Prior knowledge of the movies is necessary, but this companion work is sure to be a fan favorite.
A colorful middle-grade graphic novel featuring emotions new and old from the animated film Inside Out 2.
This graphic novel scripted by Leong contains four stories featuring the new feelings introduced in Inside Out 2. In “The Summer Camp Scare,” Fear and Anxiety take over as Riley and her fellow campers are dared to spend the night in a haunted cabin. It’s up to the emotions to get Riley through the night and find a way to keep her new camp friendships strong when pranks come into play. In “Emotional Mission,” Envy and Embarrassment head into the Puberty Construction Site and install a Positivity Patch to help Riley feel comfortable at the swimming pool. Next, in “Searching for Lance,” Riley meets a new friend who enjoys the same game as her, but when the emotions try to recall her memories of the game, they have all gone missing. Disgust searches the Sar-chasm to find them and get Riley prepped for the upcoming game session with her new friend. And lastly, in “Perfectly Imperfect,” Riley wakes up with a pimple—just in time for school pictures to be taken the next day. Disgust and Anxiety want to shut down the Puberty Construction Site entirely, but Joy convinces them to bring up good memories of Riley’s accomplishments to bolster her confidence (“Look at some of these great things we’ve done! And everyone who loves us!”). Readers are expected to already have seen both Inside Out movies, as the different emotions are not given any formal introduction here. The illustrations by Algozzino are bright and colorful, not overly detailed, and sure to appeal to the book’s intended younger audience. Each story within the graphic novel has a moral calibrated to appease parents while educating and resonating with younger readers. Overall, this is a well-mounted, easy to read, entertaining graphic novel for fans of the series.
Prior knowledge of the movies is necessary, but this companion work is sure to be a fan favorite.Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9781545802205
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Papercutz
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel.
Sandy and his family, Japanese Canadians, experience hatred and incarceration during World War II.
Sandy Saito loves baseball, and the Vancouver Asahi ballplayers are his heroes. But when they lose in the 1941 semifinals, Sandy’s dad calls it a bad omen. Sure enough, in December 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in the U.S. The Canadian government begins to ban Japanese people from certain areas, moving them to “dormitories” and setting a curfew. Sandy wants to spend time with his father, but as a doctor, his dad is busy, often sneaking out past curfew to work. One night Papa is taken to “where he [is] needed most,” and the family is forced into an internment camp. Life at the camp isn’t easy, and even with some of the Asahi players playing ball there, it just isn’t the same. Trying to understand and find joy again, Sandy struggles with his new reality and relationship with his father. Based on the true experiences of Japanese Canadians and the Vancouver Asahi team, this graphic novel is a glimpse of how their lives were affected by WWII. The end is a bit abrupt, but it’s still an inspiring and sweet look at how baseball helped them through hardship. The illustrations are all in a sepia tone, giving it an antique look and conveying the emotions and struggles. None of the illustrations of their experiences are overly graphic, making it a good introduction to this upsetting topic for middle-grade readers.
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel. (afterword, further resources) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0334-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism.
Stories of Buddha’s past lives help a young boy “find [himself] in the moment.”
Binh and his siblings, who are of Vietnamese descent, can’t believe they’re spending the weekend at a silent meditation retreat. Binh would rather play his Game Boy so he doesn’t have to meditate and inevitably think about the bullies at school. It is only when Sister Peace tells stories about the Buddha and his past life that Binh is able to imagine himself entering a video game–inspired world and thus process his feelings of shame, isolation, and anger. With each Jataka tale, Binh’s awareness expands, and so, too, does his ability to be present for and helpful to those around him. A welcome addition to the handful of middle-grade stories featuring Buddhist protagonists, this exploration of identity and Buddhist principles will find an audience with young readers who love Raina Telgemeier but aren’t quite ready to level up to the complexity and nuance of Gene Luen Yang’s epic American Born Chinese (2006). The video game elements are compelling, although they understandably diminish as the story progresses and the protagonist’s inner life grows. Warm fall colors and luscious black lines anchor the story as it transitions among flashbacks, stories, and the present day. Filled with talking animals, the parables can be a little heavy-handed, but the witty banter between Binh and the narrator during fantasy sequences provides levity. (This review was updated for accuracy.)
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism. (bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780759555488
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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