Global
By: Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, Giovanni Rigano (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 144
Published: April 11, 2023
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Dates Read: July 16, 2023 - July 17, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Global is a YA graphic novel about two young children as they face the effects of climate change in what could possibly be the near future.

Sami and his grandfather live in a village along the Indian Ocean. They earn their living by fishing but they’re having to go further and further out to sea – something dangerous while in their tiny boat.

Yuki lives in the far north of Canada where rising temperatures are melting the snow and ice around her. Polar bears have less food they’re able to hunt and therefore are wandering into town to look for something to eat. There may even be a new species of bear – the grolar, a crossbreed between brown bears and polars bears. Yuki, alongside her dog, Lockjaw are determined to save them.

The novel alternates between the two children as we follow their struggle with climate change.

I’m a sucker for animal companions, so I was immediately drawn to Locky and Yuki’s story (Lockjaw).

I loved the art in this. It was bright and colorful – even in the middle of rain storms.

The adventures the kids have are a bit unrealistic, but it is a Middle Grade story that has important information in it; both within the story and information at the back of the novel. The younger generation are unfortunately the ones who have to really live with and deal with the impacts of global warming the most and this book really hits on the fact that younger kids can still be impactful.

Overall, I’d recommend this to middle grade, YA, and adult readers alike. This is an action packed, beautifully drawn graphic novel about the effects of climate change that I feel all could benefit from.