Narrated by Kieren, a high school student of Irish-Mexican descent, this story extends the universe established by Cynthia Leitich Smith in her successful young adult novel series, Tantalize. Kieren, a werewolf on the edge of making momentous decisions — such as leaving home after graduating high school in order to join a wolf pack — finds his life complicated by his romantic interest with his human best friend Quincie and by a crime committed at the restaurant owned by Quincie’s family. Other supernatural species, such as nasty vampires and other were-animals, supply a wide variety of protagonists and antagonists as Kieren solves the crime while, at the same time, battling his ordinary and extra-ordinary teenage angst. Fast paced action, three dimensional characters, animated dialogue, and an understated sense of humor offer readers of this dark supernatural fantasy a fine read. Although the black and white illustrations by Ming Doyle have been praised by reviewers, this reviewer found them static and rather unsatisfying, particularly the mouths of the characters. I kept falling out of the story when looking at the lips of all the characters. Strange mouths aside, the dark overtones of the illustrations clearly reflect and compliment the pacing, dialogue, characterization, and plot line of the story from Kieran’s point of view.
Tantalize: Kieren’s Story by Cynthia Leitich Smith Art by Ming Doyle ISBN: 978-0-7636-44 Candlewick, 2011 Publisher Age Rating: 14
Odysseus can’t catch a break. After offending the god Poseidon, he endures 20 years of challenges and misfortune. Trapped by a Cyclops, shipwrecked in a supernatural storm, and ensnared in the caves of a nymph, Odysseus must overcome these obstacles and more, while, back home, his wife and son fend off suitors hoping to take his throne. His attempts to navigate home are filled with magic, prophecies, and assistance — as well as hindrances — from the gods. His homecoming is a bloody battle against the traitors hoping to steal the kingdom from him.
Author/illustrator Gareth Hinds bring Homer’s classic tale of Odysseus’s plight to life in this breathtaking graphic adaptation. Hinds explains in his final notes that, although he prefers to break from realism, he included just enough historical touches to give authenticity. He rewrote much of the material, but used direct quotations when it was appropriate. This ability to combine newly imagined material while also staying true to Homer’s ancient poem will delight readers regardless of their familiarity with the original work.
Hinds’ illustrations range from quiet, moody panels to wild, action-filled battle scenes. Nearly every watercolor-and-pencil panel could serve as a standalone artwork. Hinds uses clever storytelling techniques throughout, including a mini-comic-within-a-comic to narrate a minstrel’s song about the Trojan War. When the reader sees an image of a Trojan horse, the nature of the song is clear. This creative framing device is just one example of many wonderful surprises in this book.
This graphic adaptation of an English Lit staple will obviously have its place in the classroom and would be a great companion to anyone studying Homer’s epic poem, but will also be enjoyed by fans of ancient mythology. Rick Riordan’s blurb on the back cover is no coincidence — hand this one to teens who love the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and are looking for their next great read.
The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds ISBN: 9780763642662 Candlewick, 2010 Publisher Age Rating: 12 and up
Greek myths are, as many readers know, hot this year, driven in part by the fact that Percy Jackson’s page-bound popularity has transferred to his on-screen adventures. Graphic novel creators have celebrated their love for the gods and goddesses in works such as Michael Townsend’s Amazing Greek Myths of Wonders and Blunders (published by Dial) and George O’Connor’s The Olympians series (published by First Second). Joining those releases are two new works that retell Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the account of Odysseus’ disastrous journey home from the Trojan War.
Both adaptations take Homer’s work seriously, highlighting the capricious nature of the gods, the frustrations of Odysseus and his crew, and the dangers of their voyage. Both works also feature fantastic art, drawings which suck readers into the story and use the comic medium’s unique blend of words and art to the best of their abilities. That said, both works also assume a basic knowledge of who Odysseus is, what the Trojan War was, and who the Greek gods are. Without that the tales are still interesting, but not as easy to follow.
Hinds’ adaptation takes the more direct route, starting where Homer’s poem started and moving straight through without cutting out elements, other than when he substitutes action drawings for words. This can lead to confusion for new readers who might wonder why Odysseus doesn’t show up until about fifty pages into his own story, but, as with the original work, it does allow the elements of the story to come together smoothly in the end with Odysseus’ son Telemachus bookending the tale. Because Hinds chose to make his story as close an adaptation as possible, even down to researching various translations of the work, his graphic novel is a good companion to a classroom or book club study of the original poem, though Hinds does not have his characters speak in poetic form. Candlewick has an online teacher’s guide to assist with classroom use of Hinds’ adaptation.
All-Action Classics, No. 3: The Odyssey Based on Homer’s epic poem Adapted by Tim Mucci; Pencils by Ben Caldwell & Rick Lacy; Colors by Emanuel Tenderini ISBN 978-1-4027-3155-6 Sterling, May 2010
The Odyssey Based on Homer’s epic poem Adapted by Gareth Hinds ISBN 978-0-7636-4266-2 Candlewick, October 2010
Danger is afoot in Robot City! In this sprawling metropolis, people and robots live side-by-side happily, but peace is not always a guarantee. Luckily, whether the danger is natural or man-made, there’s always someone ready to save the day. When a massive storm threatens the crew of an oil rig, Curtis, the Colossal Coast-Guard Robot will have to step in and set things to right. Then a rust problem hits the popular dance troupe the Automettes and only Robot City Confidential Investigations detectives Rod and Mike can find out who’s behind the plague. Evil never sleeps, so the good people and robots of Robot City must always be vigilant!
Collicut has the beginnings of an interesting series, though the second volume is much weaker than the first. In City in Peril, he is obviously creating an homage to old military/civil servant comics, but with an updated cast of characters. Everyone in Robot City’s Coast Guard is painfully earnest and eager to do good, giving the title a 1950s feel. The gender and ethnic mix of the characters and the environmental message at the end of the book are a modern touch that keeps the book feeling fresh and retro, rather than forced and stale. Unfortunately, the silly humor that worked in City in Peril falls flat in Rust Attack. In this volume, Collicut is obviously going for a more noir feel, but the rough-edged detective story doesn’t sit well with the childish humor of the characters. Rod and Mike both come off looking like idiots, rather than the smart, street-wise detectives they are supposed to be.
The Robot City concept is a smart one, though, and that uniqueness carries readers through the rough spots of the second book….
Robot City Adventures, book one: City in Peril! ISBN: 978-0-7636-4120-7(pbk) Robot City Adventures, book two: Rust Attack! ISBN: 978-0-7636-4594-6(pbk) Paul Collicut Templar Books/Candlewick, 2009
Anyone who’s ever yearned to travel the high seas and see unknown places may do well to read Sinbad’s account of his seven trips into the great beyond. An incurable wanderer, Sinbad can’t help but be pulled into adventure on the waves even if all is well at home. You’d think after the first time he almost drowned his wanderlust might have waned. Nope. It takes 7 trips, countless escapes from death, wonders almost too amazing to believe, and a really big bird to make Sinbad stay home. As with all sea stories, though, they make the best after dinner conversation. Williams once again brings old tales to life, and the rich colors of Baghdad and the ocean blue make the illustrations especially fine.
Sinbad the Sailor ISBN: 1564023109 By Marcia Williams Candlewick Press, 1994
