Reading Response: Graphic Novels

 

Babymouse: Queen of the World is a graphic novel that is the first in a series of 20 books.  Babymouse believes she has a very boring, routine life, and she wishes for great things to happen to her; she’s especially looking for an invitation to a classmate's birthday party since she feels left out of many things at school and believes nothing can go her way.  This graphic novel first moves between Babymouse’s reality and her imagination to create a more exciting life for herself.  There are three times throughout the text that readers find themselves in a different realm of possibilities based on what Babymouse is conjuring in her imagination.  

The story could be a little confusing with the movement between the character’s imagination and reality, but the illustrations help somewhat.  When Babymouse is in reality, the illustrations are black and white; color is not included at all.  When Babymouse has her dreams–or departs from reality–the color pink is included either on the full page or in part of the illustration.  The illustrations may not draw a reader to this graphic novel; since there is only one color in this book and the color is not on every page, it may deter readers because there are not bright, bold images. Some pages only include one illustration, while other pages contain multiple illustrations that can be overwhelming.  There are not typical panels that readers may be used to in graphic novels, and the captions on each page can also act as a deterrent to readers.  There are many captions and thoughts bubbles on the spreads, so the word to illustration ratio is not even.  Based on the words only, the story has a plot that is easy to understand and a conflict that is resolved at the end.  Readers can relate to the characters in the book as well.  However, the images cannot stand alone; it is only when the words are read can a reader then look at the illustrations and see the connection.  

There are no sections in this graphic novel; instead, it is one continuous story.  Although there are a significant amount of words on each page, the sentences are short and the words are easy to read.  What is most compelling to young readers are the different characters they can see within the illustrations–all characters are animals–and the realistic conflict Babymouse finds herself in. The idea that this is a series with the same characters in each book is a good way for readers to be engaged and keep reading. 

Holm, Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm. Babymouse: Queen of the World. Random House. 2005. 96 pages. Tr. $6.99. ISBN 9780375832291. 

The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow and Sorcery is the third (and final) book in the series that tells the story of a group of friends on the hunt for adventure. There are 18 chapter-like sections within the book.  While they are not listed as chapters, they are smaller stories within the larger stories that progresses through a plot, introduces new characters, and ends in a happy resolution.  The conflicts the characters find themselves in are relatable to readers from ages 9-12, so these readers can connect with the characters and the decisions the characters make. 

Each of the 18 sections contains a background color specific to that part of the overall story.  This allows readers to see where one section begins and another one ends.  The illustrations include clear and vivid colors that help to move the plot along.  However, the text and illustrations must work together; while the text can be understood alone, the illustrations cannot.  Many of the illustrations show the characters’ faces as angry or upset which doesn’t always correlate with what’s happening on the pages.  Although the stories show conflict, it seems as though there is too much conflict in this text while the characters have to problem solve with each other.  This does relate to the angst many young children may feel in situations, especially with their friends, but it seems to include more struggles than successes.  

Sell wrote this book as a fictional story of what he remembers about his own childhood: friends, costumes, and imagination.  Since each story/chapter with the larger book contains all three, children will easily be able to follow the plot and understand the intentions of the characters.  This is a book that can be read independently by children as young as seven.  The layout of the pages is easy to follow because the panels are aligned top to bottom and the text can be read from left to right.  There is not an abundance of text that would deter a reader, but just enough that the reader can also look at the illustrations for extra support.

Sell, Chad. The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow and Sorcery. Random House. 2023. 320 pages. Tr. $13.99. ISBN 9780593481615.