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Akissi #1-3
Akissi: Tales of Mischief
This collection of the hilarious Akissi comics by critically acclaimed author Marguerite Abouet will delight young readers with its cheeky protagonist and the mischief she gets up to in her West African village.
Poor Akissi! The neighbourhood cats are trying to steal her fish, her little monkey Boubou almost ends up in a frying pan and she’s nothing but a pest to her older brother Fofana… But Akissi is a true adventurer full of silliness and mischief, and nothing will scare her for long!
Poor Akissi! The neighbourhood cats are trying to steal her fish, her little monkey Boubou almost ends up in a frying pan and she’s nothing but a pest to her older brother Fofana… But Akissi is a true adventurer full of silliness and mischief, and nothing will scare her for long!
188 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2014
5 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Marguerite Abouet
46 books296 followersMarguerite Abouet was born in 1971 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in Western Africa. She grew up during a time of great prosperity in the Ivory Coast. At the age of twelve, she and her old brother went to stay with a great-uncle in Paris, where they further pursued their education. Years later, after becoming a novelist for young adults, Abouet was drawn to telling the story of the world she remembered from her youth. The result was the graphic novel Aya de Yopougon, published in North America as Aya, illustrated by Clemént Oubrerie, that recalls Abouet's Ivory Coast childhood in the 1970s, and tells the humorous, engaging stories of her friends and family as they navigate a happy and prosperous time in that country's history.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
July 20, 2022
I reviewed this for the NYT last week but here's the gist:
Dang, this book feels new, daring, exciting and singular. Translated from French, it’s a collection of 21 six-page comics about a little girl in Ivory Coast, and it is utterly unputdownable. Based on Abouet’s childhood memories of growing up in the port town of Abidjan (which also formed the basis of her award-winning “Aya of Yop City” books for older readers, which have been translated into 15 languages), the rapid-fire, action-packed tales are wild and antic. The colors are electric — purples, oranges, turquoises and bright yellows. Akissi has dark brown skin, beaded hair and a round Charlie Brown head (“You, with your big empty head, you’re gonna get it!” her brother Fofana says through gritted teeth after she tattles on him. “It’s you whose head looks like a huge pot!” she yells back, fleeing from him down a bright orange street with curly action lines shooting out behind her.) Akissi kidnaps a baby, gets a pet marmoset and deliberately contracts lice in an attempt to get her mom to cut off all her hair and avoid the pain of getting twists or braids. She plays middle-of-the-night tricks (pee is involved), behaves appallingly in church, and sneaks into a movie.
The sense of place is powerful. In a bravura extended sequence, Akissi and her cousins visit her Nan’s distant village. They take a shared minibus (with “LET’S DRIVE FAST, WE’RE IN A HURRY” painted on the side), bouncing along dirt roads with a huge-eyed, bewildered sheep tied to the roof atop a giant pile of luggage. There’s an accident, and suitcases and pots and sheep go flying (the frame depicting the upside-down, freaked-out animal saying “baaa” as it flies over a cliff made me laugh out loud), but Akissi saves the day. Scary things happen: rogue coconuts, burning hair, poisonous snakes. But there’s also cuddling with bunnies. I’d give “Akissi” to kids 10 and up, though the official publisher’s recommendation skews younger. The type is perhaps forbiddingly tight, the illustrations are small and detailed, and the humor and situations may shock American kids with delicate sensibilities. (Akissi gets worms, which shoot out of more than one orifice after treatment.) This whole book is wow.
Dang, this book feels new, daring, exciting and singular. Translated from French, it’s a collection of 21 six-page comics about a little girl in Ivory Coast, and it is utterly unputdownable. Based on Abouet’s childhood memories of growing up in the port town of Abidjan (which also formed the basis of her award-winning “Aya of Yop City” books for older readers, which have been translated into 15 languages), the rapid-fire, action-packed tales are wild and antic. The colors are electric — purples, oranges, turquoises and bright yellows. Akissi has dark brown skin, beaded hair and a round Charlie Brown head (“You, with your big empty head, you’re gonna get it!” her brother Fofana says through gritted teeth after she tattles on him. “It’s you whose head looks like a huge pot!” she yells back, fleeing from him down a bright orange street with curly action lines shooting out behind her.) Akissi kidnaps a baby, gets a pet marmoset and deliberately contracts lice in an attempt to get her mom to cut off all her hair and avoid the pain of getting twists or braids. She plays middle-of-the-night tricks (pee is involved), behaves appallingly in church, and sneaks into a movie.
