Book Review--Odd Duck

Odd Duck
Cecil Castellucci & Sara Varon
FirstSecond
May 2013

Theodora is a perfectly normal duck, thank you very much. She swims with a teacup balanced on head to help maintain perfect posture and stays north when the rest of the ducks fly south for the winter (why would she want to leave her home??) and there’s nothing strange about that. Chad, her newest neighbor, on the other hand is a bit odd. I mean he dyes his feathers weird colors and has all kinds of weird art projects around. But...they do like some of the same things. But can Theodora ever be friends with such an odd duck as Chad?

While this is an age old story, being yourself and making friends, Sara Varon and Cecil Castellucci bring their own unique twists to the story. By creating ducks as characters that are both clearly a bit different, Cecil lets the reader see that differences can seem perfectly normal to the other person. Even better though, is that Cecil shows that being the different...isn't all that bad. In some ways its a good thing, because it means you get to experience things differently than everyone else. And you might just have a friend to acompany you along the way.

Sara Varon’s normal color palette of soft pastels works well for this book, making it feel like a book from 30+ years ago. Especially with the end papers of the book, they are just absolutely beautiful and I feel like I could spend hours just looking at them. I mean they don't have a lot of detail, repeating patterns of duck characters, but the memories associated with that type of design and color are fantastic. Sara also had lots of nice details hidden in the images, such as Theodora’s carpet in the bedroom that looks like moving water with a dolphin and seahorse swimming around. All in all it's just a beautifully illustrated book.

In many ways this book reminds me of one of my favorite all time picture books The Big Orange Splot.  Together these two create a vibrant and colorful story that readers young and old will greatly enjoy. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars.

ETA: Please note I misspelled Sara's name when I first posted, it should be Varon, not Varnon.

ARC provided by Gina at FirstSecond

Book Review--Relish

Relish:  My Life in the Kitchen
Lucy Knisley
FirstSecond
April 2013

Lucy Knisley is the daughter of a chef/caterer and a gourmet foodie.  So unsurprisingly she also loves food and equates many of her memories growing up with it.  In this thoughtful and funny memoir, Lucy shares with readers key moments in her life -- her parents divorce, her moving to the countryside, trips out of the country -- and how food framed each moment of this journey.  We see how a trip to Italy is influenced, not by Italian cooking, but by eating a local McDonald’s that brought the comforts of home.  And we learn how even though her parents are separated that home cooked meals prepared by Lucy’s mother can bring them together once again.  Through many meals and snacks, Lucy shares with us her memories of growing up and the unique experiences she has.  Each chapter concludes with an illustrated recipe that ties into the just completed chapter, daring us to sample some of the adventures.

Like many people, I was first introduced to Lucy Knisley through her travelogue French Milk and I was quickly enthralled.  Her simple, yet evocative, line drawings created an entertaining story that made me feel like I was sitting with a good friend, sharing a meal, and listening to their adventures.  Since that time I’ve eagerly kept up with Lucy’s work and career and she has quickly become one of my all time favorite artists and storytellers.  And her latest work of course is no exception.  

What I love best about this story, is not only that Lucy shares her journey and her story with us, but I find it easy to relate to her work.  I know that sounds strange because I’m not a foodie and I’m not female, but I can honestly say that I can look at her work and find some trace of myself in it.  Mainly because Lucy doesn’t try to hide those unflattering moments that so many of us wish we could hide, such as being a brat and rebellious towards are parents.  Lucy instead embraces it and share it with us in such a way that we can relate to it and remember our own experiences growing up.  And I stress that point because some authors seemingly want nothing more than pity or take such a hard look at themselves they no longer seem human.  Lucy’s writing puts us on her level and makes it easy to relate to her and feel like we’re talking with a good friend, which to me is the sign of a great writer.  

While the story is fantastic, Lucy’s artwork is even better.  Her watercolor paintings of her adventures are bright, colorful, and exude life.  It makes me feel like I’m standing right there with her sampling exotic candies in Mexico and smelling fragrant cheeses in Chicago as she serves them to customers.  She has an elegance to her work that easily captures the human figure without overwhelming it with detail and unnecessary lines and just brings the story to life.  I could say more, but why give unnecessary detail?  Go check out her work and you’ll be impressed as well.

As you can tell I really enjoy Lucy’s work and I think a y’all will as well.  I highly recommend this book.  The story is simple, easy to follow, and flows naturally and the artwork is beautiful.  And I can’t give it any higher praise than that.


ARC provided by Gina at FirstSecond

Book Review---Poseidon: Earth Shaker

Poseidon:  Earth Shaker
George O'Connor
FirstSecond
March 2013

The Earth-Shaker. Father of Horses. Lord of the Ocean. One of three powerful sons of Kronos, Poseidon, along with his brothers Hades and Zeus (and their siblings) have freed the mortal world of the rule of the Titans. They take over their realms and usher in an age of peace...such as it is. Poseidon is deep and dark, calm and chaotic, just like the ocean that he dwells in. His children, like the cyclops, the pegasus, and his mortal children are often monstrous and destructive...reflecting the darker nature of their father, wreck havoc on the world above, causing conflict between Poseidon and the other gods. And at times...putting the three powerful brothers at war with each other.

Unlike the other books in this series, O’Connor has Poseidon tell his own story. From the defeat of the Titans to his children to his time in Kronos’s stomach, O’Connor allows Poseidon to explain why he acts the way he does, which creates for a unique storytelling experience. And while it is an epic story, it sometimes strays from being the story of Poseidon and instead becomes the story of the Minotaur or Theseus (children of Poseidon.) And while O’Connor does this because there isn’t a lot of information on Poseidon, it just doesn’t read as a complete story like the books on Zeus and Hades. 

I really like the artwork in this book. It has such great use of color and shadow in the depictions of the world, especially the underworld. Instead of depicting it all flames and fire (which seems to be something some artists like these days) it’s more of a darker, almost hopeless place...much like it’s described as in the original myths. It might be a bit creepy for really young readers, but middle schoolers and above will enjoy it. I enjoyed most of the character design, although at times Poseidon’s mustache bugged me...it made him seem like a dastardly villain vs. being a god. 

Overall this is a great series and this is the perfect companion for people that have been enjoying the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and want to know more about the Greek/Roman gods and how they work. Even better is that at the end of the book is nice a little feature that talks bout the different characters, who they are, and other details to help you learn more about the Greek world. Even better, from a librarian perspective, they have a bibliography! A list of websites and recommended reading list to go to get more information. I can’t wait to read the next volume in the series!

ARC provided by Gina at FirstSecond

Book Review--A Wrinkle in Time - The Graphic Novel

A Wrinkle in Time - The Graphic Novel
Adaptation by Hope Larson
Original by Madeleine L'Engle
Farrar Straus Giroux

“A Wrinkle in Time.”  A book that has been around for almost 50 years now and still has a powerful following.  When you talk to folks that have read the book their eyes and faces light up with joy, as they recall the powerful story and characters of Meg, Charles, Calvin, Aunt Beast, the Red Eye Man...and the rest of the beloved characters.  You can almost see the characters come to life as people talk about the story and share their favorite parts of it.  And as part of the celebration of its 50th anniversary Hope Larson brings her considerable talents to bring the characters to life in a graphic novel adaptation of this timeless story.

Hope Larson is one of my favorite artists/authors out there and she’s the perfect choice for creating this adaptation of “A Wrinkle in Time.”  In her first book, “Salamander Dreams,” she tells us a rather short story of growing up and finding where home is, but she layers deeper meaning within the well chosen words that will leave you pondering the story long after you’ve put it down.  Her simplistic illustrations conveyed depth and life to the characters she created.  Since I first read that book, I’ve eagerly read each new story that she’s put out.  She brings the same passion and depth that she’s created in her own stories, to this adaptation of “A Wrinkle in Time.”

Since most folks that read this adaptation are going to be familiar with the original story (and because I can’t hope to even begin to describe the story well to do it justice) I’m instead going to focus on the adaptation of the book.  One of the great things, and most difficult things, about adaptations is you get to see a story from a different perspective as the author (or someone) choses which parts of the story to carry over into the new work.  It isn’t an easy task as not everything can be included and you’re bound to leave off a bit of the story that was someone’s favorite or you try to capture everything and it just becomes a weird mashup that doesn’t work.  But Hope has done an excellent job of capturing a lot of the depth of the novel and it’s characters in this 400 page adaptation.  While there are things that are left out, Hope captures the essence of the characters and what makes them tick while they undertake this arduous journey to save not only Meg’s father, but themselves as well. Fans of the original story will delight in seeing their favorite scenes brought to life,while newcomers to the story will see the journey into worlds unknown.  And everyone will want to pick up the original story to relive Madelieine L’Engle’s original stories.  

Hope’s artwork is fantastic.  It captures the essence of characters well, especially with Meg.  We see her fear, her hopes, and her dreams brought to life on the page.  We get a true sense of her humanity within the depictions.  Her brother Charles is also well captured, with big eyes, depicting his almost other worldly nature.  It is a bit off putting in some places because you realize he isn’t quite human...something more or something that wasn’t designed quite right.  The other characters and depictions are well done as well, such as seeing mathematical equations depicted.  Hope uses a two color toned system with a pale blue and black.  while at first it might seem that it would hinder the story being told, I found that it actually enhanced it and created something greater.  It helped create the sense of otherworldliness and the characters journey along their path.  It really feels like we’ve left our world and gone somewhere else.  

In short, this a powerful adaptation and fans of the original story and newcomers will all find something to enjoy.  Because it is an adaptation I do recommend that folks read or reread the original at some point, to be able to create their own imagery of the story.  But Hope’s adaptation definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf.

ARC provided by Gina at FirstSecond