History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire: Rising From the Ashes

Description

Following the success of Science Comics, First Second is launching a new nonfiction series: History Comics! Travel back in time to the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, the deserts of the American southwest, the riot at the Stonewall Inn, and beyond! With History Comics, the past comes alive in a way that's edifying, entertaining, and relevant to our modern lives. In this volume, turn the clock back to 1871. Red-hot embers swirl on a dry prairie wind, igniting a blaze that will engulf Chicago for two terrifying days. As a young brother and sister rescue a helpless puppy, they race to stay one step ahead of the devilish inferno and reunite with their lost families. With downtown reduced to a charred skeleton of itself, how will the once-proud city ever rebuild?

Kate Hannigan used to work for daily newspapers but now she writes fiction and nonfiction for young readers, digging up remarkable people from history and sharing their stories. Her work includes a historical fantasy series for middle-grade, Cape, the historical mystery The Detective's Assistant, and a picture book biography of Belva Lockwood, A Lady has the Floor. katehannigan.com Alex Graudins is a Rhode Island-based cartoonist known for illustrating Science Comics: The Brain. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts' Cartooning program in 2016 and has since contributed comics to sites like The Nib and CollegeHumor. In her free time, she draws autobiographical comics about living with anxiety.

Vibrant artwork and an engaging story make this a great vehicle for a poignant glimpse at American history.--Booklist Hannigan sticks closely to historical records in tracing the causes and course of the fire as well as the architectural and infrastructure improvements wrought in its wake and the fair's artistic and technological highlights. ...Graudins overlays the infodumps with small, intimate panels depicting period-clad people with appealingly open expressions (and, often, puppies in tow) in accurately drawn settings. A fictive plotline adds a strong "you are there" feel to this informative account.--Kirkus