Title: Pride of Baghdad Author: Brian K Vaughan Illustrator: Niko Henricshon
ISBN: 9781401203146 Pages: Not paged
Publisher: DC Comics, New York, 2006
ISBN: 9781401203146 Pages: Not paged
Publisher: DC Comics, New York, 2006
Readers Annotation:
A pride of lions from the Baghdad Zoo are suddenly given the gift of freedom after an American air raid. Safa, Noor, Zill, and Ali encounter a new world that they find both dangerous and beautiful.
A pride of lions from the Baghdad Zoo are suddenly given the gift of freedom after an American air raid. Safa, Noor, Zill, and Ali encounter a new world that they find both dangerous and beautiful.
Author Information:
Brian Keller Vaughan was born in 1976, and is an American comic book and television writer. In order to do research for Pride of Baghdad, Brian joined an emergency relief team at the Baghdad Zoo in Iraq. He also visited and studied the animals at the San Diego Zoo in California. Brian has won an Eisner Award for his works Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina. Presently, Brian lives in California with his wife Ruth McKee.
Illustrator Information:
Brian Keller Vaughan was born in 1976, and is an American comic book and television writer. In order to do research for Pride of Baghdad, Brian joined an emergency relief team at the Baghdad Zoo in Iraq. He also visited and studied the animals at the San Diego Zoo in California. Brian has won an Eisner Award for his works Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina. Presently, Brian lives in California with his wife Ruth McKee.
Illustrator Information:
Niko Henrichson is a Canadian comic book artist. Henrichson did research for Pride of Baghdad by interviewing citizens, reporters, and soldiers that were involved in the Iraq War. Henrichson's debut work is a graphic novel called Barnum! He also regularly provides cover art for Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Currently, Henrichson lives in Quebec City with his wife and cat.
Plot Summary:
The Baghdad Zoo houses over 650 animals, among them a lion habitat with a pride of four lions. The pride includes Zill, the alpha male, Safa, the elder lioness, Noor, the younger lioness, and the male cub Ali. Noor dreams of being free, with space to roam and hunt. Ali is enamored with the idea of freedom, and constantly begs Safa, who was once free, to describe a sunset in the wild.
Suddenly, their zoo is heavily hit during the American bombing of Baghdad at the start of the Iraq War, and the pride of lions are free. Immediately, the foursome discovers how difficult freedom can really be. As they search the foreign city for food, they stumble into a deadly adventure. However, throughout their difficulties, the pride is still able to find beauty and joy in their freedom.
Plot Summary:
The Baghdad Zoo houses over 650 animals, among them a lion habitat with a pride of four lions. The pride includes Zill, the alpha male, Safa, the elder lioness, Noor, the younger lioness, and the male cub Ali. Noor dreams of being free, with space to roam and hunt. Ali is enamored with the idea of freedom, and constantly begs Safa, who was once free, to describe a sunset in the wild.
Suddenly, their zoo is heavily hit during the American bombing of Baghdad at the start of the Iraq War, and the pride of lions are free. Immediately, the foursome discovers how difficult freedom can really be. As they search the foreign city for food, they stumble into a deadly adventure. However, throughout their difficulties, the pride is still able to find beauty and joy in their freedom.
Critical Evaluation:
Based on a true story, this graphic novel follows a pride of lions that had escaped the Baghdad Zoo during an American air raid and subsequently found and shot by American soldiers. The novel is written in English, interspersed with Arabic to lend a sense of realism to the story. To further add to the authenticity of the novel, the lions are appropriately given African names. The range of colors painted in the story portray the circumstances beautifully. Therefore, when Safa talks about her rape, the illustrator paints the pages in depressing blues and grays. Additionally, when the pride is traveling through war-torn Baghdad, the pictures take on fiery reds and oranges. Despite the fact that the main characters are animals, the illustrator effectively depicts their expressions and emotions, giving them personalities and bringing them to life. Through the stunning array of color illustrations and the straightforward narrative of the author, the reader will enjoy this compelling and heartbreaking tale.
Based on a true story, this graphic novel follows a pride of lions that had escaped the Baghdad Zoo during an American air raid and subsequently found and shot by American soldiers. The novel is written in English, interspersed with Arabic to lend a sense of realism to the story. To further add to the authenticity of the novel, the lions are appropriately given African names. The range of colors painted in the story portray the circumstances beautifully. Therefore, when Safa talks about her rape, the illustrator paints the pages in depressing blues and grays. Additionally, when the pride is traveling through war-torn Baghdad, the pictures take on fiery reds and oranges. Despite the fact that the main characters are animals, the illustrator effectively depicts their expressions and emotions, giving them personalities and bringing them to life. Through the stunning array of color illustrations and the straightforward narrative of the author, the reader will enjoy this compelling and heartbreaking tale.
Genre: Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction
Curriculum Ties: American History - Iraq War
Booktalking Ideas:
1. The story of the lion's escape takes place during the recent Iraq War, which is still ongoing. Do you know any soldiers deployed in Iraq?
2. At the beginning of the story, Noor longs for freedom. When actually free, however, she realizes that freedom is not all that she thought it would be. Did you ever really want something, but when you got it became disappointed in what you found?
1. The story of the lion's escape takes place during the recent Iraq War, which is still ongoing. Do you know any soldiers deployed in Iraq?
2. At the beginning of the story, Noor longs for freedom. When actually free, however, she realizes that freedom is not all that she thought it would be. Did you ever really want something, but when you got it became disappointed in what you found?
Reading Level/Interest Age: 14+
Challenge Issue: Suggestive war themes, Sexually explicit
- This graphic novel won the 2006 IGN award for best original graphic novel
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy
- This graphic novel won the 2006 IGN award for best original graphic novel
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy
Why I chose this item: This was an intense graphic novel, but also on the shorter side, thus appealing to teenage reluctant readers and graphic novel readers.
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