The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan
Posted by: Cindy Dobrez and Lynn Rutan
Lynn: Sometimes books are just so special, so full of wonderful elements that I find it difficult to write about them. I don’t know where to start! The Storm in the Barn (Candlewick, 2009) is just that sort of book. This exquisitely crafted graphic novel is a wondrous blend of genres: fantasy, historical fiction, and coming-of-age realism. It is an ingenious “Jack” tale, wrapped about subtle explorations of courage, identity, and the use of power and is a lovely tribute to the power of story and storytellers. Matt Phelan manages all this with brief text and spare evocative drawings using the dusty palette of a drought-stricken world.
It is 1937 in a Kansas almost lost to seething dust and brutal drought. Eleven-year-old Jack’s family is teetering on the brink of losing their farm and their despair radiates from the pages. Bullied and diminished, Jack yearns to be useful. In one small scene, Jack, trying to help his dad repair the truck, knocks over a can of bolts. “Jack! Jack, just don’t touch anything,” says his father. Phelan uses such understatement again and again throughout the book with searing emotional impact. Late one night, Jack sees a light in the neighbor’s barn what he discovers could save his family if only he has the courage.
Teachers – pair this with Albert Marrin’s brilliant Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl (Penguin/Dutton 2009) that we will be blogging soon. Ask your students to compare and contrast these two stellar books. This last month huge dust storms swept across Arizona and Australia illustrating starkly that the Dust Bowl is more than history.
Cindy: Lynn read this in galley earlier this summer and was worried about the fact that it would publish in color. The shades of gray in the b&w galley seemed perfect for this dusty story. No need to worry, the full cover version still uses a mostly muted palette with lots of tan, rust, and yellows that complement the storyline perfectly. An occasional bright spot (a solid red panel during a horrific scene where the men are killing a pen full of rabbits to keep them from eating the meager crops) is used with great effect. The pencil and ink characters and focus on their faces is reminiscent of the WPA portraits of the Dust Bowl years, like the photographs by Dorthea Lange. Phelan lists them as an influence on the book and it shows in the tired but proud faces throughout the story.
Jack’s sickly sister is named Dorothy and throughout the book she is reading from the Oz books about her namesake. The quotes she shares dovetail nicely with what is going on in their own lives. I’m so impressed with Phelan’s use of the modern folktale to turn this into a pourquoi tale of a sorts. I didn’t expect the magical realism in this historical tale but it works great. The creepy, power-hungry Storm King could keep me up at night! This book is also another fine example of how pictures can really tell a story with minimal text. A very special book, indeed.
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Sound like interesting books, look forward to reading, thanks for the review.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I read this in arc as well, but our 2 gorgeous copies for the library came in on Friday. I am going to our local indy bookstore on Tuesday to pick up my copy. Breathtaking!