Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 144
Publishing: April 11th, 2023
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Opening Lines: " It's not the sound of the waves that wake me."
Sami lives with his grandfather in a little fishing village along the Indian Ocean. As the ocean levels in their part of the world rise, the waves come closer and closer to their village, heavy rains have led to horrible mudslides that have destroyed their homes. And many people have fled the safety of their village. What fish they used to catch in their net have now receded causing them to risk going out further into the ocean in order to fish. On the other side of the world, Far North of Canada lives Yuki. Her village has been experiencing warmer temperatures, leading to the melting of ice caps. The polar bears have been having difficulty in finding food and are venturing toward their village to hunt. Concerned that the polar bears will be killed, Yuki has vowed to find a solution.
Global is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that was designed to highlight the impact of global warming. Through the stories of two children who live on opposite sides of the world the authors illustrate the effects climate change has had on their lives. This is similar to the authors other graphic novel, Illegal which was published in 2017. Both are powerful stories with these gorgeous full color illustrations that immediately capture your attention. Illegal told the story of one main character, Ebo who went on a daring voyage across the ocean on a small vessel from Africa to Europe in search of his brother. Having one main character made this a very impactful story it really captured his struggles and answered the question as to why people would take such a daring journey and leave their homeland. Global is just as impactful in its messaging. What's unique is that it shows two sides of the world and how the challenges of climate change impacts us all. Just like with Illegal, I found myself turning the pages quickly while reading Global. There is lots of tension and daring moments captured with Sami taking a boat out to find his families knife and Yuki venturing out in the snow in search of proof of a new species of bears, grolars, a hybrid of grizzly and polar bears. It was perfect picking two children to show the effects of climate change, as the authors point out, they're the ones who will be impacted the most. Included at the back of the novel is information about Global Warming and a sketchbook from the illustrator, Giovanni Rigano. A recommended read for those interested in climate change or for fans of the authors graphic novel, Illegal.
I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
**A huge thank you to Sourcebooks for Young Readers for the paperback ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
The bookshelves are filling up with climate change stories both in nonfiction and fiction. Such a good thing to keep our younger generation informed. This one looks like an important addition. Thanks for featuring it on MMGM.
ReplyDeletewhat a great way to talk about the issue!
ReplyDeleteI bet this book will gain a lot of traction with students and school librarians!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to tell the story of climate change and all its dangers. I will have to check this one out. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually read graphic novels, but this one sounds like one I'd like. Glad you enjoyed it so much.
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