The Life of Jesus (Pauline Books and Media)

Pauline Books and Media has been very successful in their publication of graphic novels of saints. Recently, they published one titled The Life of Jesus which is approximately 140 pages long and designed for children ages 9 to 12. The graphic novel is divided into the following eight  sections - Birth and Baptism, Ministry, Miracles, Teachings, Relationships and Forgiveness, Discipleship in Action, The Price of True Love, and Death and Resurrection. The graphic novel is a blending of all four Gospels, done in chronological fashion. That means you will go from Luke to Matthew and back to Luke with sprinklings of Mark and John. This gives the reader an easier narrative to follow than picking only one Gospel. At the bottom of every page are Scripture references which provide an excellent resource for parents to cross-reference or older children to discover the passages themselves in the Bible. The pages are black, giving the content on the pages a more serious feel to it. This is appropriate as it is not only the story of our Savior, but also of our salvation. As I was reading through this I found myself very engaged by both the content and presentation. The graphical representation of the story really helped the Gospel stories come to life in a new way. I was thinking as I was reading through it that this seems somewhat more geared towards boys than girls, but I do believe it would be a spiritual benefit for anyone of any age to read this. I look forward to a time when my son is old enough to enjoy and appreciate this.

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Mother Teresa of Kolkata: Saint Among the Poor (Pauline Kids)

It feels like it's been forever since Pauline Books and Media released a graphic novel. The first two were on St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis of Assisi, and were in an American comic book format and illustration style. The next two took a Japanese illustration style and were on St. Philip Neri and St. Teresa of Avila. Today, they go back to the American style and present us Mother Teresa of Kolkata: Saint Among the Poor.

The book starts with a few pages of the familiar nun in her habit, helping the poor and dying in India. We then go back to the very beginning her birth, family, and childhood. In comics, this is known as an origin story. We then see her time in the convent, her vows, and her job as teacher and principal. Here, she helped the people of India, but with all the people dying outside, she always felt like she should and could be doing more. Next, we see God calling her to help the people of India. She had to get permission for this though, which took a long time and had to go through a lot of channels. Finally, Pope Pius XII granted her permission for one year, to see how it would go.  She founded a house for the dying, an orphanage, and a place for lepers as well. News of her work and her ability to get things done spread worldwide. Also recorded in the book is her visit to the Vatican and her friendship with Pope John Paul II.

For being just over 50 pages long, the graphic novel does a splendid job of capturing the important parts of both Mother Teresa's life and her ministry. We see not only her successes, but also her struggles, and there is also brief glimpses of her personality, which showed a woman small in stature, but more than capable of making things happen for the Lord. This is an excellent and engaging read and one that all Catholic children should read. Highly recommended!

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Oedipus: Trapped by Destiny (TOON Books)

Most people are familiar with the term Oedipus complex and the basics of what it entails. However, if you asked people to explain where the term came from, I would wager that few could tell you much about its origins in Greek mythology. TOON Books recently released Oedipus: Trapped by Destiny. This is the third book in their Graphic Mythologies series with the first two being Theseus and the Minotaur and Orpheus in the Underworld.

Oedipus: Trapped by Destiny begins with King Laius and Queen Jocasta finding out they are pregnant. In order to find out if the child was going to be a boy, he visited the Temple of Apollo. The oracle there told him that the child would be male (Oedipus), but that the child would grow up and kill his father and marry his mother. Devastated by this news, they gave the child to their servant to leave in the wilderness to die. Oedipus was saved and grew up as royalty in Corinth. As he grew up, he had doubts about who his real parents were, so he too went to the Temple of Apollo and heard the same prophecy that King Laius had heard. Oedipus was scared of this prophecy and tried to run away from it. However, in running from his fate, he ultimately ran toward it and fulfilled what the oracle had said. This led to the death of his father, eventual death of his mother, and blinding of himself.

This is another brilliant book from Yvan Pommaux. The story is spot on in accuracy, but censors where necessary. Primarily, it doesn't explicitly show Oedipus gouging his eyes out. The graphic novel format is also very engaging as it enhances the story without distracting from it. Though the book is rated for ages 8+, given the content I would put it more age 12+. If you enjoy Greek mythology and want to introduce it to your children, I highly recommend the three from TOON Books and hope that they continue to publish more of these.

