Thoreau at Walden

Nov 19, 2008 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 6th grade and up?

Recommended to Becky by: Kirkus

Shelves: graphic-novels, nonfiction, biography

This was a lovely book! Although "graphic novel adaptation of Thoreau" doesn't seem like the most likely combo, it somehow works. The illustrations by John Porcellino are simple, Thurber-esque line drawings, and the introduction by D.B. Johnson provides a good background. "What could not be found until now are the countless moments of silence that Thoreau experienced at Walden Pond. Porcellino faithfully re-creates those moments of quiet reverie..."

I don't think I read Walden Pond in its origina...more

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Apr 30, 2008 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Credit The Center for Cartoon Studies with this much; it isn’t your everyday average run-of-the-mill comic book variety factory. I mean, any schlub can slap together a bunch of panels, paste in some vague dialogue and facts, and then create enough computer images to declare their product a graphic novel bio of such n’ such a figure. It’s much harder when you want to do something a little more original with your subject. When The Center produced Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow last year, th...more Credit The Center for Cartoon Studies with this much; it isn’t your everyday average run-of-the-mill comic book variety factory. I mean, any schlub can slap together a bunch of panels, paste in some vague dialogue and facts, and then create enough computer images to declare their product a graphic novel bio of such n’ such a figure. It’s much harder when you want to do something a little more original with your subject. When The Center produced Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow last year, they didn’t make it some rote retelling of facts. Instead they created a story around their subject, placing Satchel at the center of the action rather than the story. I was curious to see how they’d tackle their next project: Henry David Thoreau. The result was not what I’d expected. Simplifying everything down to its most essential components, John Porcellino takes Thoreau’s Walden and conveys ideas through the minimum words and images needed to tell his tale. Its success is dependent entirely on the reader’s willingness to play along.

Separated into four seasons, the reader follows Henry David Thoreau as he spends time living on his own alongside Walden Pond. Snatches of his writings from the time dot the text, with much of the attention paid to his quieter moments of pause and reflection. Watching an owl in a tree, standing in the rain, or sitting in the middle of a boat in the center of his pond, artist John Porcellino allows us the chance to experience the simple miracles of the everyday through Thoreau’s eyes. With an almost minimalist style of cartooning, we see Porcellino recount the incident with the poll tax and other well-known moments, but for the most part this is a book that takes Thoreau’s message to heart and seeks to present a book that conveys the message of Walden visually rather than with words.

I was pleased to see that D.B. Johnson was responsible for the Introduction to this book. Best known for his Henry picture books ( Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, Henry Works, etc.) starring a Thoreaunized bear, Johnson delivers a beautiful summary of Thoreau’s life, his ideas, and the way in which John Porcellino has captured the his spirit with remarkably few lines. Says Johnson, “You may regret that not all of Thoreau’s words are here, but I do not. His words are among the most quoted of any writer and are found everywhere today. What could not be found until now are the countless moments of silence that Thoreau experienced at Walden Pond.” I see it this way; anyone can relay a person's words. It takes a special talent to relay a person's peace of mind. I would also say that Johnson’s Introduction is essential reading before you start in on the story. If you don’t understand that this is a book that hopes to capture the quiet moments between Thoreau’s thoughts then you might be confused as to why not much happens in the story. As Porcellino says of his book, it is, “not a definitive or chronological account of Thoreau’s stay at the pond, but rather an impression of his experience there.”

My husband was unconvinced of Porcellino’s cartooning talent. And it would be fair to say that many people could pick up this book and see it as childlike and simplistic. But I suppose that Porcellino was paired specifically with Thoreau because the simplicity of his line echoes the simplicity of the text. I began to wonder if the story could have been improved it had been in color. Thus far the books created by The Center for Cartoon Studies have all been black and white. This cuts down on costs, but something about this book felt like it should have had color in it. Not gross shadings and undulating tones, but straightforward blues for the lake, greens for the trees, and the color of a huckleberry hanging off a bush. If any book deserved it, this one did.

I know that when some people read in Johnson’s Introduction that Porcellino has reduced Thoreau’s words to a minimum, they’re going to be concerned. To what extent do you trust a comic book artist to adapt an American philosopher? Porcellino’s Afterword addresses the changes that he has made, and it certainly put my heart at ease to hear him describe what he did. “All the words in this book, with a few exceptions (noted below), come directly from Thoreau’s published writings (though I’ve taken the liberty of altering punctuation when necessary, and combining, and rearranging the quotations to make the story flow.” To account for all of this he has a complete list of Quotation Sources at the end of the book detailing each quote and where it can be found “in editions of Thoreau’s work that are currently in print and easily available.” The book’s last few pages also contain a map, Panel Discussions, and a Bibliography of works about both Walden and Thoreau.

Thoreau at Walden would pair beautifully with a high school or college course in which students had to read Walden on their own. I know that had I read this book (and its Introduction) when I was younger I might have been able to understand a lot more of what Thoreau was trying to say. Advocates of civil disobedience, environmentalism, simple living, vegetarianism, and more adore him. It only stands to reason that we should find ways to get his books into the hands of our children. And Thoreau at Walden is now the number one method of doing so.

For ages 9 and up.
(less)

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Feb 09, 2013 Breanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

I'm very interested in what Thoreau was exploring at Walden, and I find this simple graphic novel to be a very approachable introduction for people like me. The beginning talks about how this not only quotes some of the things Thoreau wrote at Walden, but it also captures some of the quiet, reflective moments that he certainly had (observing an owl, waking up in the sunshine, bathing in the pond) and integrates them with the conclusions he came to while he was there. I also appreciated the actua...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Brigitte rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I won’t split hairs, John Porcellino, author/illustrator of Thoreau at Walden was already one of my favorite zinesters slash comic artists slash graphic novelians before I got a copy of this book for my birthday. Porcellino is already a bit of a gift-giving tradition for my Dad, who has read “King Cat” for years, but this present was especially appropriate as I am working my way through the original Walden as I type (well, not literally).

Porcellino’s vision of Thoreau’s work, for me, makes a won...more

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Mar 09, 2010 Ch_jank-caporale rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: info-bios, graphic-novels

For students who are not familiar with Henry David Thoreau, or who want to review his reflectiond at Walden, this graphic novel presents his time there in four parts: 1) his choice to live on Walden Pond; 2) what he learned there about himself and nature; 3) the incident that inspired his treatise on Civil Disobedience; and 4) his decision to leave Walden.
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation..." observes Thoreau in a bubble over a simple drawing of the Prologue. The text is the first...more

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Nov 11, 2009 nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

this is the sort of book that makes me want to be a school librarian. it would work so well with a classroom, rather than the one-to-one dispersion at a public library. john porcellino's illustrations bring to mind the simplicity of allison cole that i like so much and really mirror the spirit of thoreau's project. i think the introduction and panel discussion bring the experience to a child's level without talking down to them.

it really made me think about that new york times article i read a...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: z_12, graphic-novel, ya

Thoreau's Walden in manageable chunks.

Reads somewhat like a greatest hits collection of Thoreau's thoughts from Walden.** It's a friendly, accessible entry into Thoreau that would work well for individuals (kids & adults) interested as well as teachers. It'd be easy to pull parts out to discuss.

Clean, simple (but not simplistic) panels that match well with the thoughts presented. I'd like to see more of Porcellino's work.

I found this while browsing my local public library's teen graphic no...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Thomas matatall rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

This graphic novel was a very interesting read because this is about a man who wants to explore the good in nature. Thoreau wants to enjoy the wild life and not have to depend on others. This is based on a true story too and it may sound weird that he went off to live in the woods and completly cut himself off from socitey but don;t you think it would be even more weird now a days? Since we have phones, tv's, cars, and a bunch of other tablets now? To be honest, i thought this was sort of boring...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels-graphic-nonfiction, young-adult, spirituality, favorites, retellings

I feel like this book gave me a glimpse into Thoreau's heart, rather than his head. Or maybe this condensed, illustrated version of Walden speaks more to my heart than to my head. Thoreau's words are here, yes, purposeful and stirring, but so is the space between the words, the quiet, transcendent moments that the telling alone has only pointed to.

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Sep 18, 2012 Alyse Liebovich rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Gary Anderson

Shelves: graphic-novel

I first learned about Henry David Thoreau and his beliefs in Gary Anderson's American Studies English class when I was a junior in high school. I immediately became obsessed with him and his ideologies. I just discovered this graphic novel version of some of his collected thoughts and spent the last 15 minutes reading it. I really enjoyed the introduction as a memory jog. I think the graphic novel portion does a good job of accomplishing the book's stated goal, which is to get the reader interes...more

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Aug 29, 2008 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked how the simple illustrations reinforced Thoreau's plea for us to Simplify! I think this will be more successful with readers who are already familiar with Thoreau and his writings rather than being an introduction, but I'd like to try it with students to gauge their responses.

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Jun 14, 2008 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Henry David Thoreau's words put into a graphic novel. The simple illustrations define his dedication to a life of simplicity. I liked it. Any other Thoreau fans out there?

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May 06, 2013 Sue rated it 2 of 5 stars

I agree with Kristin who shared this book with me.. I learned more in the introduction than I did in the book itself.. Thoreau did indeed march to a different drummer... but not as much as I thought he did.. I always thought he stayed at Walden Pond and thought about things.. but apparently he had a social side too... when I looked at the imprint of the book I see it is a company of the Disney empire.. sorry.. but that altered my opinion from the very beginning of what I might expect... for a 'g...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Judi Paradis rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this comic book that included several quotes from Henry David Thoreau's book Walden. The illustrations did a lot to bring the quotes alive and they were very simply drawn in keeping with the text. I'm not sure exactly what kids would make of this book without a context, especially kids under 10 or 12. However, used in context of discussing Thoreau's life (which we do in grade 3), this might be a nice way to convey his words with meaning. I love the Henry Builds a Cabin book and pe...more

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Jun 05, 2008 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fic

Brilliant!

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Oct 23, 2012 Annette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic, novel, biography, thoreau, comic, nature, writing

Thoreau at Walden by John Porcellino is a graphic treatment based on the writings of Henry David Thoreau. Using simple line drawings and selected excerpts from Thoreau's Walden, Porcellino retells the story of America's first environmentalist and his experiences living at Walden Pond.[return][return]The book begins with an outstanding introduction by D.B. Johnson introducing Thoreau to readers. [return][return]The body of the book is displayed comic-style with a mixture of captions and speech bu...more

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Feb 17, 2008 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Credit The Center for Cartoon Studies with this much; it isn’t your everyday average run-of-the-mill comic book variety factory. I mean, any schlub can slap together a bunch of panels, paste in some vague dialogue and facts, and then create enough computer images to declare their product a graphic novel bio of such n’ such a figure. It’s much harder when you want to do something a little more original with your subject. When The Center produced Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow last year, th...more Credit The Center for Cartoon Studies with this much; it isn’t your everyday average run-of-the-mill comic book variety factory. I mean, any schlub can slap together a bunch of panels, paste in some vague dialogue and facts, and then create enough computer images to declare their product a graphic novel bio of such n’ such a figure. It’s much harder when you want to do something a little more original with your subject. When The Center produced Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow last year, they didn’t make it some rote retelling of facts. Instead they created a story around their subject, placing Satchel at the center of the action rather than the story. I was curious to see how they’d tackle their next project: Henry David Thoreau. The result was not what I’d expected. Simplifying everything down to its most essential components, John Porcellino takes Thoreau’s Walden and conveys ideas through the minimum words and images needed to tell his tale. Its success is dependent entirely on the reader’s willingness to play along.

Separated into four seasons, the reader follows Henry David Thoreau as he spends time living on his own alongside Walden Pond. Snatches of his writings from the time dot the text, with much of the attention paid to his quieter moments of pause and reflection. Watching an owl in a tree, standing in the rain, or sitting in the middle of a boat in the center of his pond, artist John Porcellino allows us the chance to experience the simple miracles of the everyday through Thoreau’s eyes. With an almost minimalist style of cartooning, we see Porcellino recount the incident with the poll tax and other well-known moments, but for the most part this is a book that takes Thoreau’s message to heart and seeks to present a book that conveys the message of Walden visually rather than with words.

I was pleased to see that D.B. Johnson was responsible for the Introduction to this book. Best known for his Henry picture books ( Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, Henry Works, etc.) starring a Thoreaunized bear, Johnson delivers a beautiful summary of Thoreau’s life, his ideas, and the way in which John Porcellino has captured the his spirit with remarkably few lines. Says Johnson, “You may regret that not all of Thoreau’s words are here, but I do not. His words are among the most quoted of any writer and are found everywhere today. What could not be found until now are the countless moments of silence that Thoreau experienced at Walden Pond.” I see it this way; anyone can relay a person's words. It takes a special talent to relay a person's peace of mind. I would also say that Johnson’s Introduction is essential reading before you start in on the story. If you don’t understand that this is a book that hopes to capture the quiet moments between Thoreau’s thoughts then you might be confused as to why not much happens in the story. As Porcellino says of his book, it is, “not a definitive or chronological account of Thoreau’s stay at the pond, but rather an impression of his experience there.”

My husband was unconvinced of Porcellino’s cartooning talent. And it would be fair to say that many people could pick up this book and see it as childlike and simplistic. But I suppose that Porcellino was paired specifically with Thoreau because the simplicity of his line echoes the simplicity of the text. I began to wonder if the story could have been improved it had been in color. Thus far the books created by The Center for Cartoon Studies have all been black and white. This cuts down on costs, but something about this book felt like it should have had color in it. Not gross shadings and undulating tones, but straightforward blues for the lake, greens for the trees, and the color of a huckleberry hanging off a bush. If any book deserved it, this one did.

I know that when some people read in Johnson’s Introduction that Porcellino has reduced Thoreau’s words to a minimum, they’re going to be concerned. To what extent do you trust a comic book artist to adapt an American philosopher? Porcellino’s Afterword addresses the changes that he has made, and it certainly put my heart at ease to hear him describe what he did. “All the words in this book, with a few exceptions (noted below), come directly from Thoreau’s published writings (though I’ve taken the liberty of altering punctuation when necessary, and combining, and rearranging the quotations to make the story flow.” To account for all of this he has a complete list of Quotation Sources at the end of the book detailing each quote and where it can be found “in editions of Thoreau’s work that are currently in print and easily available.” The book’s last few pages also contain a map, Panel Discussions, and a Bibliography of works about both Walden and Thoreau.

Thoreau at Walden would pair beautifully with a high school or college course in which students had to read Walden on their own. I know that had I read this book (and its Introduction) when I was younger I might have been able to understand a lot more of what Thoreau was trying to say. Advocates of civil disobedience, environmentalism, simple living, vegetarianism, and more adore him. It only stands to reason that we should find ways to get his books into the hands of our children. And Thoreau at Walden is now the number one method of doing so.

For ages 9 and up.
(less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Ricki rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book truly captures the essence of Thoreau's writing. Additionally, it dispels many of the myths people believe about him. As I am a huge lover of all things Thoreau, I felt like a lot was missing, but that is understandable based on the format. We use this as a supplementary guide for our lower-level and ESL students who struggle with his writing, and it is quite effective. (However, I want to note that I don't think this is geared toward lower-level readers--the visuals guide understandin...more

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Jul 12, 2009 Emilia P rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comic-books

Thoreau's peaceful, individualist self-sufficiency thing always sounded sort of suspect to me, and this book, as broadly and gently as it painted him (using his words largely verbatim)...I can't help it, I still don't like it. Ah well, it wasn't written to convince. I liked when he got stuck in jail for not paying his taxes!

