The Night Marchers and Other Oceanian Tales

March 1, 2021
Seventeen traditional Oceanian tales are reimagined in this graphic anthology. Iole Marie Rabor opens the volume with a Filipino story centered around the consequences of ignoring the tradition of "Tabi po," or politely excusing yourself in order to show respect to the spirits and supernatural beings. DJ Keawekane and Kel McDonald tell the Hawaiian legend of the intense Papa Holua sledding race and resulting rivalry between Pele, goddess of fire, and Poliahu, goddess of snow. Even after hearing the warnings about not looking at the spirits of the honored dead, a child goes out in search of her father's ghost, who is said to be among their number in Jonah Cabudol-Chalker and Kate Ashwin's "The Night Marchers." Paolo Chikiamco and Tintin Pantoja add a science-fiction twist to the Filipino folktale about the pineapple fruit's origin in "Thousand Eyes." The remaining stories are from Hawaii and the Philippines, with one from Fiji, but there is no representation of other Pacific Islander groups. Nevertheless, this is a captivating and important collection. All the artwork is black and white, and with a wide variety of artistic styles, each story has its own feel, providing a varied and enriching reading experience. The contributors are primarily Filipino and Pacific Islander creators. An enthralling, spooky, diverse collection of Oceanian legends in comic form. (about the artists) (Graphic folklore. 9-13)

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February 1, 2021

Gr 6 Up-Ranging in tone from sweet to chilling, 17 Oceanian tales, retold by primarily #OwnVoices comic creators, fill this robust addition to the "Cautionary Fables and Fairytales" series. One of the strongest entries, Yiling Changues's "The Legend of the Coconut Tree," tells the Maui coconut tree creation myth from the perspective of the slaughtered eel, casting the slippery creature as a sad, sympathetic, scorned king who lost his greatest love. Cy Vendivil's "The Turtle and the Lizard" follows two scrappy characters trying to escape the clutches of hungry humans; a quick segment lays out the basics of Baybayin, an old Tagalog script. Iole Marie Rabor's "Tabi Po" and Diigii Daguna's "The Tyrant Has Horns" make excellent use of shadow and contrast to set a menacing tone. Though all the tales are rendered in black and white, they vary in artistic style, reflecting the diversity of the region. Nicole Mannino's "The Story of Benito" has a traditional comic book look; the inspired shading in Sloane Leong's "The Hula Mano" is eerie. VERDICT Readers will want to revisit this collection. Many will be inspired to seek out other installments in the series and research the cultures from which these rich tales originate.-Abby Bussen, Muskego P.L., WI

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