A complex adoption story lacking context for younger readers.
After an earthquake devastates Arequipa, Peru, the van Oosterbeek family gathers at the airport to welcome to France Qinaya, an Indigenous Aymaran girl whom Alain van Oosterbeek and his wife, Lynette, have adopted.
At first, Gabriel, Alain’s father, has a hard time adjusting to becoming a grandfather. Gradually, though, he grows to love Qinaya and to feel happy for the couple, who struggled with infertility for years. But just as Qinaya seems to be adjusting, Alain is arrested for kidnapping, ending up serving time for his crime. When Gabriel—along with the rest of the family—discovers that the adoption was not legitimate, he doesn’t know if he can find a way to forgive Alain or to live without his granddaughter, who is reunited with her family in Peru. This story, which is translated from French and features beautifully rendered and expressive illustrations in soft tones, is mostly told from Gabriel’s perspective, although small portions are told from Alain’s. While some of Qinaya’s grief and anger are shown, the book focuses on the interpersonal rather than offering critical analysis of the broader power dynamics of transnational adoption by a White family. With racist and sexist remarks not being given context or analysis—such as a conversation between Gabriel and his older gentleman friends, one of whom recommends seeing “a hooker” to have one’s sexual needs met—the content skews toward older readers.
A complex adoption story lacking context for younger readers. (Graphic fiction. 17-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-942367-83-3
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Magnetic Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
A Rand primer with pictures.
A graphic novel for devotees of Ayn Rand.
With its men who have become gods through rugged individualism, the fiction of Ayn Rand has consistently had something of a comic strip spirit to it. So the mating of Rand and graphic narrative would seem to be long overdue, with her 1938 novella better suited to a quick read than later, more popular work such as The Fountainhead (1943) and the epic Atlas Shrugged (1957). As Anthem shows, well before the Cold War (or even World War II), Rand was railing against the evils of any sort of collectivism and the stifling of individualism, warning that this represented a return to the Dark Ages. Here, her allegory hammers the point home. It takes place in the indeterminate future, a period after “the Great Rebirth” marked an end of “the Unmentionable Times.” Now people have numbers as names and speak of themselves as “we,” with no concept of “I.” The hero, drawn to stereotypical, flowing-maned effect by illustrator Staton, knows himself as Equality 7-2521 and knows that “it is evil to be superior.” A street sweeper, he stumbles upon the entrance to a tunnel, where he discovers evidence of scientific advancement, from a time when “men knew secrets that we have lost.” He inevitably finds a nubile mate. He calls her “the Golden One.” She calls him “the Unconquered.” Their love, of course, is forbidden, and not just because she is 17. After his attempt to play Prometheus, bringing light to a society that prefers the dark, the two escape to the “uncharted forest,” where they are Adam and Eve. “I have my mind. I shall live my own truth,” he proclaims, having belatedly discovered the first-person singular. The straightforward script penned by Santino betrays no hint of tongue-in-cheek irony.
A Rand primer with pictures.Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-451-23217-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: NAL/Berkley
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2010
Shakespeare’s fantastical dream in an appealing format that can be shared with a wider audience.
Manga that brings to life Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy.
This third entry in Manga Classics’ adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays maintains their practice of reproducing the full text of the original. The black-and-white illustrations allow readers to easily follow the plot while also picking up on subtle themes that are significant to understanding the play. For example, the abundant imagery surrounding the moon is emphasized by the moon’s presence in the backgrounds of many panels throughout the book, drawing readers’ attention. Long dialogues are also explained visually, which allows young readers to grasp what is being discussed without the need for a glossary or translation into modern English. The nobility is portrayed in a typical manga fashion with large eyes, small noses, and well-defined ears—but with appropriate Grecian clothing—while the commoners are easily visually distinguishable from them in style. The guide to reading manga at the beginning unfortunately describes the right-to-left reading order as “backwards from the normal books you know,” a strangely judgment-laden description for a book using manga to broaden the cultural exposure of young readers. However, the creators’ notes at the end offer fascinating insights into the adaptation process and may inspire budding manga artists to attempt their own works.
Shakespeare’s fantastical dream in an appealing format that can be shared with a wider audience. (cast, creators’ notes, character design sheet) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-947808-10-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Manga Classics
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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