Graphic Novel Review
Lisa
In a journal style format, with a
mixture of graphics, narrative and first-person dialogue, Drowned City depicts the days immediately before and after
Hurricane Katrina. Muted watercolor drawings portray how “a swirl of
unremarkable wind” (p. 2) leaves Africa in August of 2005 and becomes one of
the worst natural disasters in United States history. Winds and water cause
many of the levees around New Orleans to break and eighty percent of the city
is flooded. The human response to the tragedy is as wide-ranging as the
physical damage of the storm, as we learn about the failures of local and
national agencies, as well as the rescue efforts by organizations and
individuals. Acts of kindness, courage and selflessness by some are contrasted
with those of indifference, incompetence and criminal behavior by others. The
triumph of the thousands of lives saved is suppressed by the tragedy of over
1,400 lives lost, in large part due to lack of preparation, communication and
coordination. Although most of New Orleans would be restored and its residents
return, thousands of residents and some areas (like the Lower Ninth Ward) would
never be the same, seemingly taken away with the receding waters of Hurricane
Katrina.
As
both author and illustrator, Don Brown takes a complex event and presents it in
a manner suitable for younger readers. The graphics help the reader visualize
the magnitude of the storm, the resulting devastation of a city and the
desperation of the people left there. The news-feed text format interjects
facts about Hurricane Katrina without appearing overly scientific or textbook
in style. “As it crosses the Gulf of Mexico, the whirling storm creates an air
pressure in its center, or eye, that lifts the ocean’s surface into a kind of
massive bubble.” (p. 8). Quotes from victims of this disaster provide a window
into the human aspects during all phases of this event, and are indicative of
the amount of research the author completed prior to writing this book. (Almost
fifty references are noted in the bibliography.) This book is an excellent
example of how the graphic novel format can bring a true story to life and be
used as a succinct, yet accurate, nonfiction resource for research projects.
This book is recommended for middle school students and beyond, but could be
introduced at upper elementary level.
Bibliography:
Brown, D. (2015). Drowned city:
Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt.
Author's website:
Video of Hurricane Katrina & aftermath:
Articles and pictures of Hurricane Katrina:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ (includes articles on the impact on Gulf of Mexico/wildlife)
10 years later - recovery and lessons learned:
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