Feiffer, Jules. Amazing Grapes and the Lost Dimension. Jules Feiffer, Illus. HarperCollins/Michael Di Capua, 09/2024. [296]pp. Graphic. Paper $21.99. 978-0-06-296382-6. GRADES 5–8. LOW ADDITIONAL.
In Feiffer’s first graphic novel, Mommy appears to be having a mental health crisis after her marriage fails. A two-headed giant swan appears and her two younger children Pearlie and Curly fly off on an unexplained mission while the oldest sibling Shirley stays with Mommy (all are white). There are time shifts, repeated journeys that do not result in any progress, and several lands visited that are indistinct, making for a tedious tale. Unlike Feiffer’s tween novel A Barrel of Laughs, A Veil of Tears (HarperCollins, 1995) and Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth (Knopf, 1961) which Feiffer illustrated, the allegory and symbolism are unclear and the story is not engaging. The paneled artwork uses dialogue balloons and Feiffer’s scribbly cartoons, done with colored markers and watercolor, but it’s inconsistent. For example, characters look different from one scene to another. Ultimately, this is strange and could appeal to some but overall it is not a success.
Penny Peck—San José State University, iSchool