And the art, yes, that was swell. Better and more appropriate than the other, overly emo, thing I've read by Porcellino. And I like his name. Maybe that should not factor in....more

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Apr 12, 2010 Krista rated it 4 of 5 stars

An illustrated introduction to Henry David Thoreau's time spent living near Walden Pond, contemplating nature and people's place in the world. The author weaves together anecdotes and quotations from several of Thoreau's seminal works, including Walden. While I felt the illustrations were at times too simplistic and did not give a strong sense of Walden, I was intrigued enough by the text to dip into my Thoreau collection once again, and to ponder a visit to Massachusetts.

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Nov 22, 2009 Shelley larson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although this book didn't contain my favorite quotes from Walden, I still enjoyed reading it. It was nice to see a new perspective on a classic. I remember hating Walden when I read it in 11th grade, but every time I have encountered it since I have loved it. Perhaps it is the philosopher in me, but I respect what Thoreau did and wish I could have a similar experience.
Genre: graphic novel
Copyright: 2008

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Aug 23, 2010 Marcia rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: grades 5-6, history fans

Shelves: grades-4-6, graphic-novels, picture-books

A simply drawn graphic novel pairs perfectly with the words of Henry David Thoreau in this perfect introduction to the life of the Concord Transcendentalist and famous resident of Walden.

The book takes the reader through the seasons and touches on some of the best know incidents of the time, such as Thoreau's night in prison and his encounter with a mouse. Enjoyed it.

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Apr 09, 2012 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, graphic-novels, middle-grade, older-kids, teen, non-fiction

Beautifully and simply done, but to be honest, I can't think of a single child who'd wanna read this. I mean, the drawings are paired with the original text. Even with an explanatory appendix at the end, it's a little stiff for kids. Maybe more appropriate for teens, but I still can't think of which ones would pick this up on their own.

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Apr 30, 2013 Kris Patrick rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think I got more out of the Prologue, Introduction, and "Panel discussions" than I did out of the actual book content... Carmel has it cataloged as Children's... I would have cataloged as Young Adult. just because it has simple line drawings and big text doesn't mean it makes sense for little kiddoes.

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Oct 30, 2009 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-nonfiction

It may be Walden-lite, but I enjoyed this gentle graphic depiction. The simple drawings harmonize with the text. Perhaps I was being a little flip with my Walden-lite remark. The author is giving us the essence of Thoreau, set apart, echoing the self-reliance and beauty of his surroundings.

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May 17, 2009 Tamara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Tamara by: Kirkus Review

Shelves: green, non-fiction, graphic-novels

Graphic novel version of Thoreau's Walden.

The simplicity of the drawings compliments the simplicity of Thoreau's philosophy.

Sadly, I like the "real" version better. But this would be good for high school tie-ins. So glad I was introduced to the transcendentalists as a teen. Hope they still teach such things in high school.

Favorite Quotes:

I am convinced, both by faith and experience, that to maintain one's self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime, if we will live simply and wisely....more

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Jun 24, 2010 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-sequential-art, library-loan

Beautiful little book - highlights parts of Thoreau's Walden with drawings and quotes. In the back of the book, there is a page by page discussion that gives more details about the words and situations in Thoreau's writing that inspired the drawings.

Very enjoyable experience. Thoreau was amazing.

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Jan 08, 2009 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Porcellino is the perfect cartoonist for this adaptation, or rather sort-of adaptation. The book is basically images of Thoreau walking around, living his life at Walden and thinking about stuff. It feels a lot like the King Kat comics in which teenage Porcellino wanders around and thinks about stuff.

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Mar 31, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

This is a great introduction to Thoreau. The simple style of the drawings fits well with Thoreau's ideas about living simply. Because the book contains many quotations from Thoreau's writing, I wonder if the style of the language would make it hard for kids to connect.

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Jul 19, 2009 Laura Rogers rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was so lovely. I love the writings of Thoreau anyway, but this little book was such fun to read and look at. I am not a graphic novel fan, but it worked in this case. I was charmed by the simple drawings and the quotes were inspirational. Cozy up with this one...

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