Global

by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, Giovanni Rigano (Illustrator)

Time is running out for Sami and Yuki. Sami and his grandfather live in a village along the Indian Ocean. They earn their living by fishing. But the ocean is rising and each day they bring back fewer and fewer fish. Yuki lives in the far north of Canada where warming temperature are melting the ice. Polar bears have less food to hunt and are wandering into town looking for something to eat. Yuki is determined to do something to help the bears.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Nature, Comics

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2023

About the author

Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) was born in Wexford on the South-East coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four brothers were brought up by his father and mother, who were both educators.

He received his degree from Dublin University and began teaching primary school in Wexford. He has lived and worked all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. After the publication of the Artemis Fowl novels, Eoin retired from teaching and now writes full time. He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A teen graphic novel highlighting the impact of climate change on two opposite corners of the world. Alternating perspectives from one Canadian Inuit girl and one Bangladeshi/Indian boy. The former narrative is exaggerated; the latter is better but not perfect. Decent illustrations, though a bit too dark-tinged. The intent and the message are great, but the overall execution is just okay.

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Plot Preview:

‘Here’. Bay of Bengal. Twelve-year-old orphan Sami lives with his grandfather. They fish for their living, but because of the flash floods, intense storms, and rising water levels, the catch is dwindling.
‘There’. Northern Canada. Fourteen-year-old Yuki has noticed the struggles of the bears to find food. She is sure that the bears wandering into town aren’t polars but a new species named ‘grolars’ (more on this below), and is determined to find evidence that can help protect the bear. But this task isn’t easy on the thinning ice inside the Arctic circle.
The story comes to us in the alternating perspectives of Sami and Yuki written in first person.

I picked up this graphic novel only because I have heard the name of this author’s Artemis Fowl series multiple times. While I didn’t hate this book, I also didn’t find it that compelling or believable. To be clear, the climate change content is 100% believable; the rest isn’t.

The intent and the message of the book are great. The title clearly refers to the fact that the damage done by climate change isn't local but global. Using children from two opposite points of the world is, in theory, a great idea to prove this point. The execution though leaves me with mixed feelings.

The usage of the terms ‘Here’ and ‘There’ for the locations is an intriguing writing choice, but also a bit confusing. Why is Sami’s story ‘Here’ and Yuki’s ‘There’, I didn’t understand, especially considering that the book is published “There” in North America. Then again, the ‘Here’ was geographically closer to India, so it did work out better for me. Sami’s story is set “in the Bay of Bengal”. Now… the Bay of Bengal is a gigantic water body, so Sami could have been from one of the tiny islands off the coast or from one of the states of Eastern India or even from Bangladesh. A tiny map reference towards the end of the story points to the bay part near Bangladesh, but I wish the story had clarified this directly.

It is nice to see the story coming from minority voices. Yuki and Sami know their region and its challenges very well. Their worry about the extreme environmental changes and the determination to do what it takes is palpable. However, the two didn’t endear themselves to me for the needless risks they seem to take repeatedly with no concern for safety. The two just didn’t seem to realise the difference between ‘brave’ and ‘foolhardy’. Yuki’s narrative is more annoying in this regard, as she seems to escape near-death situations too many times for it to be convincing. You need a whole load of suspension of disbelief while reading her POV.

Because of the lead pair’s regular misadventures, this plot feels more like a survival story than an environmental story. I wish the focus had been more on the environment itself, instead of all this forced exaggerated action. That’s what I had picked the book up for, after all.

The stories coming in their alternating first-person perspectives also create a mixed result. While it does suit the global impact hinted at in the title, it also leads to too many chapter cliffhangers. Especially in the second half, the constant hung endings get a bit annoying as both their perspectives leave us dangling and we need to keep the cliffhanger in mind till we return to that character’s narrative.

That said, through Yuki’s POV, I learnt of a new species called ‘grolar bear’, an unfortunate crossbreed of the polar bear and the grizzly bear that faces its own unique challenges. I feel sad for the poor creatures, stuck in a troublesome situation for no fault of theirs.

Of the other characters in the book, only two get proper extended roles and both of them leave a mark. Sami’s grandfather and Yuki’s dog Locky are fabulous and way more likeable that the lead pair.

The ending is somewhat abrupt. There is no link between the two children throughout the story as they are geographically distant as well as with no apparent access to technology (in Sami’s case). However, the very last panel forcibly establishes a connection between them. This is neither necessary nor convincing.

The most impactful part of the story is obviously the spotlight on the extent of the damage caused by climate change and human activity. Even though both Yuki and Sami live in relatively rural areas with no great industries or population, the environmental damage is just as massive. It is a shocking depiction of the truth, and hopefully, will cause naysayers to understand that ‘global warming’ doesn’t simply mean “slightly hotter temperatures”.

The illustrations are decent but not much to my liking. I am not a huge fan of dark tones in graphic novels, not just because they exacerbate the gloom in case of serious stories instead of letting the text do the talking, but also because the scenes sometimes blend into each other and the finer nuances of the art aren’t that visible.

The backmatter contains a special section about global warming, which explains as well as educates on steps to be taken. These are somewhat vague, but they are a good starting point.

Overall, I do like the purpose of this graphic novel and the message it is strongly advocating. I wish the stories, especially Yuki’s arc, had been more compelling and realistic.

Regardless, this is still a good book for teens to learn more about this environmental mess adults have created. It’s scary but it’s also true. The content ought to work well for ages 10-15.

3 stars.


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[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Global: One fragile world. An epic fight for survival.
By Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin

This is a graphic novel with a social conscience themes; climate change and immigration. It is based on two stories, one on each side of the world. One a boy, the other a girl. Both end up in severe danger. It also showed the many dangers of climate change in so many ways that most of us would not think of unless you lived there. Both stories really drew me in. Both kids were trying to do something right, despite the danger, but disobeying at the same time and regretting it later. But things worked out but not how they planned.

The text was easy to read which is not the case in many graphic novels. The art was terrific! I could picture this as a movie! Story, plot, action, suspense, and underlying morals were great.
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this terrific book!

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a serious book with lot more to learn from on climate change. This is an amazing work on eye-opening theme for conservation of nature and saving Earth for real. Those who knew it already can get it soon, for rest, this is a way to let them learn with story.

It is a story of a girl, Suki and boy, Sami from two exotic places experiencing two varied topographies. One with ice-stocked Arctic and another is a village (probably India) in an Indian ocean, respectively. At one place ice is on melting resulting less habitat for bears and increase in danger for ozone layer sustainability and at another ocean level is on rise resulting nearby habitat went down under water, sunken for loss of land affecting food chain and resources.

Life on earth is all about maintaining the balance in natural resources that have been gifted to us from our almighty God. We do not need to do anything else but keep our actions in check to sustain what is good for nature. However, what we actually doing is depleting each and every single gift of god and consistently exploiting the resources which nature provided us for free. Moreover, we're showing-off for status-quo that it is us, creating resources, ironically, rather than saving it. We’re just custodian not owner of nature. Increase in usages of fossil fuels and increase in luxurious life lead us to the brink of extinction soon enough.

One thing that I literally like to point out that just blabbering names of few illiterate child activists doesn't give us better future conservationists. 'Greta' for say, is none other than a person I mentioned in previous sentence. With her and other few like her, we're setting very wrong examples for our future generations who in spite of working on real ground to save the nature will stop learning by restricting themselves from schools and in the name of getting fame will know nothing on how this whole natural system of flora and fauna works. We need to make our future children educate on the subject and let them learn more and contribute much more to give way to better life here, instead of writing 'idiotically' on paper "Save Trees" to show that they are saving nature. I would like to cut one mark for this non-serious guidance.

For rest, there is nothing that I say wasn't appropriate. It was good for all to read, learn and act of ground level to make our Earth a better place to live-in.

My NetGalley reviews: https://www.netgalley.com/book/273467...

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful graphic novel, addressing the very serious topic of climate change in a gripping manner. It's very well drawn, and the main characters Sami and Yuki are relatable. The use of colours and style is really well done and drew me in right from the start. I also love the climate change explanation at the end, with drawings also.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read!

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now Available!

