Island Book by Evan Dahm
Published by First Second on May 14th 2019
ISBN: 1626729506
Pages: 288
Goodreads

A gorgeous graphic novel for readers in upper elementary and above that packs a lot of meaning into each seemingly simple page. Set in a world in which a young girl lives on an island where The Monster threatens and no one knows for sure what this monster is or from where it comes.  Sola is cursed because when the monster came, she did not back down or run away. Tired of being picked on, she gets in her rowboat and ventures out into the vast sea to find answers. To her wonder, her quest brings her in contact with other islands, other people and, eventually, The Monster. Does Sola finds the answer she seeks? Does she conquer The Monster? Letting his exquisite illustrations do most of the talking, Dahm captures a Yoda-esque feeling from the wisdom Sola does gain, which is very different than what she expected. A quiet book that illustrates how other does not have to mean enemy and that a monster is not so bad when you look it in the eye. The book has a number 1 on the spine; hopefully Dahm is not finished with Sola and her quest for enlightenment. This is a book that will be set apart by its size (8×8 square), the feel of it in your hands, and by the surreal illustrations and spare text which let the reader do the thinking.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth