Graphic Novel # 5

Author: Aaron Shepard
Title: Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria
Publisher: Harper Collins Date: 2001

Age level: Primary (K-2)

Summary:
Shadusa once thought he was the strongest man in the world, and decided he wanted to be called Master Man. His wife warned him that one day he may meet someone who was stronger, but he did not listen. Shadusa hears of another man who calls himself “Master Man” and vows to go challenge him. When he gets there, however, things change. Maybe Shadusa isn’t the strongest man in the world…

Strengths:
For a graphic novel, this book is very entertaining. It starts off like a simple story, then resembles the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, and then finishes off with a twist and an explanation for the noise of thunder. It is a very compelling story which would keep many children occupied. There is great detail used in the pictures, and the illustrations really help tell the story. The twist at the end keeps the book interesting, and would most likely prompt a discussion between children who read this book. It is very well done.

Concerns:
The text jumps all over the page, and often times I read it out-of-order. Another thing that bothered me was the fact that one of the women in the book has so many muscles she looks like a man, but the other woman does not. There seems to be a discrepancy when it comes to drawing the different characters, and although these two should be very similarly built, they are not. It just looks a little strange.

Classroom use/Other comments:
This is a great book to read during a folk tale unit, to illustrate how stories from other cultures get passed down and what type of folklore has come out of them. The teacher could talk about the representation of thunder in this book, and have the students come up with their own ideas and creative stories of what the noise of thunder