The sense of place is powerful. In a bravura extended sequence, Akissi and her cousins visit her Nan’s distant village. They take a shared minibus (with “LET’S DRIVE FAST, WE’RE IN A HURRY” painted on the side), bouncing along dirt roads with a huge-eyed, bewildered sheep tied to the roof atop a giant pile of luggage. There’s an accident, and suitcases and pots and sheep go flying (the frame depicting the upside-down, freaked-out animal saying “baaa” as it flies over a cliff made me laugh out loud), but Akissi saves the day. Scary things happen: rogue coconuts, burning hair, poisonous snakes. But there’s also cuddling with bunnies. I’d give “Akissi” to kids 10 and up, though the official publisher’s recommendation skews younger. The type is perhaps forbiddingly tight, the illustrations are small and detailed, and the humor and situations may shock American kids with delicate sensibilities. (Akissi gets worms, which shoot out of more than one orifice after treatment.) This whole book is wow.
May 14, 2018
There are so many graphic novels out there written by the white colonists about the former colonies. But, not enough written by the indigenous, local people. For those who are familiar with Marguerite Abouet, and her Aya series of graphic novels based on her life in the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire).
This series is based on her childhood, with Akissi being the mischievous younger sister of the family, who gets into difficulties, such as the time she eats something off the ground, and gets worms, and finds one in her nose. She uses that to chase her brother. She is not horrified by the worm, but delighted that she can chase her big brother.
These tow examples show the ending of some of her adventures. This first is a bus trip where a sheep escapes. The second is when she is sent to bring a fish to her aunt, but a cat gets to it first.
Silly stories, a little jarring at times for those not used to life in the Ivory Coast. But it is always a good thing to read stories of other lives. The western White world is not the whole world.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
This series is based on her childhood, with Akissi being the mischievous younger sister of the family, who gets into difficulties, such as the time she eats something off the ground, and gets worms, and finds one in her nose. She uses that to chase her brother. She is not horrified by the worm, but delighted that she can chase her big brother.
These tow examples show the ending of some of her adventures. This first is a bus trip where a sheep escapes. The second is when she is sent to bring a fish to her aunt, but a cat gets to it first.
Silly stories, a little jarring at times for those not used to life in the Ivory Coast. But it is always a good thing to read stories of other lives. The western White world is not the whole world.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
June 25, 2021
Have you read a graphic novel from Africa? I hadn’t. Until I chanced upon Marguerite Abouet’s delightful little novel, “Akissi: Tales of Mischief” in our mobile library. Geared towards young readers between 7 and 11, the book is a collection of short chapters covering the funny escapades of Akissi, her brother, and friends. Each chapter is about an incident as silly and plain gleeful as getting her elder brother into trouble. I guess we can all identify with that, no matter the age!
Akissi lives with her brother Fofana and her parents in a village on the Ivory Coast. She is a born troublemaker and is a constant source of exasperation for her parents. Her elder brother Fofana and his friends keep her away from their games because she is a girl, and she challenges that. There are other social issues that are fleetingly but nicely addressed through the eyes of a child.
Abouet draws a lot of inspiration from her own childhood and that’s what makes the stories so much fun and genuine. There’s a certain freedom of spirit in them which is rare to see in today’s digital-ridden lives. Abouet’s words and Mathieu Sapin’s artwork conjure up beautiful settings from the Ivory Coast and I loved this the most.
I’ve heard of Abouet’s “Aya” graphic novel series but haven’t read them. If Akissi is anything to go by I will be picking that up soon!
Akissi lives with her brother Fofana and her parents in a village on the Ivory Coast. She is a born troublemaker and is a constant source of exasperation for her parents. Her elder brother Fofana and his friends keep her away from their games because she is a girl, and she challenges that. There are other social issues that are fleetingly but nicely addressed through the eyes of a child.
Abouet draws a lot of inspiration from her own childhood and that’s what makes the stories so much fun and genuine. There’s a certain freedom of spirit in them which is rare to see in today’s digital-ridden lives. Abouet’s words and Mathieu Sapin’s artwork conjure up beautiful settings from the Ivory Coast and I loved this the most.
I’ve heard of Abouet’s “Aya” graphic novel series but haven’t read them. If Akissi is anything to go by I will be picking that up soon!
August 3, 2018
Marguerite Abouet grew up in the port town of Abidjan in Ivory Coast. This graphic is a collection of 21 6-page comics about Akissi, the youngest sister, who always seems to get in trouble. She is especially troubling to her brother, Fofana, and his friends. It's refreshing to have stories written by the residents of former colonies. Two or three of the stories are hilarious, but the rest were only okay. I think I will try her Aya of Yop City series, which focus on Abouet's childhood there and are more adult.
September 7, 2020
Listen Akissi taught me and AFFIRMED why there will be no children for me. Boubou?? Really? This baby was eating garbage, got worms, being an extreme pain in the but. She never listens and blackmailed her brother and lied all the time. The title of this book summed it up nicely. I am recommending this book to my little ones. I am more than sure they will enjoy it. I found myself frustrated the whole time and this book was a sold piece of birth control for me.
July 16, 2018
While this collection stories is about a young girl growing up in the Ivory Coast, this will resonate with kids who grew up in Central and South America or any place where having worms is common place and bus rides often mean being squished between a chicken and a large bag of produce. I absolutely love Akissi, she has a verve for life that I found infectious and reading each vignette brightened my day, which is a win in my book.
Some of the stories might be a bit too real for younger kids, but I would recommend this to any kid in Grade 3 and up.
Some of the stories might be a bit too real for younger kids, but I would recommend this to any kid in Grade 3 and up.
April 26, 2018
I have loved Marguerite Abouet ever since I read a couple volumes of Aya of Yop City, which I keep meaning to buy and read again. This is a delightful series of vignettes about Akissi, growing up on the Ivory Coast where she keeps a pet monkey, Boubou, goes to school, and gets into all kinds of trouble. It's beautifully illustrated and often very funny. I'm excited to give it to a couple of my friends' kids!
June 24, 2018
An extremely mischievous young African girl living in Côte d'Ivoire is at the center of this compilation of rough and rowdy six-page comic shorts. Reminiscent of classic Little Lulu strips by John Stanley, these are realistic and sort of annoying kids who find humor in each other's suffering and shortcomings. A lot of the gags involve lice, broken bones and bodily functions. It may not be to everyone's taste, but I found myself chuckling quite regularly.
Some of these strips previously appeared in Akissi: Cat Invasion. This gag series is a spin off from Abouet's stellar Aya of Yop City series, which takes a more dramatic soap opera approach at presenting family life in the Ivory Coast. Akissi is Aya's little sister.
Some of these strips previously appeared in Akissi: Cat Invasion. This gag series is a spin off from Abouet's stellar Aya of Yop City series, which takes a more dramatic soap opera approach at presenting family life in the Ivory Coast. Akissi is Aya's little sister.
August 21, 2018
The funny, feisty Akissi is absolutely irresistible.
July 29, 2022
I'm slowly working my way through the Read Around the World challenge, trying to expand my reading, and while trawling through my local library for possibilities, I came across this graphic novel from the Ivory Coast. It's for kids, but I don't care: kids books are great. Anyway, I enjoyed it. It's based on Abouet's childhood experiences, so I understand, and the main character's a little girl called Akissi, who spends her time getting into trouble. She fights with her brother, she feeds the neighbour's baby garbage stew (he looked hungry! so she made stew from things she found on the ground, as most kids do - my sister and I used to make Ewey Stew from mud and flowers and silverbeet and so forth, and it was, indeed, ew), she gets a pet and loses it because she won't keep it on a leash... that sort of thing. Akissi is appealing and funny and kind of gross, as most small children are - she actively tries to get head lice, and gives herself worms by eating food dropped on the ground - but that just makes her the more recognisable.
