Comics have been around a long time, and we are still being influenced by the Silver Age. This might be a fun read for someone new to comics that doesn't know some of the history.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Krause Publications, F+W Media, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Michigan: On the Trail of a War Bride

author: Julien Frey
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.80
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/06/10
date added: 2018/06/10
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Michigan: On the Trail of a War Bride' by Julien Frey with art by Lucas Varela is a true story about a French woman who moved to Michigan after World War II.

When Odette was young, she worked in France and met a young American. Over the course of their relationship, they decided to get married and move to Michigan, where he was from and had work. Now it is many years later and Julien travels from France to meet his wife's American family.

There are the oddities that occur when cultures meet and differ, and these are told with some shock and quite a bit of humor. Odette's story is interwoven throughout.

The cover drew me to this title, and the interior art doesn't disappoint. I really like the style. The color choices remain a bit muted, but the lines are clear and strong.

I enjoyed this story of people out of their element and how they deal with things.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Little Mama

author: Halim
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.40
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2018/06/09
date added: 2018/06/09
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Little Mama' by Hakim is a difficult graphic novel to get through. It deals with a harsh subject in a pretty harsh way.

Little Brenda was born to a teenage mother who is pretty bad at being a mother (or even a grown up). Little Brenda takes the brunt of her mother's anger. People outside the home take notice, but Brenda learns to cover things up for her mother's sake. She also takes care of things at home, earning her the nickname of Little Mama. When her mother gets a new boyfriend, and becomes pregnant again, things get worse for Brenda until she does what she has to do.

The art is good. The story is just so gruesomely dark. There is a lot of honestly raw emotion, and I don't know that I could recommend this to victims of abuse, because it shows a broken system, and a child that has to live in a broken home for years. This may be the case for real victims, but it feels like the framing story treats things too lightly and doesn't offer much in the way of advice, and the glimmer of hope it does offer seems too simple.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Pluto Is Peeved: An ex-planet searches for answers

author: Jacqueline Jules
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2018/06/09
date added: 2018/06/09
shelves: childrens
review:
'Pluto Is Peeved: An ex-planet searches for answers' by Jacqueline Jules with art by Dave Roman is a graphic novel about a disgruntled astronomical object.

Pluto is no longer a planet and he goes in search of answers. Along the way, he finds a dinosaur that has been renamed. He finds super small bacteria. He discovers that he have have relatives in the Kuiper Belt where he lives. He also learns that even though he is no longer a planet, there is still plenty of interest in him.

It's a cute story about scientific curiosity, and the way science can change over time. The lesson is pretty good, and there is some further material about the different things discussed in the book.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Seagrass Press, Quarto Publishing Group, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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