Drawn to Change the World Graphic Novel Collection: 16 Youth Climate Activists, 16 Artists

An impressive introduction to an admirable group.

Reynolds (Amara and the Bats) spotlights 16 global environmentalists--including Jerome Foster II, Daphne Frias, and Dara McAnulty--in this ambitious anthology of comics by creators such as Derick Brooks, Teo Duvall, and Anoosha Syed. Ample front matter rendered in prose details what climate crisis is, which parts of the ecosystem the crisis affects, what measures have been taken to combat it, who is most vulnerable, and what individual people can do to mitigate its reach. Subsequent short comics summarize how well-known activists joined the climate change movement, followed by a two-page "What Are They Doing Now?" update. Employing dot-eyed characters and moody, amorphous shapes, Reynolds profiles Greta Thunberg, whose Fridays for Future demonstrations feature in later chapters. Jade Zhang's section on Ou Hóngyì follows Hóngyì's Shanghai school strikes, which led to her arrest in China. And in a contribution about Ugandan Leah Namugerwa, Natasha Nayo chronicles the subject's eco-conscious decision to plant "Birthday Trees." The biographies overflow with quotations and are bookended by information-dense sections that make for a sometimes confusing read. Contributor biographies, timelines, a glossary, and further resources conclude. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)

"Young environmental activists around the world are making a difference... The comics were created by different cartoonists whose backgrounds, styles, and even palettes are equally wide-ranging. Overall, these are heartening examples of young people taking action against what is probably the most important issue in all our lives; readers will emerge compelled to make a difference themselves." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)