Higher Ground, an innovative children's graphic novel by Tull Suwannakit (illustrator, Sad, the Dog), is a moving account of a family relying on each other and a bit of hope in the face of a natural disaster.
A "frail and weak" grandma, her two grandchildren, and their pet rabbit are unable to evacuate before an unprecedented storm, so they take refuge in a shed on their building's rooftop. The next morning, the "Great Flood" has ravaged their city and all they see is "water all around." Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and no help arrives. Grandma teaches the older child narrator and her granddaughter survival skills--how to start a fire, how to grow a garden, how to fish, how to "keep [their] dreams afloat." The water brings them things left behind by their neighbors: a life jacket. A first aid kit. A "ragged and worn" notebook with drawings of life before the storm; this the granddaughter uses to record Grandma's lessons and life on the rooftop.
Seasons come and go, and Grandma grows weaker while the storms grow stronger. The floodwaters continue to rise, so the grandchildren build a raft. Grandma tells her grandchildren she won't be joining them, and it feels like "the world [is] crashing down." But Grandma reminds them that "with each ending, a new beginning unfolds. Embrace it." And so, a frightening and exhausting--yet also hopeful--journey to a new home begins.
This cli-fi story's depiction of adaptation, the importance of family, and overcoming adversity is affecting and delivered in an uncommon format. Rather than make Higher Ground a picture book or a graphic novel, Suwannakit combines elements of picture books, journals, and graphic novels in a multilayered format. Stunning, dynamic watercolor, graphite, acrylic, and gouache illustrations bolster sparse text; wordless sequences of flipbook-like panels create visceral visual storytelling; and bird's-eye-view depictions of the granddaughter's journal pages provide facts and instructions readers can return to repeatedly.
Although the older grandchild narrates, the sweet and inspiring relationship created by their grandmother anchors the story. Grandma imparts her wisdom about sustainability and survival by sharing stories, traditions, and talents from her past, like harvesting and resourcefulness. The narrator then takes over when Grandma becomes too weak and shares knowledge with the granddaughter in the same way their grandmother did. This captivating work is both a warning about the effects of climate change and a reflection on the power of resilience and hope in the face of disaster. --Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader
Shelf Talker: In this captivating, innovative children's graphic novel, a grandma, her two grandchildren, and their pet rabbit rely on each other and a bit of hope in the face of a natural disaster.