R. Kikuo Johnson

Probably better thought of as a graphic short story rather than a graphic novel. R. Kikuo Johnson's art is clean and beautiful, the limited colour palette supporting his exploration of grief and loss through a slice-of-life look at a small family in Hawai'i. The three main characters were all neatly delineated and I could believe in them as people and how they interacted with one another, but I wanted just a little more pay-off/depth in what Johnson showed us of them, particularly when it show more came to Charlene. I wanted to see her even angrier, to be honest! show less

Johnson combines and retells the legends of the Shark King for young readers in the newest graphic novel easy reader from Toon Books.

A young woman named Kalei goes down to a deserted spot on the beach to search for opihi...and narrowly escapes a huge shark when a strange man rescues her. They fall in love and are married and shortly before Kalei's baby, Nanaue, is born she realizes the truth - it is the Shark King himself who saved her! Nanaue is always hungry and has a strange mark on his show more back...which turns into snapping shark jaws! He steals food from the villagers until they learn his secret and he flees, discovering the place his father made for him and his father. They leave a gift for Kalei and she knows her Shark Kings are always with her.

The story is strange enough (or will be to my small-town Midwest patrons) to intrigue while the other has removed some of the violence and weirder elements of the original tales and smoothed the whole into a seamless plot. There's certainly still a creepy element to the story, which will delight young readers who like a little shiver in their story.

My favorite part of this book is the illustrations, bold and colorful, with sharp lines and a great font that fits perfectly with the design of the story and is still super-easy to read. Kalei's reactions to her husband and son are hilarious, especially in the spread with Nanaue's first steps - Kalei moves rapidly from delighted mother "you're walking!" to horrified resignation when Nanaue devours every speck of the huge heaps of food and asks for more "you're talking!" a few simple lines and shifts in body language will make parents snicker. Even though their kids aren't half-shark deities that devour everything in sight they can certainly sympathize with Nanaue's insatiable appetite and rapid growth! Pronunciation and explanations of unfamiliar terms and names are integrated into the story.

Verdict: Johnson perfectly hits the spot with this new title and I'm hopeful of more Toon Books from this author. This will be a hit with kids who like larger-than-life stories, a little bit of creepiness, and funny moments. Toon Books has had some very good titles since they began, but this is the first one I feel really measures up to the groundbreaking Stinky by Eleanor Davis. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781935179160; Published April 2012 by Toon Books (Candlewick); Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library show less

A short graphic novel depicting the harsh reality of being a full time caregiver and single parent. Charlene is a full time nurse who struggles to stay on top of caring for her aging father and young son. When her father suffers a tragic accident she is barely holding it together. Then her hippie brother shows up out of nowhere and adds fuel to the fire. Where has he been all these years and how dare he try to criticize her life. An honest and painful look into caregiving that many will show more understand and empathize with. show less

This graphic novel about Hawaiian culture and folklore is an incredible book that is a must have in your intermediate elementary school classroom. This book creatively brings up the culture that has been created in Hawaii. This book shows a kid growing up when his mom was giving brith to him with a shark biting her back. There is something special about this kid but people didn't accept who he was.