Nobody Particular: One Woman's Fight to Save the Bays

by Molly Bang

From a renowned author/illustrator; a bold, daring, non-fiction picture book that tells the true story of one woman's fight to protect her environment.

Sometimes we have to take a stand and do what's right. That's what Diane Wilson thinks. An independent shrimper in Texas, she ekes out a living in the same waters that her family has worked hard in for generations. When Diane learns that the chemical plants in Texas give out more pollution than in any other state, she decides to stop them.

One woman against a powerful industry is not much of a fair fight, but Diane educates herself, lobbies, protests, writes letters, and never gives up. Based on real events, this is an inspiring, heartfelt story of one woman's struggle to take a stand against injustice and indifference.

Award-winning author/illustrator Molly Bang has created a compelling narrative, told inventively through a series of black and white graphic panels set against a richly colored gouache background.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, History, Science, Nature

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a particularly good title for women's history month. Diane Wilson is a tough lady who put everything she had (including her life, via hunger strike) on the line to ensure that plastics plants on her local Texas bay committed to zero pollution discharge from their plants. It's not a total victory story, and the frustrations that she must have felt are keenly communicated through the text.

The format is nice--somewhere between picture book and graphic novel. Although each page has a panel that is sometimes split into sequential panels with word balloons, they are also displayed on full-page illustrations of the bay with asides about how the ecosystem is affected by industrial wastewater, which gives the whole thing an either/or feel. And it works. It's a complex story about many many attempts by Wilson and her lawyer (alone and together) to negotiate and/or confront the companies and figure out the intracacies of the law and the real waste output. The format and clear line of plot goes a long way towards making it all understandable--even though there are several layers to the text: the picture book layer, the first person sort of oral history "by" Wilson, and the conversations happening in the word bubbles.

More people should know about Diane Wilson's fight. It shows that one person can have a big impact on their community, to help the world survive. Imagine if there were 5 more people like her? Also, she raises a lot of tough questions about the cost of her (and, by association, our) modern lives. I hope this book is widely read and has an impact on its readers.

[Charlotte Osborn-bensaada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly Bang uses a unique graphic novel and collage style to tell the story of Diane Wilson's fight in the Gulf of Texas as they fight corporate polluter's such as Alcoa and Formasa. The story is affecting and important but in the post-script it appears that despite all the court cases and other agreement's struck, corporate pollution continues unabated.

[Rhonda D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true story of a woman who saw the effects of the factories on the shrimp she was fishing. She decided to fight it. She goes on a hunger strike, writes letters, and leads rallies all to let people know what is happening. In the end, the companies and government begin to listen!

[Bookseedstudio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learn about Diane Wilson, whose grandfather and father were Gulf Coast shrimpers, like herself.
How one person responds to trouble in their backyard.
Molly Bang is one of the best science writers around. Fortunately she is willing to write for children.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbelievable true story in children's graphic novel format about pollution from the plastics industry.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story but I found the text hard to read.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had the potential to be a great story. But the level of detail and format is just not appropriate for a picture book. I found it impossible to read with too much detail in the comic strip that slowed the story down. My four year old left the couch. So, I started trying to just read the main storyline to my 6 year old son. Finally, trying to salvage story time, I said. "This woman saw a problem in the environment. She realized that the large corporations were responsible for the pollution. She did something about it and saved the ocean animals."

We've read lots of biographical picture books. And many long-winded picture books. I found this one unbearable- and so did my kids.

[heffa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very important, inspiring story! But the format with the large color borders with small black and white strips was strange. Sometimes the lettering was almost too small/unnoticeable. I wish the actual comic had all been colored, and that the illustrator did away with the giant borders.

[Darlene Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One woman's uphill, but successful, battle to save the bay for the shrimpers and fishers against big business chemical companies. Comic illustrations are often framed by full bleed spreads about the environmental issue in question.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book, and good to revisit now as people are taking another look at their use of plastics.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book is an important topic-the need for clean water and regulation of plants that dump toxic waste-- I'm not overly fond of the graphic novel format to tell the story.