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Guerilla Green
Alors même que nos villes regorgent d’espaces non exploités, aucun fruit ou légume n’y pousse. Armée de râteaux, graines et arrosoirs, c’est là qu’intervient la Guerilla Green !
Les activistes non-violents issus de ce mouvement prônent un jardinage politique : il n’est pas seulement question de fleurir les balcons, mais bien de se réapproprier l’espace urbain, de recréer du lien social et de renouer avec l’autonomie.
Ophélie, trentenaire et citadine confirmée, compte bien reverdir sa ville plutôt que de la quitter et donne les clés pour mettre en pratique la devise des guerilleros : PLANTEZ… PARTOUT !
Les activistes non-violents issus de ce mouvement prônent un jardinage politique : il n’est pas seulement question de fleurir les balcons, mais bien de se réapproprier l’espace urbain, de recréer du lien social et de renouer avec l’autonomie.
Ophélie, trentenaire et citadine confirmée, compte bien reverdir sa ville plutôt que de la quitter et donne les clés pour mettre en pratique la devise des guerilleros : PLANTEZ… PARTOUT !
156 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2019
9 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 10, 2021
Great art: ✔️
Good presentation: ✔️
For a cause: ✔️
Actual facts: ✔️
Save the planet: ✔️
Turn everyone into a reader possibly: ✔️
Make your life more meaningful: ✔️
What more do you need to read this book?
Good presentation: ✔️
For a cause: ✔️
Actual facts: ✔️
Save the planet: ✔️
Turn everyone into a reader possibly: ✔️
Make your life more meaningful: ✔️
What more do you need to read this book?
March 14, 2022
honestly, the "blaming individual people" part of environmental activism is gross to me. And this comic opens with that, then puts it upon us to stop being "the victims". It does not pay enough homage to the fact that everyday people on our author's train commute are regular humans surviving this capitalist hellscape.
It felt like a book that spoke at me instead of welcoming us into communication with each other. Additionally, it felt that her call for us to take back the land from urbanization didn't connect honestly with the fact that this should not be the main form of activism in all spaces. For example, in an American context, I would acknowledge that even amidst capitalism, individuals living on this land that are not indigenous are settlers. Thus, before you begin guerilla gardening in your town, consider if you could instead coordinate with local indigenous organizations to support repatriation/rematriation of land. All landuse work should be centered in anticolonial and decolonial praxis. Additionally, there is a privilege in being able to break the law on a regular basis with the end goal being growing flowers on private underused property. Not everyone would be safe to guerilla garden.
Thus, while the book was incredibly informational and beautifully illustrated, I disagree with a few of the core ideas the novelist was pushing.
It felt like a book that spoke at me instead of welcoming us into communication with each other. Additionally, it felt that her call for us to take back the land from urbanization didn't connect honestly with the fact that this should not be the main form of activism in all spaces. For example, in an American context, I would acknowledge that even amidst capitalism, individuals living on this land that are not indigenous are settlers. Thus, before you begin guerilla gardening in your town, consider if you could instead coordinate with local indigenous organizations to support repatriation/rematriation of land. All landuse work should be centered in anticolonial and decolonial praxis. Additionally, there is a privilege in being able to break the law on a regular basis with the end goal being growing flowers on private underused property. Not everyone would be safe to guerilla garden.
Thus, while the book was incredibly informational and beautifully illustrated, I disagree with a few of the core ideas the novelist was pushing.
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June 22, 202116 year old me would have loved this book but damn you know talk more about capitalism and drilling and exploitation I really think that needs to center every convo about climate change or it’s speaking from a place of serious privilege 🤠
June 17, 2021
a good introduction to the topic, but the authors are based in france, so a lot of the legal information is only relevant in france, and a lot of references were made to french books that i didn't know and can't read. it's no fault of the authors; i'm just waiting for someone to make a comic like this for u.s. audiences.
i was slightly annoyed by the whole "ppl nowadays are zombies on their cell phones!!" schtick but it didn't get too bad so i was able to overlook it. honestly, like--don't put down other ppl to get your point across, focus on the real target: the government, corporations, and capitalism.
i was slightly annoyed by the whole "ppl nowadays are zombies on their cell phones!!" schtick but it didn't get too bad so i was able to overlook it. honestly, like--don't put down other ppl to get your point across, focus on the real target: the government, corporations, and capitalism.
January 5, 2020
Un premier coup de cœur dès le 5 janvier !! Cet album donne envie de s'associer à eux, de trouver des graines et de planter, planter et encore planter !!
On apprend beaucoup (fonctionnement, histoire, etc...) c'est très pédagogique.
En plus d'un contenu ultra riche, le dessin est vraiment attrayant.
Il est sûr que j'offrirai cette bd à beaucoup !
On apprend beaucoup (fonctionnement, histoire, etc...) c'est très pédagogique.
