Treasure Island

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY MAR 8, 2010

The classic pirate novel is even more fun to read accompanied by well-done pictures. By capturing the feel of another time and place, readers are easily transported into the long-ago seafaring adventure. The art also helps readers become more comfortable with the old-fashioned language and phrasing. The European-styled thin line art is welcoming and approachable. Although cartoony, there's enough detail to stand up to Stevenson's textual imagery. The story is full of all the elements expected: mysterious omens, frightening strangers, a treasure map, seafaring adventure, murderous mutiny, and a boy's first journey to becoming a man. With up to 14 panels per page, this graphic novel is dense but not crowded, although the pages open up to show the ship, with full-page panels conveying the vista of the open ocean. This is a substantial adaptation, given the number of panels, inclusion of the original text, and the length of the book, much longer than the usual classic comic adaptation. The handsome hardcover will stand up to multiple readings, making this a fine choice for libraries or children's gifts.