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A review by saidtheraina
Jellaby by Kean Soo
4.0
Holy crap, why has it taken me this long to read this book?!?!
This is So. Cute. Portia is living her underwhelming life when she meets a monster in the woods behind her house. It is an ADORABLE monster. And it is hungry. So Portia feeds it.
Adventures follow.
I love Soo's cuddly, accessible drawing style. It doesn't surprise me that he thanks [a:Hope Larson|150820|Hope Larson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1287590732p2/150820.jpg] and [a:Kazu Kibuishi|27372|Kazu Kibuishi|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1311988001p2/27372.jpg] in the Acknowledgments - his aesthetic seems closely related to both of theirs. Plus [b:Little Orphan Annie|547430|Little Orphan Annie 1935|Harold Gray|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175704468s/547430.jpg|534694] eyes. His color work is really nice. Mostly purple, with touches of a few other colors. The cuteness of that monster is out. of. control.
Soo does a really good job of telling a light story while not forgetting the darkness of the world. I won't be surprised if the whole thing is a giant metaphor, though that hasn't come to light yet. I appreciate that, like [b:Amelia Rules|476504|Amelia Rules! Volume 1 The Whole World's Crazy (Amelia Rules! #1)|Jimmy Gownley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175088445s/476504.jpg|2094973], this takes on parental divorce head on.
It did slightly annoy me that it cuts off in the middle of an adventure. Talk about a cliff-hanger.
But this definitely belongs on any booklist of kids' graphic novels. It's a sweet, real story about sweet, real things. Like friendship.
And there's a really cute monster.
Or didn't I say that?
This is So. Cute. Portia is living her underwhelming life when she meets a monster in the woods behind her house. It is an ADORABLE monster. And it is hungry. So Portia feeds it.
Adventures follow.
I love Soo's cuddly, accessible drawing style. It doesn't surprise me that he thanks [a:Hope Larson|150820|Hope Larson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1287590732p2/150820.jpg] and [a:Kazu Kibuishi|27372|Kazu Kibuishi|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1311988001p2/27372.jpg] in the Acknowledgments - his aesthetic seems closely related to both of theirs. Plus [b:Little Orphan Annie|547430|Little Orphan Annie 1935|Harold Gray|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175704468s/547430.jpg|534694] eyes. His color work is really nice. Mostly purple, with touches of a few other colors. The cuteness of that monster is out. of. control.
Soo does a really good job of telling a light story while not forgetting the darkness of the world. I won't be surprised if the whole thing is a giant metaphor, though that hasn't come to light yet. I appreciate that, like [b:Amelia Rules|476504|Amelia Rules! Volume 1 The Whole World's Crazy (Amelia Rules! #1)|Jimmy Gownley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175088445s/476504.jpg|2094973], this takes on parental divorce head on.
It did slightly annoy me that it cuts off in the middle of an adventure. Talk about a cliff-hanger.
But this definitely belongs on any booklist of kids' graphic novels. It's a sweet, real story about sweet, real things. Like friendship.
And there's a really cute monster.
Or didn't I say that?