December 3, 2019
Akissi: Tales of Mischief is a wonderful collection of comics about a young African girl named Akissi who always seems to be having wild adventures and getting into trouble. Based on Abouet’s own experiences growing up on the Ivory Coast in West Africa, the stories in this book are funny and entertaining and the art is playful and filled with bright, bold colors. Young readers will get to learn about African culture and see both differences and similarities between Akissi’s life and their own. They'll love Akissi and will want to read the second volume, Akissi: More Tales of Mischief.
-John D.
Click here to find the book at the Prince William County Public Library System.
-John D.
Click here to find the book at the Prince William County Public Library System.
November 22, 2019
Akissi is a creative powerhouse of a child and I love her energy! I enjoy the characters, their interactions with each other, and each of the individual stories (Tapeworms! Creative solutions for lice! The experience of pooping outside and being stormed by wild boars!). I also really appreciate the way this book offers a glimpse into life in Côte d'Ivoire while also highlighting universal childhood experiences-- kids everywhere, particularly younger siblings, will be able to identify with Akissi.
My only wish is that the individual stories had been fewer and longer, instead of so many small vignettes.
My only wish is that the individual stories had been fewer and longer, instead of so many small vignettes.
November 9, 2024
This is a solid series of comics about a young African girl who is always getting into trouble.
My favorite part was the art style, which conveyed the carefree sometimes inexplicable days of childhood very well.
The rest was just alright. It was clearly competently made and I very much appreciated getting such authentic storytelling about growing up in certain parts of Africa (the author is from a neighborhood in Abidjon on the coast of Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa), but it just didn't turn out to be my cup of tea overall.
Which is fine because, upon completion, I don't feel like it was a waste to give Akissi a try, and I'd even still recommend it regardless of my average time.
My favorite part was the art style, which conveyed the carefree sometimes inexplicable days of childhood very well.
The rest was just alright. It was clearly competently made and I very much appreciated getting such authentic storytelling about growing up in certain parts of Africa (the author is from a neighborhood in Abidjon on the coast of Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa), but it just didn't turn out to be my cup of tea overall.
Which is fine because, upon completion, I don't feel like it was a waste to give Akissi a try, and I'd even still recommend it regardless of my average time.
June 5, 2019
Super cute full-color episodic high jinks of a kid in West Africa. I really like the sense of motion in the figure drawings. Picked it up thinking it might make a good pick for my elementary school visit tour, but it didn't ultimately make the cut.
There are a few moments of kid-level racism (i.e. "Everyone knows Asians are all..." page 66).
Appreciate the #ownvoices ness, though! Extra star for that.
There are a few moments of kid-level racism (i.e. "Everyone knows Asians are all..." page 66).
Appreciate the #ownvoices ness, though! Extra star for that.
July 18, 2018
Everyday life in a small town in Ivory Coast, West Africa.
Akissi is a spunky little girl with a monkey for a pet. She gets into lots of...well, the title says it all: MISCHIEF.
Fun window book for me, but I'm thinking there will be some students in my class for whom this is a mirror.
Akissi is a spunky little girl with a monkey for a pet. She gets into lots of...well, the title says it all: MISCHIEF.
Fun window book for me, but I'm thinking there will be some students in my class for whom this is a mirror.
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March 31, 2020
I think I picked this one up because it was mentioned in a list of graphic novels featuring other cultures. It's more a series of shorts than a true graphic novel, but still, an entertaining read.
August 27, 2022
3.5 stars.
August 9, 2022
Art⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 5, 2018
I don't read a lot of comic strip/ book collections nor do I read a lot of graphic novels but this one was really enjoyable for me. The stories are cute, refreshing, and hilarious. The art style is unique and intriguing. These various stories about Akissi and her friends and family are based on Marguerite Abouet's own childhood memories and really show a different side of Africa as opposed to what you usually see in the media. I think most people (especially those who are not either from Africa themselves or have African heritage, or choose to do proper research on the culture) think of Africa as being compromised entirely of third world countries; a place that is crime ridden and destitute where everyone is starving. This simply is not true. There are happy people in Africa living happy lives. These comics are a wonderful example of this and really give the reader a good inside glimpse of family life in a typical village on the ivory coast.
December 10, 2018
Over 150 pages of pure mischief, and about 15 pages per story, each one a different slice of young Akissi’s life. From terrorizing her brother to helping him run a theater out of their parents’ living room. Most of the stories end with a great punchline in the last panel.