En plus d'un contenu ultra riche, le dessin est vraiment attrayant.
Il est sûr que j'offrirai cette bd à beaucoup !
July 4, 2021
Never heard of a "green guerilla" movement before: I can thank this comic for teaching me about that, as well as about a number of other ways I could help make a tiny difference. Given where we're headed, more people should read works such as these.
I've been thinking of this sort of thing for a while now, actually. Peaceful progress - slow but steady, getting people on board and changing things to the better over the many generations - versus warfare and violence, dragging the world kicking and screaming to the future. Planting a bunch of trees and getting your friends to do the same... versus kicking some Exxon assholes in the dick. I'm usually all for the former, but I hear so many news about the world being on fire, so many legitimate scientific reports for just how little time we have, so many enraging exposes about some corporate high-ups looking to kneecap climate change bills, that I do really think we're going to need something more drastic to make a difference.
Still, it's not going to hurt to start small. Go plant tomatoes.
I've been thinking of this sort of thing for a while now, actually. Peaceful progress - slow but steady, getting people on board and changing things to the better over the many generations - versus warfare and violence, dragging the world kicking and screaming to the future. Planting a bunch of trees and getting your friends to do the same... versus kicking some Exxon assholes in the dick. I'm usually all for the former, but I hear so many news about the world being on fire, so many legitimate scientific reports for just how little time we have, so many enraging exposes about some corporate high-ups looking to kneecap climate change bills, that I do really think we're going to need something more drastic to make a difference.
Still, it's not going to hurt to start small. Go plant tomatoes.
December 30, 2021
This book wasn’t what I was expecting but I love it even more now that I’ve read it. Going into it I thought there would be a realistic fiction plot, but it’s actually a non-fiction guide in graphic novel form. It’s so funny and the art style is beautiful.
There was so much information packed into this book, but it wasn’t overwhelming and it gave such a hopeful message. Throughout college (as an environmental conservation and sustainability major) I would be presented with a lot of daunting information and left feeling like there wasn’t much I could do about it. This book didn’t make me feel that way at all. I really admire the way the author delivered the facts while also explaining a lot of things that we can do as individuals with and overall theme of resistance and hope. It’s a great read for people interested in caring for the earth, whatever knowledge level they’re at. It’s easy to understand but also had things I didn’t learn in my four years of school as well, love that!!!
There was so much information packed into this book, but it wasn’t overwhelming and it gave such a hopeful message. Throughout college (as an environmental conservation and sustainability major) I would be presented with a lot of daunting information and left feeling like there wasn’t much I could do about it. This book didn’t make me feel that way at all. I really admire the way the author delivered the facts while also explaining a lot of things that we can do as individuals with and overall theme of resistance and hope. It’s a great read for people interested in caring for the earth, whatever knowledge level they’re at. It’s easy to understand but also had things I didn’t learn in my four years of school as well, love that!!!
July 31, 2021
A short, punchy insight into a branch of eco-activism I had never heard of prior to reading. Damble succinctly explains what the Guerilla Green movement is and provides some historical context alongside how-to chapters.
One of the pitfalls of nonfiction comics is the oversaturation of text to impart information. Thankfully, Damble avoids this with her short chapters and playful illustrations by Kalkair. There are "Ophelie Explains It All" text bits at the end of each chapter which were fine, but could easily be skimmed/skipped.
Kalkair's art, achored with soft pastel greens and rounded lines, was adorable and fit the subject matter perfectly.
I can't say that I'll jump into the Guerilla Green movement myself, but I do feel inspired to properly get some gardens set up in my front and back yards come next Spring. If you're at all interested in gardening and/or green activism but are a beginner, I would recommend checking this out.
One of the pitfalls of nonfiction comics is the oversaturation of text to impart information. Thankfully, Damble avoids this with her short chapters and playful illustrations by Kalkair. There are "Ophelie Explains It All" text bits at the end of each chapter which were fine, but could easily be skimmed/skipped.
Kalkair's art, achored with soft pastel greens and rounded lines, was adorable and fit the subject matter perfectly.
I can't say that I'll jump into the Guerilla Green movement myself, but I do feel inspired to properly get some gardens set up in my front and back yards come next Spring. If you're at all interested in gardening and/or green activism but are a beginner, I would recommend checking this out.
August 16, 2021
You can read my review of this book on No Flying, No Tights here!
May 22, 2024
Vive les légumes et la révolution
August 29, 2021
Une belle façon d'aborder la réappropriation des espaces urbains par les végétaux.
Ce livre donne des pistes pour s'engager dans le combat de la désobéissance civile.
Ce livre donne des pistes pour s'engager dans le combat de la désobéissance civile.