Thank you to #NetGalley, and Sourcebooks for a terrific graphic novel drawing attention to the problems of our Climate Emergency. Equal kudos goes out to these four: Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, Giovanni Rigano, and Chris Dickey, because obviously something this gorgeous had to be a team effort. The art is spectacular.

The story in Global launches immediately, beginning with sea level rise. Without hitting us over the head with it, the authors remind us of many important points, all told through the eyes of children. It is obvious that sea level rise will adversely impact the poorest coastal communities first. The people with the least access to resources will need them the most. The influx of refugees from other areas will only add strain to already stretched communities. There will be competition for space itself.

We first meet Sami, a delightful kid growing up fast in the Bay of Bengal. He has a lot to worry about: making a living fishing with his grandfather, the sea encroaching upon his home, the way people lose their humanity when their livelihoods are threatened, and the shrinking of available resources.

We also meet Yuki, on the other side of the world, in far Northern Canada. She is worried about how nature seems unable to adapt to the rapidly changing environment as sea ice melts. Traditional ways are changing quickly. Everyone is having to think about different ways of making a living.

The novel continues to alternate between the stories of both young people, and to draw parallels to the challenges they face, even in completely different climates. The Climate Crisis affects all creatures everywhere.

There is one scene in Sami's story which closely matches up with The Old Man and the Sea, and it truly made me smile to see that nod to Hemingway.

Both kids end up in dramatically dangerous situations, and both cling desperately to talismans which keep them tethered to their world. The dual timeline is very suspenseful, and resolves in a way in which both worlds are connected. The message is delivered in a cathartic way, which should appeal to readers of all ages, but particularly young people, who will inherit this changing world. What will they do to keep their humanity, even under times of great duress, and when others are shedding their best selves? The novel gives the reader a lot to think about, in terms of how to answer that question, but the hint is that cooperation is what is going to be key, for all of us.

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories of two children from different parts of the world. Both children feel the climate crisis. Juki is looking for a hybrid bear in northern Canada. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in the Bay of Bengal, Sami and his grandfather face a different challenge. The waves constantly wash away their home.

Illustrations are very good. Global is an excellent graphic novel and an important read. We should be aware of what we are doing to our planet.

[₊˚ ⁀➴ kenzie ⠀❦ jacks’ version · Rating 5 out of 5]

~ “. . . even though the world is big, our world is growing smaller every day.” ~

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❤️ Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint:
— Eat less meat (especially beef)
— Walk or cycle when possible
— Recycle and Reuse
— Fly less

Favorite Characters:
▶ Yuki ❄️ • 14-year-old, lives in Arctic Circle, large fur coat, square-rimmed glasses
▶ Locky 🐾 • Yuki’s fluffy husky

Favorite Part/s:
☆ Yuki crossing the landslide 🏔️
☆ Sami & his grandpa catching the shark 🦈
☆ Yuki finding the grolar bear den 🛖
☆ Sami getting the knife 🌊
☆ Yuki getting home and winning the award for her grolar bear picture 🎖️
☆ Yuki and Sami connecting 📱

What I Liked:
✦ The color palette and art style went really well together 🎨
✦ How the authors used real life global warming that affected communities 🌤️

Overall:
• Great blend of a real life story problem with unique characters and story
• Would recommend to anyone interested in reading about actual effects of climate change

[tracie reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous graphic novel about climate change and how it impacts Yuki, a girl in the Canadian Arctic and Sami, a boy in the bay of Bengal. The impacts of climate change are global, as the title suggests, and it's interesting to see how the changing weather impacts Yuki and Sami in different, but also similarly powerful, ways.

The adventures and scrapes they each get into are a bit unrealistic, but then this is meant for kids and isn't intended to be completely realistic. After the end of the story, the book contains educational information and action items, which was a nice addition.

I highly recommend this graphic novel for middle grade readers, and people of all ages. The artwork is beautiful, the story is adventurous, informative, and hopeful.

I received an advanced e-book from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my unbiased review. 4.25 stars rounded up.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning illustrations and a page-turning narrative combine to make this graphic novel a standout in the genre. We follow the experiences of two children, Sami and Yuki, who despite living at different extreme points on planet Earth, nonetheless tangle with the dangerous fallout from climate change.