Highly recommended!
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/12/07/fr...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
Highly recommended!
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/12/07/fr...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
April 19, 2018
Frankly, I found some of these comics a little cruel and a little jarring. But the drawing is great and it all seems very true. I’ve recently been feeling the whiteness of the comics I see published for kids, and it’s really great to see something that’s set in Africa based on the author’s childhood.
July 15, 2019
I love Akissi so much. I actually think readers of Dav Pilkey will love her too.
September 9, 2018
Akissi: Tales of Mischief is all part of my cunning plan to learn more about the world by reading books from different countries. It's by a native of the Ivory Coast, and hark back to her childhood in Abidjan, specifically the neighborhood of Yopougon.
Akissi: Tales of Mischief is a collection of short comic issues aimed at children. The stories are short and cute, illustrated in a sketchy, big-eyed way that makes me think of children's cartoons. The titular little girl gets into quite a lot of trouble, from accidentally stealing a baby to trying to adopt a mouse to eating all the Communion wafers (and drinking all the wine!) in church. There's a lot of elements that translate across childhoods, like sibling rivalry and trying to gross out your brother, but also a lot of elements that relate more to childhood in the Ivory Coast, like Akissi's bout of worms and being bitten by a snake. This is not for the easily grossed-out, but it is cute and funny and certainly worth a read. Just a happy kid in a happy family growing up in Africa.
It was a relief to read books about Africa that aren't disaster porn. In Akissi, life is just life. Kids are kids, teenagers are teenagers, people keep living through their days because they're people. It's great to see just normal life in a city in the Ivory Coast.
Akissi: Tales of Mischief is a collection of short comic issues aimed at children. The stories are short and cute, illustrated in a sketchy, big-eyed way that makes me think of children's cartoons. The titular little girl gets into quite a lot of trouble, from accidentally stealing a baby to trying to adopt a mouse to eating all the Communion wafers (and drinking all the wine!) in church. There's a lot of elements that translate across childhoods, like sibling rivalry and trying to gross out your brother, but also a lot of elements that relate more to childhood in the Ivory Coast, like Akissi's bout of worms and being bitten by a snake. This is not for the easily grossed-out, but it is cute and funny and certainly worth a read. Just a happy kid in a happy family growing up in Africa.
It was a relief to read books about Africa that aren't disaster porn. In Akissi, life is just life. Kids are kids, teenagers are teenagers, people keep living through their days because they're people. It's great to see just normal life in a city in the Ivory Coast.
March 4, 2018
This collection of comic shorts is utterly hilarious. The supremely likeable and naughty Akissi is a scrappy and confident little girl, getting up to no good in her town in the Ivory Coast with her big brother Fofana and her pet monkey Boubou. Younger readers will love the bright illustrations, slapstick comedy and toilet humour. Older readers will love Akissi’s cheekiness and the subtler jokes slipped in here and there.
I strongly recommend to anyone who needs a hearty laugh!
I strongly recommend to anyone who needs a hearty laugh!
August 1, 2018
Like Pippi, Ramona, Clementine, Dory, and Ruby Lu, Akissi is curious and determined. Her older brother is often annoyed with her, her parents exasperated, everyone a little incredulous at her exploits. Her everyday adventures in her town in Ivory Coast may not be fully familiar to American readers, but they'll enjoy the humor, the gross stuff (tape worm comes out her nose, wild hogs eat poo), and just the mischief she and her friends get into. Colorful art in easy to follow panels.
June 9, 2021
I really enjoy cartoons from other cultures, so this one was especially interesting to me, but it makes reviewing it a bit problematic for me. The mischief seems just a bit too mean and the antics less endearing than what I am comfortable with. Is that my own culture speaking? I don't know.
The art work is great - colorful, detailed, interesting.
The art work is great - colorful, detailed, interesting.
March 27, 2023
Akissi is a little girl who lives with her parents and her brother Fofana on the Ivory Coast in Africa. This book contains several short adventures in which we get to know fearless, adorable Akissi and the "mischief" she gets into. One time she pees into her brother's bed (to be fair, it's kind of payback). Another time, during service, she sneaks away to find the toilet, discovers cookies and red wine and devours all of it. Yet another time she accidentally burns her friend's hair.
