Jungle Book (Classic Fiction)

Description

In the jungles of India, a pack of wolves discover a young boy. They name the boy Mowgli and protect him against dangers, including Shere Kan, the most savage tiger in the jungle. As Mowgli grows up, he learns the ways of the jungle from Bagheera the panther, the wise bear, Baloo, and other animals. Soon, he must decide whether to remain among beasts or embrace his own kind.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India, on December 30, 1865. He is best known for his short story collections The Jungle Book, published in 1894, and Just So Stories, published in 1902. He wrote a variety of other short stories, including 'Kim' and 'The Man Who Would Be King, ' and many poems. In 1907, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first English-language writer and youngest person to win the award. On January 18, 1936, he died in London at age 70. Carl Bowen's novel, Shadow Squadron: Elite Infantry, earned a starred review from Kirkus. He lives in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Benny Fuentes lives in Villahermosa, Tabasco in Mexico, where the temperature is just as hot as the sauce. He studied graphic design in college, but now he works as a full-time colorist in the comic book and graphic novel industry for companies like Marvel, DC Comics, and Top Cow Productions. He shares his home with two crazy cats, Chelo and Kitty, who act like they own the place.

Necessarily vastly abridged to maintain the publisher's page count, and without referencing Kipling's idiom, this graphic novelization nonetheless offers readers a rich retelling. Pages pop with nicely varied frames that befit their content, and characters' speech and captions are appropriately assigned rather than being seemingly random text attributions. The deeply and broodingly colored images, however, are what make this a good read, with animal-appropriate movement, expressive faces, and animated body language. While certainly no substitute for Kipling's own storytelling prowess, this is, nonetheless, a worthwhile version to provide for visual learners, whether as a lead-in to the original or as a stand-alone experience. The tight binding may frustrate some but the book won't wear out.-- "Booklist Online"