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Mr. Big: A Tale of Pond Life
In a watery world where only the strong survive, the reptiles and fish living in a small pond launch a plan to eradicate Mr. Big, a snapping turtle that is terrorizing them. Despite a few protests from some pond dwellers, who warn of the potential consequences this could have, the animals solicit the support of a murder of crows to carry out their plot. But the scheming crows have their own motives to kill the large reptile and decide to use this opportunity to do so. However, as the plan is put into action, a different, greater terror has found itself a member of the pond. Will Mr. Big be ousted forever? Or will the pond dwellers come to realize that even the old snapping turtle might serve his purpose in their small environment? And what will become of the new threat to those living in the peaceful pond?This stunning graphic novel written for young readers illustrates the delicate balance that exists in small, self-contained, natural ecosystems and the relationship between predator and prey. Mr. Big is perfect for the classroom and will appeal to children interested in nature and comics.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 29 reviews
November 25, 2021
3 stars as an adult.. Prob 4 or more for young readers or those unfamiliar with nature.
Fast read graphic novel format, published in 2012. Story is a short arc, very simple. Cast of characters include generic fish, frogs, crayfish, insects, an owl, and crows, as well as Mr Big, and another character.
We also started reading Minn of the Mississippi recently, a large format storybook of the sort with a lot of informative marginalia. Published in 1951,and a Newberry Honor book. We prefer books like Minn, and hope to get our own copy. Mr Big is probably suitable for more audiences and collections.
Fast read graphic novel format, published in 2012. Story is a short arc, very simple. Cast of characters include generic fish, frogs, crayfish, insects, an owl, and crows, as well as Mr Big, and another character.
We also started reading Minn of the Mississippi recently, a large format storybook of the sort with a lot of informative marginalia. Published in 1951,and a Newberry Honor book. We prefer books like Minn, and hope to get our own copy. Mr Big is probably suitable for more audiences and collections.
October 23, 2012
I have a copy of the original black and white version of "Mr. Big", which is great. I was very happy when I found out it was going to be republished in a more widespread way. This work certainly deserves a wider audience. It's a great book with amazing art, entertaining drama, and an informative ecological message. I was a bit concerned about it being published in full color though. Matt Dembicki's inking is so powerful and perfect I didn't think color was necessary. Black and white drawings that are so well balanced could potentially be undermined by color, loosing some of their power. At best I was hoping the color would just stay out of the way... I am happy to say I was mistaken in my concern. Jason Axtell's wonderfully nuanced colors add lushness to the pond environment that I had no idea I was missing! Surprisingly even the night time "chapter" (which in its original format seemed to be a wonderful experiment using negative space) benefits from Axtell’s painterly skill. I was also glad to see that Jay Hosler wrote the forward to this edition because people who enjoy his work will certainly enjoy “Mr. Big”.
December 17, 2012
What drew me to the book first was the art, then the topic.
It truely is a graphic novel for kids and as such I can't say the story was amazing for adults. Still, I think children will enjoy it. The artwork is fabulous however and can be appreciated by all.
For me, the big problem is the educational value of the book. This is meant to be educational, teaching children about ecological niches and invasive species. I think that comes across ok. The book involves the introduction of an invasive fish - a snakehead - to a small pond. This is a real-world issue so the educational value of the topic is potentially even better than just making up a problem to illustrate the problems inherent in ivasive species. Unfortunately, the book never identifies the fish or include any notes/glossary etc. in the back to help it's young readers understand what they read. As a result, curious children may find themselves at a bit of a deadend. If their parents know what kind of fish it is, then fine. If not? It questionable whether young readers will find the answer (and the interesting realworld story) out.
It truely is a graphic novel for kids and as such I can't say the story was amazing for adults. Still, I think children will enjoy it. The artwork is fabulous however and can be appreciated by all.
For me, the big problem is the educational value of the book. This is meant to be educational, teaching children about ecological niches and invasive species. I think that comes across ok. The book involves the introduction of an invasive fish - a snakehead - to a small pond. This is a real-world issue so the educational value of the topic is potentially even better than just making up a problem to illustrate the problems inherent in ivasive species. Unfortunately, the book never identifies the fish or include any notes/glossary etc. in the back to help it's young readers understand what they read. As a result, curious children may find themselves at a bit of a deadend. If their parents know what kind of fish it is, then fine. If not? It questionable whether young readers will find the answer (and the interesting realworld story) out.
February 15, 2013
A half-hearted three stars because the appearance and promise are so appealing that I can't quite make myself penalize it down to two for the mediocre storytelling and heavy-handed moralizing. It's positive, just not quite good.
The pond residents have all decided that they're fed up with snapping turtle Mr. Big constantly killing them and terrorizing the pond, so they band together to ask the crows for help eliminating him. But then an invasive outsider shows up and creates an even bigger problem than Mr. Big, so that the residents are hoping he'll protect them by eliminating the new guy. The crows? They hope both die so they can become the new top-of-the-food-chain.
The pond residents have all decided that they're fed up with snapping turtle Mr. Big constantly killing them and terrorizing the pond, so they band together to ask the crows for help eliminating him. But then an invasive outsider shows up and creates an even bigger problem than Mr. Big, so that the residents are hoping he'll protect them by eliminating the new guy. The crows? They hope both die so they can become the new top-of-the-food-chain.
November 24, 2016
This children's graphic novel tells the story of a pond's ecosystem and attempts to explain why a predatory snapping turtle is necessary to balance that environment. Be aware that this book contains a plot to murder the snapping turtle, several mentions of "carrion", a number of frames depicting animals eating other animals (I counted 9) with animal body parts sticking out of another animal's mouth, and a bloody battle between the snapping turtle and a vicious fish. While all that is true of the predator/prey relationships found in nature, it will certainly upset some children, especially rendered in a graphic format.
Dialogue is stiff and sometimes preachy. Interesting layouts but the pacing is very slow. The story really starts on page 32 and some of the frames after that don't move the story forward. Art is lovely but does not contain enough action to hold the interest of children in the targeted age group. Also, "the madness" is never explained within the text, though the afterword mentions West Nile Virus, so I assume it is a symptom of that; children, who are unlikely to even read the afterword, will not be able to make that connection.
Dialogue is stiff and sometimes preachy. Interesting layouts but the pacing is very slow. The story really starts on page 32 and some of the frames after that don't move the story forward. Art is lovely but does not contain enough action to hold the interest of children in the targeted age group. Also, "the madness" is never explained within the text, though the afterword mentions West Nile Virus, so I assume it is a symptom of that; children, who are unlikely to even read the afterword, will not be able to make that connection.
August 3, 2022
A fun tale where animals are anthropomorphized and given personalities. Educational and fun to read. Wasn't there a show on cable TV about some dude who hunted these snapping turtles with his hands... Call of the Wildman or some such... alas he's no longer salient in the current zeitgeist. But I kept thinking about him and his devilish smile as he encountered the protagonist of this tale.
Also, I'm pretty sure the volume I read was a hardcover.
Also, I'm pretty sure the volume I read was a hardcover.
July 19, 2019
Mr. Big is a snapping turtle that the other pond dwellers want killed in this graphic novel. They enlist the help of the crows, who have their own agenda. The ending doesn't provide much resolution, but it does present a realistic picture of pond life. I just wish I knew what kind of fish that was.
June 7, 2021
Perfect for fans of Clan Apis! The predators are really fearsome.
January 13, 2022
A somewhat dark little book on power vacuums and invasive species and balanced ecosystems. It was kind of odd. The artwork was decent.
February 21, 2017
A delightful story of life in and about a pond and the need for maintaining equilibrium. An analogy for any time and place in history.
March 27, 2013
I knew something was fishy about this book when I opened it up and saw the foreword. But I shrugged it off and continued. Then I turned the page and saw, introduction. Okay this was weird. I haven't ran into a foreword AND an introduction since I was in college. I closed the book, turned to the spine to double check that it was intended for children. Maybe I was mistaken and grabbed this out of the adult section at the library. Nope. Juvenile.