This book was provided to me for free by TOON Books in exchange for an honest review.

Alamo All-Stars (Abrams Books)

Alamo All-Stars is the sixth book in Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series. The book begins very abruptly with talk of settling Texas. This is a departure from their usual lead-in of Nathan Hale, trying to stay his execution by telling a historical tale. However, it leads us to an introduction of Vicente Guerrero, who like Nathan Hale, is telling historical tales to try and stay his execution. This leads us to a mashup story, told from the side of the United States and Mexico.

Within this book, we see characters like General Santa Anna, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and Stephen Austin. We also learn about the history of Texas' statehood and of course, the famous Battle of the Alamo. The story is really helped by the addition of Guerrero into this tale and helps adds perspective from both sides, which is something that is generally lacking in American History textbooks. On the inside of the book, we are presented with two maps. The first map is a layout out of the Alamo in 1836, which makes the stand all the more impressive. The second map is a military map that shows us all the battles fought in the Texas Revolution. At the end of the book are actual images of historical figures in this book and other resources, your child can read to learn more about this historic event.

Like the rest of the books in this series, this book is a graphic novel in format. The illustration style is inviting, and I believe young boys in particular will really get a lot out of this series. The book does a nice job of mixing humor into the history to make it more compelling and come alive off the page. I cannot recommend this series enough.

This book was provided to me for free by Abrams Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret of the Stone Frog and Windmill Dragons (TOON Books)

Today, I am reviewing two graphic novels from TOON Books. Both are written and illustrated by David Nytra. They are entitled The Secret of the Stone Frog and Windmill Dragons. They also both focus on two children named Leah and Alan. Let me tell you about them.

Leah and Alan are your typical brother and sister. One day, however, they awake in their beds to find that they have been transported to the middle of a forest. Not wanting to be lost in this unknown forest forever, they begin to look for a way home. That is when they encounter a stone frog (hence the title of the book The Secret of the Stone Frog) who sets them on a path home. In typical child fashion, they don't stay on the path for long, because Alan is hungry. The first place they stop is a castle with a very large-headed woman. The lady has bees as pets that eat words to prevent you from speaking, so they must escape her and her bees. With Alan still being hungry, they wander to a different area with an orchard full of giant candied cherries. The owners of the orchards were proper talking lions, who were helpful in getting them part of the way home by riding on giant rabbits. They eventually get home, but not before more dangerous, adventures.

In Windmill Dragons, Leah and Alan are sitting in the woods at their house. Leah is reading a book and Alan sees some pictures inside the book that interests him. He asks Leah to read to him, and that is where the adventure begins. Leah and Alan are transported to a land where there is magic and they are knights. The magic, unfortunately, has stirred up the windmills and turned them into dragons. On their quest to defeat these dragons and restore order to this world, they must encounter a troll, save an aged knight, and face many other obstacles. I normally try not to spoil books like this, but if you've read the first book, then you know that they are able to defeat the dragons and return to their own home.

The illustration style in these books can be described as pen and ink. It is not colored, but it is highly detailed and makes the pages and the story come to life. The stories themselves clearly draw from popular literature, which is most obvious in the second story taking inspiration from Don Quixote. There are several things I liked about these books, including the close bond of Leah and Alan and the way the author/artist captures the power of dreams and imagination. Dreams and imagination are two powerful entities when you are a child, and while we might forget that as we grow older, to children they are just as real, if not more real than the actual world we occupy. The only complaint I have is that the books are two different sizes. The Secret of the Stone Frog is approximately a 6" x 9" book, but the Windmill Dragons is approximately a 7" x 10" book, and this creates an incompatible look on your shelf when the books are placed next to each other. If you can get over this gripe, then you should really check out these fanciful graphic novels!

These books were provided to me by TOON Books in exchange for honest reviews. If you found these reviews helpful, please click here and/or here and hit Yes!

