‘From the team behind the award-winning Illegal comes an important and compelling graphic novel
about the real and devastating effects of climate change’
[ About GLOBAL ]
Yuki lives in an increasingly deserted Inuit township in Nova Scotia. One day she sets out into the wilderness of the Arctic tundra planning to photograph a rare grolar bear (a terrifying grizzly-polar crossbreed created by climate change) – if she can prove it’s a grolar, she can protect it from being shot. With only her faithful dog for company and adrift on a fragment of melting glacier, she finds herself being stalked across the changing wilderness by a starving grolar bear, with only her wits and her harpoon to keep her alive.
Sami lives in a fishing village on the Bay of Bengal. But because of the ever-rising ocean level, each day is a struggle to survive. One night, Sami sets out to return to his old, submerged family home, alone. He takes a deep breath and dives beneath the moonlit waters, hoping to find his past.
But a cyclone is coming …
[ Review ]
GLOBAL by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin published April 27th with Hodder/Hachette Children’s Group. Illustrated by the talented Giovanni Rigano GLOBAL is described as ‘a moving and important graphic novel with breath-taking full-colour illustrations throughout.’ I don’t think I have ever featured a graphic novel on my blog before but I felt that this one was just too important not to.
‘This is a powerful, hopeful and timely story about the real effects of climate change: two young people on different continents whose lives are catastrophically changed by global warming. A graphic novel with glorious colour artwork throughout for children of all ages – from Eoin Colfer, previously Irish Children’s Laureate, and the team behind Illegal, and his bestselling Artemis Fowl graphic novels.‘
– Publisher Quote
The targeted age profile for GLOBAL is 9-12 years of age but I expect that this is a book that we could all learn something from as the catastrophic climate changes are impacting so many across the globe. As I don’t know much about graphic novels I asked my daughter Emily, who is 16, to read GLOBAL and to give me her thoughts. On her first flick through the pages her initial comment was that the artwork by Giovanni Rigano was brilliant.
GLOBAL follows two children living on opposite sides of the universe, one on the melting ice of the Arctic Circle in Canada, and the other on the ever-shrinking Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. Through atmospheric, immersive artwork we are shown the urgency of preventing global warming, and how despite our protagonists living two completely different lives, they are both being heavily impacted by its effects. The compelling storyline and digestible chapter sizes mean it could easily be read in one sitting, and the relevance of its themes make it suitable for all ages. Despite it being a work of fiction, it depicts real issues happening as we speak, and portrays the dangers of the situation while bearing in mind the age profile of the target audience.
I found both protagonists to be very likeable. They were incredibly dedicated to their cause and pushed through despite the hardships and risk of failure. I recommend this book for parents to purchase for their kids because of these positive role models, as well as the educational value. There are many interesting facts about our climate, and how it’s changing, integrated into the story, making it a great entryway for children to start learning about the topic. There were many issues highlighted that I was not previously aware of, such as the existence of ‘Grolar bears,’ the amount of methane that will be released into the atmosphere as frozen lakes melt, and more.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading GLOBAL. The expressive art style and attention to detail was a pleasure to look at, with the well-structured layout of the panels, as well as the speech and thought bubbles, creating a cohesive visual experience. The portrayal of the global effects of climate change was well-balanced by a more intimate view of how it affects the individual, creating a well-rounded and educational read.
[ About the Authors ]
Eoin Colfer is the author of the bestselling, award-winning Artemis Fowl series, and has sold over twenty million books worldwide. He and Andrew Donkin wrote Illegal together.
Twitter ~ @EoinColfer
Andrew Donkin has written over sixty books and graphic novels, including Illegal with Eoin Colfer and Batman for DC Comics.
Twitter ~ @AndrewDonkin
Giovanni Rigano has won many awards for his illustrations and is a regular at comic festivals across Europe. Twitter ~ @rigano_giovanni
Excellent review, Mairead. This does sound like a very important story for everyone to read.
Carla it will resonate with us all. Very well presented