March Staff Picks!

A Song For You & I by K O’Neill (they/them)

Rowan knows exactly what they want: to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan’s eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan is suddenly unsure if they’re capable of being the protector they’ve always dreamed of becoming. With Kes needing to heal, Rowan is assigned a slow and winding expedition across the outlying lands. Paired with a lackadasical sheep hearder Leone, Rowan only finds frustration as they seem to fail even the simplest tasks. But Leone’s own struggles, and endless support brings a new possibility to Rowan. Could their unlikely friendship be something more? And if it is, will Rowan be able to leave Leone behind to pursue being a ranger once Kes is healed?

A Song For You & I is such a tender dedication to finding safety and confidence to be yourself. With its enchanting art, calmly paced story, and cozy fantasy world, it’s a great read for any Ghibli fan, Natalie Andrewson enjoyer, or generally sensitive creature. The comic beautifully touches on the very human feeling of wanting to prove yourself to feel like you’ve earned the right to be who you truly are. While it deals with themes of regaining trust, burnout, and a desire of belonging, K. O’Neill handles the story in such a way that it feels attainable to give ourselves the care we all deserve and need. With an interwoven narrative of queerness, this piece is a wonderful example of how we can better care for each other.

Helen of Wyndhorn by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, & Matheus Lopes

This brand spankin’ new release from Dark Horse is perfect for anyone craving a bit of Conan the Barbarian fantasy mixed with Locke and Key-esque mansion mystery elements. At the start of the story in the late 1930s, our titular Helen is a sixteen-year-old girl coping with the recent death of her father, a pulp fantasy author who goes on to become a cult classic legend many years later. Helen and her newly hired, no-nonsense governess, Ms. Appleton, move in with her grandfather at the illustrious Wyndhorn House, a sprawling mansion full of family secrets and fantastical revelations.

As firecracker Helen adapts to her new life, taken under the wing of her odd and powerful grandfather, she begins to realize that the legendary adventures chronicled in her dad’s stories may not be so fictional after all. Meanwhile, the story progresses through different eras of the present day, as a biographer combing through Helen’s father’s life chronicles (the now elderly) Ms. Appleton’s far-fetched claims.

As things come to a boiling point both in the past and the present, secrets are revealed and monsters brought to light… all shown through gorgeous, elaborate illustrations. I loved this book, and I loved Helen as a character. She’s young, overconfident, and whilst powerful, sometimes completely inept in the way only a teenager can be. If you love fantasy or mysteries, Helen of Wyndhorn is the read for you!

Sunday by Olivier Schrauwen

In this hefty tome, Olivier Schrauwen details every moment of his fictionalized cousin Thibault’s Sunday. Every thought, memory, and snippet of song, etc. is cataloged over a course of a mundane day where nothing really happens…or does it? He struggles to compose a text message to a romantic interest, avoids human interaction all day, and has James Brown stuck in his head all day. And all on the eve before his birthday!

I will not lie that this book took me several weeks to get through. It is massive! And each page is highly detailed with many panels per page. The thread of the narrative jumps around, which makes sense, of course, because that’s how our minds work. I read one review that compared Sunday to James Joyce’s Ulysses, and that’s a fair comparison. I loved how much I laughed out loud while reading this book. There’s a hilarious slapstick quality to the narrative and character’s gestures and expressions. Even though the main character Thibault is a bumbling, self-absorbed fellow, I still found myself hoping for the best for him, and the humor was a big part of that. And I think we have all been Thibaults at one time or another.

Stream-of-consciousness works perfectly in the comics format, especially in the hands of a creator as capable as Schrauwen. Because of the flashbacks and roaming visual point of view, the text and image sometimes conflict. For example, a snippet of James Brown’s “Get up,” such as “I’m a sex machine” will be juxtaposed with a drawing of Thibault doing something ridiculous. The colors are also a clue to whether an image is a flashback, a dream or the present reality. It sounds complicated, but as you read, you get used to it. Also, the ending is pitch perfect.

