5 stars
I was wondering past the children’s graphic novel section of the library (after telling myself I would not check out any more graphic novels) and this book stood out to me because it was shelved sideways instead of right side up. I opened it up and was intrigued that there was no narration or dialogue. I caved and checked it out, but I am so glad I did. It was a beautiful moment of serendipity; I honestly didn’t know this was exactly the book I needed to read.
This book is simply beautiful. There is no spoken dialogue. The only words are sound effects. Because of this, the artwork really has to pull the reader along and keep them interested. This book accomplishes such a daunting task perfectly. I instantly fell in love with the small cast of adorable and caring characters. The artwork was gorgeous. I’ll admit, sometimes when I’m reading a graphic novel, I get so caught up in the story, that I just glance at the pictures. This one, however, made me really look at the artwork to follow the story and I really appreciate that it made me slow down and admire the art.
The story itself is fairly simple, but there is so much power in it. This is a story that rocks you to your core. The ending gets a bit heavy, so I would not recommend for all readers. The story itself was great, but probably best for older children. I think older children would also get more from the dialogue-less illustrations than younger children would as well.
Wonderful, gorgeous, heart-wrenching little book that will remind you there is good in the world. I absolutely loved it.