May 28, 2021
Great ideas and overall pretty adorable (love all the t-shirts). It's a good introduction to a very broad topic and will hopefully inspire readers to delve more into guerrilla gardening.
February 10, 2020
Aussi ludique/pédagogique que coup de poing. A lire absolument. Plantez-vous.
September 17, 2024
Ce roman graphique d'une militante écolo urbaine est une méthode destinée aux citadins pour réensauvager la ville. Ophélie Damble explique pourquoi et comment végétaliser les terrains, parterres et autres rond-points abandonnés afin de redonner vie à ces espaces délaissés. C'est pertinent et intéressant dans l'ensemble. Le côté moralisateur et donneur de leçon de la jeune Khmer vert des villes l'est un peu moins. Les blagues militantes ne me font pas du tout rire que ce soit les blagues écolos ou féministes sans que je sache pourquoi. Les illustrations sont magnifiques ce qui donne envie de s'intéresser au travail de Cookie Kalkair. Bon, l'objectif est de motiver à végétaliser l'espace urbain. Pour ma part, j'ai déjà 4000m2 de terrain à entretenir entre les diverses baraques de la famille proche donc je n'ai pas le temps de faire plus sans m'en dégoûter et puis grâce à ce livre, je me suis rendu compte que le service espace vert de ma ville fait un très bon boulot : tous les lopins de terre situés entre ma maison et mon travail sont végétalisés et certains vont bientôt accueillir des légumes. Employés de la ville d'Agen, respect !
April 3, 2025
Read in one sitting. It's a decent intro to the idea of guerrilla gardening, but I can't say much was news to me (not the fault of the book/author, it's just intended for people who had no idea the concept existed). This also is coming out of France, so a lot of the legal aspects are going to be pertinent to their country (again, totally fine, and actually pretty interesting to see similarities and differences). I think the only real detractor was the feeling of being preached at-- there's a small acknowledgement that most of our eco problems are due to governments and corporations, but the overall tone of the book feels very "if I yell at you enough you'll feel guilty enough to start doing some of this stuff". That can be motivational for some people but usually makes my brain put on the brakes. I like the message of encouraging us to make our spaces greener, planting home gardens, growing community, etc, but it also makes it sound like if you're stuck in a life but because of work/stress you should just fix it by planting things. I appreciate the passion, it just also comes across as a privileged take, unfortunately.
September 30, 2021
Pleasant art and a nice message help Guerilla Green make up for the fact that it could have been a PowerPoint slide. There's a lot of book for relatively little content. If you live in a city, you need to start greening the spaces around you! Plant whatever, wherever! Consequences be damned!
What should you plant? How and when should you plant it? Who cares! Read the seed packet for more info. Guerilla Green is not The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food. It's a clarion call from the far left about how we're both overwhelming our planet's resources and underutilizing those same resources.
Living in a very green city myself, I don't feel particularly compelled to toss seed bombs into empty lots. But maybe someone living in a semi-derelict city will read Guerilla Green and feel compelled?
What should you plant? How and when should you plant it? Who cares! Read the seed packet for more info. Guerilla Green is not The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food. It's a clarion call from the far left about how we're both overwhelming our planet's resources and underutilizing those same resources.
Living in a very green city myself, I don't feel particularly compelled to toss seed bombs into empty lots. But maybe someone living in a semi-derelict city will read Guerilla Green and feel compelled?
February 3, 2024
Hmm. I was about ready to Chuck it out the window after the first few pages and then I remembered it's a library book so I set it down, called down and came back to it...
Despite the author's obvious privilege (class, race, pretty, education) and the harassing of individuals in the subway, too much focus on individual responsibility vs changes at a systematic level... Etc. There is something to it... Like A seed ball (haha) launched in multiple directions to try to hit home in whatever way works for you dear reader. I think it's an interesting way to introduce various techniques and resources and impact people at whatever level they're at: from never having thought about actions we can take to someone already actively involved in environmental issues, there's probably a small or big action you can take after reading this book.
Despite the author's obvious privilege (class, race, pretty, education) and the harassing of individuals in the subway, too much focus on individual responsibility vs changes at a systematic level... Etc. There is something to it... Like A seed ball (haha) launched in multiple directions to try to hit home in whatever way works for you dear reader. I think it's an interesting way to introduce various techniques and resources and impact people at whatever level they're at: from never having thought about actions we can take to someone already actively involved in environmental issues, there's probably a small or big action you can take after reading this book.
August 31, 2025
Obsessed. I loved everything about this and now I want to get my very own slingshot to start lobbing seed bombs around the city
September 15, 2024
3.5 rounded up. Nothing all that new for me, but there are some great tips tucked in here and a lot of interesting history on the guerrilla gardening movement.
July 18, 2023
This book deserves more praise! It has lovely art, excellent pacing and is extremely relevant to what we are experiencing world wide!
August 10, 2020
Drôle, compréhensif, très bien documenté et plein d'idées!!
May 27, 2021
Any book that calls out the wasteful stupidity that are modern lawns is worth a read.
March 21, 2020
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre qui donne envie de se bouger et de CULTIVER partout, en ville. Le livre est bien structuré et très sourcé, et plein de ressources pour aller plus loin.
Dommage que le dessin et la couverture soit aussi girly, si je n'avais pas lu une bonne critique je ne l'aurais pas acheté.
Et j'aurais aimé plus de conseils pratiques.
Je pense que c'est une super bd pour des ados !
Dommage que le dessin et la couverture soit aussi girly, si je n'avais pas lu une bonne critique je ne l'aurais pas acheté.
Et j'aurais aimé plus de conseils pratiques.
Je pense que c'est une super bd pour des ados !
November 7, 2019
Soudaine envie de planter des trucs...
September 4, 2021
Learned some important things from this book about how the urban setting has the potential for far more useful green space for citizens, where "useful" means "can provide food." Watched the suggested TedX by Ron Finley, which was illuminating. Was surprised, however, how much this book strongly suggested gardening specifically Illegally. Understood that this was within the context of, "cities don't allow enough Legal gardening and are slow to change the rules, and climate change/pollinator decline/food deserts are NOW" but it was still strange. The defense seemed to be, "if we get in legal trouble for gardening we can go to the media and get away with it because how dumb would that be" but having dealt with the law re:native plants myself, even after going to the newspaper, this really isn't savoir faire. Not sure there exists a faster solution, though, within legal boundaries.
So. This book was educational and entertaining, but I'm concerned with its practicality and ramifications if applied by readers.
So. This book was educational and entertaining, but I'm concerned with its practicality and ramifications if applied by readers.
August 10, 2023
A very well organized graphic novel that allows teens (and anyone really!) to dive deep down in the world of Green Guerilla's and what that means for our cities.
It covers everything from the history of Green Guerillas, their missions and the way in which they organize. At the end of each chapter there is a tiny essay that goes more in depth into the science of it, the history or just ways in which you can also engage in helping the planet by growing your own plants.
It goes a lot into organizing and the power of community. I loved it because I think that living in a city makes you forget so easily how food (and growing food) bring us together.
100% RECOMMEND If you live in a city, if you ever thought about growing your own food, if you like organizing and if you are into living independently.
It covers everything from the history of Green Guerillas, their missions and the way in which they organize. At the end of each chapter there is a tiny essay that goes more in depth into the science of it, the history or just ways in which you can also engage in helping the planet by growing your own plants.
It goes a lot into organizing and the power of community. I loved it because I think that living in a city makes you forget so easily how food (and growing food) bring us together.
100% RECOMMEND If you live in a city, if you ever thought about growing your own food, if you like organizing and if you are into living independently.
June 29, 2022
My three stars are a positive rating, but this didn’t feel like anything exceptional. I’d love to get onboard with the message, the art and presentation is adorable and the solutions presented sound fun to get into. I would’ve like some points to be touched on with a bit more depth (such as the origins of the WW2 victory gardens and how they came about in large part because the US government was discriminating against Japanese Americans) but I understand delving more deeply into those topics is more of a history lesson than what this book is trying to hammer in on. I’d recommend the read, could be life changing for a lot of people and if enough people got onboard then it could have the potential to be life changing for everyone.
May 22, 2021
I picked this book up at my local comic store and was pleasantly surprised! My copy was translated to English by Edward Gauvin. I couldn't find the English version on Goodreads though (I'm fairly new to Goodreads), and thus, my review is in English.
The illustrations are so fun, engaging, and beautiful. I have a fair amount of knowledge about plants, gardening, and landscaping, and yet, this book was still a wealth of information. It is informative without being preachy and offers a number of solutions/suggestions for folks at all urban gardening skill levels. I would highly recommend this book! Lovely work Cookie Kalkair and Ophelie Damble!
The illustrations are so fun, engaging, and beautiful. I have a fair amount of knowledge about plants, gardening, and landscaping, and yet, this book was still a wealth of information. It is informative without being preachy and offers a number of solutions/suggestions for folks at all urban gardening skill levels. I would highly recommend this book! Lovely work Cookie Kalkair and Ophelie Damble!
December 27, 2021
Guerilla Green is an enjoyable and entertaining primer on getting into urban gardening. It has interesting statistics, historical and contemporary examples, and advice on getting started. Anyone interested in what to do to help our society become greener and more sustainable will find a welcoming introduction here. The art is really inviting as well. I think my main issue was really just that she kept calling things "accessible" when gardening can be quite inaccessible to me as a disabled person--I'll be using other resources to figure out the best accommodations for myself personally. Overall though, this is a great place to start and I enjoyed reading it. Definitely recommended!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews