Matt PhelanRecensioni

Not really pulling up any trees here or covering new ground with this story. The time shift is interesting, but the story itself ends up being pretty simplified. The art is good, but there's just not enough dialogue for my taste.

Maybe one of the funniest kids books i have read this year. a joy.

A truly cool and original retelling of the classic fairy tale. It's a quick read with few words, but worth reading more than once to put it all together.

There are some haunting images in this tall tale about a boy facing down the terror of the Dust Bowl. But it didn't feel like a satsifying story to me. I liked the connections to the Wizard of Oz, tall tales, and the detail about the jackrabbits--but I never really got into it. Maybe I read it too fast (I tend to do that with graphic novels). Or maybe first-time author Matt Phelan overused familiar tropes: the disappointed father, the sickly but brave sister, the kindly storekeeper who protects our hero from one-dimensional bullies. The art was great, but a story like this could have had a lot more depth. I felt like it ended before it really began.

Okay, I loved so much about this book. I didn’t even realize it was set in the 1920s until I started reading, but I loved the setting. It was a nice twist. I loved everything about the illustrations: how color was incorporated, how sketchy the drawings were until the end, and how creepy the evil queen “stepmother” was even when she was seen to be the most beautiful. I loved how she had an entire room with just mirrors. Her character was very well done. I loved how Snow White had an actual name and was given a bit more of a character. I also liked that her coffin ended up being a display window at Macy’s Department Store. Overall, the graphic novel was very creative and well done, in my opinion.

We know how slow turtles walk. This book traverses through the seasons....leaves and flowers and pumpkins....until we arrive at a snow with a hill. The end brought a smile to my face.

Nothing super spectacular but it was sort of fun.

Okay. I liked this book way more than I thought I would. After all, who doesn't like books about PIGnics?

There are a lot of ways this can be used in early literacy capabilities. The characters encounter problems and have to problem solve! Because "P" is a common letter, I would use my magic letter wands ;) It's also a cute book to talk about helping others.

First sentence: Plum the peacock sat still and quiet. He was usually pretty peppy. His friends at the Athensville Zoo would say he was cheerful and chatty. But this morning, Plum did not feel like his usual peppy, cheerful, chatty self. Plum felt a little bit—just a little bit—scared.

Premise/plot: A handful of zoo animals--including Plum--are on their way to a local school for a presentation. The good news: they arrive at the school safely. The bad news: an unexpected snow storm leads to school--and the presentation--being canceled. The good news: there are friendly school mice to let the animals out of their cages. The bad news: Things get VERY hectic throughout the day. Plenty of misadventures and adventures occur when the animals are essentially running amok throughout the school without human supervision....

My thoughts: I really LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the first book in the series, Leave It To Plum. I thought it was such a fun animal fantasy. This sequel is all kinds of fun. I liked revisiting Plum. Plum is out of his element in this one. The school is not at all like Athensville Zoo where he (and the other peacocks) are ambassadors. The book was so entertaining. It was just a hoot. I didn't know how much I needed a sequel to Leave It To Plum.

Beautiful snow white as 1920s new york noir. Definitely too scary for my kid, though.

This is a very spooky and engrossing retelling of Snow White set in New York City in the 1920s.

I loved this graphic novel. With very few words it swept me completely into Jack's world in the middle of the dust bowl where he is bullied by other kids and rejected by his dad. One of his sisters is sick with the dust pneumonia, and people are saying that he has the dust dementia just because he is different from the other boys. The artwork is amazing and the story is a great blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and American folklore.

A wonderfully fun book introducing the adventures of Thomas Stevens, Nellie Bly, and Joshua Slocum to a new generation of readers. Around the World was a quick but delightful read.

Snow White retold during the Great Depression, with Snow being the daughter of a Wall Street magnate who survived the crash, and the dwarfs seven orphan boys living on the streets. The art in this was lovely. Using only pencil gave the entire book a very soft, dreamlike feeling. It was very evocative of the time period. My one complaint was it was very short and felt rushed. If you're familiar with the Snow White story (which is, presumably, practicaly everybody in the Western world) it's easy to fill in the blanks where the story jumps. But those jumps left me a tad bit unsatisfied because I wanted to see what happened in-between the sections rather than assuming what happened.

I really liked what Snows glass "coffin" was.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Matt Phelan is BRILLIANT! His deft, spare ink/ pencil/ watercolor illustrations further the story, rather than simply illustrate it.
And the third and final story -- about loner Joshua Slocum, who circumnavigated the globe alone in his 36' sloop -- is his finest, and most moving.

Kansas, 1937. It has not rained for 4 years, and massive dust storms are killing people, choking them to death slowly by “dust pneumonia.” Jack’s family plans to leave the farm they’ve always loved and Jack feels useless, unable to help – until he finds a mysterious, dark, dripping figure in an abandoned barn. Is Jack a victim of “dust dementia?” Or is the figure real – and what can Jack do? Amazing drawings! Phelan gives us a vivid glimpse of life during the Dust Bowl. Easy read, 201 pp.

Simple text; big story item ... getting dressed to go outside

A beautiful, touching and sad story about the dust bowl and how it really beat down everyone involved, even the kids.

The point about Jack growing up "useless" since he couldn't help on the farm is poignant and not really something you'd think about when thinking of the tragedy of the Dust Bowl - I also didn't know about the rabbit drives, and the series of red panels and silent men were incredibly effective.

A stunningly beautiful adaptation of Snow White, Phelan blends a (mostly) monochromatic palette with sparse dialogue and beautiful wordless scenes, effectively conveying the emotions and atmosphere of the story. The chapter titles, rather than being intrusive, added a subtle exposition, and even though Snow didn't know the seven for very long, the affection they all felt for each other was clear in their actions and facial expressions. The ticker tape mirror was a great touch, and even the scene where the stepmother is electrocuted is gorgeous.

Cute. Repetitive Book about turtles, patience, and seasons changing.

The noir- like illustrations and limited text present a compelling story of Snow White set in New York City during the Great Depression. Snow’s adventures with Queen of the Follies and the Seven of Hooverville will prompt discussions and inquiries.

This graphic novel is told from the perspective of a Michigan boy named Henry. When a vaudeville troupe comes to town in 1908 with young, slapstick actor Buster Keaton, the boys become friends and each wants what the other has. A nostalgic tale about youth, envy, and perception

graphic novel (ages kids and up). Snow White retold in a 1920s New York setting (the dwarves are street kids!), with sparse text (read it in 15-20 minutes) and great illustrations.