Jellaby

Jellaby might be the most adorable monster/dragon ever created. His every nod or wide-eyed stare had my daughter and I melting in our seats. But this graphic novel isn't just about an irresistible critter and all his (?) cute, funny antics. It is also about a girl whose daily companion is loneliness -- caused by the inexplicable loss of her father at a young age and the social chasm that separating a weirdo like her from the rest of the kids at school. JELLABY is about family and loyalty, in whatever shapes they come in. And be prepared because, most heartbreakingly of all, it is a cliff-hanger of a story.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Portia’s having a hard time making friends at her new school — perhaps, in part, because she’s so much smarter than the other kids — when she forms an instant bond with an impossibly adorable purple dragon-like creature she finds shuffling around in the fallen leaves outside her bedroom window one night. The “monster,” whom she later names Jellaby, looks lost and frightened. It’s the nightmare that Portia just woke up from that is scary. So, naturally, Portia takes the creature home and gives him something to eat. Not too long after they’ve become pals, Portia is compelled to stand up for a kid who’s being bullied, and this kid, Jason, completes their trio of misfits. The plot heads in the direction of helping Jellaby show more find his way home, which requires a trip to Toronto. The book ends on a cliffhanger as the three are approaching the city, so interested readers will have to continue the series. It’s likely most kids will be. From the way he’s drawn, to his irresistible name, Jellaby is one of those characters you fall for. And Portia, with her absent-father issues and pretty terrifying nightmares, is a complex heroine. Jason provides the comic relief. The characters are drawn anime-style, with plenty of expression. The drawings are detailed but crisp, allowing the reader to move easily through well-organized panels, drenched in the color purple, the color of Jellaby himself. The text is accessible to even early elementary readers (although the nightmares may scare young children), and the narrative is also successfully conveyed in panels without any text. Jellaby’s appeal crosses reading levels, from elementary-age readers to teens and adult fans of the graphic-novel genre. show less

W found Jellaby himself on a recent visit to the library, so we took it home. I found it reminiscent of A Monster Calls in theme, but more accessible for W both graphically and in its storytelling. W finished reading it with my Other Reader, unprecedented and a sign of how taken he was with the book, so R & I read it together. W wants the second book and so do the rest of us!

If the name Jellaby sounds familiar, then you might have had the pleasure of coming across s/he in other stories before. Jellaby has had a storied and award winning life. Our friend has been published as online webcomic (nominated for an Eisner award), had short stories in several different Flight anthologies, and this very book, Jellaby: The Lost Monster, was published in 2008 and won the 2009 Shuster award for best Comic for Kids. And now, after being out of print for several years, Jellaby’s first adventure is being reintroduced to the world for new and old readers to discover their old friend again.

*Note Jellaby appears to have no gender, or at least not one that has been disclosed. In order to have a pronoun to refer to, I will show more be using s/he.*

Portia is a quiet, but bright young girl who has just moved to a new neighborhood and a new school. It's hard enough to get used to these changes, but she's also adjusting to life without her father who has mysteriously disappeared, trying to make new friends, and to make things even stranger her mom is acting distant! What's a young girl to do? One night though after being awoken by a nightmare, Portia takes a midnight walk in the forest and finds a young, lost, shy, sweet purple monster whom she names Jellaby. Portia’s life with Jellaby is about to become a lot more interesting as she and her new friend Jason, try to figure out where s/he came from...and what secrets s/he might know.

Somehow I missed Jellaby’s adventures the first time around. I remember seeing a few of the short stories in the Flight anthologies and thought Jellaby was interesting, but was for the younger crowd and would not appeal to me. That was a huge mistake on my part. While on the surface Jellaby looks like a book for a kindergarten crowd, given that it has a purple monster and young kids, looks are deceiving. In Portia, Kean has crafted the type character that we all tend to look for, but have so much trouble finding--a young woman who is not afraid to stand up for herself, is intelligent, and won’t hide who she is, just to make friends. And Jason is a similar type of character, someone that is facing challenges greater than what we would imagine, but is not afraid to be himself. I love finding characters and books like this, so that I can recommend them to readers that are told they should change who they are to fit in and show the power of being yourself. Jellaby adds humor into the mix, as s/he isn’t able to talk and instead communicates nonverbally. It’s fun to watch as s/he figures out the world around, communicate with others, and find out what is and isn’t edible. Including flowers.

While the artwork appears simple in nature, with thick lines delineating the characters and a simple color palette to give them depth, they are stunningly beautiful. Also, how can you not love the design of Jellaby? S/he’s a lovable purple monster that doesn’t look like Barney and is one that you want to hug, take home with you, and keep s/him safe. Seeing the human characters interact with each other reminds me of early Charles Schulz Peanuts, as the characters have heads that are a bit too large for their bodies, but capture that emotion, intensity, and movement that we all seem to have when we’re young.

I can't wait to read the second book in the series and I hope Capstone publishes it soon. And that Kean has the opportunity to write more adventures of Jellaby, Portia, and Jason. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Andy Runton and Kazu Kibuishi. show less

Portia doesn't fit in at school - she reads above everyone else's level, she can't make friends, and she has trouble keeping her mind on class. Portia, more than anything, is lonely. And then she finds Jellaby, a purple dragon creature with a sense of humor and a brave streak. She has problems keeping Jellaby a secret - Jason, Portia's classmate and carrot-lover, quickly discovers him. Both Jason and Portia work to find out where Jellaby came from and how to get him home, all the while hinting that there may be a connection between Jellaby and Portia's missing father.I thought this was a terrific book, but I wanted more more more! I've heard that Kean Soo has said one of the inspirations was Calvin and Hobbes, and I did think a lot of show more the strip while I was reading it, but I spent a lot of time thinking of Susie rather than Calvin. I can't wait until the next book comes out, because this felt a little short. show less

I had to take a star away for the cliff-hanger ending. That is not cool, Soo! We barely get going and it stops! I will say that this is an absolutley great beginning of a story. Jellaby, though mostly silent and strange, is such a lovable character. I just wanted to reach through the book and hug him. The two kid characters are both troubled, but not in totally obvious ways. I'm excited to read the next book to see how the story unfolds.

I got a copy of this book to review through the Amazon Vine program. It was a cute little read and I enjoyed it. I think younger kids will enjoy it as well.

Portia is a lonely and very smart little girl who has just moved to a new town with her mother. She’s having trouble fitting in at school, her mother is somewhat distant, and her father is missing. Then one night she wanders into the woods and happens to run across a sweet and lost purple monster named Jellaby. Portia’s life gets a lot more exciting with Jellaby hanging around.

This is a very cute and sweet little book, but it is just the beginning of a larger story. The illustration is pretty simple and very cartoony. The pictures are all done in purple tones, I really think it show more would have been better in full color...but the author does have an explanation for why he used purple tones at the end of the book.

The story is just the beginning of a larger story and very simple. Still it was cute and well done and at times pretty funny. Portia is a sad and lonely girl and it was fun to see her cheer up in Jellaby’s company and even make another friend at school through the secret of Jellaby.

There is a little mystery here about finding out what happened to Portia’s dad, but that really wasn’t addressed in this story much.

It’s a well done and cute little book. Definitely appropriate for younger children to middle grade kids. I think given the simplicity of the story children will enjoy this more than most adults.

Overall an adorable little graphic novel. The drawing is done in purple tones and is very simple and cartoony but does a good job of showing the characters’ emotions. The story is well done but simple, I think kids will enjoy this. Right now I am on the fence about whether or not I will read future books in the series, I am kind of curious as to what will happen next...but there just wasn’t a complicated enough story here for me. show less