Philemon Adventures (TOON Books)

Frédéric Othon Théodore Aristidès, but more commonly known as Fred, was a French cartoonist best known for his series called Philemon. Shortly before his death in 2013, Fred finished volume 16 of this popular series and effectively brought the series to a close. One year after his death, TOON Books started translating these titles to English. To date, there are three published - 1. Cast Away on the Letter A, The Wild Piano, and The Suspended Castle. Allow me to tell you a little bit about the series and each of the books individually.

Philemon is a French teenager whose best friend is a donkey named Anatole. He is also a bit lazy, a bit of a dreamer, and has a dad who gets easily aggravated at the "tall stories" that Philemon tells him. The first story Cast Away on the Letter A begins with Philemon falling down a well and landing on a beach. It is here where he met a well-digger named Bartholomew and finds out that he is on the island. The island is the letter A and part of the words on the map "ATLANTIC OCEAN." Who knew that those words on the map were actual places. :) He also encounters a centaur while on this particular adventure. Later in the adventure, Bartholomew and Philemon enter a ship in a bottle and sail to the other A in Atlantic where they enter into a labyrinth. Philemon loses Bartholomew and his wandering around, he escapes back to his home.

In The Wild Piano, Philemon's dad thinks he's crazy, but his Uncle Felix remembers Bartholomew and is stunned to learn that Philemon found him. However, Uncle Felix seems scared to talk about the letter A island. He also fancies himself a bit of a magician, and he decides to help Philemon return and try and save Bartholomew. While there, Philemon breaks a law and must perform a concert on a wild piano. This ends up looking like a mix of concert and bull fight. Because he was able to defeat the piano, he is rewarded with an elevator ride. On this ride, he finds Bartholomew and they try to escape. While trying to escape, they encounter a giant man (perhaps Gulliver of Gulliver's Travels). Eventually, they do escape through a wardrobe (C.S. Lewis anyone?), which leads them back to Uncle Felix's room.

In The Suspended Castle Bartholomew is sad to be back in his village. Having been gone 40 years, he feels completely out of place. He doesn't like the clothes he wears. He misses his castle and his centaur butler. Uncle Felix decides to help him return, but Bartholomew forgets his hat when leaving. This causes Philemon to chase after him. This time they end up on the letter I. They try to make it back to the letter A and Bartholomew's castle, but our captured by a captain with a boat shaped like a whale (thoughts of Melville come to mind). While Bartholomew and Philemon were rowing on the whale boat, pelican-shaped boats flying in the sky tried to capture the whale. They were only able to capture Bartholomew and Philemon though, which they took to a castle suspended by a rope. They were then mistaken as "cutters of the rope," whom the people had been awaiting for 2,000 years. Philemon and Bartholomew cut the rope (improperly) and the castle sank with everyone escaping except the captain who went down with his castle. Philemon and Bartholomew also make it back home.

The first three books in the Philemon series are absurdly delightful. The illustrations are crude, but the number of literary references are astounding. If you are looking for a trip through strange lands, then you'll enjoy this series. I think it's more geared toward teenagers, but adults might find some pleasure in it as well.

These books were provided to me for free by TOON Books in exchange for honest reviews. If you found these reviews helpful, please click here, here, and/or here and hit Yes!

Tales from the Brothers Grimm and Frankenstein (Papercutz)

Today is Halloween, and though I am not a big fan of the holiday, there are some people who are, so I am going to recommend you two children's books/graphic novels - Tales from the Brothers Grimm and Frankenstein. Both are available from Papercutz, and both are part of the Classics Illustrated Deluxe series. For those unfamiliar with this series, it published over 70 years ago and took classic tales you read in school and put them in graphic novel format.

Tales from the Brothers Grimm is a 130 page hardcover graphic novel. It contains four stories from Grimm's Fairy Tales - Hansel and Gretel, Learning How to Shudder, The Devil and the Three Golden Hairs, and The Valiant Little Tailor. The first and last story are one that most readers know very well, but The Devil and Three Golden Hairs proved to be most interesting to me. In this story a poor family has a baby boy born with his caul on him. This is apparently very rare, and as part of the story, it was said that since he was born with his caul, he would marry the daughter of the king. The king heard of this and did not like it, so he bought the child from the parents under the premise of raising him in the castle. Instead he tossed the boy in the river. The boy was found by some millers, and years later the king discovered he was still alive, so he tried to get him killed again. Again, his plan is thwarted and the boy marries the princess. The king therefore sent him on an errand to Hell to return with three of the devil's golden hairs. I won't spoil the ending for you, but let's just say the king got what was coming to him. This is a nice introduction to Grimm's Fairy Tales, and one that might appeal to the teenage crowd or the comic book crowd. The illustrations were not as dark as I would have hoped, and I would have possibly picked some different tales than "Learning How to Shudder," but it's not a bad book.

I admit that I have never read the book Frankenstein. I have seen movies, cartoon adaptations of it, but never read the actual book. I know the premise all too well. I just never actually sat down to read it. I still have not read it, but I decided to ease my way into it with the Papercutz graphic novel version of it. Like all the books in this series, the original story is mostly intact. There were parts here in there (Paradise Lost in place of the doctor's research notes) where liberties were taken but the graphic novel adaptation rang mostly true. The illustrations are a bit cartoony in that the characters all have big eyes. It's not my favorite illustration style, but it's one I recognize. Thankfully, most of the panels are dark. I was disappointed with the Brothers Grimm book in this series, because it felt a little too light...not Frankenstein. The artist did a good job capturing and conveying the emotional despair of this work, and I think it's an overall great way to get teenagers (or younger) interested in the classics. That is after all what the series is about, because each story always encourages the reader to go read the actual work now. That is something I plan to do, and am now one step closer!

These books were provided to me for free by Papercutz in exchange for honest reviews!

Orpheus in the Underworld (TOON Books)

Orpheus in the Underworld is the second volume from TOON Books in their Greek mythology graphic novel series by Yvan Pommaux. The first one was Theseus and the Minotaur, which I had the pleasure of reviewing last September. The tale of Orpheus is one that mythology buffs, like my wife, will recognize. I, however, needed a refresher course, and this book proved to be just the ticket. Orpheus was the son of the king of Thrace and Calliope, who was one of the nine muses. After he was born, Calliope had to return to Mount Olympus to entertain the gods, so she asked Apollo to give Orpheus his lyre. Orpheus' musical talent was natural and passed down from his mother. One day Orpheus was performing and fell in love with Eurydice. They were married, but she died very early. He therefore decided to follow her down to the underworld and try and bring her back. You'll have to buy the book to see if he succeeds!

Overall, the illustration style was very pleasing to the eye. The story was a mixture of narration blocks and character interactions with the traditional bubble text. A pleasant surprise for me was that the complaints I had about Theseus and the Minotaur were not present in this book. There was a love story, but the story didn't have sexual overtones like in Theseus. The story stayed true to the original myth and didn't try to change it or make it modern, which I always appreciate. Lastly, there were phonetic pronunciations of the hard to say Greek names; an index of characters and places; and even a further reading list! I highly recommend this book, and I can't wait to see what the third volume will be in this series!

This book was provided to me for free by TOON Books in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Graphic Universe Greek Myths (Lerner Publishing Group)

Graphic Universe is an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group which publishes fiction and nonfiction graphic novels. From their titles, there was a series that stood out to me as awesome. It is called Graphic Myths and Legends, and it features stories from around the world. There are Norse tales like Thor and Loki or a Korean Cinderella story called Pigling. I received a couple different ones to review, but the ones I will be touching on today are both Greek. The first one is called Hercules: The Twelve Labors and the second one is Demeter and Persephone: Spring Held Hostage.

Hercules: The Twelve Labors begins with a two page spread that covers how Hercules was born (son of Zeus and a mortal) and a glimpse at his uniqueness even in early childhood. It then fast-forwards to Hercules as a young man consulting the Oracle (with Hera pretending to be the Oracle). Hera encourages him to travel to see his cousin King Eurystheus. What Hercules didn't know was that his cousin was jealous of him, and Hera encouraged the king to give him impossible to tasks to test his strength and possibly kill him. These became the Twelve Labors.

