Jim Curious : A Voyage to the Heart of the Sea

by Matthias Picard

Overview

Jim Curious portrays the fantastical story of a young boy and his thrilling trip to the bottom of the sea in an old-fashioned diving suit. But there are no words telling his tale—only intricately illustrated images in exceptional 3-D. On his journey, Jim initially passes the garbage tossed into the waters by land-dwellers, but soon he goes deeper and deeper, immersing himself in the wonders of the waters. He encounters sea creatures large and small, a sunken pirate ship, and even the rem­nant of what seems to be Atlantis, before coming upon a mysterious force at the bottom that turns everything on its head.

Praise for Jim Curious
STARRED REVIEWS
"Who needs 3D IMAX technology? Originally published in France, this near-wordless picture book ensures an incredible journey without ever leaving the sofa."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"In this wordless picture book–esque graphic novel, Picard gets to the heart of visual storytelling with a beautifully illustrated 3-D deep sea adventure."
—School Library Journal, starred review

"Here’s a masterful triple threat—wordless book, comics-style book, 3-D book—that successfully parries all charges of gimmickry."
—The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books, starred review

"The lush, expressive black-and-white, full-page illustrations in this wordless graphic novel would be thrilling enough on their own, but French graphic designer Picard has rendered them in glorious, artful 3-D. When Jim slips beneath the surface of the water, the pictures pop off the page, giving a lovely sense of depth to his deep sea dive."
—Booklist

"A thoroughly immersive outing."
—Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419710438
Publisher:	Harry N Abrams Inc
Publication date:	04/15/2014
Pages:	52
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 13.10(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Matthias Picard is a graphic artist who has published a graphic novel, Jeanine, in France. He is based in Paris.

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/10/2014
Who needs 3D IMAX technology? Originally published in France, this near-wordless picture book ensures an incredible journey without ever leaving the sofa. Packaged with two pairs of classic red-and-blue 3D glasses, the story follows young Jim out the front door and into the depths of the ocean. There, clad in an enormous diving suit, he encounters a fearsome shark, myriad other sea creatures, shipwrecks, and a ruined undersea city before discovering an ocean-floor hatch that turns his world upside down in a foldout finale. French illustrator Picard drafts intricate, densely hatched, scratchbook-style b&w illustrations that teem with undersea flora and fauna, all of which are a delight to pore over. Ages 6–10. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 05/01/2014
Gr 1–4—In this wordless picture book—esque graphic novel, Picard gets to the heart of visual storytelling with a beautifully illustrated 3-D deep sea adventure. At the outset, Jim Curious leaves his house in a clunky diving suit. With each step, he bongs and klangs as he awkwardly makes his way to the sea. Once the title character descends the ladder into the water, he immediately floats into another world, as do readers. This kind of trip to the darkest depths is a solitary one, and the lack of text reinforces the isolation of deep sea diving. But Jim Curious is anything but alone as he encounters a multitude of fauna, flora, and forgotten ruins. Picard's whimsical and detailed drawings take viewers on a journey that has to be seen to be believed. This kind of interactive experience (two pairs of cardboard anaglyph glasses are included with the book), can sometimes be gimmicky, but it works here, as the 3-D images make this title completely immersive, with layers and depth that enhance the visual narrative. Readers will forget that these pages are flat and will find themselves trying to reaching into the story with smiles on their faces. An amazing adventure for all ages, especially graphic novel aficionados.—Billy Parrott, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

2014-02-26
Two pairs of 3-D glasses included with the book add plenty of depth to an explorer's undersea adventures in this wordless import. Wearing a clunky diving suit, sans air hose, Picard's figure dives off a dock and leaves the flat 2-D land above to float through a marvelous world of interwoven fronds, darting fish and general human detritus. Later encounters with a huge shark and an undersea city give way to a mysterious tunnel leading to a hatchway that, opened, drains the entire ocean. This sets up a final double gatefold filled with sea life that, marvelously, has taken over the land. Arranged in a mix of full-spread scenes and large sequential panels, the black-and-white cartoon art is done in a relatively realistic style. It displays (with the goggles) multiple levels and convincing depth of field, along with swirling currents and large forms looming out of the darkness. The volume will likely outlast the two cardboard-and-celluloid goggles, but what with the current popularity of 3-D films, finding replacements shouldn't be difficult. Without the goggles, the illustrations are clear as mud. Required prop notwithstanding, a thoroughly immersive outing. (Picture book/novelty. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews