This weekend, I am participating in the blog tour for Fable Comics (First Second, 2015). In this collection (cover pictured below), Aesop's famous fables are retold in graphic novel format, each done by different illustrators. Included in the collection are "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse" (illustrated by Tom Gauld), "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" (illustrated by Jaime Hernandez), and the "Lion + Mouse" (illustrated by R. Sikoryak, among others.
For this tour, I took a look at (and read!) "The Dolphins, The Whales, and The Sprat", as illustrated by Maris Wicks.
If you've read this fable, you know it is particularly brief! I read it long, long ago and had forgotten it. In the Fable Comics collection, Wicks adds some whale facts, explaining what a caudal fin is, along with providing readers with information about baleen whales. This content is smoothly woven within the story, told by the sprat (a very small fish) who is, of course, inserting himself in the action.
The fable features an ongoing war between the whales and the dolphins -- indeed, nothing will stop them. But when the small sprat speaks up, and offers to be a mediator, his offer is rejected by both parties, and sadly, the war goes on.
So many topics to discuss here:
Why were the dolphins and whales fighting?
What should sprat do next?
Why do the whales and dolphins reject sprat's offer to help?
If the sprat had been another type of fish, would the story have a different ending?
How does a graphic novel format change the effect of the story if it all?
If you'd like to check out the rest of the fables featured, make sure to take the blog tour! The stops are posted here:
SLJ Good Comics for Kids features Fable Comics editor Chris Duffy, 9/21 http://blogs.slj.com/goodcomicsforkids/
Charlotte’s Library features James Kochalka and ‘The Fox and the Grapes,’ 9/22 http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/
Musings of a Librarian features Tom Gauld and ‘The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse,’ 9/23 http://musingsoflibrarian.blogspot.com/
Sharp Reads features George O’Connor and the ‘Hermes’ fables, 9/24 https://sharpread.wordpress.com/
Fly to Fiction features Sophie Goldstein an ‘Leopard Drums Up Dinner,’ 9/25 http://flytofiction.blogspot.com/
Supernatural Snark features Charise Harper and ‘The Belly and the Body Members,’ 9/26 http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/
It’s All Comic to Me features R. Sikoryak and ‘Lion + Mouse,’ 9/27 http://itsallcomictome.blogspot.com/
Ex Libris Kate features Jennifer L. Meyer and ‘Fox and Crow,’ 9/28 http://exlibriskate.com/
The Roarbots features Eleanor Davis and ‘The Old Man and Death,’ 9/29 http://theroarbots.com/
Fleen features Jaime Hernandez and ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf,’ 9/30 http://fleen.com/
The Book Monsters features Simone Lia and ‘The Crow and the Pitcher,’ 10/1 http://thebookmonsters.com/
The Brain Lair features Graham Chaffee and ‘The Dog and His Reflection,’ 10/2 http://www.thebrainlair.com/
Librarian in Cute Shoes features Maris Wicks and ‘The Dolphins, The Whales, and The Sprat,’ 10/3 http://librarianincuteshoes.blogspot.com/
Women Write About Comics features Vera Brosgol and ‘The Hare and the Pig,’ 10/4 http://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/
The Busy Librarian features Kenny Widjaja and ‘The Demon, The Thief, and the Hermit,’ 10/5 http://www.busylibrarian.com/
The Book Rat features Corinne Mucha and ‘The Elephant in Favor,’ 10/6 http://www.thebookrat.com/
Read. Watch. Connect features Liniers and ‘The Mouse Council,’ 10/7 http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/
Cherry Blossoms and Maple Syrup features Mark Newgarten and ‘Man and Wart,’ 10/8 https://innocencewalker.wordpress.com/
Jenuine Cupcakes features Israel Sanchez and ‘The Milkmaid and Her Pail,’ 10/9 http://jenuinecupcakes.blogspot.com/
Bumbles & Fairy Tales features Ulises Farinas and ‘The Great Weasel War,’ 10/10 http://bumblesandfairytales.blogspot.com/
Graphic Policy features R.O. Blechman and ‘The Sun and the Wind,’ 10/11 http://graphicpolicy.com/
The Book Wars features Graham Annable and ‘The Hare and the Tortoise,’ 10/12 https://thebookwars.wordpress.com/
Sturdy for Common Things features John Kerschbaum and ‘The Grasshopper and the Ants,’ 10/13 http://www.sturdyforcommonthings.com/
Kid Lit Frenzy features Braden Lamb and Shelli Paroline and ‘The Thief and the Watchdog,’ 10/14 http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Maria’s Melange features Gregory Benton and ‘The Hen and the Mountain Turtle,’ 10/15 http://www.mariaselke.com/
Read Write Reflect features Roger Langridge and ‘Demades and His Fable,’ 10/16 http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/
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