As with other crises, it's often those living in more vulnerable places who are first to feel the effects and deal with the consequences, while those in more sheltered regions may have the temporary luxury of remaining unaware of the problem.

A bonus comic at the book's conclusion succinctly explains the concept of human-created climate change and how it creates extreme weather and other ramifications--content that would be just as helpful for many adults as it is for kids.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Global by Eoin Colfer is a beautifully drawn and told middle-grade graphic novel that highlights the dangers of climate change. It tells the story of Sami & his grandfather, both surviving on the edge of the Indian Ocean as fishermen and also of Yuki and her dog Lockjaw, who live in the Canadian Arctic. Both see the changes and suffer from the changes that climate change is having on their lives and environment.

Sami and grandfather are finding that the constant storms that hit their coastline are affecting the fishing stocks that they and their fellow fishermen need to survive. The water continues to rise, forcing them to constantly relocate, trying to find higher ground. As well, they must cope with more and more refugees, also suffering.

Yuki and Locky live in an indigenous village in the far North. Their friends are all moving away as the permafrost melts as the glacial icefields warm up, causing more and more methane to leak into the atmosphere. The polar bears are losing their icefields in the Arctic Ocean and being forced further south where they mate with grizzly bears who are migrating north in search of new homes and food. The resulting bears are called grolars and are not equipped to survive in this new environment. The village elders kill the bears that come into the town and Yuki wants to prove they aren't a danger. She heads out to get photos of a grolar to prove her point. And she gets lost. Danger ensues.

The story tracks between the two young people and is so very fascinating and also very scary. Both of the youngsters are lovely and caringly developed. They are brave and fighting for themselves and their land. The effect of climate change is made smoothly and succinctly but powerfully. At the end of the story is a short exposition explaining climate change, how it occurs and its impact. We're not leaving our children much these days. It shouldn't be up to them to sort it out. It might be too late. Excellent adventure story, just on its own but also a powerful one. (4.0 stars)

[Femke (femsbookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Global is a graphic novel that tells the stories of two children (Sami and Yuki) in different places around the world who have to deal with the effects of climate change and global warming. Sami lives in northern Canada in the Arctic Circle, while Yuki lives in the Bay of Bengal near the Indian Ocean. Both children find themselves in frightening situations due to the effects of global warming. The story shows very clearly that even if you live in very different places in the world, climate change will affect us all. The constantly changing perspectives also keep the story exciting, while at the same time keeping it informative and realistic. The book is intended for children aged 10 and above and I definitely recommend it, especially for adults too. It definitely gives a lot of food for thought.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free advanced reader copy of this book. This did nog affect my review in any way.

[Milou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this graphic novel from Netgalley purely because of Eoin Colfer. It tells the story of two young people who have to deal with the consequences of climate change. On the one side we have a fisherboy in Bengal who keeps losing his house to the sea and is constantly working with his grandpa without any hope of getting further in life. On the other side is a girl in Canada whose village is being overwhelmed by hungry bears who are losing their homes because of the melting ice. Both their stories completely sucked me in. It was very readable with some great artwork. And the stories were weirdly hopeful for such a depressing and serious theme. Overall, this is a beautiful and important read, which I hope will get picked up a lot (by younger readers).

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two big-hearted kids from opposite ends of the globe go on a dangerous and ultimately connected adventure caused by environmental warming.

IMO, cut from the same cloth as Hatchet , Call of the Wild or Island of the Blue Dolphin , so this exciting graphic novel may inspire young readers to realize that they have the power to change their circumstances or even the world.

Produced by the same team that brought us Illegal a year or so back; a story also featuring brave children tackling grown up issues.

Features a good apolitical primer on global warming, as well as an introduction to grolar bears.

[Stephanie (aka WW) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A timely and important graphic novel for kids highlighting the effect of global warming on two young characters living in places hard hit by climate change. Sami lives in a fishing village with his grandfather on the Bay of Bengal. Flooding causes them to lose their housing and more, and the number of fish they catch is in steady decline. Suki lives in Canada above the Arctic Circle where the ice is melting and the indigenous bears have had to branch out to survive. Anyone ever hear of a grolar bear? Well-done and informative.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful junior graphic novel about the impacts of climate change on two different regions of the world and the children that live there. Adventure stories with a big lesson.

