Vendor
	Fritz Agency Christian Dittus
Original language
English
Categories
Books for very young children, children’s picture books & activity books

OPERATIC

Kyo Maclear Byron Eggenschwiler

The debut graphic novel from award-winning writer Kyo MacLear
Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler

Charlie is almost done middle school, distracted by her crush on classmate Emile and wondering why Luka has not been at school for weeks. Then, while learning about opera in music class, Charlie discovers the music of Maria Callas. Can Charlie follow the example of the ultimate diva Maria Callas when it comes to her own life?

Byron Eggenschwiler's evocative illustrations brilliantly capture the desire of its finely drawn characters to sing and be heard.

Reminiscent of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Operatic is a poignant coming-of-age story about loneliness, friendship, and the power of music to connect us.

BYRON EGGENSCHWILER is an award-winning illustrator whose many clients include the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, GQ, the National Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, the Walrus and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. He has also illustrated Coyote Tales by Thomas King.

Available products
Book Published 2019-04-01 by Groundwood Books

Comments

Operatic is stunning; reading through it reminded me why I love comics. The atmosphere is tantalizing and rich, and the story is not one I will soon forget. -- Tillie Walden, two-time Eisner Award nominee and Ignatz Award-winning creator of the graphic novels Spinning, On a Sunbeam, and Are You Listening?

Operatic displays a beautiful, poetic and subtle interplay between text and image. A sensitively written, and knowing portrayal of early teen life, highlighting the formative and identity-forming role that music plays in those years. The illustrations are loose and lovely, pairing quiet, realistic portrayals of the awkwardness of everyday life in high school, with metaphoric, imaginative images of inner worlds. -- Julie Morstad, award-winning illustrator of Bloom; Julia, Child; and This Is Sadie

Operatic reveals an optimism that I find generally missing from comics. I loved Byron Eggenschwiler's flowing, layered illustrations and I was hit in the gut by Kyo Maclear's story about the magic and frustration of art and adolescence. Like all of Kyo's work, this book is not only an invitation to read, but to create. --Matthew Forsythe, Emmy Award-winning designer of Adventure Time

Italy: Italy: Edizioni BD;

[...] Maclear has created a setting and a cast of characters that feel extraordinarily fresh, alive, and, above all, very real. . . . Eggenschwiler's visual metaphors create their own network of social, emotional, and sensory connections. . . . This book will delight not only young people and graphic-novel aficionados but anyone who believes that art - especially opera - is a powerful force in the world. -- Starred review, Quill & Quire, Read more...

[...]Brimming with raw emotion, music references, and gorgeous art, this memorable and relatable graphic novel will linger with -readers. -- starred review Read more...

Operatic is a sweet read. Maclear's charming, understated writing and Eggenschwiler's inventive cartooning are a perfect match. -- Hope Larson, Eisner Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling creator of A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel

Maclear and Eggenschwiler cleverly weave together story, visual art, and music. . . . Clever and contemplative, with music history readers might find unexpectedly fun. -- Kirkus Reviews Read more...

In addition the gorgeous visual lexicon, the story also beautifully touches on the powerful emergence of strong feelings that happens in middle school...Opera is an unusual but pitch-perfect match for that swell of overwhelming feeling, and Maclear and Eggenschwiler fold it into the story perfectly. A poignant, pithy, and arrestingly illustrated story. -- starred review Read more...

French (Canada): La Pastèque Éditions Scholastic;