October 15, 2006
In the new graphic-novel Graphic Library: Inventions and Discovery series, Lemke gives readers an accessible time line for the creation of the personal computer and the birth of Apple Computer, Inc., introducing the two young men who got the job done. Wozniak is presented as the technical genius, while Jobs is shown as the marketing dynamo who steered the fledgling company into the mainstream. Background appears in rectangular boxes strung across the panels, while dialogue, in traditional balloons, keys into the personalities of the partners. Although the art is sturdy, its heavy, black details and somber colors aren't particularly appealing; and at a glance it's difficult to tell Wozniak and Jobs apart, especially during the early years of their association, when both had long, dark hair and beards. Such snags aside, however, this is still an accessible distillation of an intriguing corporate history that kids might not be inclined to read about in a traditional format. Appended notes, both clear and useful, add more context to the story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)