Graphic Novel

Yang, G. L., & Kim, D. K. The eternal smile. New York, NY: First Second, 2009.

ISBN: 9781596431563

Summary:

The Eternal Sunshine contains three imaginative stories. In the first story, Duncan is a knight who is trying to defeat his enemies to achieve all that he ever wanted. His kingdom, however, may not be everything he thinks it is. In the next story, meet a greedy frog who is trying to make a profit from a religion he started. Will he go too far? In the final story, Janet is struggling in her job at a internet management company when she comes across an opportunity to help a Nigerian prince by giving him tons of her money online. When she finally meets the prince, what will she do to him?

Critical Analysis:

The characters in the three short stories are somewhat ordinary and flaccid. Because they’re somewhat understated, as a reader you will find yourself pulling for them and caring about what happens to them. When Janet, the character in the third story, overhears her boss making fun of her for seeking a promotion, readers quickly identify her as the protagonist and desire her to achieve something greater than her current lot. The simple characteristics within the characters are balanced well through the surprising turn of events you see them encounter, such as when you see Duncan go from tender romantic to a knight defeating the Frog King.

The illustrations in each story bring the setting to life. This is especially true in Urgent Request where Janet’s real world is drawn in a dull gray and her fantasy world is drawn in color. The drawings for each story are unique to the story and each take on a distinct style. There are even several illustrated scenes that carry the story only through illustrations and not through words.

Part of what makes The Eternal Smile interesting is how Kim and Yang approach the plot differently in each story. In Duncan’s Kingdom, The king is immediately killed by the Frog King and Duncan quickly begins a journey to avenge his death and win the heart of the princess. The turn of events is surprising and the story breathes fantasy from the very beginning. On the other hand, in Urgent Request, the story begins in a realistic way with a woman working as an internet service tech who can’t catch a break. Later, imaginative aspects come in as Janet journeys through Nigeria with her prince. Although the Kim and Yang come at the plots differently, the stories are similar in that each character can feel whole and complete in their fantasy world.

Awards and Reviews:

Yang has been awarded the Printz  and Eisner Award and is a National Book Award finalist.

“Shattering the borders between our real and fantasy lives, these bold, masterfully crafted fables have real staying power.” --Publishers Weekly

“Artwork in each of the stories is stylistically different and wholly appropriate to the theme of the specific tale. Smart teens will enjoy this thoroughly and will push it into friends, and hopefully even adults, hands for discussions around topics ranging from political insights to how narrative crea;tes personal identity.”-- School Library Journal

Connections:

*Create your own comic strip about an adventure with the main character as yourself.

*Create an additional comic strip to change or add to the ending of one of the stories in the book.

*Compare and contrast the characters in each of the stories.