Now, I am intrigued. I have never read Tuck Everlasting but now, I feel like I need to. When I saw this graphic novel sitting on the shelf, I knew I had to read it. I thought perhaps I would know if I would like to read the full novel after reading the graphic novel and now, I do. As I read this graphic novel, I realized that I am probably missing some information from the full-length version of the story and that, my friend, is what I want to read.
What an interesting story. What an interesting concept. Why hadn’t I read this story before? This is my kind of story! The idea behind the water.
The relationship between Winnie and Jesse. The relationship between Winnie and the Tucks. How Winnie has changed. What would I do?
Oh my goodness……why had I waited so long!?? So glad I picked up this graphic novel! The illustrations were fantastic and now, when I read the full-length novel, these illustrations will be in the back of my mind, and I will love the story even more. Even more!
Almost perfect. Had it not been for the faces on the characters, I would have loved this book. I’ve been looking for a copy of this story which stays true to the original version without being too wordy or too childish and I think I might have found it. I found this graphic novel invigorating and entertaining, as it tells the fairy tale of the self-centered emperor.
In the faraway kingdom, there lived an emperor who cared more about the clothes that he wore than his own kingdom. He could and he would, change his clothes hourly and in fact, he never wore the same clothes twice. In fact, instead of inspecting his kingdom, the emperor liked to show off his clothes to his kingdom and would have his servant drive him through his kingdom so others could see him. While out one day, the emperor spotted some fantastic cloth that he had to have.
The weavers spun a tale so outlandish to the emperor, about a cloth that they could weave for him. This cloth would be so amazing that he absolutely had to have them come live with him in his castle, so they could create it for him. For this cloth was so magical, “only clever people can see it! To fools, it is invisible!” This was exactly the plan the weavers had in mind, for they were swindlers.
The emperor is smitten with pleasure as the weaver’s work. The weavers can’t believe their good fortune as they’re living their best life inside the castle watching their scheme unfold. The conversations taking place inside the castle made me laugh as both the emperor and the weavers are both pleased with the situation unfolding. The servant is running around trying to please everyone and he’s caught in the middle. The emperor’s new clothes are finally finished, but who can see it? The emperor’s apprehension grows, will he be able to see it? He loves to parade around his kingdom, but will that be a huge mistake this time?
I thought this would be a good read for my grandkids as I think it will keep their attention as the story moves quickly and the illustrations are interesting. I really enjoyed the color scheme of this graphic novel as it wasn’t bright and colorful but rather a dull and washed-out color palette which was perfect. The captions within some of the frames helped move the story along and were short in nature and easy to read. The speech and thought bubbles were easy to follow and read too. There are not a lot of characters to keep track of and their images made them easy to keep them distinct. As I said before, I was not a fan of the faces of the characters. They look clownish to me, and I didn’t like not seeing very many facial expressions in this story. 4.5 stars
This was a wonderful picture book. I was fortunate enough to get this in a Wonder Book so I was able to listen to the book after I read it. From the way the story was presented to the illustrations, this book was prefect.
I don’t remember much about this book when I read it as a child. I do remember having to read it in school with my classmates and how the dog Buck, found himself in some new surroundings, trying to adapt. There are some individuals who get all emotional when you mention this book but as you can see, I’m not one of them. After reading and listening to this I can understand how they feel.
The story begins with Buck living comfortably on a ranch. He’s alone but he’s the “king of the ranch,’ and he enjoys that. One night while out for a walk with one of the farm workers, Buck gets dognapped. Buck is confused as he travels not just by truck but by trains and ship to his final destination. Buck’s new home is a noisy, busy place. Buck is no longer alone but he’s now become part of a team, a team of sled dogs.
