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librarylandlisa's review against another edition
4.0
This is an interesting genre blender of a graphic novel. It deals with the dust bowl and is part thriller and fantasy also. This book won a Scott O'Dell award for historical fiction and was a fun read. I liked the story that is being told in the background of Dorothy too. fun
mdevlin923's review against another edition
3.0
A contemporary folk tale that explains the Dust Bowl in America in the 1930s. Beautiful illustrations.
librarianlizreads's review against another edition
3.0
I was extremely fascinated by the fact that this graphic novel is also a historical fiction. It covers the time period of the 1930s in Kansas when dust ruled the Midwest and farmers constantly found their crops were dying. It is a wonderful way to allow children to learn about this hard time period in American history while enjoying a graphic novel. I enjoyed that the pictures were all dull colored, signifying life in a desert town. I also enjoyed how simple the images were, allowing focus to be on the characters and their thoughts and feelings. While I felt that the story could use a little more depth and more character development, I greatly enjoyed the moral of the story.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Phelan has illustrated other books, including a Newbery Medal winner. This is his first attempt at a graphic novel. Inspired by the “stark photography of Dorothea Lange and Arthur Rothstein” he decided to focus on the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
It’s a little bit of historical fiction, mixed with fantasy. Jack Clark is a young boy on a Kansas farm, bullied at school and not considered bit enough to really help by his father. He feels dejected and useless. In addition, the family is worried about his sister, Dorothy, who has a lingering cough and escapes reading various Oz books by Frank L Baum. When a neighboring farm is abandoned, he begins to notice odd occurrences in the shut-up barn.
There are some very spooky goings on in this book, with a fantastical Storm King that the young Jack must defeat in order to get the rains to come again.
The illustrations are marvelously detailed, and yet stark enough to give a feel for the desolation and destruction of the 1930s dust storms. They also lend to the feeling of uselessness and despair that Jack experiences.
The fight with the Storm King is terrifying enough, but the scene that really disturbed me (more hinted at than graphically depicted) is one where the men get together to kill the jackrabbits that are eating what little the farmers are able to grow. I know this is a realistic scene, as I’ve read other books that depicted this. But those books were for adults, and I find it really disturbing in a children’s book. At least Phelan shows that everyone feels remorse over their actions … even the mean bullies who participate seem to realize that they ‘ve been unnecessarily cruel, and shed a tear or two.
It’s a little bit of historical fiction, mixed with fantasy. Jack Clark is a young boy on a Kansas farm, bullied at school and not considered bit enough to really help by his father. He feels dejected and useless. In addition, the family is worried about his sister, Dorothy, who has a lingering cough and escapes reading various Oz books by Frank L Baum. When a neighboring farm is abandoned, he begins to notice odd occurrences in the shut-up barn.
There are some very spooky goings on in this book, with a fantastical Storm King that the young Jack must defeat in order to get the rains to come again.
The illustrations are marvelously detailed, and yet stark enough to give a feel for the desolation and destruction of the 1930s dust storms. They also lend to the feeling of uselessness and despair that Jack experiences.
The fight with the Storm King is terrifying enough, but the scene that really disturbed me (more hinted at than graphically depicted) is one where the men get together to kill the jackrabbits that are eating what little the farmers are able to grow. I know this is a realistic scene, as I’ve read other books that depicted this. But those books were for adults, and I find it really disturbing in a children’s book. At least Phelan shows that everyone feels remorse over their actions … even the mean bullies who participate seem to realize that they ‘ve been unnecessarily cruel, and shed a tear or two.
johnnymacaroni's review
4.0
This book is a blend of history and folklore and fantasy. The artwork is amazing. I really like how Phelan used color for emotion and tone. The whole book (text and illustrations) is sparse but packs a big whallop with story, character and emotion
lannthacker's review
3.0
A nice piece of historical fiction, with some violence. A bit of fantasy keeps it interesting.
kristenremenar's review
4.0
Graphic novel about the Dust Bowl years through the eyes of Jack, a boy with no use, now that the dust has taken away the farm. Drawn with a sparseness that matches the time period, I felt really pulled in, especially to parts like the awful jackrabbit drive. I found the rain god part at the end a little off-kilter (I so enjoyed the historical accuracy that the fantasy tie-in felt added on) and some times I had to reread the frames to catch what was going on in the barn, but it's beautifully done and fantastically brings the Dust Bowl to life.
jwinchell's review
4.0
I loved the sequencing in this story--speedy frames for fast-moving action, long slow frames for exploded moments. Elementary/middle school teachers: this would be a great read in tandem with Dust Bowl non-fiction and Dorothea Lange photos.