Viewfinder
by Christine D U Chung (Author)
A young space traveler happens upon Earth in the future in this gorgeous wordless adventure for fans of Shaun Tan.
A young space traveler visits Earth on a whim and finds a planet empty of people. She happens upon a strange contraption that contains images of what the planet used to be like, and using this viewfinder, she sees Earth as it was, juxtaposed against Earth as it is: abandoned, but still full of amazing things.
Her adventure takes her to a museum full of hints about the planet's past and the strange glowing mushrooms that grow everywhere, a library that has become home to a variety of zoo animals, and a beautiful but crumbling space station from which she makes a daring escape. As she wanders, though, she sees signs that perhaps there is still someone here. A time capsule, a friendly cat and a makeshift railcar all add to the mystery . . . is she really alone?
The lush and captivating art and subtle nod to stewardship in this wordless graphic novel will draw readers in and leave them with a renewed sense of wonder for the resilient and extraordinary place we call home.
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Publishers Weekly
Chung and Majoka's wordless, fluidly rendered debut graphic novel stars a young astronaut, depicted with pale skin and red hair, who leaves their home on an unidentified planet to travel across space looking for a rumored faraway blue world. Upon landing in an open field on the surface of a planet that looks like Earth, the traveler discovers the dilapidated remains of a once-thriving civilization, its people nowhere to be seen. While wandering an overgrown schoolyard, the traveler finds a toy-filled time capsule that includes an item reminiscent of a retro View-Master that contains images of the world's past. The astronaut soon enters a train station overtaken by foliage, where they encounter a cat covered in glowing mushrooms; various other fungi-spotted animals appear as the child explores a museum, a library, and eventually, an underwater cavern. Feeling homesick after viewing space through a telescope, the traveler makes their way home, leaving behind their own window into the cosmos for someone to find. Juxtaposing sepia scenes of the lost world with dream-like colors of nature reclaiming places once bustling with people, Chung and Majoka craft an awe-inspiring adventure tinged with a melancholy sense of loss that imparts a gentle warning to safeguard the planet. Ages 6-9. Agent: Peter Ryan, Stimola Literary Studio. (Feb.)
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JUV053020 - Juvenile Fiction | Science Fiction | Space Exploration
