The Lost Islands (Explorer Series #2)

by Kazu Kibuishi

Overview

The highly anticipated second volume to the critically acclaimed Explorer series, The Lost Islands is a collection of seven all-new stories written and illustrated by an award-winning roster of comics artists, with each story centered around the theme of hidden places. Edited by the New York Times bestselling comics creator Kazu Kibuishi, this graphic anthology includes well-written, beautifully illustrated stories by Kazu (the Amulet series), Jason Caffoe (the Flight series), Raina Telgemeier (Drama and Smile), Dave Roman (the Astronaut Academy series), Jake Parker (the Missile Mouse series), Michel Gagné (The Saga of Rex), Katie and Steven Shanahan (the Flight series), and up-and-coming new artist Chrystin Garland.

Praise for Explorer 2: The Lost Islands

STARRED REVIEWS

"A second gathering of new graphic tales, diverse of plot and atmosphere but thematically linked by island settings and every bit as stellar as its predecessor…First rate."

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"With this second showcase Kibuishi affirms his editorial savvy for amassing talented creators and providing a vehicle to let them do what they do best: use comics to tell funny, thoughtful, and just plain good stories."

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Lost Islands is a great sequel to The Mystery Boxes (Abrams, 2012) that is masterfully told and beautifully drawn. A must-have for any collection."

—School Library Journal, starred review

"This sophomore effort’s solid artwork, dialogue, and stories will still be a great introductory title for young or struggling middle-school readers starting to explore the world of graphic novels."

—Booklist

"Variety of style is the real draw of Kibuishi’s graphic anthologies, and tweens reluctant to stray from their comic-book favorites will find the gamut of visual presentations eye-opening."

—The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books

"Another satisfying anthology that will leave readers eager for the next."

—The Horn Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419708817
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	10/08/2013
Series:	Kazu Kibuishi's Explorer Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	331,850
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	GN430L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kazu Kibuishi is the creator of Amulet, the award-winning New York Times bestselling graphic novel series, and the editor and art director of eight volumes of Flight, the influential Eisner-nominated anthology series. He lives in Alhambra, California.

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/09/2013
In this eclectically entertaining follow-up to Explorer: The Mystery Boxes, Kibuishi and a crew of cartoonists again take turns weaving seven tales based around a loose theme. This time the motif is islands, and the contributors are left to interpret it in illustrated shorts. Some, by using their strange and remote settings as microcosms, underscore the value of hard work (Jake Parker’s “Rabbit Island”) or finding one’s niche (Katie and Steven Shanahan’s “Radio Adrift”), while others examine more abstract concepts such as exploration and isolation (Jason Caffoe’s “Carapace”). Together, they coalesce into a product greater than the sum of its parts. Standouts include Chrystin Garland’s “The Mask Dance,” a gorgeous rendering of a young islander’s terrifying nocturnal encounter with shamanic spirits, and Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier’s fable “Desert Island Playlist,” about a castaway girl who is literally confronted by her past and future. With this second showcase Kibuishi affirms his editorial savvy for amassing talented creators and providing a vehicle to let them do what they do best: use comics to tell funny, thoughtful, and just plain good stories. Ages 9–up. (Oct.)¦

Publishers Weekly

★ 11/01/2013
Gr 4 Up—Carrying on the spirit of the much-loved "Flight" anthologies, Kibuishi continues his vision in this graphic novel that's filled with imaginative and kid-friendly stories. The book's variety is its greatest strength, creating mass appeal for a wide audience through an excellent mix of art styles, tones, and themes. Jake Parker starts off with a clever and retro-looking story about an island of lazy bunnies that forget the meaning of hard work. Chrystin Garland expertly takes the island motif in a complete different direction with a curious girl who must escape from an island of ghosts. Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier's "Desert Island Playlist" does not disappoint with its thought-provoking story about a girl trying to find herself, although it may be Michel Gagné who steals the show with a visually stunning tale about a school of fish fleeing an erupting underwater volcano. Ending on Kibuishi's own cautionary tale about a power-driven sea captain, Lost Islands is a great sequel to The Mystery Boxes (Abrams, 2012) that is masterfully told and beautifully drawn. A must-have for any collection.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, W

School Library Journal

★ 2013-09-15
A second gathering of new graphic tales, diverse of plot and atmosphere but thematically linked by island settings and every bit as stellar as its predecessor (Explorer: The Mystery Boxes, 2012). All seven anchor scary or exhilarating nautical adventures to metaphorical underpinnings. In Kibuishi's own "The Fishermen," for instance, an Ahab-like obsession with catching the big one leads a sailor into a cave that turns out to be a giant mouth. One young castaway meets a crab ghost with a massive "Carapace" (Jason Caffoe), and another bonds with an older version of herself in the enigmatic "Desert Island Playlist," by Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier. In the eeriest entry, Chrystin Garland's "The Mask Dance," a young island girl is lured to join tiki-masked celebrants who turn out to be dead. Printed on coated stock that really shows off the rich, clean colors, each tale's art is drawn in a different style but with easy-to-read figures, background details, dialogue and narrative. Each also ends with a rescue or a promising development, which gives the entire collection a buoyant tone. First rate. (Graphic short story anthology. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews