Sardine in Outer Space

A Graphic Novel

Written By: Emmanuel Guibert

Pictures By: Joann Sfar

Color By: Walter Pezzali

Translation By: Sasha Watson

Today's World Seen From the Eyes of Children

• Fast-paced
• Children want action, adventure, excitement
• Video games-movement, intensity, hands-on
• Questions about the future
• Wonder of the unknown
• Superheros
• Popular slang

Sardine in Outer Space

• Fast-paced
• Possible answers about the future
• Action, adventure, excitement
• Material related to a child's world (language, aspects of popular culture)
• Color
• Intensity
• Forces between good and evil
• Superheros
• Creation of the unknown

Personal Feelings

I'm not a huge fan of dragons, talking clouds or galatic dictators, but some children are. To me, children represent innocence and freedom, wildness and chaos but none too often, these childlike attributes are squandered in children. Books concerning puppy dogs, making friends and snowmen are placed in the hands of children when it is expected that a love of reading resignates. NO! Some children want to read about dragons that tear your heart out and scary jack-o-laterns that will chase you down. Video games are extremely popular because they engage and excite children. Books need to be exciting and engaging too, to instill a love of reading in children. Sardine in Outer Space inspired and motivated me to start thinking about and open my eyes to different types of genres of text. To an appropriate extent, I want my future students to choose their own reading material to garner success. As I read Sardine in Outer Space, I thought about how I, as a child, would read my Archie comics for hours on end. I would do so because I wanted an easy, quick read but it was always one that engaged me for hours. I, as a reader, contributed something of me to that Archie world which kept me meaningfully engaged with the material. Sardine in Outer Space does just that. An imaginative world is presented and children add to that world through their own personal thoughts and feelings. In the way of illustrations, Sardine in Outer Space exemplifys exactly what children desire- action, adventure, color, intensity, detail- you name it. I felt such a positive connection to the graphic novel Sardine in Outer Space for three different reasons:

1. The witty text, combined with the vibrant and detailed illustrations enabled readers to become part of and contribute to an imaginative world of which they belonged (as the Archie comics had done for me).

2. Various aspects of popular culture such as language and activities were implemented into the novel, creating material that is meaningful to readers.

3. The novel encompassed all of which a child desires in today's society- adventure, action-packed, fast-paced and imagination.

I feel that Sardine in Outer Space would truly encourage a love of reading in children. Sardine in Outer Space draws upon the natural imagination of a child and brings them into a world of which they belong.

Merit in the Classroom

Before I had taken the Childrens Literature course, if someone had asked me "do graphic novels have any sort of merit in the classroom?" I would have firmly said no. I used to believe that graphic novels did not provide as much depth, details or meaningful materials as "regular" novels did. I thought graphic novels were just a fun means of reading for some people but had no educational value. If you asked me now if I thought graphic novels had any sort of merit in the classroom, I would firmly say yes. Whether it be a novel or a graphic novel, the content itself may not be educational but the purpose for using one in the classroom may be so. For example, when you give a graphic novel to a student which contains something of which one desires; action, energy, detail and story, one is acknowledging the personality of that reader and thereby fostering a love of reading. To me, fostering a love of reading in students is of more significance than finding relevance in content only. Sardine in Outer Space changed my perspective on the use of graphic novels in the classroom and allowed for an important paradigm shift.