World Famous Comics: Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper
Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper
By: Kazu Kibuishi Publisher: GRAPHIX Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: GRAPHIX Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 192 Publication Date: January 01, 2008 Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Product Description: After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.
Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.
Kibuishi wins again! Kazu Kibuishi is perhaps best known as the editor of the Flight anthologies, first for Image and then for Villard, but those who actually read the table of contents know that he has also been a contributor to each installment. His short stories have always been among the best in each new edition of Flight, but his talent, both in telling a story and in drawing, seemed to be overshadowed by his role as editor. His new book, however, is a solo effort, giving him the chance to prove his mettle as both writer and artist in a longer work.
To any fan of children's literature, Amulet's plot will be very familiar; it is definitely not breaking new ground when it comes to its core concept. The book features a young girl named Emily who suffers the tragic loss of a parent and is thus forced to move with her remaining family members to a creepy old house in the middle of nowhere which has been in the family for years. Once there she discovers that someone from her family has a connection to another world, a world of fantasy and magic, and it is her destiny to continue to serve as that link between our world and theirs.
Amulet's beginnings clearly parallel many other examples of children's fare throughout the years, with everything from the Narnia books to Harry Potter following similar tropes. But even if Amulet doesn't have the most original of starting points, what is much more important for a novel aimed at children is that the fantasy world it's set in must seem unique and engages their imaginations. An audience, especially an audience of younger readers, can accept a familiar idea if it's dressed up in a new and interesting way.
It is in this regard that Amulet shines, for Kibuishi has worked painstakingly to make the world of Amulet stand out from the familiar. He has built up a world filled with intriguing creatures, like gaseous blobs which float and hover menacingly over Emily and her brother Navin, or scary, disgusting walking octopi with huge mouths and windows in their sides. Amulet also contains a number of incredibly interesting locations, such as a house with a glowing tree growing in its foyer, a dwelling which also doubles as a giant mechanoid. This kind of stuff instantly wows the audience, be they kids or adults.
Kibushi also recognizes, like most great children's authors do, that kids don't always care as much about plot exposition if they get sucked into what they're reading. He wastes no time telling us why things are happening (or even WHAT is happening) and simply chucks us into the story, knowing that once the action grabs hold, we'll stick around for the explanations later in the series. While this lack of plot detail regarding where the mysterious amulet Emily finds originated or why Emily's family is connected to this other world might frustrate older audience members, kids are sure to just go along for the ride.
Amulet wins us over with its whimsical tone, very similar to that seen in Kibuishi's earlier contributions to Flight. The character Miskit, first introduced as a hulking figure in a dark trenchcoat, intimidating and large, initially frightens the children, but this image is turned on its head as he rescues the kids from trouble and reveals his true self to them: a rabbit inside a mechanized man suit. The book charms us with its sense of wonder and makes us feel safe, so that even when the story goes to some very dark places, we feel comfortable in the knowledge that everything is going to turn out OK in the end.
Contributing heavily to that comfort is the craftsmanship Kibuishi puts into his art. The character designs mentioned above are truly astounding, and the color palette in his work is rich and textured. The fantasy world of Amulet is at times awash in grays and browns, making it seem drab or perhaps even a bit terrifying, but the most fantastic elements of it shine in bright pastels of pink or yellow, so they stand out even more from the ordinary world around them. As the main character, Emily clearly needs to be delineated from every other character, and Kibuishi clothes her in a lavender hooded sweatshirt that automatically attracts the eye on the page.
All told, while older audiences might find parts of Amulet to be old hat, the book's true audience, children, are sure to devour the book and be begging for more, and even cynical adults will be won over by the unique creatures and fantastic art. Amulet seems the kind of story that, given time to grow, could find a place amongst the ranks of the greatest fantasy series for young adults, as highly regarded as another children's comics its publisher Graphix is releasing, Jeff Smith's Bone.
Great Book I have a 9 yr old girl who loves to read and a 7 yr old boy who likes to read but is picky about the material. Both kids loved this book and were disappointed the next book isn't out yet.
A Boy New to Graphic Novels My 9 year old had just read Diary of a Wimpy Kid which is a book printed like a diary with stick figure pictures. He loved it. So when I saw Amulet out at the library I encouraged him to get it. (He did not want to read it.)
He finished it in two days and wanted to go back for the next one. As it has been stated in other reviews the book sort of ends without a true resolution. **Spoiler Alert** They rescue their mother but she is at deaths door. Will she live or die? **end spoiler** The books story line is dark...dead father, mother missing and lost in the dark to boot but my son is fine with it. I don't see the cliff hanger ending as a negative it is just encouraging him to read the next one.
The pictures are not at all like any comic book I ever read. The cover is very much how the entire book looks. The Editorial Reviews Amazon has posted are good descriptions of this book. We will be waiting for the next book to be published!!!
Book Review: Amulet - Stonekeeper I'm going to go ahead and say something that will not surprise you at all, so please don't do a mocking spit-take with your morning coffee: graphic novels are unique. They have the ability to draw in reluctant readers like nothing else in print. Must be the cool pictures. Some GN's hit, some miss, and some reside in a place I like to call "Inbetweensville". While it didn't exactly move me, there's no doubt that "Stone Keeper" will find an eager audience ready to follow this new series.
The story begins with an emotional hay maker. A dramatic (see also: scary as all git out) car accident leaves Emily, her brother Navin, and their mother reeling. Fast forward two years and the three of them are moving to an old family house in the country, eager for a fresh start. Then things start to get weird. Emily discovers a mysterious necklace. Strange noises appear. When their mother investigates and disappears, Emily and Navin are forced to enter into a dangerous alternate universe full of man eating arachnopods (half spider, half octopus) to get her back. Their search brings them into contact with their great-grandfather Silas and his loyal band of robots, who offer to help the children find their mom.
It must be said that "The Stonekeeper" has its moments of excitement. A sequence when the kids and their robotic pink bunny guide, Miskit, travel through the Gauntlet is genuinely thrilling; battles with the aforementioned arachnopods will undoubtedly grab young reader's attention.
"Amulet" will receive love from the graphic novel fans, but I'm not sure if it's going to inspire new converts to the genre. A solid effort, but not a revelation.
Graphic vs Novel I will take some of the hit here for not reading past the number of stars into the reviews, but I really wish the item description told it for what this book is: a graphic novel (read: comic book) and not a novel. We were looking for a book for my daughter to read during summer vacation and thought we were headed in the right direction with what appeared to be an age appropriate new series. Unfortunately, while the story is good and the author appears to be talented, it falls short as a "book" and stumbles over the line as a "comic book".
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