I won't go into detail and list all twelve labors, but there was the Nemean lion whose hide weapons could not penetrate; a nine-headed hydra; steal the Queen of the Amazons girdle, etc. Hercules did not like doing some of these tasks, as many of them involved stealing. However, Hercules showed to be more than just someone dumb with muscles. He was also smart and cunning, and a man who cared about the well being of others. When stealing the cattle of Geryon, he shot Geryon with a poisoned arrow so that the violence of a potential fight wouldn't harm others. At the end of the book is a brief glossary and additional reading suggestions. This is a good introduction to Hercules and would be well-suited for homeschooling or a traditional classroom. I enjoyed it, but I just wish it had been longer.

Demeter and Persephone: Spring Held Hostage begins by giving background information on who Demeter is, which is the daughter of Persephone and Zeus. (Yes, Zeus has a lot of kids by a lot of different women and goddesses.) We then get information on Zeus and his two brothers - Poseidon and Hades. Zeus chose to rule the sky. Poseidon was granted the water. Hades was granted the underworld. We see all the gods and goddesses happy, but Hades is further isolating himself in loneliness. Hades tells Zeus that he wants a queen and that he has chosen Persephone as the woman he wants, so he kidnaps her.

At first Persephone doesn't like being in the underworld, and who can blame her? She was kidnapped and separated from her mother. However, she begins to grow accustomed to it, and seems to actually love it down there. Readers are treated to a tour of the underworld and what happens to good souls, bad souls, and so-so souls. Because she is in the underworld, the world is in winter, so she has to make the tough choice between staying with Hades or going back up to the world and returning Spring to mankind. When she returns, she gives the people the gift of agriculture, so that she can return to the underworld for half the year and not leave the people in dire need. This isn't my favorite of the Greek myths, but it does a good job explaining the seasons. Like other books in this series, it closes with a glossary and a guide for further reading. If your child likes comics and mythology, this is a good series and one that they will appreciate.

These books were provided to me for free by Lerner Publishing Group in exchange for honest reviews. If you found the reviews helpful, please click here and/or here and hit Yes!

The Olympians Boxed Set (First Second Books)

The Olympians Boxed Set is collection of the first six graphic novels in the Olympians series. They are in paperback format in the boxed set. If you want to buy hardcovers, you'll have to buy individual titles. The individual titles in this set are Zeus, Athena, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Aphrodite. I would have probably published Hera second, but that is a personal preference. Each book is written and illustrated by George O'Connor. The books are written and illustrated beautifully. You see this not only on the pages themselves, but on the spine work. If you line up the spines of the first six books you see half of Medusa, so you know that the next six books will finish this picture. It's a little thing, but I love it when books don't change their format and provide you a visually appealing look on your shelf. Also, in this boxed set is a poster that The poster is beautifully drawn, but I honestly like the back of the poster better, as it shows a family tree, which is helpful for keeping gods and goddesses straight!

Even though, most people are familiar with mythological tales, I will provide you with a bit of information on Book 1: Zeus. It would have been easy to skip straight to Zeus as an adult god, but we would have missed a lot of mythology in doing so. Instead, the story starts with the creation, including Gaea and her husband Ouranos. We also see the creation of the Cyclops, Hecatonchires, and the twelve Titans. We then see the birth of Zeus' siblings, who are eaten by Kronos, followed by Zeus' birth. As you are all aware, Zeus is hidden and ultimately saves his siblings from the belly of their father. We then see an all out war between gods and Titans. The story-line flows very nicely, both in words and pictures. It really helps the stories come alive for younger readers, and is sure to appeal to boys who love comics!

At the end of every book is a bibliography, recommended reading (a feature I always love), and discussion question. All these useful features make the books perfect for teachers or homeschooling parents! If you grew up on D'Aulaires Greek mythology book, like I did and your kids are looking for a different illustration style of these classic tales then I recommend The Olympians Boxed Set. It is also a nice bridge between D'Aulaires and Bulfinch or Edith Hamilton. So whether your kids are Greek mythology veterans or novices, they are sure to enjoy this book. Be sure to look for #7 Ares and #8 Apollo!

