LA Times Review: “The Perfect Bat Mitzvah Gift”

In the LA Times, Sonja Bolle confesses that she’s never really liked graphic novels, but says that she’s now fallen in love with one for the first time. Yay!

The first tickle in “Hereville,” for me, came from the Yiddish words sprinkled throughout the text, which are marked with an asterisk and translated at the bottom of the page. Yiddish, a singularly nuanced and expressive language, lends itself to translation at many levels of speech; Deutsch introduces a new level, which I would call “comic-book speak,” so that “oy gevalt!” (a cry of suffering or frustration) becomes “sheesh!” It’s a perfect translation — le mot juste, indeed.

Deutsch elegantly explains the special atmosphere of shabbos (the sabbath) in Jewish tradition. The adventure in the story comes skidding to a halt at sundown on Friday night, because “troll killing, Mirka understood, was not a Shabbos thing.” For several pages, the pictures take on a leisurely pace, while the family lights candles, sings, prays, naps. But the moment “uvdin d’chol” — the weekday things — resume, Mirka is back at her mission. “Fruma, how do I kill a troll?” she asks her stepmother. […]

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but put the right few pictures together with the right thousand words, and you’ve got a great graphic novel…

(Read the whole review here.)

This is my first review in a really major newspaper, that I know of! Very neat. Hard to believe, actually. Plus, I’m glad she singled out the “sheesh!” translation, which is one of my favorite jokes in the entire book.

Information on buying Hereville is here.

Hereville reviewed on Burnt Wieners

A very nice review of Hereville from John on the Burnt Wieners website. I’m told they’ll also talk about Hereville on an upcoming podcast.

From the review (click through to read the whole thing):

The supporting characters of the book are very strong indeed, lending their own special brand of support (and obstacles) in Mirka’s quest to become a monster queller. Fruma, Mirka’s stepmother, is very enigmatic with her knowledge of witches and monsters, and make one wonder if maybe she was at one time very much like Mirka.

The writing is sharp and clever, while also educating the reader in some of the aspects of Jewish culture, often times in a very casual way, so maybe a kid doesn’t even know they are learning. GASP! And the author, Barry Deutsch, has a lively and unforgettable art style that will stick with the reader long after the book is over.

Thanks, John!

Booklist reviews “Hereville”

From the new issue of Booklist:

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword.

Set in a well-realized contemporary Orthodox Jewish community, this sweet and engaging tale of 11-year-old Mirka’s thirst for a dragon-slaying adventure unfolds in well-integrated images and text. Mirka’s family includes a stepmother who is strict but not evil, a marriage-obsessed older sister, and a little brother for whom Mirka alternately takes responsibility and finds unwontedly cumbersome. Deutsch creates authentic characters spiced with just enough fantasy to surprise: the members of the community use Yiddish and Hebrew expressions, which are translated as they appear in the text, and the arrival of a talking pig in the village presents a challenge for Mirka, as pig and girl compete to outmaneuver each other in arguments as well as actions. And then there’s the space alien who challenges Mirka to knit for her life. Details of Orthodox daily life are well blended into the art and given just the right touches of explanation to keep readers on track. Mirka is a spunky, emotionally realistic, and fun heroine for her peers to discover.

— Francisca Goldsmith

I’m very pleased with the review overall — although, I have to admit I never thought of the troll as a space alien! :-p

“Hereville is the culmination of several positive kidlit trends….”

Laurel at From The Mixed Up Files, a blog about books for middle schoolers, interviews Heidi Estrin, the Vice-President of the Association of Jewish Libraries, about Jewish books for kids.

Laurel is a Hereville fan and gets a bit silly. 😀

QUESTION: what trends do you see currently? Any good new books we should be watching for?

