Early Book Review: It’s Your Funeral by Emily Riesbeck, Ellen Kramer, Matt Krotzer

It’s Your Funeral by Emily Riesbeck, Ellen Kramer, and Matt Krotzer is a young adult graphic novel currently scheduled for release on July 21 2020.

Marnie Winters was going to turn her life around; get out of the house, make friends, no more “Miserable Old Marnie!” Everything was going to plan, but then, of course, she died. Now, Marnie’s a ghost trapped on Earth, and the only one who can help her is the overenthusiastic, alien social worker, Xel, whose job is to help ghosts “close their file” and pass on.  Xel has an idea to soothe Marnie’s troubled spirit: an internship in the hopeless bureaucracy of the trans-dimensional Department of Spectral Affairs! This new do-gooder duo has their work cut out for them in a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures throughout the space-time continuum (but mostly in and around the office) as Marnie finds pathways through her feelings of worthlessness by helping others. A paranormal fantasy about healing, learning to love yourself, and being OK with being not OK.

It’s Your Funeral is a graphic novel that is fun to look at. I really enjoyed the artwork and colors, and thought the imagination involved was wonderful. It was also a read that will appeal to many on an emotional level. There are a number of very different personalities, and I liked that no one style is touted as perfect or better, rather it is those differences that make things work.  I cringed a few times, especially when Marnie took her emotions out on others, but those emotions and reactions rang true and help move the story forward and raise the emotional stakes of the story. I like that the book acknowledged that dealing with anything, including depression or anxiety, is a process and that taking the time and being kind (including to yourself) is key. I thought the overall product was very good, and good read.

It’s Your Funeral is a well drawn and told story that will appeal to a number of young adult and adult readers. 

Book Review: You Know What? by Carol Gordon Ekster, Nynke Mare Talsman

You Know What? is a picturebook written by Carol Gordon Ekster and illustrated by Nynke Mare Talsma. Oliver should go to sleep. But there is so much he wants to tell his mother about: what happened that day, the things he read in books, everything he sees around him. A touching and familiar picture book about postponing the ritual of going to sleep.

You Know What? is a picturebook that most parents or caregivers can relate to, and not just for the bedtime delay tactics. I cannot tell you how many times a day I have heard something along the lines of this book from my kids, from the time they could talk and still daily even though they are old enough to get themselves to bed with little direction from me. I think most kids can relate as well, and this would make a great bedtime or discussion starter book for dealing with the chatty delay tactics that kids use to get out of so many things. I really liked the illustrations, they are simple but still add an atmosphere and details that readers of all ages can enjoy.