I finished reading the forward and the introduction. The last sentence was, We hope you enjoy it. Hmm... weird way to begin a book. Well... I did enjoy the illustrations quite a bit. I feasted on the colors and line details. Especially devoured the night scenes. The use of different fonts for each character's dialogue was a unique and wonderfully unexpected touch. But, the language was not of the same quality as the illustrations. The only way I can describe it is dumbed down.
The pond animals have asked us to do them a favor: Get ride of Mr. Big! Yes, it will be a daunting and dangerous task, but think of the rewards: Without him, we would rule the pond! I suggest we first observe him for a few days to learn his routines. Then we can determine when and how to attack him.
Come on! These are crows! Crows! Joyce Sidman wrote a poem in their honor because they're organisms who have beaten the odds of survival!
It wasn't just the crow dialogue either. It was the frogs, the crayfish, the fish, newts, etc. They had no dimension other than delivering a message to the reader: (Finger pointing and waggling in your face) Everything has a niche in nature and just one thing can make it go haywire! I think the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild said it much more eloquently.
I finished reading the forward and the introduction. The last sentence was, We hope you enjoy it. Hmm... weird way to begin a book. Well... I did enjoy the illustrations quite a bit. I feasted on the colors and line details. Especially devoured the night scenes. The use of different fonts for each character's dialogue was a unique and wonderfully unexpected touch. But, the language was not of the same quality as the illustrations. The only way I can describe it is dumbed down.
The pond animals have asked us to do them a favor: Get ride of Mr. Big! Yes, it will be a daunting and dangerous task, but think of the rewards: Without him, we would rule the pond! I suggest we first observe him for a few days to learn his routines. Then we can determine when and how to attack him.
Come on! These are crows! Crows! Joyce Sidman wrote a poem in their honor because they're organisms who have beaten the odds of survival!
It wasn't just the crow dialogue either. It was the frogs, the crayfish, the fish, newts, etc. They had no dimension other than delivering a message to the reader: (Finger pointing and waggling in your face) Everything has a niche in nature and just one thing can make it go haywire! I think the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild said it much more eloquently.
June 19, 2014
Mr Big is a pretty good graphic novel about ecosystems and biodiversity. The artwork is lush, evocative, gorgeous. The first two 'chapters' are fairly simple in format, with each page as a single spread. This section sets up the basic conflict by showing the snapping turtle in his predatory role. It gets more complex in layout and plot after this. I found myself studying and admiring so many elements of the drawings for technique and style. For example, I like how different lettering styles were used for different animals, in a way that helped convey their 'temperament' or role in the story.
The story is a bit heavy-handed and moralistic at times, but over all it's not too overdone in my opinion. I do wish they'd had bit more follow-up on the science. The edition I read included a two-page afterword by an animal keeper at the National Zoo, but it didn't include enough details to close all the gaps. In the hands of a good teacher, this could serve as an intriguing introduction to a science unit on ecosystems and/or invasive species.
The story is a bit heavy-handed and moralistic at times, but over all it's not too overdone in my opinion. I do wish they'd had bit more follow-up on the science. The edition I read included a two-page afterword by an animal keeper at the National Zoo, but it didn't include enough details to close all the gaps. In the hands of a good teacher, this could serve as an intriguing introduction to a science unit on ecosystems and/or invasive species.
January 31, 2013
This is a wonderful junior graphic novel. I know I would have enjoyed it as a kid and I enjoy it now. Through the talking animal characters, we follow the story of a snapping turtle, "Mr. Big," who has been terrorizing the creatures of the pond since seemingly the beginning of time. Some rather short-sighted and foolish creatures want to get rid of Mr. Big, but they eventually see the far greater menace that could invade their pond should Mr. Big be disposed of.
This book introduces the idea of an ecosystem and a delicately balanced food web, of which all animals and plants play a part. It also depicts how easily the ecosystem can be damaged and thrown out of whack if even one species is removed.
While reading this book, I couldn't help but think about all of the foolish people who think it's fun to kill snapping turtles, or torment them in events like Indiana's "Snapperfest."
This book introduces the idea of an ecosystem and a delicately balanced food web, of which all animals and plants play a part. It also depicts how easily the ecosystem can be damaged and thrown out of whack if even one species is removed.
While reading this book, I couldn't help but think about all of the foolish people who think it's fun to kill snapping turtles, or torment them in events like Indiana's "Snapperfest."
September 10, 2016
Not for a six year old. I liked the art and the message, but will wait to introduce to my kids when they are a bit older (8+).
March 15, 2018
Nature told as a suspense horror movie in a graphic novel. So good. LOVE the artwork. Clean and crisp and great use of light and shadow, day and darkness. Great use of different fonts for different characters. Politics and intrigue and betrayal in the animal kingdom...and it's all based on SCIENCE! Yay! Let's hear it for Science! And especially for making it exciting in this telling. Fish is sad because Snapping turtle ate her kids. So she plots to have the crows kill him. The crows have other selfish intents. And just what else is lurking on the other side of the pond that could throw nature and the entire population of the pond out of balance? TUne in next page....OMG this is truly frightening...
October 14, 2012
A delicate balance, a circle of life, a snapping turtle and... umm.. I think it was an Asian carp? Crazy crows, and dimwitted frogs. Ok, this is going to sound silly, but I really felt like I was there, underwater, with the animals. So basically, the illustrations were great. And the don't disrupt the ecosystem message was a little loud, but it was situated in the context of a fable/legend sort of tale, so it worked for me. Yeah. Bam. I want to read the shark one now.
December 16, 2014
Fantasy only because the animals talk to one another. Otherwise, realistically depicted animals and pond life cycles. A lesson in tolerating/understanding the devil you know v. the devil you don't and to always be cautious making shady deals. Well illustrated and not too much prose. Might be too young for older teens, but tweens and younger tweens might like it. Reminded me of the old Watership Down animation for some reason.
August 15, 2007
Matt and Carol Dembicki's tale of a pond whose residents have decided to get rid of the snapping turtle, Mr. Big. In order to accomplish this, they align themselves with a murder of crows who have their own motivations for overthrowing Mr. Big. A great story about the balance of nature, beautifully rendered, and appropriate for all ages. Highly recommended.
February 6, 2013
A monster lurks in the shadows. A new and unknown horror has slithered into the world. More doom circles above. Even if the nightmares battle each other, who will get caught in the middle? And will the one left standing be all the more frightful, free from all challengers? ... Life sure is tough when you're a frog!
February 5, 2013
I found this graphic novel to be boring. Neither the pictures nor the story grabbed me..in fact, the story was a little boring. However, I give it two stars because I do very much like that it highlights the importance of ecosystems, the balance needed, and what invasive foreign species can do to a natural habitat. It's a quick read, if you're curious.
January 7, 2014
This reads a bit like a pond soap opera...in a good way! We learn all the drama and heartbreak of life in the big pond when you are not on the top of the food chain. But the book does an excellent job of explaining that every rung in that ladder has an important role in the ecosystem and it is best to leave well enough alone. The art is gorgeous and dramatic and perfect for the story.
December 4, 2012
This was okay. I didn't like how it was one of the hit-you-over-the-head morals of life. But for those that like turtles and the life cycle of a pond and survival of the fittest, this would be a good choice.
December 28, 2012
A close-up view of pond life. Fish decide to overthrow Mr. Big, the snapping turtle, after he has eaten the fishes babies, but the crayfish warns that Mr. Big serves a very important purpose in the pond community.
July 24, 2014
Beautifully colored graphic novel. Very spare and harsh story about "the natural way of things" in a pond. The sinister Mr. Big is a teddy bear compared to the snakehead fish that attacks. The crows are eerily evil, as they should be. Whole story was rather didactic, and the characters are flat.
November 1, 2013
Powerful, but the dialogue is so ham-fisted that it leaves a vile taste.
May 11, 2016
Interesting graphic novel that addresses the balance of nature.
January 1, 2020
I really liked the art! It was hard not to read the story as a centrist parable, though.
May 15, 2013
(School) 741.5 DEM
Displaying 1 - 28 of 29 reviews