Staff Picks: Everything is Okay by Debbie Tung

Everything is OK by Debbie Tung

A young freelance artist navigates adulting while managing anxiety, negative thoughts, and depression. Everything is OK uses illustrations with minimal color to contrast negative and positive emotional stages. The book describes panic attacks, inner dialog, and how therapy can help people unravel chronic feelings of low self-worth. 

Debbie Tung is a British cartoonist and illustrator who draws about everyday life. She shares her mental health journey in Everything is OK to remind people dealing with tough times or anxious feelings to be kind to themselves. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Color Our World Staff Picks: The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand by Matthew Gray Gubler an Juvenile Graphic Novel

The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand by Matthew Gray Gubler

What would you do if you had a big green hand? 

Lenore in Matthew Gray Gubler’s graphic novel The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand tries to hide her unusual appendage under a long scarf. Kids at school wonder why she always has a scarf wrapped about one of her hands even on the hottest days of summer and Lenore dreams of having two normal hands. Then one night, Lenore’s hand shares its own frustrating story of how it learned to accept the soft, pink blob that it’s always been attached to and Lenore gains a whole new perspective. 

Filled with simple pencil drawings, The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand is a cute and insightful story for anyone who has ever felt uncomfortable about their physical appearance and needs to relearn that our physical differences aren't what define us. 

Toon Talk: Third in a Series

With the advent of spring springing on, it’s only natural that all of Forsyth County is soon to be found under green trees and by riversides, indulging in America’s favorite pastime: reading comics. But — worry not. As teens and their older ilk flounder to find new material, the FCPL system is here to supply. Below are some of the best offerings your library has to offer for adults, curated by a cartoon-conscious teenager.

Black Hammer

I couldn’t write a library rec’ list without some Lemire. Really, my suggestion is just to run a search on the catalog that goes: “Lemire, Jeff.” I’ve yet to try something by him that hasn’t been a delight. But Black Hammer is a standout; it’s probably the best intro to Lemire’s bibliography that isn’t Essex County (try that, too!) His expertise is raw human emotion, rural horror, family drama, all with a heavy touch of cosmic weirdness. I tentatively recommend this series of adult graphic novels because I, myself, just started Black Hammer with the first trade (Volume One: Secret Origins) and now I’m going to have to compete with all of YOU to get the next book!

Peanuts

Here’s another reason why Fantagraphics is the best. They collected all of Charles Schulz’ Peanuts strips — dailies, Sundays, all of it — and packed them into a series of beautiful little books that you can read chronologically at your local library. Just search up “the complete Peanuts” on the catalog and take your pick over decades’ worth of cartoon masterminding. Don’t you remember Good Ol’ Charlie Brown? These soft bound books are found in the adult nonfiction section of the library. 

[Another recommended search on the catalog is to sort books by (PUB=”Fantagraphics”). It’s hard to go wrong there.]

Jade

Teen Advisory Board 

Toon Talk: Second in a Series

With the advent of spring springing on, it’s only natural that all of Forsyth County is soon to be found under green trees and by riversides, indulging in America’s favorite pastime: reading comics. But — worry not. As teens and their older ilk flounder to find new material, the FCPL system is here to supply. Below are some of the best offerings your library has to offer, curated by a cartoon-conscious teenager.

Superman by Joshua Williamson

Joshua Williamson is the current writer of DC Comics’ monthly Superman magazine. FCPL patrons may know him from his run on the Rebirth Flash title, but he’s really been strutting his stuff on the gig he’s got going with the Man of Steel. If you find yourself confined to the past or unsure where to jump in with modern comics, here’s a guaranteed good starting point. In reading order, FCPL has copies of Superman Vol. 1: Supercorp, Superman Vol. 2: The Chained, Superman: House of Brainiac, and Superman Vol. 3: The Dark Path (yes, Vol. 3 comes AFTER House of Brainiac! I’m here to help you!) Can you tell I’m a little Last-Son-of-Krypton crazy? Find the series in FCPL's Teen Graphic Novel section.

Toon Talk: First in a Series

With the advent of spring springing on, it’s only natural that all of Forsyth County is soon to be found under green trees and by riversides, indulging in America’s favorite pastime: reading comics. But — worry not. As teens and their older ilk flounder to find new material, the library is here to supply. 

Below are some of the best offerings FCPL has to offer, curated by a cartoon-conscious teenager.

Superman: Lost by Christopher Priest

Here’s a recent gem from one of my personal favorite writers, Christopher Priest. The quick sell is that it’s great for anyone who loves deep space isolation, temporal freak-outs, mature relationships (“mature” is the word best fit for Lost; that doesn’t imply anything crass or gory, but rather just a refreshing maturity from the central married couple and their depicted life), great Lex Luthor characterization, atmospheric art, and that perfect balance ‘tween humor, drama, and existentialism. Find the series in the adult graphic novel section.