Letters to a Prisoner is a wordless picture book that communicates quite a bit through a story of a man who is arrested for peaceful protest, and is encouraged (and eventually freed) with the aid of letters written by people around the world. 

The story is understandably simplified, with the opposing political factions in the beginning simply denoted by different-colored shapes. Letters become symbolic of flight and freedom all through the story, and a lovely fantastical image helps to illuminate this idea even more at the end.

A note at the end explains that this story is meant to illustrate what can happen (and has) during Amnesty International's Write for Rights events. I had never heard of this before, so I went and looked into it more after finishing the story. 

I definitely felt inspired after reading this, though it also serves as a reminder that not everyone in the world has the same rights that many of us enjoy. I probably would not read this to a preschooler (the images show people being hit and the man being separated from his young child in a fight, which might be upsetting for young children), but it's easy enough for an adult reader to preview for age-appropriateness. 

(Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.)

Scrounged From: NetGalley

Format: Kindle
Author/Illustrator: Jacques Goldstyn
Pages: 48
Content Advisory: See final paragraph above.

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I found Quiet Girl in a Noisy World to be a very relatable book. There were quite a few pages here I absolutely could have written (if I had this kind of artistic talent, that is). This is the perfect book of comics for an introvert, and would especially appeal to introverts who struggle (or have struggled) with shyness and social anxiety too. 

There is a loose narrative here that follows the author through finishing college, getting married, and getting (and leaving) a job, but it doesn't have to be read in chronological order to be enjoyed. I wasn't intending to rip right through this, but I found myself losing track of how much I was reading, because it's an easy read, and each vignette of introvert life made me want the next one.

I liked the "battery indicator" that showed up sometimes as a visual for how social activity can exhaust introverts. Other topics include: self-doubt and overthinking, love of books, love of solitude, and coming to terms with being who you are. And the artwork was beautiful too.

I also loved the comics that showed how she and her extroverted husband balance each other out -- it's a lovely visual about appreciating different people's strengths and weaknesses.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy)

Scrounged From: NetGalley

Format: Kindle
Author/Illustrator: Debbie Tung
Pages: 184
Content Advisory: None

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Leather Shoe Charlie is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the Industrial Revolution. Set in England, it tells the story of a family that migrates to the city of Manchester to find work. 

This family includes a boy named Charlie, who proudly wears leather shoes that his cobbler grandfather made for him. The family's new home is dark and cramped, and they all have to work long hours (child labor is referenced but not elaborated on in the story). Despite their difficulties, Charlie's shoes help to remind him of his dream of becoming a cobbler himself one day.

But then his mother develops a persistent cough. Charlie hears that tea is good for a cough, but tea is far too expensive for his family to afford, and so Charlie gives the only item(s) of value that he has to try and help his mother get better. The story ends there, but emphasizes that the loss of his shoes did not cause Charlie to lose sight of his dream.

At the end of the book there are four pages about the Industrial Revolution including information about working and living conditions, key terms, a timeline, and some stats. 

I really love the illustrations in this book -- I'm not very proficient at artistic terminology, but I suppose one could call them a bit abstract, with lots of "brushstroke" effects. This led me to the website of the Balbusso Twins, and wow! They have some amazing stuff. I also found out that this book was originally published in Korean.

Considering all the information it contains, this book is a great way to learn about an important facet of history in a way that puts a human face to it. It's also an important reminder that difficult circumstances do not stop children from having dreams.

Scrounged From: A LibraryThing giveaway

Format: Paperback
Author: Gyeong-hwa Kim
Illustrators: Anna Balbusso and Elena Balbusso
Pages: 36
Content Advisory: None

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