David Small is a Caldecott Award winning illustrator (2001 Medal, So You Want to Be President? written by Judith St. George and 1997 Honor Book, The Gardener written by his wife Sarah Stewart). He also illustrated one of my daughter's favorite books when she was young, Imogene's Antlers. This is his memoir of growing up in Detroit with a mother who was cold and cruel and a distant physician father. It is bleak. It is horrible. The pictures add tremendous power to the story. The story is told in shades of gray: the father is always shown as smoking. His mother is scary. Almost as scary as HER mother who eventually locks her husband in a room and sets the house on fire (she is -thankfully- committed to a mental institution at this point). Small gets cancer from the X-Ray treatments his father gave him to treat his sinus problems as a young child. The growth on his throat was left for years before it was removed and cancer discovered. This story is bleak, bleak, bleak. Finally Small gets help from a psychologist who is drawn as a white rabbit (think Alice in Wonderland).
This is an adult book with appeal for high school students. It was on the Best Book for Young Adults and on the Alex Award List (books written for adults with appeal to YA). It was nominated for the National Book Award (Young Adult section). Readers with happy home situations will be reminded how lucky they are and become more aware of what terrible obstacles others may be facing. Readers who have their own difficulties at home may find hope in Small's ability to come to terms with his experiences. He is at his mother's bedside when she dies and forgives with a squeeze of a hand.
A powerful book.
9 comments:
Wow, this definitely sounds powerful! I would have never thought that a graphic novel that's written about such bleak and depressing circumstances would be so effective, but it sounds like it is able to accomplish something that a normal memoir may not have been able to. Very interesting!
I've been hearing good things about this book. The tone must be similar to The Glass Castle which is quite popular with the high school students. I try to get several of the Alex award winners every year. I'll have to look for this one.
I completely agree with Christie that it's amazing that the graphic novel is so effective in expressing his pain and trying circumstances. However, with him being an artist that kind of makes sense and a normal written memoir would have lacked his unique talent and personality. Another book that I can count my blessings after reading!
Sounds like a depressing book but one with a very important message. It sounds like students can count their blessings. It seems to have a great message about forgiveness.
Glass Castle is a good comparison. Thanks Mary Ann.
There are so many great books available but, unfortunately, there are many reluctant readers. I think graphic novels are a great way to introduce reluctant readers to young adult literature and this sounds like a good one to get them started. Although it's depressing, it still conveys a message of hope.
My first thought was I hope his mom was dead before he wrote this book since she is portrayed in such a way. I think that people with happy homes should read this. I used to tell me kids when they complained that they had no idea how good they had it.
If this title were in the traditional format, I would definitely be out the door right now to get a copy. It is interesting that this memoir was written in this style. The graphics must be very powerful. It sounds like a lot for any reader to digest. I both loved and hated The Glass Castle. I can still see myself shaking my head in disbelief as I listened to it on my way to class last year.
I thought it was interesting that this is a graphic novel that's really adult. One thing that I enjoy about graphic novels is their ability to use color to convey the mood of this story. This sounds like a perfect example of that.
Post a Comment