Category: Graphic Novels

Where’s Halmoni? by Julie Kim

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By Maureen Tai, 3 March 2021

It’s not often that I feel so excited after reading a book that I immediately want to write a review about it! Where’s Halmoni?, a recent purchase from Bleak House Books (our favourite independent bookstore in Hong Kong), is a masterfully-illustrated, comic-esque graphic novel about Noona and Joon, a pair of effervescent, brave and snack-guzzling siblings. The children arrive at their grandmother’s cosy home one day to discover that Halmoni (“grandmother” in Korean) has gone missing!

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Flash Review: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

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By Maureen Tai, 7 February 2021

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a unique graphic collection of profound, bite-sized meditations on friendship and kindness by illustrator, artist and author Charlie Mackesy. Framed as heart-to-heart conversations between the four titular friends, their friendship deepens with each page of Mackesy’s exquisite ink-and-pen illustrations, composed of masterfully executed undulating lines, bold flourishes and dreamy curlicues, sometimes with splashes of brooding watercolour, always with gorgeously handwritten text. The unnumbered pages are arranged so that readers of all ages can dip in, wherever they choose, alone or in company, and find solace, inspiration, wisdom and breath-taking beauty.
For ages 5 and up. (100 words)

NOTE: Thank you for reading my reviews! I’ll never take this website down, but in the interests of streamlining, from 1 January 2025, I’ll be posting new reviews on my writer website, www.maureentai.com, where I post lots of other bookish extras. See you there!

Flash Review: Stargazing by Jen Wang

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By Maureen Tai, 31 January 2021

Stargazing is Jen Wang’s sweet, engaging and heart-warming graphic novel about friendship, fitting in and forgiveness. Christine finds herself blossoming, thanks to her friendship with the gregarious, fun-loving and artistic Moon, even as Moon struggles to meet the expectations of their tightly knit Asian American community. When Moon becomes more popular at school however, their friendship is put to the test. After tragedy strikes, Christine must decide if she can rise above her guilt and insecurities and become the friend that Moon needs. Wang’s gorgeous illustrations, beautifully colored by Lark Pien, make Stargazing a visual treat even for younger readers (100 words).

NOTE: Thank you for reading my reviews! I’ll never take this website down, but in the interests of streamlining, from 1 January 2025, I’ll be posting new reviews on my writer website, www.maureentai.com, where I post lots of other bookish extras. See you there!

Dog Man: Grime and Punishment by Dav Pilkey

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By Maureen Tai and Ben, 31 December 2020

It’s YOUR story, kid. You can color it any way you want.

Petey, the Bad Guy who turns good

Chastened and changed: what a fitting way to end what has been a sobering, eye-opening and challenging year. I’d always assumed that the wildly popular Dog Man books were commercially successful yet held scant literary value, a bit like mass produced fast food which gave you a satisfied tummy for an afternoon, but zero long term nourishment. In one of the long hours of being a housebound, responsible, non-Covid spreading citizen, I begrudgingly read and, to my surprise, enjoyed Dog Man: Grime and Punishment, the latest Dog Man adventure that I had gotten Ben for Christmas (at his insistence). It had all the hallmarks of an unforgettable read: clever and punchy dialogue, an outlandish yet compelling storyline, unusual yet loveable characters, bold and brightly coloured pictures, and most importantly (for me anyway), emotional depth and wisdom. I stood corrected, Ben was triumphant, and the last blog post for 2020 was decided.

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