In my view, Don Brown can do no wrong. All of his biographies quietly portray the life and times of the subject he is highlighting, and Uncommon Traveler: Mary Kingsley in Africa is my all-time favorite picture book biography. I look for excuses to read it aloud frequently!
That said, I think that Mr. Brown has truly outdone himself with his latest book, a graphic novel called Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. I have read quite a few books - for both children and adults - about Hurricane Katrina and most of them move me to tears. Brown's treatment of Katrina, though, hits readers on an even more visceral level. The illustrations unflinchingly show the devastation and despair of the hurricane, while the text so evenly and plainly highlights the hypocrisy of the political machinations behind the storm. Art and words together, this book is a powerful indictment of how terribly we failed before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. While it is not an easy read, and not necessarily one for most elementary readers, it is critical reading for the rest of us.
Other books I read and enjoyed this week:
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| If you loved Me Before You, don't miss this one. |
Drowned City sounds phenomenal. I'd heard of it but I hadn't realized it was a graphic novel. I'm really intrigued by This Side of Wild too. I didn't know Paulsen had a new book out until the National Book Award finalists were announced.
ReplyDeleteThis Side of Wild is wonderful. It felt to me like Paulsen was just meandering through time, telling stories, all of which were connected to the relationship between humans and animals. There is one story, in particular, about a dog named Gretchen, that I just keep thinking about. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
DeleteA few of those books are new to me. The covers look so great.
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