Viewfinder

November 20, 2023
Chung and Majoka’s wordless, fluidly rendered debut graphic novel stars a young astronaut, depicted with pale skin and red hair, who leaves their home on an unidentified planet to travel across space looking for a rumored faraway blue world. Upon landing in an open field on the surface of a planet that looks like Earth, the traveler discovers the dilapidated remains of a once-thriving civilization, its people nowhere to be seen. While wandering an overgrown schoolyard, the traveler finds a toy-filled time capsule that includes an item reminiscent of a retro View-Master that contains images of the world’s past. The astronaut soon enters a train station overtaken by foliage, where they encounter a cat covered in glowing mushrooms; various other fungi-spotted animals appear as the child explores a museum, a library, and eventually, an underwater cavern. Feeling homesick after viewing space through a telescope, the traveler makes their way home, leaving behind their own window into the cosmos for someone to find. Juxtaposing sepia scenes of the lost world with dream-like colors of nature reclaiming places once bustling with people, Chung and Majoka craft an awe-inspiring adventure tinged with a melancholy sense of loss that imparts a gentle warning to safeguard the planet. Ages 6–9. Agent: Peter Ryan, Stimola Literary Studio.

February 1, 2024
Grades K-4 A young space explorer's visit to Earth reveals an abandoned civilization; a time capsule's toy stereoscope displays scenes of busy people pausing at an environmental alert. Sepia-toned images showing translucent orbs drifting downward as the humans board spaceships are interspersed with scenes of the helmeted traveler's avid exploration of this world--she wistfully observes abandoned wonders at a train station, a museum, a library, everything now speckled with glowing mushrooms. But encounters with creatures living unperturbed by the fungus--an inquisitive mouse, some helpful monkeys, a friendly housecat--reassure her about this world's future before she takes off for her home planet. In this captivating graphic novel debut, the accomplished author-illustrator duo (lifelong friends) demonstrate their exceptional skills as visual storytellers, as this wordless visionary adventure winds through an investigation of an unknown, yet familiar, world. Deftly paced paneling builds to dramatic reveals of gorgeous scenes rendered in glowing colors and exquisitely observed detail. Young readers will be transported by this sensitive and imaginative take on the evolution of our planet's ecosystem.

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Starred review from February 1, 2024
In this wordless graphic novel, a young space traveler alights upon a deserted Earth and explores the remnants of our world. A child points a rocket ship toward an unexplored spot on a map of space. The destination is none other than our own planet, devoid of humans but replete with artifacts. After landing and uncovering a stereoscopic viewfinder in a schoolyard time capsule, the protagonist discovers a map scribbled on one of the picture discs and sets out to investigate. The child traipses through neighborhood streets, traverses a once-bustling train depot, and silently surveys civilization's great achievements in a shadowy museum and a gorgeous library. The viewfinder's images offer clues to Earth's emptiness: Humans chose to leave the planet following an infestation of bioluminescent fungi that descended from the sky. They also subtly suggest the photographer's identity and their unique viewpoint on the Anthropocene's end. Although this tale touches upon a trope that may be familiar to older readers--the eerie beauty of post-apocalyptic decay--it employs a softer lens to ponder the striving, ephemeral nature of existence. Emphatically cute yet deliberately informative panels in purple, blue, and golden-green hues are inviting and economical. The explorer is tan-skinned, the viewfinder photographer is Black, and the people seen in the images are diverse. Beautiful and precisely depicted, a gentle, generous reflection on civilization and community life. (Graphic fiction. 6-12)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2024
Chung and Majoka offer a wordless graphic novel for younger readers that presents dystopian science fiction through a gentle, nearly amicable viewpoint. After a brief sepia-tone introduction showcases a classroom of students assembling a time capsule (complete with a retro viewfinder), readers are presented with a time jump by way of a futuristic spacecraft soaring across a cosmic double-page spread of swirling purples and blues. Inside the craft is a young astronaut traveling from planet to planet in search of geological specimens. Lonely, the adventurer sets coordinates for home; however, a detour leads to a very Earth-like planet. There the explorer finds abandoned buildings, crumbling infrastructure, and an abundance of luminescent, mushroom-like growths. Only after the protagonist discovers the aforementioned viewfinder can the history of the planet be puzzled together through photo-flashbacks -- and the story culminates in a near-encounter with the viewfinder's original owner. Drawn by Chung and digitally painted by Majoka, the cinematic cartooning has a polished, animated aesthetic composed of endlessly intriguing and imaginative scenes of an abandoned planet, heightened by moments of mild action and skillful lightning effects. A luminous, thought-provoking adventure. Patrick Gall

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from April 1, 2024

K-Gr 4-This wordless graphic novel takes readers on a poignant journey as a young space explorer lands on Earth and discovers what's left of a once thriving community after a catastrophic environmental event. With wonder and curiosity, the extraterrestrial child uncovers a stereoscopic viewfinder filled with pictures of a vibrant but long-gone society. Roaming through empty and crumbling landmarks, the protagonist pieces together the town's past through sepia-tone photographs taken by the viewfinder's original owner, who was clearly a child much like themself. As luminous, expressive illustrations take the explorer from one curiosity to another, readers are invited to ponder how our world might appear to an outsider, and consider the stories told by our buildings and treasured objects. While the narrative is imbued with a sense of loss, the softly rounded artwork rendered in pastel hues casts an optimistic tone. The story concludes on a hopeful note that affirms the importance of connection and resilience as the space explorer wraps up their mission and returns to their family. VERDICT Striking a balance between whimsical adventure and wistful contemplation, this title underscores the beauty and fragility of life on our planet. A first purchase for youth graphic novel collections.-Allison Tran

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
Chung and Majoka offer a wordless graphic novel for younger readers that presents dystopian science fiction through a gentle, nearly amicable viewpoint. After a brief sepia-tone introduction showcases a classroom of students assembling a time capsule (complete with a retro viewfinder), readers are presented with a time jump by way of a futuristic spacecraft soaring across a cosmic double-page spread of swirling purples and blues. Inside the craft is a young astronaut traveling from planet to planet in search of geological specimens. Lonely, the adventurer sets coordinates for home; however, a detour leads to a very Earth-like planet. There the explorer finds abandoned buildings, crumbling infrastructure, and an abundance of luminescent, mushroom-like growths. Only after the protagonist discovers the aforementioned viewfinder can the history of the planet be puzzled together through photo-flashbacks -- and the story culminates in a near-encounter with the viewfinder's original owner. Drawn by Chung and digitally painted by Majoka, the cinematic cartooning has a polished, animated aesthetic composed of endlessly intriguing and imaginative scenes of an abandoned planet, heightened by moments of mild action and skillful lightning effects. A luminous, thought-provoking adventure.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)