ANSWER: Watch for Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch, a graphic novel whose tagline is “Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl.” (at this point, the interviewer squeals because she’s so in love with this book!) This book succeeds on so many levels! It’s got drama, Jewish customs, humor, Jewish ways of thinking, magic, and super-expressive art! (interviewer nods insanely) It effortlessly draws any reader into the Orthodox setting without feeling educational or preachy. It creates its own rich Jewish world with no need for victimhood as a source of identity or as a dramatic device. In a way, this book is the culmination of several positive kidlit (and Jewishlit) trends: multiculturalism and normalizing of ethnic characters, respecting children’s intelligence, experimental formats, and strong female leads.

Thanks so much, Heidi and Laurel!

I really loved that Heidi said Hereville “creates its own rich Jewish world with no need for victimhood as a source of identity or as a dramatic device.” That was definitely one of my goals for the book.

(If you’d like a copy of Hereville, you can find information here.)

Kirkus Reviews Loves Hereville! “Undoubtedly one of the cleverest graphic novels of the year”

In a starred review (“A star is assigned to books of unusual merit”), Kirkus Reviews writes:

Like all 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girls, ebullient Mirka must face a six-armed troll to avoid becoming his dinner and obtain a dragon-slaying sword–wait, what? This utterly ingenious graphic novel spins the darling yarn of Mirka, who finds tasks like knitting dull and tedious. She keeps herself amused while stitching by conversing with her stepmother, Fruma, a top-notch debater who can adeptly argue her way out of any dispute. A magical encounter leads Mirka to discover a witch who sends her on a quest to acquire a sword perfect for a fledgling dragon-slayer, just the role Mirka envisions for herself. When Mirka must battle a fierce troll, the skills she’s learned from Fruma prove to be not so entirely useless.

Deutsch creates a beautiful, detail-rich world with a muted, ethereal palette that masterfully blends faith and fantasy with astounding harmony. Each page conveys fluid motion through his panel layout and text-bubble placement; readers can easily grasp and empathize with Mirka’s feelings. Undoubtedly one of the cleverest graphic novels of the year; let’s hope this isn’t the last of Mirka.

That’s definitely the sort of review that improves my week. 🙂 Thanks, Kirkus!

Information about buying Hereville can be found here.

Nothing makes my day more than being mentioned in the same sentence as Eisner

A brief but extremely kind write-up about “Hereville” at CultureMob.com:

One look at the original story (which can be accessed at Hereville.com) reveals the creator’s influence by the late great Will Eisner, with whom he trained during his tenure at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He explores similar themes of Judaism and personal strife, executing it with the same panache with which his legendary mentor did before him. He incorporates expressive and emotionally charged characters with a playful approach to layout and coloration that connect on a fundamental level to life experiences common to us all. Promising to feature 100 pages of redrawn or new art, the book is bound to be even better.

Thanks, CultureMob!

(Info about buying Hereville is here.)

“Hereville” reviewed on Raw Ink Online

Raw Ink Online, an education site, writes:

Deutsch has two very distinct characteristics working through Mirka that will make this book one teachers will want to add to their bookshelves as a stand-alone, an independent read, or as a unit covering the Hero’s Journey. For one, we have an eleven-year-old girl as hero. . .in a graphic novel. Mirka finds her place among the graphic novel heroes and holds it with her passion and determination to reach her goals. Secondly, we have a Orthodox Jew as main character providing responsible reporting and insight from Deutsch to blend Mirka’c culture into the story. The characters use Yiddish phrases (and Deutsch is kind in providing a gutter glossary to define the terms which he stops doing after the first time, an approach to context that will be welcome to teachers building vocabulary through introduction and context/repetition). Further, the reader is able to peek into the Jewish culture by viewing Mirka in her familial context. The reader sees Mirka knitting, caring for family members, discussing issues of marriage and family identity, and preparing for and observing the Sabbath.

Fans of graphic novels will love what Deutsch has done with the illustrations in Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. Deutsch completely violates any sense of what Scott McCloud tells us is the “gutter” in graphic novels. Character heads appear in multiples. A pig takes up an entire page. Character dialogue sometimes reads like stream of conscious presentation with word bubbles dripping down the page. It’s an absolutely beautiful graphic novel in this respect.

Thanks to Paul W. Hankins, who wrote that review! Click through to read the whole review.

“Hereville” Reviewed on Educating Alice

Educating Alice, a blog specializing in children’s literature (among other things), writes:

While no kayaks show up in Barry Deutsch’s remarkable graphic novel Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, plenty of other things do — a pig, a witch, some nasty bullies, a wise step-mother, knitting, and that sword.  I knew nothing about this book, but after reading Betsy Bird’s rave review, I requested it pronto. (Thank you, Jason Wells at Abrams, for sending it so quickly!)  I’m not sure I can add much to Betsy’s review other than to say — it is all that and more.  This graphic novel is bright and fun and clever, the characters real and multi-faceted, and the art spectacular.  Deutsch uses comic vernacular perfectly — expressions, movement, panels, speech bubbles — all in the service of his warm, wise, and wonderful story.

Kayaks…. hmmmm.

Click here to read the rest of the review.

Another School Library Journal Blog Reviews “Hereville”

From Brigid Alverson, of the “Good Comics For Kids” blog:

I really enjoyed Barry Deutsch’s Hereville when it was a webcomic, and I like it even better now that it’s a full-length graphic novel, which will be released by Abrams in November. Set in an Orthodox Jewish community, Hereville has a strong sense of the traditional about it, and parts of the story (as when the heroine battles a pig that has been tormenting her) are strongly reminiscent of folk tales. Deutsch breathes life into his story, though, by having characters who talk and react like real tweens and teens. She may dress differently from her peers in public school, but when 11-year-old Mirka tries to solve a math problem, or is torn between her family’s expectations and her own desires, she is channeling every kid. Deutsch’s art has lightened up quite a bit in this book, and he has honed his extraordinary talent for using panel arrangements and other visual effects to tell his story in the most effective way possible. I would go into more detail, but my 10-year-old nephew swiped the book at dinner last night and I don’t know when I’m going to get it back. Highly recommended!

Another Nice Goodreads Review

Inge at Goodreads wrote:

Let’s get the obvious comments over with. Yes. This is a graphic novel where the brave heroine is an 11 year-old Orthodox Jewish girl. This is definitely not something you see every day. However, it’s not treated as a novelty, and while the reader will learn about Orthodox Judaism and its practices, it is not done in an overly didactic manner. Mirka is a bit of a rebel in some ways, but overall she’s true to her family and her beliefs without sacrificing her need for adventure.

I used to work as a librarian in a mostly Orthodox Jewish community and I have to say that my most of my patrons were voracious readers. Friday afternoons, before Shabbat, children would storm the library in droves, walking off with ten books or so a piece, and leaving bare shelves behind. It always troubled me that, while I was surrounded by so many dedicated book-lovers, the children rarely saw themselves reflected in books. Or if so, it was as a novelty/token character or they were featured in a Holocaust-related novel. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but I hope this graphic novel reaches that community and is well-loved.

Hereville is not exceptional merely because of its unusual protagonist, but because it’s a fun and humorous adventure. It’s well-paced and beautifully drawn. Mirka is passionate about her desire for action and adventure, but just as passionate about her love of her late mother, as well as the rest of her family. Mirka’s stepmother, Fruma, is a source hilarious entertainment, with her nagging and desperate need to argue. The troll and the witch are also sources of comedy. Last, there are many bittersweet moments concerning Mirka and her deceased mother. It’s a multi-faceted comic, offering not only adventure but depth and emotion.

In other words, I’m ready for more Mirka!

Thanks, Inge! I’ve gotta say, Inge’s reaction is exactly the reaction, in every way, I’m hoping for. 🙂

I really hope that Hereville will find some fans among Orthodox Jewish families. (Hereville the webcomic had several Orthodox readers, who made many very helpful comments.) We’ll see.