Simon Schwartz grew up in Berlin, Germany. Since 2006 he has
been working as a freelance illustrator for several magazines,
newspapers, agencies and other clients. In 2011 he began teaching
illustration as an Adjunct Professor at the Design Department of
the Hamburg Universtity of Applied Sciences. Druben! was nominated
for the German Youth Literature Prize 2010 and awarded the ICOM
Independent Comic Award for Outstanding Scenario 2010.
Laura Watkinson translates into English, from Dutch, Italian and
German. Her literary interests are varied and her projects range
from children’s picture books to adult novels and comics. She
founded the Dutch chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers
and Illustrators in 2008.
A fascinating look at Matthew Henson's life that combines fact,
fiction, dual time lines, and Inuit mythology, this graphic novel
is a tribute to a remarkable man who was judged by his skin color
rather than his accomplishments. Henson was an African American
explorer who accompanied Robert E. Peary on most of his
expeditions. Although Peary received many honors for being the
first to lead an expedition to the North Pole, Henson's
contributions were largely ignored. Effective artwork allows the
story to alternate seamlessly between Henson's younger days and his
twilight years. The panels are striking and easy to follow, created
in black and white with shades of grays and cool arctic blues.
Henson spent extensive time with the Inuit people, learning their
ways and gaining their respect and a permanent place in their
history and legends. The main characters are occasionally portrayed
in traditional Inuit Spirit Masks, which adds another layer of
depth to an already poignant story. Blake A. Hoena's Matthew
Henson: Arctic Adventurer (Capstone, 2006) is a work of true
graphic nonfiction but is dry and rushed compared to this
fictionalized work. Though Schwartz plays fast and loose with the
facts in places, this is an unforgettable title that will resonate
with readers. VERDICT: A compelling graphic novel that biography
lovers will greatly enjoy, and a wonderful addition to Black
History Month book lists.--School Library Journal-- "Journal"
A fictionalized account of the life of Matthew Henson, the black
American who reached the North Pole before Robert Peary, told in
graphic form. While history has credited Peary with the discovery
of the North Pole, it has largely forgotten his companion, Henson,
who not only participated in Peary's polar expeditions, but
actually arrived at the North Pole hours before him in 1909. Henson
notably forged connections with the Inuit and inspired the figure
Mahri Pahluk in their stories. Schwartz attempts to rectify this
oversight with his highly laudatory retelling of Henson's life.
Though he draws upon historical reports as well as Inuit legends,
he also takes considerable artistic license with some details,
eliding some less-flattering ones. A chronology at the end of the
book helps clarify the historical record. Bold artwork in a cool
palette of white, gray, black, and pale blue will remind readers of
Marjane Satrapi's. Some illustrations feature a highly abstracted
style reminiscent of Inuit art, while the other, more-realistic
drawings often shift subtly between time periods. The panels
featuring the older Henson are almost entirely silent, reflecting
how his achievements were largely suppressed by Peary's fame. A
welcome profile of a little-known African-American explorer,
despite its somewhat heavy-handed embroidery of the facts.--Kirkus
Reviews-- "Journal"
Matthew Henson spent 23 years on six separate voyages to Greenland
with explorer Robert Peary to find the magnetic North Pole. An
African American, Henson's efforts were largely ignored, and his
claim of reaching the pole before Peary were almost universally
dismissed. To the Inuit with whom Henson traveled and lived,
however, he was Mahri-Pahluk: Matthew the Kind One. This
fictionalized account of Henson's life offers a sympathetic glimpse
into the hardships and prejudice faced by Henson both on and off
the polar ice. Deftly using key moments in Henson's life, Schwartz
fluidly weaves several time lines together, imagining Henson's
motivations, frustrations, and disappointments. The cold
blue-and-gray palette is used to maximum effect, and the highly
stylized imagery, some of which is borrowed from Inuit art, adds a
supernatural element, escalating the menace of the polar landscape.
Some basic facts have been significantly altered to heighten the
story's impact, and less flattering details of Henson's life have
been omitted from the narration, but a chronology, photographs, and
bibliography provide more accurate historical context.--Booklist--
"Journal"
Schwartz (The Other Side of the Wall) blends history, legend, and
his own fictional interpretations as he traces Robert Peary's
attempt to reach the North Pole, focusing on the condescension,
cruelty, and prejudice endured by his African-American associate,
Matthew Henson. Two-color panels in icy grays and pale blues shift
subtly and gorgeously between time periods as Schwartz follows the
race to the pole, the role Henson played in Inuit myth, Peary's
clashes with explorer Frederick Cook, and more, including a
horrific sequence in which Peary brings several Inuit to the
American Museum of Natural History in chains, most dying soon
after. Schwartz openly admits to fictionalizing Henson's life, but
the liberties he takes remain frustrating. Is a poignant moment in
which an elderly Henson visits his wife's grave worth altering the
fact that he actually died more than 10 years before her? Is it
fair to highlight Peary's affairs with Inuit women while ignoring
Henson's? (A detailed time line sets the record straight somewhat.)
Still, as a work of fiction rooted in injustices suffered by
African-Americans and indigenous peoples alike, it's powerful and
almost unbearably sad.--Publishers Weekly-- "Journal"
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