#IMWAYR: Graphic novels and Caldecott picks!

Look! It's another rare and precious post from me, a gift to be cherished before I inevitably disappear back into the void!

I haven't been reading much on my own these days. But I now have a lovely partner who I am so lucky to know, and over the past few months, we've read some graphic novels and quite a few picture books together, including this year's Caldecott recipients. (Except for Our Lake, which is still checked out from the library and sitting in my room beckoning). (By the way, have you considered getting yourself a partner who will read graphic novels and picture books with you? I highly recommend.)

I have not kept up with reviewing the books as we've read them, so this is me catching up! I also have one book (Song of a Blackbird) that I read solo for a book club. Let's talk about all these books!

Graphic novels

J + K

Written and illustrated by John Pham

Adult graphic novel

Publisher's description

Now in paperback, this colorful graphic novel follows lovable losers Jay and Kay, whose quotidian adventures are often hilarious and occasionally poignant, calling to mind everything from Peanuts to the work of Simon Hanselmann.

John Pham’s simple-seeming stories of best friends Jay and Kay and their misfit friends weave in and out, with unexpectedly sad twists and comical turns, all steered by Pham’s mastery of the cartooning craft and the language of comics storytelling. Pham’s bold use of bright color and high hilarity draws the reader in, only to slowly reveal extra layers of psychological acuity, character depth, and existential gravitas.

For all of its emotional richness, at its heart, J + K remains laugh out loud funny throughout, whether driven by Pham’s gift for memorable one-liners, his expertly delivered sight gags, or the inherent humor in his character designs and their physicality on the page. This new paperback edition will feature a few of the extra items that were included in the hardcover edition package ― collectible trading cards, a mini magazine with inserts, a sticker sheet, and a fold out map and poster ― which will all be printed as interior pages within the book. Combined with Pham’s brilliant use of color and innate grasp of printing, packaging, and graphic design, J + K is a chiseled gem of comics perfection.

My review

Do you ever get bored by how same-y books are? This book is certainly the antidote, and for that alone, I'm a fan. I have no clue what to make of the story. It's nostalgic and surreal and funny — one character is made of eggs, another is the living manifestation of a pimple, and there are alternate-universe references to the 80s and 90s throughout. The main characters are a happy-go-lucky duo who goof off, wreak havoc, and stubbornly resist thinking deeply about the world.

But this book isn't really fun. Sadness surrounds these two characters, and their inability to look at it head-on only makes it sadder. Characters depend on each other to the point that they sap each other of all life, sometimes without meaning to, sometimes without noticing, and sometimes without caring. When characters are faced with the suffering of others, they sometimes don't know what to do, or don't do anything at all. The book sort of slides into sorrow as it goes on, despite its cheery-looking facade.

But I'm not sure that I mind. Who knew a surreal story would best capture the realness of the world, the way that joy and pain coexist, and sometimes in an ugly way, crashing up against each other, ebbing and flowing senselessly. Sometimes life feels like this book. I wish that it didn't, but I'm glad someone was able to put words and pictures to it.

Song of a Blackbird

Written and illustrated by Maria van Lieshout

YA graphic novel

Printz Honor Book

Publisher's description

Fight hate. Make art.

In 1943 Amsterdam, Emma Bergsma’s world changes when she witnesses Jewish families being forcibly deported to concentration camps. That pivotal moment lights a fire within her, and she decides to join the Dutch Resistance. Before long, Emma is drawn into a clandestine world of printing presses and counterfeiters, with thousands of lives on the line.

In 2011 Amsterdam, teenage Annick’s world has changed as well. A search for a bone marrow donor for her beloved oma leads to a shocking revelation: her grandmother was secretly adopted as a child. The only clues to finding their lost family are a series of art prints hanging on the wall―each signed by a mysterious “Emma B.”

This timely graphic novel weaves together two timelines to reveal how art, in the face of political upheaval and nearly insurmountable adversity, can become our greatest lifeline.

My review

I usually find that when I read things set in the past, they feel drab and disconnected from the present. This book feels urgent, pulsing, pushing us to take action. Seeing the bravery of these characters makes me feel complicit. They sacrifice everything they have — their dreams for the future, their chances at love, even the opportunity to wake up and feel the possibility of a new day. They choose to make these sacrifices so other people are not forced to make these sacrifices. The book's limited palette, precise prose, and use of historical photographs makes it feel perfectly constructed. It tells exactly the story it sets out to tell.

My only quibble: I think there could be some acknowledgment that painting angsty murals in public places in 2011 is maybe not the same kind of resistance as smuggling children to safety during the Holocaust.

Roaming

Created by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

Publisher's description

Spring Break, 2009: Five days, three friends, and one big city.

Roaming marks a triumphant return to the graphic novel and a deft foray into new adult fiction for Caldecott Medal authors Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki.

