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MOTHER TERESA

ANGEL OF THE SLUMS

From the Campfire Heroes series

“Why did she want to help? Why could she not turn a blind eye to those in need?” A searching and reverent treatment.

Mother Teresa shines brightly both figuratively and literally in this graphic portrait of her life and mission.

Mother Teresa glows in a spotless white sari against jumbles of dim, run-down streets and impressionistically rendered inhabitants. Her slight, erect image anchors both the stately art and Helfand’s solemn account of her devotion to helping others, from childhood on. Mixing commentary with (invented but characteristic) dialogue, the author chronicles her compassionate works and, occasionally, captures just a hint of her strong personality too: “How much medicine do you need to purchase today, Mother Teresa?” a pharmacist asks. “Purchase? I thought you might want to do something beautiful for God.” Closing with her continuing progress toward formal sainthood and a spread of additional anecdotes, this account will leave readers deeply affected and perhaps even inspired by her profound devotion to the poor, ill and needy in India and the world.

“Why did she want to help? Why could she not turn a blind eye to those in need?” A searching and reverent treatment. (bibliography, foldout poster) (Graphic biography. 11-14)

Pub Date: June 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-93-80028-70-5

Page Count: 88

Publisher: Campfire

Review Posted Online: April 9, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013

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CONQUERING EVEREST

THE LIVES OF EDMUND HILLARY AND TENZING NORGAY

A vivid double character portrait, enhanced by equally sharp glimpses of climbing techniques, strategies and hazards....

The exploits of two young men mad for climbing mountains are retold in graphic panels.

Trading off narrator duties, Norgay and Hillary trace their childhoods and early lives. The Sherpa was a driven youth who earned a reputation for solid reliability working for European expeditions tackling various Himalayan mountains, while the Kiwi was the restless son of a beekeeper, who satisfied his yen for heights and adventure by making connections with renowned climbers. A third-person voice takes over for their ultimate meeting on Everest’s slopes and the heroic trek to the summit. Tayal captures their likenesses in flurries of small but visually varied cartoon scenes, often placing figures in front of reworked photos of forbidding ice fields and peaks. Helfand fills the dialogue-heavy narrative with specific biographical details and exciting accounts of some of the great triumphs and tragedies of Himalayan mountaineering. He rounds out the lives of his two subjects with highlights of their later careers and closes with quick looks at modern teenagers who have climbed Everest.

A vivid double character portrait, enhanced by equally sharp glimpses of climbing techniques, strategies and hazards. (Graphic nonfiction. 11-13)

Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2011

ISBN: 978-93-80741-24-6

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Campfire

Review Posted Online: May 20, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2011

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MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

LET FREEDOM RING

From the Graphic Novel Heroes series

Despite occasional stumbles, a worthwhile reminder for readers who will recognize his name but may be a little hazy on what...

An inspirational biography in graphic format—highlighting both King’s passion for his cause and his devotion to Gandhi’s nonviolent methods.

The authors craft original dialogue that reads like policy statements and have Dr. King even as a child spouting lines like “We are being treated as inferior people solely because of the color of our skin. How unfair.” Nevertheless, they deliver a clear, cogent account of their subject’s upbringing, the vicious racial (and, later, social and economic) issues that sparked his involvement in the civil rights movement and the ensuing course of his short but enduringly influential career. Not all of the dialogue balloons and narrative boxes are properly placed, but Kumar draws facial features accurately. With a mix of overlaid and separated panels, he creates a strong sense of drama whether he’s depicting Dr. King firing up a crowd or Rosa Parks’ quiet composure. Numerous passages (not always accurately quoted: “the arm [sic] of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”) from Dr. King’s speeches and writings add oratorical authority to the account, and a folding timeline at the end provides a broad historical overview of African-American history up to Barack Obama’s first presidential election.

Despite occasional stumbles, a worthwhile reminder for readers who will recognize his name but may be a little hazy on what he stood for. (Graphic biography. 11-13)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-93-80028-69-9

Page Count: 88

Publisher: Campfire

Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2012

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