I like the idea and I love getting to know details about Akissi's childhood on the Ivory Coast, which is so very different from the one I had in western Europe -- I never had worms coming out of my nose, mice that visit me at night, a snake bite, a pigeon for lunch or a monkey as a pet! The illustrations of the rural village in which Akissi's grandparents live were particularly nice. It made me realize that I would love to see more mischiefs happening outside than inside the houses.
I also love how fearless and curious Akissi is, the way she never lets her brother Fofana keep her from doing what she wants. She follows him and his friends, wants to join them in whatever it is they are doing. A recurring question throughout the comic book is: "Akissi, what are you doing here?" Several times she is being told (by different people) that she should just go back home, but she is undeterred. However, more often than not something goes wrong and Akissi doesn't always come out as the winner or the one who saves the day. I do like this too!
The read was certainly interesting and (despite the poop, pee, lice and mice) cute, but did not blow my mind or make me laugh. I am, obviously, not really the target audience, so that's fine. A few times I actually felt bad for what happened, but I guess that's just me -- even as a child I couldn't laugh about pranks or when anyone got hurt. Oh well! I am sure most kids enjoy this.
I like the idea and I love getting to know details about Akissi's childhood on the Ivory Coast, which is so very different from the one I had in western Europe -- I never had worms coming out of my nose, mice that visit me at night, a snake bite, a pigeon for lunch or a monkey as a pet! The illustrations of the rural village in which Akissi's grandparents live were particularly nice. It made me realize that I would love to see more mischiefs happening outside than inside the houses.
I also love how fearless and curious Akissi is, the way she never lets her brother Fofana keep her from doing what she wants. She follows him and his friends, wants to join them in whatever it is they are doing. A recurring question throughout the comic book is: "Akissi, what are you doing here?" Several times she is being told (by different people) that she should just go back home, but she is undeterred. However, more often than not something goes wrong and Akissi doesn't always come out as the winner or the one who saves the day. I do like this too!
The read was certainly interesting and (despite the poop, pee, lice and mice) cute, but did not blow my mind or make me laugh. I am, obviously, not really the target audience, so that's fine. A few times I actually felt bad for what happened, but I guess that's just me -- even as a child I couldn't laugh about pranks or when anyone got hurt. Oh well! I am sure most kids enjoy this.
April 18, 2021
This unique graphic novel is based on the author’s memories of being a very naughty child growing up in Ivory Coast. It’s humorous as well as enlightening—certainly very different from my own childhood in many ways, but also the same in others. (I also was quite naughty and often fought with my sister and also would have tried to make pets of mice.) Some of these stories might be a bit too mischievous for American parents: chasing your brother around with a worm that crawled out of your nose, getting caned by your teacher, accidentally lighting your friend’s hair on fire while doing her braids... Still, I think the excessive naughtiness can be dismissed or outweighed by the value of learning about another culture. Plus, did anyone else read “Pippi Longstocking”? That’s “classic” children’s literature and she brings A GUN to a birthday party, so Akissi almost killing her grandmother with a falling coconut suddenly doesn’t seem so bad!
I have read very few books that take place on the vast African continent, Trevor Noah’s being one of the few. On his show, he mentioned his favorite childhood toy was a brick, which is shocking to many Americans. The opening scene in this book, we see Akissi playing cars with a brick and I immediately thought, “oh, this is an authentic story!” Whether I am right about that or not, I can’t say because I know so little of such a diverse land of many cultures and countries, but I was very happy to read this book. It taught me a few things, gave me some recipes to try, and it was amusing. I recommend it! This is probably best for older children who know how not to get into too much mischief though or adults who want to reminisce about being young and being able to get away with sneaking into a movie theater.
I have read very few books that take place on the vast African continent, Trevor Noah’s being one of the few. On his show, he mentioned his favorite childhood toy was a brick, which is shocking to many Americans. The opening scene in this book, we see Akissi playing cars with a brick and I immediately thought, “oh, this is an authentic story!” Whether I am right about that or not, I can’t say because I know so little of such a diverse land of many cultures and countries, but I was very happy to read this book. It taught me a few things, gave me some recipes to try, and it was amusing. I recommend it! This is probably best for older children who know how not to get into too much mischief though or adults who want to reminisce about being young and being able to get away with sneaking into a movie theater.