This boxed set was provided to me for free by First Second Books in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

TOON Books Reviews

When I grew up I read comic books, like most young boys. I read Superman, Batman, and the likes. It wasn't high literature by any means, but I was reading right? When I was in high school and college, I discovered Japanese comic books, also known as manga. Manga at least had many genres, and you could find series with better writing and more depth than most American comics. Recently, I have discovered an even higher brow of comics, called graphic novels. I feel behind the times, however, as they have been around for a while, and I am just discovering them. Today, I will be reviewing two from the publisher TOON Books.

Theseus and the Minotaur is a Greek myth that needs no real introduction or explanation. Master French cartoonist, Yvan Pommaux, does a masterful job starting the story from the very beginning though. We learn of Theseus' mom, Princess Aethra, and how both Poseidon and King Aegeus, "had" her. We see a brief glimpse of her raising her son, Theseus, but during that time we learn a great deal about the background and bitter hatred between Aegeus, King of Athens, and Minos, King of Crete. We are then taught where the Minotaur came from. It wasn't explicit, but there were a few images that were surprising. After this, we see Theseus as an adult and learn of his feats, before he finally meets his father, Aegeus. Theseus then goes off to slay the Minotaur, and does so with some help that he received from King Minos' daughter.

There were things I liked and disliked about this book. Let me start with what I didn't like. For starters, it did not read like a comic book. There were text bubbles, but they were few and far between. It more felt like reading a narration than characters interacting. The other thing I didn't like was the sexual themes in the book. Yes, it's Greek mythology, so it is to be expected, but the suggested reading level is 8+. With these themes, it should be middle school, and probably late middle school at that. What I liked is that this adaptation stayed true to the mythology. I also liked that there was phonetic pronunciations of the hard to pronounce Greek names. This is helpful for kids and adults alike. The index and further readings at the ends were also a nice touch and super helpful. Last, but not least, the illustrations were great, but of course I knew they would be! Overall, a very good graphic novel, just use your judgment on what age to let your children read it.

Hansel and Gretel is a joint collaboration of Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti. I decided to review this book, because my wife loves Neil Gaiman, so I thought I'd finally give him a shot. The illustrations in this book are shades of black and white. These monochromatic illustrations present a very shadowy and haunting story. That makes them perfect for accompanying this chilling tale that many of us only think we know. This, however, is a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, so it's supposed to be dark.

The story stays true to the original version, with the exception of the mother. In the original, I believe it was the father's second wife, not first wife. This makes the story a little darker, because it is the wife (mother) who convinces the father to leave the children in the woods to starve. The rest of the story is pretty well known. They go to a witch's house. She tries to cook them. They stuff her into and oven and escape. They then find their way home to their father. The mother died from unknown causes, so it's mostly a happy ending. At the end of the book is a brief history lesson on the story of Hansel and Gretel, which would be good for older readers in a school or homeschool setting. Overall, I was very pleased with Lorenzo Mattotti's illustrations and Neil Gaiman's storytelling lived up to my wife's hype.

The Wind in the Willows (Papercutz)

Most of us know the story The Wind in the Willows and the four main characters of Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger. They are four friends whose differences in personality help enhance their friendship. There are several themes that you can notice in this book including trying to find your place in the world, man vs. society, social classes, technology, adventure, and friendship. Each of the four main characters has an adventure. Toad actually has adventures and misadventures.

What makes the Classics Illustrated Edition different and special? For starters, it is a graphic novel/comic book. Each page is eloquently drawn animation that puts picture to story. The level of detail is extraordinary too. The comic flows much like the story with alternating action and lull. That's sometimes hard to pull off in comic format, but Michel Plessix did it well. I could have read through this entire book in an hour but the pictures kept drawing me in. I wanted to study them and appreciate them for their beauty.

What are the drawbacks of this book? As this is an adaptation, this will not be an exact replication of the book. It's like a movie in a way. Some dialogue gets shortened. Chapters get omitted, i.e., Chapter 9 -Wayfarer's All is skipped over. However, I really appreciated that they encourage you to read the actual book at the end. While this is a great way for younger readers to get introduced to the book, it is no substitute for the original. As this was my first introduction to this series, I am very pleased with what I saw and read. I hope others in the series will be as impressive as this one.

This book was provided to me for free by Papercutz. If you found the review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!