Graphic Science: Seven Journeys of Discovery

I have read a number of graphic novels by Darryl Cunningham, who has mainly focused his work on nonfiction, writing biographies about billionaires, Vladimir Putin, and Ayn Rand, as well as explorations of psychiatric conditions and science denial. He infrequently blogs here, sharing a look into some of his more recent fictional work.

I recently checked out his book Graphic Science from my local library, because local libraries rule. I had not read it before, though it has been out for some time, and I found it included biographies of several scientists whom I did not know much, if anything, about.  They are:

Antoine Lavoisier: A French chemist who named oxygen and identified it as a chemical element, beginning the system of organizing elements that eventually came to be represented in the periodic table.

Mary Anning: An English fossil collector whose discoveries changed how researchers thought about prehistoric life.

George Washington Carver: A Black-American botanist who studied ways to combat soil depletion as well as peanuts and sweet potatoes.

Nikola Tesla: A Serbian-American inventor who pioneered work with alternating current electricity and whose inventions paved the way for modern society.

Alfred Wegener: A German climatologist who explored and mapped polar regions and also put forth the first theories about continental drift.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell: An Irish physicist who discovered pulsars but was not among the recipients of the Nobel Prize this work garnered.

Fred Hoyle: An English astronomer who worked out the concept of nucleosynthesis, which is the process of creating new atomic nuclei from pre-existing neutrons and protons, and he also coined the phrase "Big Bang," ironically popularizing the term while rejecting the theory.

The images and text read in journalistic and informative fashion, showing the origins and high points of each person's lives and scientific interests. The book ranges far in terms of the topics covered, and I feel I learned much about each scientist and also got to know them as people. What is common in their stories is that they have been overlooked for awards or that their work has been misunderstood in some way. This book would be a great resource about some specific topics in science, which could be read as excerpts, or even as the seeds of a project in exploring scientists' lives and careers. It's a great collection of biographies.

The reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote, "Reading them [the scientists] as people, some who undercut themselves with mistakes or unusual behavior, makes their discoveries all the more powerful and interesting." Joe at the Woolamaloo Gazette opined about the book that "each [chapter] shares this rather lovely approach – putting the human face on these events, people and discoveries."

Graphic Science was published by Myriad Editions, and they offer preview images and more information here. 

History Comics: The Wild Mustang: Horses of the American West

The History Comics series began last year, and I was impressed with the initial offerings. This volume, The Wild Mustang, lives up to the great start, featuring a wide range of history that touches on matters of biology, plate tectonics, politics, and culture wars. The story begins hundreds of millions of years ago when horses first evolved in what is now North America. About 150 million years ago, there were none of these creatures left there, as they had all migrated to other continents and were isolated by continental drift. It was only with the re-introduction of the Spaniards and other colonial powers that these creatures returned to where they originated.

What I liked about this book was that it takes a long view of history but also makes sure to show how these animals were used for various social and political means. Aside from agrarian labor, they were used for war purposes, for the Spanish to conquer native people or the Comanche to dominate land and property. It counters a lot of the romantic thinking of some idealistic native species that embodies the spirit of the American West, showing how they have since propagated, been hunted and slaughtered, and later protected by various laws, many championed by Velma B. Johnston (AKA, Wild Horse Annie).

This book is dense with facts, but it is still very readable and engaging. Plus, there are plenty of resources for further information in the end papers of the book, making a great starting point for eager readers. I think it would be attractive to people who love horses but it's also good for a general survey of US history and a great model for what historical research focused on a specific subject can look like. The artwork captures the energy of the animals and also communicates many shifts in scenery and tone, from pastoral plains to meat packing plants to villages to courtrooms. It's a excellent text to teach about the complexities of history in an entertaining and relatable medium.

This book's creators, writer Chris Duffy and artist Falynn Koch, have created a number of other graphic novels. Duffy has written or edited a number of anthologies, including Fairy Tale Comics, Fable Comics, Nursery Rhyme Comics, and an anthology of World War I poetry titled Above the Dreamless Dead. Koch has drawn a couple of entries in the Science Comics series, Bats and Plagues, as well as a Makers Comics book about baking. Koch speaks about her work on this book in this interview.

The reviews I have read about it have been mainly positive. Kirkus Reviews called it "A surprisingly comprehensive history of wild horses." Brett at Graphic Policy called it "a little weighty at times" but "well worth it." As of this review, it has a 4.05 (out of 5) star rating at Goodreads.

The Wild Mustang was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information about it here.

Science Comics: Rocks and Minerals: Geology from Caverns to the Cosmos

 

Earth Day is approaching, so why not review a book about what makes up the Earth? Science Comics: Rocks and Minerals: Geology from Caverns to the Cosmos contains so much information and covers a lot of ground (ha!). The story framework here focuses on two characters, Sedona, a seasoned geologist who wrangles geodes and crystals, and Wally, a young man who is eager to be her assistant and also discover rare, expensive, and exceptional rocks. 

Sedona in action!

The story begins when he brings a rock to her and he asks her what it is. Her response begins way back at the Big Bang and then covers the formation of elements, stars, and planets. Her tale also touches on volcanoes, plate tectonics, erosion, weathering, geologic ages, the three types of rocks, as well as relative and radioactive dating. The amount of sheer information in this book is staggering, but it is presented in an engaging, relatively breezy way because of expert storytelling. Many pages also resemble scientific diagrams and maps, making this book a content area teacher's dream.

I've read almost all of the books in the Science Comics series, and this one is as terrific as some of the best entries. I was not really surprised by that, as it was written and drawn by Andy Hirsch, who has also created books on Dogs, Cats, and Trees for the series. You can check out some of his drawing process in this video.