[Olivia Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

love the dog

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC.

Was able to borrow this from Hoopla and thank goodness I did because it was so good!! I'm glad I sought it out elsewhere after publication because I could NOT handle the formatting in the e-book (see below). Two kids on opposite sides of the world struggle with the effects of climate change. Very real, very touching.
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NetGalley e-book review:
I can’t really review this because the formatting on this ARC was HORRENDOUS. I don’t know what happened when this got converted to Kindle but sentences don’t match up, wRiTiNg Is LiKe ThIs and all of the words are on separate pages from the pictures. I got 26% through. It was a nightmare. I’ll have to find a finished copy to read and review.

[Hillary C · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Global: One Fragile World. An Epic Fight for Survival.” by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin tells the story of two kids living in different parts of the world both finding their lives severely impacted by climate change. The narrative shifts, usually by chapter, between two different regions of the world: the Bay of Bengal, in the Indian Ocean and Northern Canada, inside the Arctic Circle. We follow the stories of Sami and his grandpa in the Bay of Bengal and Yuki and her husky, Locky, in Northern Canada. Both children find themselves struggling in a climate that has become so harsh it has impacted their very way of life. Sami’s family are fishermen, and his parents were killed in a brutal storm while trying to return home. He now lives with his grandpa, and their lives are becoming more difficult by the day as they struggle to find fish to catch and harsh weather events become more and more frequent. Yuki becomes extremely concerned about the polar bears and grolars (an unlikely mix between polar bears and grizzly bears caused by the circumstances of climate change). She goes out into the wilderness with her faithful dog, Locky, and finds herself face-to-face with extreme danger. After the story ends, the author explains how the story may be fiction, but the events that take place in it are real- including the frozen methane gas lake, the frequent and violent storms, the lack of fish to catch, and the unfortunate circumstances that polar bears and grolars find themselves in. In kid-friendly language and with vivid pictures, the author explains the process of climate change and how human activity contributes to it. This story would be most appropriate for upper elementary to middle school students. It could be used alongside science lessons on climate change and social studies lessons on environmental activism. The events in the story give students a realistic grasp of the consequences of climate change for children and families. My only criticism is that the storyline, for me, was a little difficult to follow. It frequently shifts back and forth between the two narratives and between the past and present. In a regular chapter book, I don’t find this literary technique too difficult to follow, but in the context of a graphic novel, I frequently found myself confused and had to go back and reread parts. Students may benefit from some previewing of the content before delving into the story to be able to better understand it.

[Dedra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exceptional! I loved the bouncing between locations each chapter-- helps pull you through the story wanting more. Here/There & location tags help make it clear so readers won't get confused. Each chapter was more engaging than the next, and the cliff hanger chapter endings make you want to keep reading so you can back to the other location, but then the chapter you're in is soo good that you don't want it to end. Awesome technique! The ending leaves the door open that perhaps we could spend more time with these characters in the future. The backmatter was great so that readers could learn more about climate change (specifically global warming) and about the creators of the book. The characters are all well fleshed out, the writing was great and believable, and the art was phenomenal!!! This one is a must purchase for middle school libraries. This book could easily be paired with Gratz's Refugee for those craving another book with multiple POV. It also easily ties in to lots of curriculum.

[A. Minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is terrifying and poignant, and just the kind of thing we need to be reading.

Yuki is a 14 year old in Canada, who lives in a desolate small town, and is trying to capture a grolar bear (a climate-change evolution that's a cross between a polar and grizzly) on camera. Sami is a 12 year old in Bangladesh who lives with his grandfather, and their poverty is exacerbated every year by the cyclones and the reduced catch of fish in the ocean (thanks to climate change).

Both of their stories are terrifying - not just because of the narrative action (and there's a lot!) but because of the very real implications of climate change, which trigger all the events in the story. It's a book for all readers, not just the intended middle grade audience, but it will definitely hit home with kids today who are actively thinking and talking about these issues. Honestly, I'd like to pass this on to a bunch of adults I know.

The only critique I have is that the story in Bangladesh seems a bit romanticised - like a yes, they are poor, but they have each other. Or maybe that's just me! Either way, a grandson who says the cyclones "might be because of Bramha" (a Hindu God) wouldn't have a granddad called Solomon (a Christian name).

Overall though, everyone should read this book. 4/5. And thanks to Netgalley for the ARC - here, take this totally honest review!

PS. Love the appendix with all the info on climate change. Love how the author and artists aren't afraid to actually teach things.

PPS. Lockjaw is one of the best drawn dogs / best boys ever!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I found this book I knew I had to read it inmediatly. I'm an advocate for enviromental education, especially on matters of climate change.

We follow two different characters that live on opposite sides of the planet but both of them affected by the effects of climate change.
Sami and his grandfather live in a little village on the Indian Ocean and beacuse of the rising water levels they have to continuosly move the houses farther inland. They earn their living by fishing but each day there are less and less fish.

Suki lives in Northen Canada in a small town in the miidle of nowhere that's slowly losing its inhabitants. Bears are getting closer to town and their policy is to kill any that comes too close. Suki is sure that the bears wandering into town are Grolars - a hybrid of Polar and Grizzly bears that do not have the skills to hunt on the ice - and wants to prove it so she goes on a little adventure with her dog.

In this graphic novel we learn about the problems caused by climate change and how it affects everyone around the world.
I really appreciate the information included at the end about global warming and its effects.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of the book.

[Iria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3'5⭐

A charming but harrowing story about global warming.

Our protagonists are Sami and Suki. Sami lives with his grandfather in a ramshackle little village on the coast of the Indian Ocean. They and their neighbors survive on what little fish they manage to catch and try to cope with the raging storms and rising sea levels, which prevent them from putting down roots and settling down. Suki lives in northern Canada with her parents and their dog. In her community they are having problems with polar bears, as the ice is melting and the polar bears are coming closer and closer in search of food.

They do not (and will not) know each other, but their lives are equally affected by global warming, which they will have to face with all the means at their disposal, even if they seem insignificant.

An entertaining and visually beautiful read for all those interested in the subject, but of special value for the youngest members of the family.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, all views and opinions are my own.*

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional account of two kids dealing with real world climate issues that are beginning to affect us now. One story is about a boy in the Bay of Bengal. Rising water levels are swamping his coastal home. Meanwhile he and his grandfather need to go further and further offshore to find fish to support themselves. His parents were lost in a storm.

The other story takes place in northern Canada where melting ice caps are causing polar bears and grizzly bears to mate and become grolars. She gets it into her head to photograph one of them and gets herself and her dog into some terrible dangers.

Both kids are kids, sneaking off and putting themselves into dangers they probably shouldn't. But kids can be dumb and do this kind of thing. The dangers they face though could and have actually happened to people. This is the kind of thing we can expect as climate change worsens. It's two gripping and alternating tales with good art.

[Danica B · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend

Set in both a village along the Indian Ocean and in the far north of Canada, this graphic novel tells the story of two courageous children, Sami and Yuki as they face the effects of climate change and their desire to do something about it.

The artwork was really great and complemented the writing beautifully. I loved the line work and the color schemes. I clearly undertood where we were, who was speaking, and what was happening.

I enjoyed the character development and the exploration of the overall themes of climate change and immigration. I even learned a few things.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Kids, NetGalley, and authors Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. Global is out April 11, 2023.

[XOX · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sami is a child living by the sea, and his family are fishermen.  Climate change created floods for the global south and made living hard. 

Yuki and her dog are living in the north, and the ice is melting. It makes it harder for animals to survive, and it forced to cross into human habitats. 

Climate change is real, and it is hurting everyone, including a lot of animals. 

Both Sami and Yuki were born at a time with extreme weather, and life only gets harder when climate change is ignored. 

It is educational for all, especially children, to learn about climate change and global heating. The illustration is fine and the story is realistic. 

4 stars read. 

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The ARC was mostly in black and white. I'm curious to see if the final edition is full colour, as it would add so much more to the story. Then again, this isn't much of a story. It's more...a snippet of the future that could be. I really liked that. Yes, there are two small plots happening with two characters, but at the end there's not much of a resolution. Life is going to go on, and things are going to get harder. I think this is one worth reading. Definitely look out for it when it releases.

