New graphic novels with heart

I’ve been on a little graphic novel kick lately and had to share the latest ones that I’ve really enjoyed. They are quite different, but similar in the way that they are both thought-provoking and moving.
The first one is titled The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Derek Kirk Kim.
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Yang is also the author of the influential and award-winning graphic novel American Born Chinese.
The Eternal Smile is actually a collection of 3 short stories, each with a fantasy-meets-reality spin. The first short story is “Duncan’s Kingdom.” Without giving away too much, it begins with a medieval knight named Duncan who is fighting frog creatures to woo a princess. The story in reality is so much more, and in 55 pages, you see Duncan’s world unravel and learn how things are not what they seem. But in a really cool way.
“Gran’pa Greenbax and the Eternal Smile” looks at a frog with a Scrooge complex, Gran’pa Greenbax, and how far he will go to fulfil his dreams of wealth beyond belief. This story investigates evangelical hypocrisy, greed, wish fulfilment, religion and reality television by poking fun at these unlikeable characters and making us look inward as well.
“Urgent Request” was my favorite story of the three. Cubicle worker Janet Oh receives one of those awful spam e-mails asking her to send money to the prince of Nigeria. In return, she will receive a cut of his riches when he can pay her back. Common sense dictates that we deny the request, but what happens when you follow the fantasy? The simple grayscale artwork compliments the story of Janet and her prince and the passive behavior she exhibits. You will want to wring her neck at some points, but that fits with her character growing until the end. It was a charming story.
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A Family Secret by Eric Heuvel.
There is a sea of Holocaust literature out there, and much of it is excellent. In order to stand out, a new work needs to have either a unique angle or excellent quality. I felt that A Family Secret had both elements. The unique angle in this case was the combination of a graphic novel format and the voice of a girl from Holland. Although Maus is known as the benchmark Holocaust graphic novel, this story is definitely more appropriate for a YA audience.
The story is told mainly as a a series of flashbacks from a grandmother to her grandson. Helena Van Dort’s wartime experience is documented in her journal and left in her attic for her grandson Jeroen to discover many years later. Here Helena’s family secret is more of an omission from her history rather than something she’s trying to hide.
The details of her childhood in Nazi occupied Holland are emotional as she struggles with her family to do what is right and stay safe. There are strong family rifts over how to handle their loyalty to the Nazis and to their family friends who are Jewish. Her father is a policeman, forced to join the party, and later seen as a collaborator. One of her brothers joins the German army while the other joins the Dutch resistance. Helena herself ties herself to the resistance and never forgets when her Jewish best friend was taken away from her.
The story is well told and the artwork is very skillful. The Dutch view of the war is not often covered – with the exception of the famous story of Anne Frank. There are also references to Helena’s relatives in Japanese-occupied Indonesia, which I found interesting. A dark time in history rediscovered and retold in an ultimately hopeful way.
Enjoy!
Sharon Long
Teen Services Librarian