All the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. In a starred review from School Library Journal, John Peters summed up, " A rock-solid review for serious students of our planet’s story, infused with humor and wonder." Sara Smith wrote, "The coloring is beautiful and bright, and some of the illustrations of the different rock formations and minerals reminds me what I liked about them as a kid."

Science Comics: Rocks and Minerals: Geology from Caverns to the Cosmos was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more about it here.

Science Comics: Volcanoes: Fire and Life

Volcanoes: Fire and Life, the third volume in the Science Comics series, approaches its subject matter via a science fiction tale. In the not-too-distant-future, the Earth is in another Ice Age, and humans are scrambling to find anything they can to use as fuel to keep warm. Aurora and her brother and sister Sol and Luna are being taught by their instructor Pallas to track down resources, when they happen upon a library. Instead of looking at the building and its contents as possible fuel, Aurora starts exploring the books and learns all about volcanoes.

Much of what she finds informs her about life on Earth before she was born. It also inspires her to explore solutions to their current situation, but she gets push-back from her siblings and teacher. Still, she is very persistent and her explanations touch on a lot of information about the Earth, plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. She gets into all kinds of historical and technical information, and all of this data comes across in an interesting way. Moreover, I enjoyed how this book also presents a conundrum where people have to puzzle out different methods to solve a pressing problem and use science to find solutions. This book is not just didactic, it's also very engaging.

This volume of Science Comics was created by Jon Chad, an instructor at at The Center for Cartoon Studies. He has a couple of other excellent science themed graphic novels under his belt, starring his Leo Geo character. He also wrote and drew a bunch of mini-comics and zines as well as the horrible and hilarious The Bad-ventures of Bobo Backslack (not for children). He talks about his work on Volcanoes in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that "Chad does a great job keeping both the story and the education moving along." Russ Dobler opined that "The information in Science Comics: Volcanoes is expansive and well-presented, with the use of narrative hammering home otherwise hard-to-retain concepts." Rosemary stated that "The diagrams are vibrant, with comic book art adding some fun and easily memorable background information to the mix."

Volcanoes: Fire and Life was published by First Second, and they have a preview and much more available here.

Leo Geo

I know that I have talked a little about books I got at this year's HeroesCon, and today I am going to look at two that are not only gorgeous to look at but also great for content learning. They are by Jon Chadurjian (aka Jon Chad), who is an instructor at at The Center for Cartoon Studies. He also wrote and drew a bunch of mini-comics and zines as well as the horrible and hilarious The Bad-ventures of Bobo Backslack. Unlike that graphic novel, these two books, with their sense of adventure, science content, and playful formats, are great for many age groups.

In this first book, Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth, scientist Leo Geo travels down, down, down into the Earth, along the way elucidating us about Earth facts and geology knowledge. Along with the facts, there is also some fiction in the form of fantastic creatures and an underground city from which he must escape. It's a pretty fun story in terms of plot, and the factoids along the way are interesting. Additionally, Chad packs the illustrations full of details, jokes, and characters. It's like a picture book version of Pop-Up Video in some ways, and I love this book like I loved that show.

Perhaps the most fun part of the book is its format. It is a long and skinny volume, and immediately you have to turn it 90 degrees as Leo starts his journey downward. About halfway through the book, perspective changes and you have to flip the book 180 degrees as Leo starts his journey upward. I loved the novelty of this type of reading format, and I think that adventurous readers would also appreciate this playfulness and willingness to play with space.

The reviews I have read about this book have been very positive. Trever Van As called it "strange, wonderful and totally different." Rob Clough wrote, "The book rewards multiple readings, if only to soak in the sideline details and little jokes that Chad throws in on every single page. The book is tightly paced, dense, and is short enough to end without wearing out its welcome." Publishers Weekly offered their opinion that "budding scientists should find the geology fascinating, and the magic dagger fighting with monsters gives it a good story to go along with the facts."

Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth was published by Roaring Brook Press, and they provide much more information here.

This sequel actually has two titles, Leo Geo and the Cosmic Crisis is the one they sell it under, but if you flip the book and start from the "back," you will read Matt Data and the Cosmic Crisis. In the first narrative, Leo learns that a comet is hurtling toward his brother Matt's space station, and being a good sibling, he runs out in a rocket to rescue him. In the meantime, Matt  learns that Leo's computer is about to malfunction and he sets off with his ultra-smart and resourceful space dog, Maff, to help his brother. Along the way, each brother encounters robots, strange creatures, even space pirates who complicate their journeys. And they also drop a bunch of science knowledge about space along the way.

This book is full of detailed illustrations and wonderful asides. It also plays with gravity some, requiring the reader to turn the book in order to orient themselves. Up is not always up in space, and that fact is used to good effect in this book. This sequel is just as playful as the first volume, and what is more, it's in color:

Like its predecessor, this book has also been received well. Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review, writing, "Readers who carefully trace the science-minded sibs’ circuitous pathways will be rewarded with a nonstop barrage of chases, battles, goofy sight gags and silly details. They’ll also enjoy numerous meaty minilectures on topics astronomical, from how multistage rockets work and types of asteroids and stars to algebraic formulas for computing gravitational attraction and escape velocity." The School Library Journal's Marian McLeod also gave it a starred review and summed it up as "a great offering for graphic-novel enthusiasts or kids looking for a fun read." FirstThursdaysReviews added, "The colorful cartoon style illustrations will engage any reader as they follow the two different stories to the end."

Leo Geo and the Cosmic Crisis was also published by Roaring Brook Press, who has lots of information about the book here.