#IMWAYR: Shadow Life and three picture books!

Hi folks! I utterly failed at the goal I shared in my last post to read 5 pages every day. LMAO. But I do have a few wonderful books to share with y'all!

I discovered the first two books in this post from other book bloggers, back when the pandemic was in full swing. And then they sat around unread on my shelves for years. I’m glad to have finally experienced them!

And an extremely cool person introduced me to the last two books in this post. I am delighted to show them to you as well!

Shadow Life

Written by Hiromi Goto

Illustrated by Ann Xu

Adult graphic novel

*** Publisher's description ***

Poet and novelist Hiromi Goto effortlessly blends wry, observational slice-of-life literary fiction with poetic magical realism in the tender and surprising graphic novel Shadow Life, with haunting art from debut artist Ann Xu.

When Kumiko’s well-meaning adult daughters place her in an assisted living home, the seventy-six-year-old widow gives it a try, but it’s not where she wants to be. She goes on the lam and finds a cozy bachelor apartment, keeping the location secret even while communicating online with her eldest daughter. Kumiko revels in the small, daily pleasures: decorating as she pleases, eating what she wants, and swimming in the community pool. But something has followed her from her former residence―Death’s shadow.

Kumiko’s sweet life is shattered when Death’s shadow swoops in to collect her. With her quick mind and sense of humor, Kumiko, with the help of friends new and old, is prepared for the fight of her life. But how long can an old woman thwart fate?

******

This graphic novel is phenomenal. I love Kumiko so much. She laughs at everything, she collects anything she finds on the ground, and she is unabashedly, beautifully, ceaselessly herself (even when it drives everyone around her just the tiniest bit crazy).

Kumiko’s world is the perfect balance of fleshed-out but not overwhelming. She has backstory: past lovers and tragedies. She has a community of people who each have their own unique relationship to her. And she has her day-to-day rituals, beautifully illustrated by Ann Xu.

This book does a wonderful job depicting aging, and it calls attention to how we often don’t trust seniors (or people with any kind of disability or health condition, frankly) to understand or report on their own experiences — and how dangerous the ramifications of that can be.

I also appreciate that this book doesn’t paint death as a fully negative thing or a fully positive or value-neutral thing. It acknowledges that some deaths happen peacefully after a life well-lived, and others are unjust and random, happening painfully or too soon.

And I have to say, as someone living in a world that tempts its inhabitants to feel hopeless or even suicidal, it is refreshing to see a character who is determined to survive, simply because she feels her life is worth living.

I promise this book is gentle with readers, despite the heavy subject matter.

This Small Blue Dot

Written and illustrated by Zeno Sworder

Picture book

*** Publisher's description ***

A little girl explores all of the funny, strange, and wonderful things that make living on Earth so special in this beautifully illustrated children’s story.

With a strong message of hope, interconnectedness, and empowerment, This Small Blue Dot features a little girl explaining the world to her baby sister. She hits on small wonders, big lessons, and everything in between, from sharing the joy of silly dances to contemplating the nature of this “small blue dot” we all live on.

Author and illustrator Zeno Sworder, who hails from a multicultural background, wrote this story when his daughter was unable to find picture books with characters who looked like her. His precocious young narrator has opinions on plenty of things: nature and the environment, embracing difference, the power of imagination―and the trouble with broccoli.

Rich pencil and crayon illustrations conjure up memories of childhood in this celebration of who we are, where we come from, and where our dreams may take us. In This Small Blue Dot, Sworder captures not only life lessons but also the fun, often strange experience of being a member of the human family on planet Earth.

******

Well, it only took me 5 years to read this book after Myra Garces-Bacsal recommended it! (Literally, you can see my 5-year-old comment on her post.) And I'm absolutely in love with this story.

I find it fascinating that us adults are so lost in the sauce, so to speak, when it comes to life. And yet this little, little girl sees the big picture. She reminds us just how small we are in the vast context of the planets, and she highlights the joys of day-to-day life that we so often forget about, from dancing around the room, to doodling, to snacking on strawberries. Genuinely, I think so many adults and kids alike would find this book healing. I know I did.

Visually, this book is a delight. The colorful crayon illustrations look as though our young narrator is drawing each page for us to match her words. But the photorealistic, monochrome style that she is drawn in not only sets her off from the background, but also lends a sense of dignity and solemnity to her depiction. This girl narrates the story exactly the way a child would narrate a story. But through those monochrome illustrations, we feel what an adult might feel for this child — love, and respect, and concern for her future. It's fascinating how this one aspect of the art adds a whole other layer of meaning, one that is open to so many possible interpretations.

There are a few pages in particular I am obsessed with. One, about how people are more beautiful and complicated than they seem at a glance, has an incredibly clever and inventive illustration. Another, about just how difficult some days can be, is so poignant and honest without being overwrought. And another, where our protagonist is wearing grown-up clothes that make her seem about the size of a hamster by comparison, is just precious.

I just want to re-read this book again and again and again. It's so incredible. It's not originally published in the United States, so it may be hard to find at your library, but I promise that it is worth buying your own copy. You're not going to want to read it only once anyway.

My Papi Has a Motorcycle

Written by Isabel Quintero

Illustrated by Zeke Peña

Picture book

*** Publisher's description ***

A celebration of the love between a father and daughter, and of a vibrant immigrant neighborhood, by an award-winning author and illustrator duo.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Century

When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.

But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.

With vivid illustrations and text bursting with heart, My Papi Has a Motorcycle is a young girl's love letter to her hardworking dad and to memories of home that we hold close in the midst of change.

******

What a lovely book. I don't know if I have a lot to say about the storyline that the publisher's description doesn't already get at. But I will say that this is a gentle story, with a warm color palette, some really lyrical moments of prose, and meaningful themes of family and community.

I'm really interested in how Zeke Peña's illustrations take advantage of the sheer width of the two-page spreads. The horizontal-ness of it all feels very grounding to me, as do the cream-colored page backgrounds that give the cityscapes space to breathe. In some of the two-page spreads, when you read them left to right, the scenery moves physically but the characters advance forward in time, being spotted in multiple places within the same scene. There is something very laid-back about this blurring between space and time, and this laid-back feeling is echoed by the book's frequent use of single comic panels to capture additional moments on the same spread. It feels as though the story rolls along without being rigidly confined to the traditional rules of picture book construction.

Julián Is a Mermaid

Written and illustrated by Jessica Love

Picture book

*** Publisher's description ***

In an exuberant picture book, a glimpse of costumed mermaids leaves one boy flooded with wonder and ready to dazzle the world.

While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love’s author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.

******

God, what a beautiful book. I don't know how I haven't read this until now. I've spent enough time imagining myself in flowy dresses and playing as Princess Peach in video games to relate plenty to this story's protagonist, Julián. This is the kind of story that expands a few "small" moments of plot outward, digging into and inhabiting each until a seemingly simple premise feels rich and limitless instead.

I love how the story makes space for Julián's imagined mermaid fantasies and real-world attempts alike. I love how the mermaid metaphor echoes real-world gender expression while also leaving old norms and constraints behind — it's not about being masculine or feminine, it's about being graceful and proud and moving like water and maybe even putting a big jellyfish hat on your head (you'll see what I mean). I love the ending, which is unexpected in several ways. I love the clever little Easter eggs throughout the illustrations. I love the colors that ache with vividness and peace, and I love the faint hum of anticipation that flows through every composition in the book.

I don't know what else to say, except wow.

That's all for now — see you again soon! ✨✨