Over the course of a much-anticipated trip to New York, an unexpected fling blossoms between casual acquaintances and throws a long-term friendship off-balance. Emotional tensions vibrate wildly against the resplendently illustrated backdrop of the city, capturing a spontaneous queer romance in all of its fledgling glory. Slick attention to the details of a bustling, intimidating metropolis are softened with a palette of muted pastels, as though seen through the eyes of first-time travelers. The awe, wonder, and occasional stumble along the way come to life with stunning accuracy.

Roaming is the third collaboration from the critically acclaimed team behind Skim and Governor General’s Literary Award winner This One Summer. Moody, atmospheric, and teeming with life, the magic of this comics duo leaks through the pages with lush and exquisite pen work. The Tamakis’ singular, elegant vision of an urban paradise slowly revealing its imperfections to the tune of its visitors’ rhythms is a masterpiece―a future classic for generations to come.

My review

I think the most compelling character in this book is actually New York City. I've always wanted to visit, and the sometimes-realistic, sometimes-surreal, full-of-feeling illustrations gave me a little taste of specific places worth visiting. If you've ever been to NYC or ever wanted to go, I think this book is worth reading just for the city's depiction alone.

As for Dani, Zoe, and Fiona, they are messy. Which is allowed. But, like, my goodness, you do kind of want to shake them by the shoulders sometimes. Their dynamics are fascinating. I wish I could have cracked open Fiona's psyche specifically to figure out what the heck is going on in there, but in fairness, you can't do that in real life either. My only quibble is that, while this story is about a trip and not these three girls' lives, I think I needed a little more detail about the girls' pasts and inner worlds (especially Dani's) to make me more emotionally invested.

Picture books

Sundust

Written and illustrated by Zeke Peña

Picture book

Caldecott Honor Book

Publisher's description

Where the rock wall ends, the desert beyond begins.

Following a blazing trail of sundust, two curious siblings hop the wall into a place that’s endless and free. Here, prickly old nopal trees beg to be climbed, empty turtle shells invite a closer look, enormous rocks model how to sit still and listen, and a colibrí offers an unexpected ride. In the desert, where life revolves around the Sun, brother and sister explore, imagine, and wonder, What if Sun’s power was inside me? until their mom’s whistle calls them back home again.

With spare, lyrical text, Pura Belpré Honor and Ezra Jack Keats Honor recipient Zeke Peña has created a fantastical tale that suspends moments in time with his radiant art and celebrates the bonds between the sun, the desert, and its people.

My review

My partner introduced me to this illustrator, who illustrated My Papi Has a Motorcycle, which I reviewed back in February. And flipping back through this book...yeah, it's pretty much perfect. The soft yet searing illustrations, the words that are literally just poetry, the feeling of true movement propelling you through every page... Like, it just makes you feel like, wow, maybe the world is magical.

If you read any of these four picture books, my vote is this one.

Every Monday Mabel

Written and illustrated by Jashar Awan

Picture book

Caldecott Honor Book

Publisher's description

Every Monday, Mabel wakes up early and peeks out her window to make sure she didn’t miss the one thing she’s been looking forward to the whole week. She drags her chair down the hallway, past her big sister and Mom and Dad, out the door, and waits.

What is Mabel waiting for every Monday? According to Mabel, it’s the best thing in the world. But no one else in her family seems to understand…until they see what’s honking down the street!

My review

Every Monday Mabel does...something (no spoilers). And I have a feeling every Monday (and Tuesday, and Wednesday...), kids are going to want to read this book. It just has that perfect read-aloud feel that doesn't get old.

Stalactite & Stalagmite

A Big Tale from a Little Cave

Written and illustrated by Drew Beckmeyer

Picture book

Caldecott Honor Book

Publisher's description

DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.

Time flies for two charming little cave nubs, Stalactite and Stalagmite. Over millions of years, creatures and things pass in and out of their cave, everything from a trilobite, an ichthyostega, and a triceratops, to a ground sloth and a bat.

When you are an ageless rock formation, it’s nice to have a friend who’s always there. But what will happen when the two nubs grow enough to finally touch?

My review

A funny, creative, insightful, science-inspired story that I also expect kids will love.

Fireworks

Written by Matthew Burgess

Illustrated by Cátia Chien

Caldecott Winner

Publisher's description

Fireworks is a sparkling picture book from the award-winning team of Matthew Burgess and Cátia Chien, highlighting the simple delights of a steamy July day in the city as two siblings eagerly anticipate a spectacular fireworks display.

POP!

As a hot day sizzles into evening, everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward on this special summer night—the Fourth of July! Words and art blossom into flowers of fire across the sky, making this a perfect read for firework enthusiasts in cities and suburbs everywhere.

My review

This book is full of gorgeous, luminous illustrations worth staring at (goodness knows I did). It's just funny to me that, in my opinion, the fireworks aren't the most beautiful part of the book — the everyday scenes are.

That's all for now — see you at an unspecified date in the future! ✨✨