History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire

April 15, 2020
Two young eyewitnesses link watershed events in Chicago's history: its massive fire in 1871 and the Columbian Exposition in 1893. Separated from their parents, Franny and John Patrick Fitzgerald flee amid panic-stricken crowds--and also witness flaring prejudice against the city's Irish immigrants--as the fire destroys one neighborhood after another. Both then reappear 22 years later as young parents to marvel over the Ferris wheel and other wonders of an exposition that was organized to highlight their city's brilliant recovery and promise. Hannigan sticks closely to historical records in tracing the causes and course of the fire (no, it was not the fault of either Mrs. O'Leary or her cow) as well as the architectural and infrastructure improvements wrought in its wake and the fair's artistic and technological highlights. If the dialogue sometimes assumes a declamatory cast ("There are so many new immigrants moving into the city--Greek, Italian, Jewish, Polish"), Graudins overlays the infodumps with small, intimate panels depicting period-clad people with appealingly open expressions (and, often, puppies in tow) in accurately drawn settings. Crowd scenes frequently feature both white characters like Franny and John Patrick and people of color...except at the Exposition, from which, as one character pointedly if anachronistically puts it, "African Americans" were excluded. Simultaneously publishing in the History Comics series, Chris Schweizer's The Roanoke Colony: America's First Mystery (with coloring by Liz Trice Schweizer) works period sources and modern archaeology into a snarky account of the early settlement's decidedly checkered career delivered by two local observers from the Secotan Nation. Both volumes close with source notes; students of the Windy City also get a modern tour and a timeline. A fictive plotline adds a strong "you are there" feel to this informative account. (bibliography, maps, additional facts) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)

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June 1, 2020
Grades 4-8 In this inaugural installment of First Second's History Comics series (released simultaneously with an installment about the Roanoke colony), readers are plunged into 1871 Chicago. Through the fictionalized viewpoints of two siblings, the story follows the pair as they search the burning city for their parents. Hannigan includes lots of interesting facts throughout the narrative and tells the story of the fire in an understandable way. Readers will be engaged in the story of the children, all the while learning about how the fire started, why it was so powerful, and the racist ideology and xenophobia that led people to blame the fire on an Irish immigrant who was later exonerated. Graudins' bright, evocative illustrations neatly fit together with the text and bring the ferociousness of the fire amid vignettes sprinkled throughout that add context to local and national decisions. Supplemental material included at the beginning and end gives greater explanations and opportunities for further learning. Vibrant artwork and an engaging story make this a great vehicle for a poignant glimpse at American history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)