Invincible Days

by Patrick Atangan

Overview

This collection of short stories forms a singular narrative that reveals the tiny moments when you realize you are at the precious end-days of youth. Calling on memories from his own childhood as well as those gathered from friends and family, author and artist Patrick Atangan’s work blends stories with strong psychological elements and insight with simple artwork evocative of youth. Bittersweet, joyful and reflective, these are the type of marking moments that best define us as adults.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561639014
Publisher:	N B M Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/01/2014
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	12 - 15 Years

About the Author

Patrick Atangan is a graphic artist and the acclaimed author of TheSilk Tapestry, Tree of Love, and The Yellow Jar. He lives in Los Angeles.

Editorial Reviews

09/15/2014
Following several books lavishly illustrating folktales, Atangan returns with an elegiac, episodic tale about childhood memories—mostly his own, but, in some cases, his friends’. Each tale centers around a different stuffed animal, even though several represent the same character—an unsettling technique made even more uncanny by the decision to represent secondary characters with empty walkers, wheelchairs, and hospital beds. The panel layouts are static and the characters hardly move; they’re generally positioned in the center of each panel. The effect is to ritualize the stories, which mostly deal with pets, toys, and perceptions of life seen through a child’s eyes. The nostalgia can go to beautiful places, and some of the stories are funny and weird, such as one girl’s tale about moving to America and thinking that pizza was mouse vomit. The most developed and moving episode in the book is about the deterioration and death of Atangan’s grandmother, though the conclusions he comes to about death are not particularly novel. While many of the stories here are familiar, the unusual presentation forces readers to take a step back from their universality. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"The nostalgia can go to beautiful places, and some of the stories are funny and weird. . . . While many of the stories here are familiar, the unusual presentation forces readers to take a step back from their universality." —Publishers Weekly


"Startling depth of character. An elegant work that successfully transforms deeply personal moments into a meaningful exploration of the universal feelings of coming-of-age." —Francisca Goldsmith, Booklist

From the Publisher

10/01/2014
GR 7 UP—Throughout this charming graphic novel compilation of childhood memories, stuffed animals narrate experiences primarily taken from Atangan's life. The vignettes feel like miniature picture books. Narratives are arranged in approximately chronological sequence; each is a separate self-contained story. Page design consistently follows a rigid nine-grid layout. Flat, expressionless animal faces mask the emotionally laden themes explored throughout the collection. These characters serve as voice for a shy Filipino boy baffled by Western culture and living in a house full of sisters. The sting of racism is ever present. Filipinos are referred to as "dog eaters." Not surprisingly, the author shuns many aspects of popular American culture and is repulsed by food such as hot dogs, pizza, and "Happy Meals." He is most comfortable playing alone and eating food prepared by his grandmother. Her pervasive influence throughout his life and descriptions of her declining health and eventual death permeate the entire book. Most stories are accompanied by text that explains and often elaborates personal experiences and their effect on Atangan. Interestingly, the one wordless episode depicts weekly trips to the public library and the author's fascination with stories. These simple-looking images explore such thoughtful concepts as lessons of childhood, experiencing guilt, coping with cultural dissonance, reflections on humanity, death (including a unique Jade Beetle analogy), and a brief mention of the concept of multiverse (the simultaneous existence of multiple realities).—Barbara M. Moon, Children's Literature Consultant, Bellport, NY

School Library Journal