[Rebecca Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fictional middle graphic novel Global by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin (Sourcebooks Young Readers, April 2023) addresses the effect of global climate change by illustrating two unique children in opposite situations on the other side of the globe. While Yuki faces a grolar bear (half grizzly and half polar bear) in the Arctic circle, Sami struggles with the rising sea waters in the Bay of Bengal off the shores of India. Both stories emphasize the real human impact of climate change on children, even while telling two unique adventure stories.


Yuki’s story is intertwined with the grolar bears. As offspring of polar bears and a grizzly bear parent, they are protected from being shot as they come too close to her town. In hopes of saving the grolars, she goes on a mission to photograph one. But traveling in the Arctic circle is more difficult and dangerous than Yuki realizes. The effects of climate change include melting glaciers’ ice, which creates caverns with dangerously thin ice on top disguised as regular ice. In addition, the Arctic lakes are melting, letting the poisonous methane gas out into the world and removing Yuki’s means of retreat from the wild. Finally, the permafrost, below the snow layer, also is melting, removing the general stability of the ground. Yuki’s story is intense, although I couldn’t help but consider that she created this dangerous adventure by herself by going off on her own in the tundra’s wilderness.

Sami’s life likewise is full of modern-day difficulties related to climate change that directly impact his daily life. In his family’s fishing village, the houses are regularly sliding into the rising sea waters, making it necessary to relocate the homes farther inland regularly. Tropical storms regularly wipe out their stability as well, and people from failed farming villages join their fishing villages, leading to even fewer fish in the sea due to overfishing. His ultimate struggle likewise was his own fault, but I guess these two children were not thinking clearly so maybe kids won’t be as annoyed as I am, as a mother thinking about my own children!

As you may predict, the stories of these two children overlap in the end. I found the overlap between the two to be highly unlikely, but that’s okay. After the stories, a few pages extend the discussion of the climate’s effects on Sami’s and Yuki’s lives, again in graphic format. I had previously understood the rising water level issues worldwide, but I had been unfamiliar with the reasons why overfishing has become a problem: global weather patterns affect the water temperatures, reducing the number of fish overall. I also hadn’t learned about grolars before, and the ways that climate change had expanded the bears’ natural habitats, out of necessity.

Global nicely ties a series topic into a story format that even middle-grade children can understand. The graphic novel format makes the story highly readable, with a mix of explanation and dialog that will keep a reader’s attention. Using such a book, I believe it would do my kids well to show them a world outside of their own, showing the real-life effects of global warming.

I read a digital review copy of Global.

[Niina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Global on ravisutteleva sarjakuva ilmastonmuutoksesta, joka tapahtuu juuri nyt, ei jossain kaukaisessa tulevaisuudessa.

Kaksi nuorta eri puolilla maailmaa, 12-vuotias Sami Bengalinlahdella ja 14-vuotias Yuki Pohjois-Kanadassa. Kummallakin on elämässään omat haasteensa, ilonsa ja toiveensa, mutta molempien elämää koskettaa ympäröivän luonnon muuttuminen ihmisten tekojen takia.

Tämän soisi kaikkien ilmastonmuutosdenialistien lukevan, mutta eipä tämäkään varmasti heidän käsityksiään siitä, mitä maailmalla tapahtuu pystyisi muuttamaan.

[Mrs. B. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

EPIC ADVENTURE!! Read this graphic novel!!! Parallel storylines. Yumi in the Arctic and Sami in the Bay of Bengal are both in perilous danger due to climate change.
Great artwork. Geographical locators interspersed throughout the text - similar to those in Illegal which was written by the same authors.
Info on global warming and a series of the artist’s sketches in the back are the cherry on top for this gasp-out-loud action packed FAST paced book.
I am ordering a class set!

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel is amazing. Two children fight for survival in two vastly different parts of the world. Both are facing the effects of climate change. The story manages to connect them in a subtle way at the end. I enjoyed reading this, and young people will, too. It will keep them on the edge of their seats. It is a tween-friendly way to learn about climate change.