The Sinking of the Titanic

July 1, 2005
Gr 3-6 -These eye-catching books not only draw inspiration and style from comic books, but also employ experienced illustrators and inkers from the field. Though the bright and boldly colored illustrations capture the spirit of comic books, they differ from the traditional framing readers are accustomed to, instead favoring one to three cells per page. The effect gives the books a rushed feel that, while maintaining a sense of excitement, leaves little room for subtlety in illustrations or details. Some important facts and references are added at the end of each book, but since undermotivated readers are unlikely to utilize these tools, the main text is occasionally oversimplified. Overall, these books would work well for introducing hi/lo readers to the subjects, but their use is limited as resources for reports." -Dawn Rutherford, Kings County Library System, Bellevue, WA"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2005
Gr. 3-5. In the tradition of Illustrated Classics, the legendary series of abridged, comic book-style literary classics, comes this high-interest title in the new Graphic History series, a part of the larger Graphic Library imprint. Bold inking and coloring by a studio of DC and Marvel veterans give the pages a polished, dynamic look, although the tan backgrounds that indicate primary source material (which, unfortunately, is left undocumented) are a bit subtle. Of course, the " Titanic "disaster provides ample occasion to employ the "Ka-Pow! Boom! Krak!" language of the genre, and accordingly moments of high drama ("Iceberg, right ahead! Reverse the engines!") receive more play here than subtler issues, such as the way passengers' economic and social status affected the likelihood of their survival. Still, this noncondescending volume represents a shot in the arm for a category of children's publishing too prone to blandness; a URL to a publisher-maintained list of Web resources will help interested youngsters fill in the gaps.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)