Three new books and a classic are what I'm recommending this month in Reads Monthly. Kinokuniya Bookstores is offering a 25% discount on all the books is available until 10th June, if you cut out the coupon (only available in StarMag).
Tots to Teens's latest picks for a rockin' bookshelf are highlighted in StarMag's Reads Monthly pullout.
Get 25% with the coupon (available only in the newspaper) ... one coupon valid for just one book.
Nicholas was written by Rene Goscinny (1926-1977), the author of the Asterix comics (with illustrator Albert Uderzo) and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempe (1932). It is the first of a series of five books about the adventures and misadventures of a French schoolboy. First published in 1959, it was released in English, by Phaidon, in 2005.
It's graphics galore in this week's Junior Reading Room. Cut out the coupon (available only in the newspaper) to enjoy 25% discount, on the featured comics, autobiography and picture books, at Kinokuniya Bookstore.
What's the difference between comics and graphic novel? In my column in StarMag today, I use the terms interchangeably, but on reflection, I think that while all graphic novels can be called comics, not all comics can be called graphic novels.
Here's my rationale: A novel is an extended fictional work (or story) in prose form. A graphic novel would be the same, but using sequential art (usually paired with text/a script) to tell the story.
Comics are sequential art of any length, even one panel. In that case, it would not be a graphic novel. But a comic of, say, 140 pages, that tells a fictional story would be a graphic novel.
Therefore, graphic novels, being made up of sequential art, are comics. But comics aren't always graphic novels.
Definitions of Comics:
Typically only a separate section on Sundays; daily papers will include a page or more of comics in another section. Although new colour printing technology has seen the spread of the use of colour in comics (and other editorial content) to daily editions, for many years the expense of colour printing meant that only the Sunday editions of many newspapers carried most comics in full colour. - The NationMaster reference website
Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence. - Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (HarperPerennial, 216 pages, ISBN: 978-006-097-6255)
Comics (sometimes spelled comix) are combinations of
words and images into a medium for telling stories. They are typically
printed on paper, with the most common formats being newspaper strips,
magazine-format comic books, and larger bound volumes called graphic
novels.
- Wikipedia, entry on Comics
Definitions of Graphic Novel:
Generally, any self-contained story in a single binding
that uses a comic book-like page layout. In the comic book industry,
the term is sometimes used to refer only to self-contained stories of
48 or more pages that has not been previously published serially. (The
minimum page count varies; 64, 72, and 96 pages are other popular
cut-off points.) - The Comic Book Awards Almanac glossary
"Graphic novel" (sometimes abbreviated GN) is a term for a kind of book, usually telling an extended story with sequential art (i.e. comics). It is not strictly defined, and is often used to imply subjective distinctions between a given book and other kinds of comics. - Wikipedia, entry on the graphic novel
P.S. I don't claim to know very much about graphic novels/comics. I like a comic strip as much as the next person and I have several Bloom County, Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side compilations. I also have a few Too Much Coffee Man comics and Lat's various books. I owned all of the above many years before I came to possess my first graphic novel, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, but, hang on, now I realise that Lat's Kampung Boy is a graphic novel. I guess I never gave the format much thought. I just took it for granted, just I took all books and the pleasure they give for granted.
TRAIN MAN: A Shojo Manga
Story: Hitori Nakano
Art: Machiko Ocha
Publisher: Ballantine Books;
179 pages
(ISBN: 0-345-49619-1)
For ages 13+
I've been super busy with work so haven't had time to update this blog much - sorry!
Anyway, I thought I'd post some photos I took with authors and illustrators whom I met when I was in Australia for the children's book conference.
As I mentioned in one of my posts in my personal blog, I felt like a groupie at the book conference - well, it was so exciting seeing all this people whose books I love so, if you're a book fan you'll understand exactly how I felt.
Enjoy the pics and look out for the crazed-fan look in my eye! Ha-Ha.
The Silly Side of Sherlock Holmes: A Brand New Adventure Using a Bunch of Old Pictures
By Philip Ardagh
This book made me scream with laughter!
Philip Ardagh, of Eddie Dickens fame, strings a lot of original Sherlock Holmes (from The Strand Magazine 1891-1927) illustrations together, sticks in funny captions and comes up with a whole new "mystery" that will have you in fits.
(The version that's available in Malaysia has a different cover - Holmes's famous silhouette.)
Ardagh has also written The Not-So-Very-Nice-Goings-On at Victoria Lodge, which has illustrations from the 1890s's editions of The Girls Own Paper.
I have also received High in the Clouds, his collaboration with Paul McCartney, for review but can't bring myself to read it. It just looks terribly wordy and not too exciting.
Not feeling very well and so not inclined to read anything that doesn't immediately strike my fancy.
Anyway, stay tuned for whether I think Macca is a hack.
I don't know much about comics or graphic novels. Is there a difference? If so what is it? Sorry to be so ignorant, but I just haven't been exposed to them - much.
I'm pretty certain Maus and Persepolis are graphic novels. Would it be wrong to call them comics? And what about manga? Is that just Japanese comics?
I said to a friend recently that I'm a bit leery of getting into graphic novels because they're so expensive, but I'm getting more and more interested in them and can already feel my purse shrinking at the thought of going (window) shopping for a few titles.
A couple of months back I managed to get a free copy of Marjane Satrapi's Embroideries. Not as good as Persepolis but rather amusing. (I must get Persepolis 2.) Then last week there was a copy of Marvel 1602 doing the rounds in the office. I'm not sure about the pictures, but the story sounds cool.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
June 2008: Jenny Wagner (Author) & Ron Brooks (Illustrator): John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat
John Brown is an old English sheep dog. He belongs to Rose, an old widow, and is a deeply devoted companion. Says Rose, "We are all right, John Brown. Just the two of us. You and me." But one night, Rose notices a cat in the garden. A midnight cat. She is fascinated by the cat. John Brown doesn't approve. He tells the cat to leave. But Rose wants the cat. She longs for it. She leaves it milk in a bowl, which John Brown tips over. Finally, Rose takes to her bed and declares that she might stay there forever. John Brown is sad and decides that, because he loves Rose so much, he will put up with the midnight cat. This is a strange picture book - quite gloomy and sombre. The midnight cat is slightly sinister - could it be a symbol of death? When John Brown finally allows the cat into the cottage, is he really accepting Rose's death? Perhaps being a true friend includes being able to let go.
