Missing You

by Phellip Willian, Melissa Garabeli (Illustrations), Fabio Ramos (Translation)

Perfect for fans of Bambi and The Fox and the Hound, MISSING YOU is a heartwarming story of companionship, loss, and learning how and when to let go from award-winning creators Phellip Willian and Melissa Garabeli.

Following the loss of their mother, Thomas and Lara find an injured deer on the side of the road. Deciding to bring it home with them, they name the deer Lion and quickly become best friends. The new woodland creature soon fills their hearts with warmth and fun, easing their mourning. But when Lion grows more and more curious about the forest beyond their house, Thomas and Lara start to wonder if the forest is where Lion truly belongs. Will they be able to say goodbye to their new friend?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Bande Dessinée, Animals

120 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2018

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Missing You is a beautiful, emotional graphic novel about two children who have recently lost their mother and found an injured deer in the woods. They take it home and care for it and name it Lion. When their grandmother comes to stay, she insists Lion sleeps in the barn and not the house, and they continue to care for him. Lion helps the children through the midst of their grief and comforts them as they do to him in return. The children learn to let go of Lion and allow him to be free back in the wild, which helps them to understand how sometimes you may not want someone to go, but it is sometimes the best thing for them and if you love them you can't keep them tethered to you you have to set them free. This book was a tear jerker for me from the story and the illustrations combined, and I shed a few tears reading this. I definitely want to get a physical copy of this book to cherish.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Oni Press, for the advance reading copy.

This graphic novel says so much about kids who have a kind heart.

Lara and her brother are trying to make the most of their days living in a quiet place with their dad. One day a fawn wandered towards their home and they decided to take care of it. However, as per the advice of their dad and grandmother they let the growing up fawn in its natural environment. But they wouldn’t want to lose something they have considered their family.

The book deals with grief and mourning. It’s done so well and sensibly. I totally appreciate the mild tone of the illustrations which have a magical feel to it.

Love it. Definitely worth collecting. A great read for all.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful read about love, loss, grief and letting go that tugged at my heartstrings. I know the synopsis says 'heartwarming' but I actually feel wistful and kinda emotional. The story is simple but speaks volumes, while its message is a timeless one that we can all do with. This is definitely a book I'll seek comfort in and come back to when I need to or am grieving.

Thank you to Oni Press for the Netgalley ARC.

[Valeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

ESTOY DESTRUIDAAAAA.
TIENEN QUE LEER ESTO YAAAA❤️‍🩹😭

Uno de mis géneros literarios favoritos son los libros que no son de niños, pero que lo parecen y eso los hace más bonitos, tipo EL PRINCIPITO.

Es una historia llena de amor, bondad, el dejar ir y la lealtad, todo desde un punto de vista de la dulzura de la niñez y también de la lealtad de los animales y su belleza.
El final me pareció un cierre hermoso.
Es la manera en la que todo cuadra y te hace saber que a veces hay caminos que se unen y se ayudan entre si, sin necesidad de terminar al final juntos.
Me pareció hermoso y la historia es cautivadora.

Les recomiendo leerlo y que se enamoren de la historia como yo, sin duda me gustó mucho.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a Wonderful, Artistic Book & Perfectly Ideal for Any Child Experiencing Loss for the 1st Time.
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

sempre dou 5 estrelas pra arte SIM!!!!! belissimo visualmente e me tocou muito! chorei! e nacional!!! leiam

[Dactylaura · Rating 5 out of 5]

un solide 4,5 🌟 c’était beau, émouvant et beaucoup trop chou mon coeur a fondu 🥺 j’ai même versé ma petite larme donc vraiment >>>

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eu já curtia demais o trabalho da Mel e do Phe, desde que conheci os dois publicando seus fanzines na GibiCon 2 em Curitiba. Desde então os dois têm se tornado grandes amigos e parceiros de crime que são os quadrinhos. E dá pra sentir que o trabalho que já era bom ficou ótimo neste Saudade. Que quadrinho bonitinho e cuti-cuti. A arte da Mel é de deixar a gente de queixo caído, boca aberta e babando. Evoluiu muito desde que conheci o trabalho dela. A mesma coisa o texto do Phe que possui a sensibilidade necessária para comportar a arte da sua esposa. Eles casam bem, certo?! Ta-dum-tss! Além disso tem o trabalho do Deyvison Manes que se Saudade fosse entregue para outro letrista, menos dedicado, poderia ter estragado toda a composição e planejamento da Mel e do Phe. Saudade é sobre superar a dor e sobre guardar consigo não aquilo que faz sofrer, mas aquilo que valeu a pena, que fez aquela relação entre pessoas tomar a importância que ela tem. E é isso que eu vou guardar deste trabalho, um trabalho de fôlego, de esforço e sensibilidade, que deixa marcas no coração das pessoas e que deixa saudades. Mas nada impede que o revisitemos várias e várias vezes depois.

[Jamie Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

This is a beautiful graphic novel that deals with some heavy topics such as grief and loss.

I really appreciated how the author showed adult conversations on the side as they dealt with their grief and moving on from loss, Meanwhile the children are also processing grief and finding comfort in their own way.

A tough story told in a whimsical manner. I would recommend this to older children.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

[Bhianca Ohanah 🌻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lindo lindo lindo lindo ❤️

[Constantina ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️
A beautiful children's story about regaining your strength after losing someone, about finding new things and people to love and about accepting the true nature of others.

[Ossy Firstan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My lovely cat passed away 4 days ago, and i cry read this book😭

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, heartfelt story of loss and grief.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

crying on main

[French Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elle est là : la pépite !

Une petite merveille de BD, autant d'un point de vue scénaristique que sur le plan graphique. Les illustrations sont splendides, douces, si expressives qu'elles parlent d'elles même ! J'ai rarement vu des regards aussi bien retranscrits. Les couleurs sont magnifiques aussi. Et l'histoire est touchante, pleine d'émotions, elle donne à la fois envie de pleurer et de sourire.

Un père et ses deux enfants trouvent au bord de la route un faon blessé, et ils décident de le secourir.

À travers cette BD les auteurs nous ramènent en enfance et nous font grandir à la fois. Ils nous rappellent l'importance de la famille, de l'amour, des adieux, de la liberté. Que de messages en une seule œuvre ! Et quel régal pour le cœur et les yeux !

[Huntressofbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

[5/5]

Una historia conmovedora sobre el dolor de la pérdida, la importancia de la familia y las diferentes fases del duelo.

He tenido la oportunidad de leer este libro gracias a la propia editorial y les estoy inmensamente agradecida porque es un libro que me ha hecho sentir mil y que considero que todo el mundo debería leer porque tiene unos valores y enseñanzas muy bonitos para lectores de cualquier edad.

Ya con mis 26 años he disfrutado esta historia como una niña pequeña y, a través de sus ilustraciones en tonos neutros, dulces y detallados, he llegado a empatizar con el duelo que viven nuestros pequeños personajes, con la importancia y el valor de la familia, cuán importante es apoyar a nuestros pequeños y, a su vez, cómo debemos cuidar de nuestros bosques y de todos los animales que habitan en él.

Es un libro que he leído en tan solo una hora, aunque luego lo he vuelto a releer para detenerme en cada ilustración y en todos los detalles que abundan en sus ilustraciones creadas con acuarela. El trabajo de ilustración me parece una auténtica maravilla y se ha convertido en una de mis novelas gráficas favoritas por y para siempre.

¿Qué tengo que decir? Dibbuks siempre consigue que me enamore de todos sus lanzamientos.

Lo que me llevo de esta historia son sus enseñanzas y, principalmente, ya como docente la importancia de cuidar y ser apoyo para nuestros pequeños. Es una historia que, perfectamente, podrían leer los peques de la casa o los más adultos porque todo lo que nos ofrece es bueno y positivo para afrontar la vida. A través de sus personajes tan pequeños, de su imaginación y sus sentimientos tan puros considero que sería una lectura perfecta para leer con nuestros peques para que, poco a poco, vaya conociendo ciertos aspectos de esta nuestra vida.

En conclusión, es una historia maravillosa, con unas ilustraciones que quitan el hipo y con unos valores y enseñanzas de diez. Se lo recomiendo a todo el mundo porque no dejará a nadie indiferente.

[Cora Ottoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrativa e traços lindos, um quadrinho muito gostoso de ler e recomendado pra todas as idades <3

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following the loss of their mother, Thomas and Lara are driving in the car with their father, when they find an injured deer on the side of the road. The family is dealing with the grief of losing their wife and mother, and it seems that "Lion" helps the children deal with their grief. They take him home and take care of him. When grandma comes to stay, she wants Lion to live in the barn. Once again the children feel a loss, but eventually become accustomed to taking turns in the barn with him. As Lion heals, he becomes curious about the woods and begins to wander into the forest. Thomas and Lara begin to realize that maybe Lion needs to find a home in the forest. Will they be able to say another goodbye?

This is a graphic novel that taken at face value is just a story about a family finding an injured deer, nursing him to health, becoming attached to him and eventually letting him go, but there is more to this story. There is grief, and understanding of other's feelings. Grandma was hurting and it took some time for Thomas and Lara to realize it was because she also missed their mom. There was one chapter in this book about hunters and a deer being found by an older woman that had us confused. The kids didn't think it really fit. They kept asking if it was the same deer or a different one. Overall this is a cute book with great illustrations, but I'm not sure if the message is clear for children.

[Halina Hetman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Мило намальована аквалеллю дитяча книжка про брата і сестру, що переживають втрату мами. Тато і бабуся, які дбають про малих, теж горюють, тому стосунки в родині непрості. Одного разу діти знаходять поранене оленятко і допомагають йому одужати. Проте дорослі чомусь не пояснюють їм, що дикій тварині рано чи пізно потрібно буде повернутися до лісу і жити своє вільне тваринне життя, і коли цей момент настає, всі бігають, страждають, влаштовують істерики, звинувачують себе в усіх смертних гріхах і взагалі поводяться вкрай недоречно.
Мені здалося, що книжка недостатньо реалістично показує життя із дикою твариною на подвір'ї. Діти сплять разом із оленем, іноді годують його зі свого стола, а молодшу дитину (яка ще не ходить до школи) залишають із ним наодинці на цілий день. Хлопчик вдягає тварину в людській одяг і туфлі, миє в ванні, активно грається зі оленятком, незважаючи на те, що в того ще загоюються рани після аварії. Ця ситуація подається як комедійна, хоча нічого смішного тут немає - дитина могла зашкодити і собі, і тварині.
Книга не може донести до маленьких читачів, наскільки велика відповідальність лежить на людях, які дбають про диких тварин, бо самі персонажі не відчувають цієї відповідальності.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank Oni Press and NetGalley for a free eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful children's graphic novel that deals with the loss of a parent in a really nature-forward way. This is a somber story with a lot of space to really feel some feelings with a bittersweet ending where just accepting death and the ever-changing nature of ... well... nature! lol.

The illustrations are gorgeous, with this blurry style that gives the whole thing an aura of dreamlike wonder. There are many panels without words and the illustrations do not disappoint in delivering all the emotion you need to carry the story forward.

I guess the only drawback is the format. I fear that this is too young of a graphic novel for kids who want to sit and read way more than 32 pages of illustrated story. Maybe this could have been a series of picture books instead. I just want the right audience to find this gem.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd little book. It’s also a sad little book. Two children find a hurt deer alongside, the road and take them home. They name this deer lion in lion becomes a member of the family. The kids needed a distraction and a new friend. They are still suffering from the loss of their mother. we see the family, including the grandmother and how they interact with lying and lying all yearning to be part of the forest beyond. There is a side story about another deer who is injured and taken in by a little grandmother figure deep in the woods, and how one day grandma doesn’t come back, and that deer has the house to themselves, and eventually lien finds this house towards the end of the book it’s that part that makes this book odd. Overall, the story is lovely but sad. A modern age Bambi if you well. I liked it and the artwork is lovely, but it is not something I wish to read again.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book had no impact on my review*

Wow. What a touching and beautiful story of grief and moving on. I love the framework this story used to use the relationship with Lion as the mirror to losing the kids losing their mother. It was an excellent story to piece together their grief and understand that while yes it is really sad that their mother left the same as Lion did, it was necessary in both cases. I certainly cried. It was a very quick read with beautifully done illustrations that a number of different level readers could enjoy this story. Very excellent read and one I will for sure be recommending.

[Gillian Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful graphic novel in both story and illustration. Both compliment each other perfectly. Missing You is a story about a young family struggling to accept losing a loved one. It sees the battle of grief experienced through multi-generations of the same family - children, parent and grandparent. When a deer named Lion comes into their lives, they experience new love and friendship and learn the lessons of how life moves on and of letting go.
Missing You is a moving story about relationships and acceptance.
Thank you, NetGalley and Oni Press, for my digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Dyn✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very beautiful book full of emotion. Like a movie, this book is covered with warmth. It tells the story of a family grieving the loss of someone they love the most. Then they met and adopted a little injured deer. However, they must be prepared to face the fact that the deer cannot stay with them for long.

This book will help children to understand the grief and loss of loved ones. The illustrations are in the form of comics drawn with watercolor, the colors are warm, the stories are moving, the depictions are very realistic, making me immerse myself in the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

[Anjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very beautiful graphic novel. The tone of the narration, as well as the soothing colours throughout the panels, draws the reader in. The dialogues are minimal but emotional.
There is a young family who comes across a hurt deer and decides to take care of it and get it back on its feet. They have recently lost their mother and are struggling to appear normal.
They pour all their love into this wild animal, an action that their grandmother (who happens to drop by) does not approve of. There are villains in the fringes who have some impact on the plot, but most of the focus is on tackling grief and moving on.
It is not a long story, but a very deep one. Even the deer has its own story, which is equally sad, even if it cannot speak of its own emotions.
It is not a book that one can assign to any particular age group. Each reader will take away something personal from it.
I highly recommend it for people who like emotional graphic novels.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brought back memories of those emotional animal movies Disney used to make (that wounded me as a child) like Bambi and Fox and the Hound. It’s about two kids spending time in their vacation home in the woods to deal with the grief of losing their mother. They adopt an injured baby deer who also lost its mother to hunters. Taking care of the baby deer until it’s mature enough to survive in the forest teaches them all about overcoming grief and letting go of lost loved ones.

Not perfect but I have a soft spot for these kinds of stories. There were a couple of minor subplots I wish were expanded upon but still very good.

[leoniesbookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je ne m'attendais tellement pas à ça ! En commençant, j'avais l'impression que ça allait être une bande dessinée enfantine. Certes ça l'était, mais je ne sais pas, je pense que c'était juste le livre dont j'avais besoin à ce moment, il n'aurait réellement pas pu mieux tomber.
C'était une histoire assez simple mais tellement belle et douce 🥹
J'ai aussi adoré le fait que cette histoire soit aussi inspirée de celle de Bambi, qui compte énormément dans ma vie.
La fin m'a fait beaucoup pleurer, c'était magnifique 🥹
Je pense que si je la relis dans quelques temps, je pourrais la trouver un peu trop simple, mais comme je l'ai dit, c'était tout ce dont j'avais besoin à ce moment ✨

[Isadora Venâncio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saudade é uma história em quadrinhos emocionante, fofa e cativante, que conta a história de uma família lidando com uma perda muito triste. Lara e Thomás perderam a mãe e seguem tentando processar o luto com a ajuda do pai e da vovó, que também sofrem, cada um à sua maneira. A família encontra um cervo, Leão, machucado no meio da floresta e decide acolhê-lo. O leão ajuda as crianças a lidarem com o trauma da perda da mãe e traz uma nova luz para essa família de forma singela e delicada, como só os animais fazem. As ilustrações são lindas, bem feitas e cheias de personalidade e carinho. É uma história curta, sensível e delicada. 5 ⭐️

[Ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but touching story of a family caring for an injured young deer in the wake of a death in their family.

Without many details, but beautifully illustrated and still able to convey so much meaning, Missing You shows how death can effect everyone. Children learn that even adults don't always know the best way forward, but that life continues on.

It lives up to the blurb comparing it to Bambi and The Fox and the Hound, be prepared with tissues before you read this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for making this available in exchange for an honest review.

[Dahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family that is grieving the loss of the (mother,wife,daughter). When they find a young injured deer. Lion as they name him gives them comfort while simultaneously bringing them closer together.
This will probably be helpful for kids to understand grief and losing someone. The illustrations were great and the story w was heartwarming. My only complaint is that the ending was a bit confusing as the deer suddenly aged significantly and sometimes the pacing was off. Other than that I would recommend reading it.