Wyss, J. (2009). The Swiss Family Robinson retold by Martin Powell. Minn: Stone Arch Books. ISBN9781434207562
Author: Johann D. Wyss (retold by Martin Powell)
Author Website: Gerardo Sandoval
Illustrator: Gerardo Sandoval
Illustrator Website: No Illustrator Website
Media Used: Color cartoon
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Year of Publication: 2009
ISBN: 9781334207562
Annotation: A Swiss family survives a shipwreck on an island and makes a life and home for themselves. They are able to find food and material to sustain themselves through ingenuity and luck until they are rescued.
Personal Reaction: I found this edition to be overly simplified and more like a DC comic book. I did not remember there was a dragon to be slain in the original version. I would not recommend this title being used in a classroom.
Illustration: The illustrations border on manga drawings with sharp features on the characters like the father’s pronounced jaw line. The one positive aspect was that the two women were not depicted with the usual overly amplified bodice and ripped clothing. The depiction of the modern day tree house (aka. mansion) borders on the absurb.
Use of Media: Using cartoon framing and manga like illustrations will make this story palatable for young readers but the retold story makes this title unsuitable for classroom use.
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