June 22, 2020
Akissi lives in a small town on the Ivory Coast, and, as the title suggests, she gets up to a lot of mischief. This graphic novel is broken up into vignettes, rather than just one narrative, and the stories are funny and silly and relatable. A personal favorite is the Lice Games, which we first read during our own Great Lice Scourge of 2nd Grade. Akissi hates having her hair done, and when she meets a friend who explains that her mother keeps her hair short because it protects against lice, Akissi gets an idea. I think you know where this is going.
Edie's favorite is called Public Toilets and involves a nighttime trip to the bathroom and some wild boars and even though she's been reading this book for well over a year, I still sometimes hear her giggling at night as she reads.
This is a funny, snappy read with bright illustrations, but one of the things I like best about this book is its tone. Akissi is a little girl with nothing to overcome, because her life is wonderful. She is surrounded by friends and family and love. In conversation with a teacher at Edie's school last year, we were discussing Black narratives in children's literature and she said she was glad to see stories of great courage and great bravery, but she wanted to see stories where Black lives were just happy, too, and this is one of them.
There are also bonus pages with recipes and instructions for hair braiding.
Edie's favorite is called Public Toilets and involves a nighttime trip to the bathroom and some wild boars and even though she's been reading this book for well over a year, I still sometimes hear her giggling at night as she reads.
This is a funny, snappy read with bright illustrations, but one of the things I like best about this book is its tone. Akissi is a little girl with nothing to overcome, because her life is wonderful. She is surrounded by friends and family and love. In conversation with a teacher at Edie's school last year, we were discussing Black narratives in children's literature and she said she was glad to see stories of great courage and great bravery, but she wanted to see stories where Black lives were just happy, too, and this is one of them.
There are also bonus pages with recipes and instructions for hair braiding.
August 31, 2020
Reading 2020
Book(s) 126: Akissi: Tales of Mischief by Abouet & Sapin and Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley
A couple of more graphic novel reviews, not as fond of these as some of the others I read in August 2020.
Akissi is a compilation of comics. The format of the book turned me off right away. I want a novel, one story, not a series of different stories stuck in a book format. The book is reviewed for ages 8 and older, and is a series. Kids may appreciate the adventures that Akissi gets herself into and how short the stories are. She does find herself in lots of trouble, definitely a bit mischievous and an adventure seeker. My rating 3 ⭐️.
Stepping Stones is the fourth book by this author I have read, and her books are hit or miss for me. The story is of Jen who is forced to move with her mom, her parents newly divorced, to the country and start farm life. Not only does Jen have to leave the city life she loves and her dad, but also gain a step dad and two step sisters. There are a lot of adjustments to be made. There was a bunch of whining in the book and I did not really enjoy that part of it, though the story was one of a typical middle school kid trying to find their way in a tough situation. Reviewed for grades 3 and higher, my rating for this book is a 3.5-4 ⭐️.
Book(s) 126: Akissi: Tales of Mischief by Abouet & Sapin and Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley
A couple of more graphic novel reviews, not as fond of these as some of the others I read in August 2020.
Akissi is a compilation of comics. The format of the book turned me off right away. I want a novel, one story, not a series of different stories stuck in a book format. The book is reviewed for ages 8 and older, and is a series. Kids may appreciate the adventures that Akissi gets herself into and how short the stories are. She does find herself in lots of trouble, definitely a bit mischievous and an adventure seeker. My rating 3 ⭐️.
Stepping Stones is the fourth book by this author I have read, and her books are hit or miss for me. The story is of Jen who is forced to move with her mom, her parents newly divorced, to the country and start farm life. Not only does Jen have to leave the city life she loves and her dad, but also gain a step dad and two step sisters. There are a lot of adjustments to be made. There was a bunch of whining in the book and I did not really enjoy that part of it, though the story was one of a typical middle school kid trying to find their way in a tough situation. Reviewed for grades 3 and higher, my rating for this book is a 3.5-4 ⭐️.
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