The sled dogs were mean and the work was hard. Buck was smart though and knew that if he had to work hard, if he was going to survive. His owners had only one thing on their mind: seeking their fortunes. Working in the snow was new for Buck but he got used to it and soon he became the lead dog. Buck’s owners came and went but Buck, he was always the lead dog. As spring arrived, Buck heard a calling in the wilderness, a summons that pulled deep within him. This past winter had been a rough one for Buck but also a good one. Buck was different and he noticed it. This is a great transition in the book. A terrific section where it’s good to think back over everything Buck has been though this past winter and to think about what will happen with Buck in the future. Buck is ready to take the lead again when he gets a new owner, but Thornton is different. I liked how Thornton and Buck came together and the adjustment they made for each other. The ending was perfect and I can see why some individuals get emotional when this book is mentioned.
The illustrations were terrific. Bright, bold colors and just enough details to bring the story alive on the page. There were instances of turmoil and chaos in the book and I liked the way that the frantic and wild illustrations that accompanied this. The easy-to-read text had a great flow and the print was bold and easy to understand. 5 star read for me.
I remember reading the original version of this story many years ago in school so I’m somewhat familiar with the storyline. It’s a daunting, sad story but one that I feel is important for its historical value and the impression that it leaves behind. When I saw this graphic novel adaptation, I was excited to see exactly what they had done with it.
Graphic novels…….graphic novel adaptations…… this world is just exploding! As a former substitute teacher, I’m all for graphic novels. Whatever you can do to get someone reading, I’m all for it! In one of my classes for my education degree, we had to read a variety of children’s books and discuss them. I remember one hot discussion was about graphic novels and whether they were actually “reading.” I definitely think they are “reading” now but at the time, the selection in graphic novels was fairly limited, so some individuals thought “reading” comic books wasn’t reading. So, I wonder what they’d think now, with all the different titles available. Perhaps they’d see that graphic novels are reading; they have a lot of different subject matter now. I think of the example: Margie wants to read the graphic novel of a book that was assigned. She reads the graphic novel, understands it and whether or not, she likes the book, she read it and was able to follow it. Had you only offered Margie the fiction or nonfiction version of that book, Margie would’ve struggled to read it or she wouldn’t have read it at all, she would have failed. She wouldn’t have gained anything. Actually, she would’ve lost a bit of herself for she now knows that she doesn’t like that book and she can’t read it. It’s funny actually but this argument is still an issue today.
There are some good points and some difficult issues with this adaptation. Again, this is a sad, depressing story but I liked the flow of this story. The author did a great job showing the conflicts the characters face and how Anne’s emotions come into play. As an author, you can’t have too much doom and gloom yet most individuals know that this is part of this important story. This story also covers a lot of time and there was quite a bit of narrative in the picture boxes but I figured there would be to keep the timeline moving. There were times in which the author devoted a whole page to narrative language but it was creative and wasn’t overwhelming. I thought the illustrations were wonderfully done, with precise details and colors and they complimented the text wonderfully.
The story begins with a page devoted to a Cast of Characters, which is helpful. The characters are grouped and I liked that under their illustration, they had their name and who they were in the story. The story begins on June 12, 1942 when Anne is celebrating her 13th birthday and she receives the important diary, Dear Kitty. In Dear Kitty, Anne writes down everything important to her: her thoughts and feelings and the events that occurring in her life. When Anne and her family are forced into hiding, they never imagined they would be hidden for years.
I think after reading this, I need to read the original story again as I feel that I don’t remember everything about this book. I remember the ending being abrupt in the original and again, the ending left me hanging. I do remember Anne growing as a character but I was surprised how forthright Anne becomes in this book. She’s almost too blunt and too brass for me. As Anne becomes a woman, her sexuality becomes important and she’s definitely frank and direct in this area also. I think the wake-up call for me was when Anne sat Peter down at a desk and she got out her pointer stick. Using her stick, Anne begins to explain to Peter the illustration on the wall. I don’t remember that from the original story and I even asked a few friends if they did. You’d think that as a teen, I’d remember something graphic like that. So, now I think I need to reread the original to see if my memory is correct or if I actually forgot part of this classic.
With other incidents pertaining to sexual content, I don’t feel this graphic novel is appropriate for younger readers. Overall, I thought the author did a great job and the illustrations were fantastic. This is one that you’ll definitely need to check into, if you get the chance. 4 stars
These are definitely Robert McCloskey illustrations which are terrific to look at. If you’re unfamiliar with him, he’s known for Homer Price, Make Way for Ducklings, or Blueberries for Sal. I like the detail that he brings to his drawings and the faces on the characters, for they look life-like. You can’t just glance at his illustrations, you have to stop and take in every detail that he has included because it’s marvelous, from the hair on the man’s arm, to the tin cup lying on the ground, to the untied shoelaces on the young boy. Such detail and that’s just the illustrations in this book! I thought the story was funny and I wasn’t expecting that ending. “BouliboulibouliboulibouliBANG!”
“Once upon a time there was a man who lost his head,” this is how this story begins. The illustration on this page shows a man waking up in his bedroom, his hands fumbling around, reaching up for his head. His pillow is indented which tells me that he did have a head sometime while he was sleeping so, what happened to his head? The man searches and searches but can’t find it. He even sits down to try to remember but “it is very hard once you have lost your head!” His hands and feet remember something which starts him off on his adventure. He’ll go search there but he knows that he must get dressed and take care of another important task, finding a replacement.
Out to the garden, he picks up a pumpkin. Carving out some facial features, he pops it on his head. On his way, he meets some village people who recognized him. They discuss what happened yesterday. The man misunderstands them and he returns home to find something else to wear as a head. Digging up a parsnip, the man tries again to head out and again he meets up with another bunch of village people. This head looks so funny (it’s so skinny and tall). They also talk about what occurred yesterday. Again, the man doesn’t understand so he quickly leaves and returns home. This time the man decides to carve a wooden head. Let’s try this again. He finally makes it to the fair, exactly where his hands and feet remembered. IT’s a busy place and as he looks, he also takes advantage of what the fair offers. Resting, he’s approached by a “kind-hearted and very bright boy.” The boy actually thinks he can help the man, really?
I’m glad that I grabbed this book when I saw it at a sale. I saw Robert’s name on the cover and I knew it had to be good. 5 stars.
I liked this novel more than I liked To Kill a Mockingbird which is supposed to be the first book in this series. I think that’s because I understood the characters more and their actions and attitudes seemed to fit them. I read this book for book club, and listening to the discussions surrounding this book, it was interesting to hear the different viewpoints on the topics that we covered.
Jean Louise has returned to her hometown again from New York and I feel that she has changed and her views are more open. When Henry (a.k.a. Hank) picks her up, she is surprised that her father is not there but she enjoys Henry’s kiss. I think she enjoys how Henry tends to her. Henry wants to marry her and playfully and seriously, he asks for her hand in marriage, for which Jean Louise turns him down, again and again. Jean Louise likes her independence and N.Y living. Why would she leave that to come back here to live the simple life in Maycomb, AL? She likes Henry but love is a different story.
While back in Maycomb, Jean Louise gets lost between the present and past many times. She enjoys revisiting her memories of growing up in Maycomb and then facing, the current Maycomb, which has changed some over the years. Whether that change is for the better, is a matter of opinion. I enjoyed Jean Louise’s flashbacks and a few of them brought back memories of my own. Her revival preacher story and Jean Louise’s first dance were great stories and I was glad that she shared them.
There are racial remarks throughout the novel. They are subtle and quick, and if you didn’t stop and think about them, you might just miss them. The world around this small town is changing and whether Maycomb is changing too or wants to change, is something to consider as you read the novel.
I started to feel sorry for Jean Louise as I read. She had matured over the years and returned home to be confused. The title and the ending of the book, sealed the book for me. Jean Louise had it all along, she just needed to be told.
One Chapter 