Animal Farm

July 8, 2019
In this painterly adaptation of the slim volume read by most Americans in middle school, Odyr’s expressive watercolor palette strikes a visceral note that matches the intensity of Orwell’s original text. An intelligent pig, named Old Major, inspires the other animals on an English farm to revolt against their cruel human masters, sparking a revolution. While all of the animals were considered to be free and equal, pigs Napoleon and Snowball wind up running the farm, earning extra luxuries as a result. An ideological disagreement between the pigs leads to Snowball’s brutal ouster and Napoleon rising up as a dictator harsher than their original human master. The novel was about the failure of the Russian Revolution and the betrayal of its ideals, but it stands as a general example of the desire for power overtaking idealism. This graphic novel version picks up on symbolic visuals, such as the animals’ hoof and horn flag resembling the hammer and sickle. Odyr skillfully plays to these stark elements while evoking the mood of the countryside and the plot’s shocking violence; the atmosphere and emotions are spot-on. But, while an effective illustration of the text, Odyr proves faithful to the original to a fault, not taking the opportunity to create a new, hybrid work of art. Still, the fidelity to Orwell’s vision makes it ideal for younger readers, in particular, and Orwell’s message is sustained. Agent: Bill Hamilton, A.M. Heath

September 1, 2019

Gr 6 Up-Tired of being enslaved by humans, the animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master, Mr. Jones, and reclaim the farm for themselves, setting out to create an environment in which all creatures are equal. While this plan succeeds initially, the original ideals get blurred as some animals are treated as "more equal than others." This graphic take, first published in Brazil, is a highly faithful adaptation of the classic political satire. There are strategic edits for brevity, but many lines and paragraphs are pulled word for word from Orwell's text. The page count exceeds that of the source material, though the graphic novel reads more quickly and maintains the original's 10 chapter division. The allegory and references to the Russian Revolution and the following Stalinist era of the Soviet Union are no more or less obvious in graphic form, but the message and delivery are neither diminished nor confused by the format. The coarse, visible brushstrokes of Odyr's largely unlined and unrestrained illustrations occasionally rely on a primary color palette that evokes the painted tissue collage style of Eric Carle while never skewing too young in appearance. At other times, the comingling of darker blues and grays adds gravitas to the story of talking animals. The use of white space keeps clumps of text, a digitized form of the illustrator's handwriting, from overwhelming the page. VERDICT Odyr vividly reimagines Orwell's allegory of the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist Soviet Union. Recommended where this title is required reading at school.-Alea Perez, Elmhurst Public Library, IL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2019

One fateful night, an aged pig named Old Major gathers all of the animals living on Manor Farm and urges them to rise up against their human masters. Inspired by Old Major's words, the animals rebel, and after taking control of their home and renaming it Animal Farm, develop a list of commandments dedicated to ensuring equality and success. The following harvest is a triumph, but before long life on Animal Farm darkens when a malevolent pig named Napoleon seizes power and establishes a cult of personality based on fear, disinformation, and brute force. The thick, textured brushstrokes from Brazilian graphic novelist Odyr (Copacabana) are marvelous, and pages that resemble a synthesis of graphic novel and storybook layout prove brilliant at evoking the allegorical and fantastical layers of the story simultaneously. VERDICT While Orwell's classic 1945 novella is a specific satire of the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union under Stalin, this skillful adaptation highlights the relevance of Orwell's warning to stay vigilant against the gradual erosion of freedom and to resist leaders who preach equality but demand absolute fealty.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 Love 'em or disdain 'em, but classics turned into full-color graphic adaptations are a growing genre. For reluctant readers, the positives enabled by illustrative enhancement to the original text can often outweigh potential negatives. Brazilian graphic novelist Odyr's fully authorized adaptation (in accordance with The Estate of Sonia Brownell Orwell) of Orwell's 1945 classic is an affecting example, alchemizing Orwell's period writing into a timeless, immediately terrifying warning about the dangers of abusive power. Before his death, porcine Old Major inspires rebellion in his fellow barn-inhabitants with his dream of animalism. The animals all agree they have had enough of misery and slavery at the hands of owner Mr. Jones. After achieving freedom from human control, two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, rise as leaders, until Napoleon manipulates himself into sole domination?and the consequences of his tyranny prove eerily familiar. This is hitting shelves just in time for the new school year, and educators might consider Odyr's �adaptation?made impressive with urgent, looming art?not as a replacement, but certainly as a tool for enrichment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)