Agrimbau, Diego. Leonardo Da Vinci.

Agrimbau, Diego. Leonardo Da Vinci. Calkins Creek (Boyd's Mills)  2018  112p.  $31.99           ISBN 978-1-5157-9163-8            elem/ms       Graphic Nonfiction           VG-BNS       

This title calls itself an unofficial biography.  In graphic-novel format, it takes Leonardo from childhood through his life.  He serves as an apprentice to Verrocchio but he dreams of creating his own paintings. He uses cadavers to study anatomy.  As his sponsors change, he moves from Florence to Milan to Venice and back to Florence.  His technique and his search for perfection cause him to spend years on an individual painting.  His disappointments as well as his achievements are discussed.

This story is written as if Leonardo is talking about his life to his apprentice Salai.  This conceit allows the story to proceed forward and backwards in time, rather than following a straight line of progression.  Leonardo expressed his regrets over unfinished works and failed projects.

The illustrations are integral to the story.  It is easy to follow the action, and the drawings clearly show the story. The choice of colors evokes a pensive mood, or at the least, a mood of times past.  The text is clear, with good contrast to the background.  The book also includes a timeline, some historic background, a glossary, discussion questions and writing prompts.  The discussion of  the portrayal of Leonardo in movies mostly addresses the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is superfluous.  The index is rudimentary, as are the suggestions for reading more about Leonardo. 
 

This title gives readers a general outline of the life of Leonardo da Vinci in a readily accessible format.  Reluctant readers are more likely to pick up a graphic novel than a wordy tome.  The information is presented in sufficient detail to give a good picture of his life.  Grades 4-8.           

The series is Encounter: Narrative Nonfiction Stories, and within it the subseries is Graphic Lives.  It includes four titles: Anne Frank, Nelson Mandela, Pope Francis and Leonardo da Vinci.  They are good introductory biographies for grades 4-8.      

Summary: Graphic biography of Leonardo da Vinci that describes his development from an apprentice to a master painter and sculptor and also covers some of his many other interests in science and engineering.  Grades 4-8.      

Leonardo da Vinci, Biography                              --Joan Theal

Chamberlain, Joris & Aurelie Neyret Cici’s Journal

Chamberlain, Joris & Aurelie Neyret           Cici’s Journal  Macmillan/ First Second      2017   149p   17.99  978-1-62672-248-4            ms/jr            Graphic-non-fiction   VG-BN

Ceci wants to become a writer. In this graphic novel Ceci shows the steps she goes through to attain this goal with the help of a famous writer who lives in the same town.    

    This is a very good graphic novel for middle school readers. The colors are bright and simply blended in dramatic drawings. The drawings themselves are simple yet effectively portray the content of the story. The format of the book and the visual layout within the pages add variety and insight into Ceci’s adventure.                           McNeil, Linda       Writing

Wicks, Maris. Human Body Theater.

Wicks, Maris.  Human Body Theater.  Macmillan/First Second  2015  233p  $19.99  ISBN 978-1-62672-277-4  all ages   Graphic nonfiction  VG-BN

This book explains the skeleton and its related systems in a colorful and easy-to-understand nonfiction graphic book.   It is a well researched and formatted book for young readers explaining the human body in a simple yet comprehensive manner.  It is completed with a bibliography and glossary.  The book and the sturdy clay-based pages are beautifully bound to withstand usage.
The content includes: skeletal, muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, excretory, endocrine, reproductive, immune, nervous, and smell, taste, hearing, sight, and touch.  This book is recommended for any elementary or middle-school library, and it has also been recommended for our Books of Note List.  

Summary: This book explains the skeleton and its related systems in a colorful and easy-to-understand nonfiction graphic book.

Human Body                                                        --Linda McNeil

Brown, Don. Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans.

Brown, Don.  Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans.  Houghton Mifflin/ Harcourt Brace   2015  96p   $18.99  ISBN 978-0-544-15777-4  ms/hs  Graphic nonfiction  E-BN   

Drowned City is a powerful portrayal of the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.  Brown uses statistics and quotes paired with drawings in muted tones to convey the tragedy that occurred.  He covers the event from the initial winds gathering in Africa and the building storm to the evacuation, rescue, and aftermath.  The failures are discussed, including the evacuation busses and trains that left empty because many refused to leave, the lack of communication and action between government officials, and the looting.  The heroism of emergency personnel and citizens is demonstrated repeatedly.  This is a must-have for any secondary collection. Source notes and a bibliography are included. Highly recommended.

Summary: The impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans is illustrated in graphic-novel format.      

Hurricane Katrina, 2005                               --Stephanie Pennucci

D-Day: June 6, 1944

Biskup, Agnieszka.  D-Day: June 6, 1944.  Capstone/Heinemann      2014  48p  $32.65  ISBN 978-1-4329-9295-8  ms/jr  series: 24-Hour History  Graphic nonfiction  E-BN

This graphic nonfiction book does an excellent job of portraying the events of the invasion of Normandy without being too graphic, which makes it appropriate for upper-elementary through high school.  The book begins with an introduction to the events leading up to D-Day, continues with a breakdown of what happened on each beach, and ends with several pages of text summarizing the entire topic.  The book includes a timeline, biographical information about military leaders, a glossary, a bibliography and an index.   

Summary:  This is a graphic nonfiction treatment of the D-Day invasion during World War II, for grades 4-12.     

World War II                                    --Stephanie Pennucci