Non Album Collections 285

Fruit of Knowledge - The Vulva vs. The Patriarchy (2018)

by Liv Strömquist (Author, Artist). From Adam and Eve to pussy hats, people have punished, praised, pathologized, and politicized vulvas, vaginas, clitorises, and menstruation. In this graphic nonfiction book, drawn in chunky, punky pen, Swedish cartoonist Liv Strömquist traces how different cultures and traditions have shaped women’s health and beyond. Her biting, informed commentary and ponytailed avatar guides the reader from the darkest chapters of history (a clitoridectomy performed on a five-year-old American child as late as 1948) to the lightest (vulvas used as architectural details as a symbol of protection). Like humorists Julie Doucet (Dirty Plotte), Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For), and Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant), she uses the comics medium to reveal uncomfortable truths about how far we haven’t come. Full-color illustrations throughout.

The Life of a Coat (2019)

by Kadya Molodowsky (Author), Batia Kolton (Artist). When the father of a large family makes a beautiful winter coat, little does he know how much use it will get. Little Gedalia wears the coat with pride all year, but when it gets too tight for him―he’s a growing boy, after all―it’s given to his sister, Yeshaya. Thus begins the journey of the coat as it’s passed down from child to child, a charming portrait of a loving family. Drawn in a clean-line style with a muted color palette, The Life of a Coat is based on the beloved Yiddish poem by the Polish poet Kadya Molodowsky and will delight young readers and their parents. Full-color illustraions throughout

The Sea (2018)

by Rikke Villadsen (Author). A fisherman traversing the ocean is used to danger and surprise, but what happens when he pulls up his net and catches a newborn baby and a talking fish? Thus begins a story full of provocative symbolism and a madness that doesn't just bubble beneath the surface of the water, but drenches the sailor--and reader--like a tidal wave. Danish cartoonist Rikke Villadsen makes her English-language debut with this seafaring tale soaked in surrealism that is ultimately about the end of one life, the beginning of another, and a man, literally and figuratively, lost at sea.

Non Album Collections 282

Cowboy (2020)

by Rikke Villadsen  (Author). This uproarious graphic novel is a surreal take on the classic Western ― and a rip-roaring adventure in gender identity and queerness! A rugged outlaw rides into a typical nineteenth-century Western town, swinging his six-guns and stirring up trouble. Meanwhile, an idle young woman gets the notion to outfit herself as a cowboy and makes her getaway. Danish cartoonist Villadsen's off-kilter vision of the Old West features exploding prostitutes, menstruating cowgirls, mysterious gender-bending, and much more. Giddyap! Full-color illustrations throughout.

Mr. Fibber (2019)

by Yirmi Pinkus (Author). Based on Lea Goldberg’s classic rhyming stories, this book introduces this charming character and his absurdist adventures to a new generation of young readers and their parents. When Mr. Fibber accidently drops his coin in a jar of juice, he magically shrinks so he can dive down and retrieve it. On a walk one day, he stumbles upon a giant dog with a smokestack on its back, towing a train behind it ― and hitches a ride. And just to make sure it stays sunny and warm during his vacation, he catches the sun in a net and packs it in his suitcase! These playful adventures, designed for children three and up, are illustrated in a bouncy colored pencil style and just bursting with imagination, will enchant young readers. Full-color illustrations throughout.

Nymph (2020)

by Leila Marzocchi  (Author). In this fairy tale of a graphic novel, a mysterious, tiny being upsets the balance of the woods. A lone, defenseless pupa has rained down from the sky. An assembly of talking birds and trees agree to protect "Dolly" as it begins to evolve ― but into what? As the humanoid creature starts showing a predilection for flight and music, magical clues start unveiling themselves. Italian award-winning cartoonist Leila Marzocchi's terrifically lush scratchboard drawings are a perfect companion to her witty dialogue and profound storytelling. Nymph gets to the heart of both human and Mother Nature to prove that, to raise a child-like larva, it takes a village. Or at least a forest. Full-color illustrations throughout.