This is THE graphic novel for folks who love literary graphic novels, and, especially anyone interested in experimental storytelling in any medium. It is definitely an 18+ read because there is nudity and light sexual content. If you give this a read, I would love to know what you think!

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

Also: Guts by Raina Telgemeier!

If you’re a local comics aficionado, you might have heard that two comics legends are making a visit to St. Louis this April! Scott McCloud and Raina Telgemeier are coming to the Clark Family branch of the St. Louis County Library to celebrate their new collaborative graphic novel, The Cartoonists Club. If you want to catch up on their best-selling works before the event, I have two perfect picks for you!

Understanding Comics is a must-have for comics enjoyers of any experience level. In this “comic about comics,” Scott McCloud takes readers through the many quirks and properties that make sequential art just so interesting. McCloud himself serves as our illustrated guide, taking a number of abstract concepts and breaking them down into humorous, easily digestible pieces. This book covers elements such as “the icon,” closure between panels, and reader projection. I’ve always been fascinated by the medium of comics, and this book helped me finally understand why! Their cool factor is definitely on full display in McCloud’s crash course on comics theory. If you’ve already perused these pages, he’s also written two follow-ups: Reinventing Comics and Making Comics.

The first thing that comes to mind from Raina Telgemeier’s body of work is, of course, Smile. I love Smile, you love Smile, we all love Smile– and rightfully so! However, I want to put the spotlight on her most recent autobiographical novel, Guts. Much like Smile, Guts takes us back to Telgemeier’s tweenage years and a seemingly never-ending medical issue. This time, it’s her titular “guts” that are giving her grief. Filled to the brim with Telgemeier’s signature charm, this book is an honest and relatable story that pulls back the curtain on the hidden mental health misfortunes so many of us have to cope with. While it’s primarily targeted at middle-grade readers, adult readers have plenty to enjoy- and learn from- in Guts! There’s no better cartoonist for healing your inner child than Raina, both in her youth and adulthood!

A Man and His Cat by Umi Sakurai

Fukumaru has been at the shelter for a year now, and has yet to be adopted. People always choose the cute kittens, while passing him and calling him ugly. Right before he gives up hope, Mr. Kanda adopts him! He doesn’t find Fukumaru ugly at all, he sees an adorable, fun loving cat ready to become his best friend! Even though Mr. Kanda has never had a pet, he takes to cat parenting like a pro!

At Betty’s Books, we are all cat lovers. If I see a book with a cat on the cover, you can bet I’ll pick it up! I found Fukumaru adorable, and was so sad when people called him snot-nosed and ugly. He’s so precious! The relationship between Mr. Kanda and his cat reminds me so much of my mom and our cat, Poppy. She was hesitant at first to get a kitten, but immediately fell in love with her. She spoils her rotten, and Poppy loves her so very much!

I think this middle grade manga is great for all ages! The story is incredibly heartwarming, and I guarantee you will fall in love with these characters!

You and a Bike and a Road by Eleanor Davis

Eleanor Davis’ memoir of her epic cross country bike trip from Tucson, Arizona to Athens, Georgia, is an absolute joyride. Told in diary-like snippets that were drawn during Davis’ breaks from the road, this novel moves and breathes with a life of its own. One of my favorite bits: some of the drawings, even in this stunning printed edition, are purposefully left with their original smudges and stains – marks of movement and time – intact.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that blank spaces in graphic novels matter just as much as the spaces filled with illustration – while reading this novel, I found this fact impossible to forget. Parts of You and a Bike and a Road, including the cover, explode with silent sound – car honks, excruciating knee pain, helicopter blades and border patrol sirens. But what allows these moments to shine are the quiet spaces and blank pages tucked in between: the silence of nature only experienced at the edge of civilization; an unexpected, life-altering connection with a stranger; redefining your relationship to your own body and mind; and witnessing the uncomfortable, undeniable intermingling of great human cruelty and great human kindness.

If you’re like me and in need of inspiration this month – and especially if you are looking for some meditations on resilience in the face of overwhelming discomfort and distress – then this is truly an excellent place to start.