Global: One fragile world. An epic fight for survival.

by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, Giovanni Rigano (Illustrator)

Overview

From New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer and the team behind the Artemis Fowl graphic novels and bestselling, acclaimed graphic novel Illegal comes a compelling and timely story that follows two courageous children as they face the effects of climate change.

Time is running out for Sami and Yuki.

Sami and his grandfather live in a village along the Indian Ocean. They earn their living by fishing. But the ocean is rising and each day they bring back fewer and fewer fish.

Yuki lives in the far north of Canada where warming temperature are melting the ice. Polar bears have less food to hunt and are wandering into town looking for something to eat. Yuki is determined to do something to help the bears.

Praise for Illegal:

"Achingly poignant graphic novel"—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

 "Moving and informative, Illegal puts an unforgettable human face to the issue of immigration; it is recommended for all readers of middle school level or higher."—ForeWord, STARRED review

"Action-filled and engaging but considerate of both topic and audience, Ebo's story effectively paints a picture of a child refugee's struggle in a world crisscrossed by hostile borders."—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

"Rigano's gorgeously saturated panels—rich in details, affecting in its captured expressions, landscapes made spectacular as if a reminder of everyday beauty despite tragedy—proves to be an enhancing visual gift to the already stirring story."—Booklist, STARRED Review

"Raw, realistic, and emotional, this graphic novel puts a harrowing spin on immigration and the risks people take to seek opportunities in other countries.... This graphic novel...makes truths about humanity abundantly clear with the frightening situations and tragic outcomes conveyed through the narrative, emotive illustrations, and the true story in the last five pages."—VOYA Magazine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728262192
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	04/11/2023
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	74,323
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 6.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Eoin Colfer worked as a primary school teacher before becoming a full-time writer. He spent four years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was based on his experiences in Tunisia. In 2001, the first book in the bestselling Artemis Fowl series was published. Over the years, his works have been named a Book Sense Book of the Year nominee, an L.A. Times Book Prize finalist, and a Virginia Readers’ Choice Award nominee. Eoin lives in Ireland with his family. Learn more at eoincolfer.com.

Andrew Donkin is the author of more than sixty books and graphic novels for children and adults. His books have been translated into thirty languages around the world and have sold more than eight million copies in the last decade. He lives in London. Learn more at andrewdonkin.co.uk.

Giovanni Rigano is an Italian artist and illustrator born in Cantù, Italy. He is best known for his role in the creation of the Artemis Fowl graphic novels, the first of which came out in 2007. Giovanni has also created graphic novels for Disney, including The Incredibles and Pirates of the Caribbean. Giovanni currently lives in Como, Italy.

Hometown:

Wexford Town, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland

Date of Birth:

May 14, 1965

Place of Birth:

Waterford City, County Waterford, Republic of Ireland

Education:

Bachelor of Education, 1986; Education Diploma, 1987

Website:

http://www.eoincolfer.com

Editorial Reviews

"The text is pointed and poignant, beautifully complemented by dynamic illustrations that bring the scenes to dramatic life. Backmatter does an excellent job summarizing global warming…Timely and boldly told." — Kirkus Reviews

"Heart-pumping… Realistically rendered, suspense-filled illustrations by Rigano portray the children’s harrowing experiences with sharp clarity. Colfer and Donkin’s tense narrative clearly outlines contemporary climate change–related realities amid relentless, riveting action." — Publishers Weekly

"Offer[s] accessible and memorable entry points to a topic that can easily become overwhelming in scope...vibrant and rich." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Vibrant…the two perspectives are beautifully captured." — Youth Services Book Review

"A gripping graphic novel that is a hopeful call to action for all readers. Highly recommended." — School Library Journal

"This book provides readers with two adventure stories for the price of one" — School Library Connection

"Haunting and evocative…Global helps us learn about ourselves, our world, and our responsibilities to the Earth. It’s the ideal way to teach young children about global issues." — Kids Minds

"A gripping graphic novel that is a hopeful call to action for all readers. Highly recommended." — School Library Connection

"Full of information, emotion, excitement, and entertainment, the graphic novel Global puts a human face to the problem of climate change." — Foreword Reviews, STARRED review

From the Publisher

02/20/2023

Alternating survival narratives depict two youths in different locales overcoming perilous situations caused by climate change in this heart-pumping graphic novel from Colfer, Donkin, and Rigano, the team behind Illegal. Twelve-year-old Sami subsists by fishing with his grandfather in the Bay of Bengal. Brutal waves and mudslides routinely threaten his community’s ramshackle homes; to conjure better fortune, he plans to dive for his family’s lucky knife, which Sami believes sunk into the bay following a monsoon that submerged his home and killed both his parents. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Inuit-cued Yuki’s arctic circle town in Northern Canada is beset by hybrid grizzly-polar bears known as grolars, which have been pillaging human food stores due to declining resources in their natural environment. Angry that humans destroyed the grolars’ habitat, Yuki sets off into the icy landscape with a camera, a bear blind constructed out of an umbrella, her family’s carved seal harpoon, and her dog, Lockjaw, intending to snap a photo to garner sympathy for the bears. Realistically rendered, suspense-filled illustrations by Rigano, presented via straightforward paneling, portray the children’s harrowing experiences with sharp clarity. Colfer and Donkin’s tense narrative clearly outlines contemporary climate change–related realities amid relentless, riveting action. Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 10–14. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

04/01/2023

Gr 3–8—Sami is a 12-year-old boy with light brown skin and brown hair who lives in a fishing village on the Bay of Bengal. Yuki is a 14-year-old girl, cued as Inuit, living in a small village inside the Arctic circle. Though they live on opposite ends of the globe, both kids' lives have been directly and negatively impacted by climate change, and both refuse to sit idly by. They each set out on a dangerous journey, braving the elements and risking their lives to enact change. The story adeptly switches perspective back and forth between Sami and Yuki, while subtly showing connections between their very different lives. Beautiful full-color illustrations immerse readers in their precarious and dynamic world, while the fast-paced text keeps the tension high. Though Sami and Yuki's story is fiction, Colfer reminds readers in an end note that all the impacts of climate change that the characters experience are real and currently happening across the globe. A "What is Global Warming?" chapter at the end provides a brief overview of climate change and how it will directly impact children around the world. VERDICT With this newest work, Colfer has created a gripping graphic novel that is a hopeful call to action for all readers. Highly recommended for purchase.—Laken Hottle

School Library Journal

2023-01-25
The creators of the acclaimed graphic novel Illegal (2017) take on climate change.

Twelve-year-old Sami lives with his grandfather in a fishing village on the Bay of Bengal. Every day, survival becomes more difficult as the sea rises, cyclones buffet the coast with increasing ferocity, and the two bring in fewer and fewer fish. Thousands of miles away, in Northern Canada, in the Arctic Circle, Yuki, a 14-year-old girl cued as Inuit is determined to save the emergent and struggling grolar bears (a polar bear–grizzly hybrid), which brings her face to face with nature at its most primal. Their stories mirror each other, pitting individuals and communities against themselves, each other, and nature itself as their worlds change faster and more drastically than they can adapt to. The decision to depict two mostly disparate, highly personal narratives from vastly different communities works surprisingly well to heighten relatability for young readers who might otherwise feel worlds away from the events of the story. The quotidian consequences of climate change are laid bare, impossible to ignore despite the creative team’s adroit avoidance of proselytizing. The text is pointed and poignant, beautifully complemented by dynamic illustrations that bring the scenes to dramatic life. Backmatter does an excellent job summarizing global warming and its negative effects, which does cast a shadow over the somewhat-forced optimism of the story’s ending, as it seems only a matter of time before the children’s hard-won luck runs out again.

Timely and boldly told. (map with Sami’s and Yuki’s locations, authors’ and illustrator’s note, sketchbook) (Graphic fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews