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109th out of 334 books
—
319 voters
The Unsinkable Walker Bean
by
Aaron Renier (Goodreads Author)
Walker Bean never wanted to be a high-seas pirate waging a pitched battle against the forces of the deep. It just worked out that way.
Mild, meek, and a little geeky, Walker is always happiest in his grandfather’s workshop, messing around with his inventions. But when his beloved grandfather is struck by an ancient curse, it falls on Walker to return an accursed pearl skull...more
Mild, meek, and a little geeky, Walker is always happiest in his grandfather’s workshop, messing around with his inventions. But when his beloved grandfather is struck by an ancient curse, it falls on Walker to return an accursed pearl skull...more
Paperback, 208 pages
Published
August 17th 2010
by First Second
(first published 2010)
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I had really high hopes for this, but to be honest, it kind of let me down. It started about a dozen interesting strings of story—the pearl skulls and how they came to be, the secret language on the mysterious tablet, the origins of the girl pirate, the eerie doctor, etc—but it never really resolved any of them. I mean, the language on the tablet looked a lot like the language the monsters were speaking, but then it didn't seem to quite match up into a code you could decipher, and we never learn...more
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From my blog at http://brensbookstoread.blogspot.com/
Walter Bean is a slightly dorky kid who worships his grandfather, his stories and his inventions. When his grandfather gets struck by an ancient curse, it is up to him to return the evil skull causing the curse.
Not looking for adventure, Walter is suddenly swept up into hiding from pirates, ancient sea monsters hunting them, and inventing machines to fool the entire crew on his ship. Not to mention, he has to fight on the side of the pirates,...more
Walter Bean is a slightly dorky kid who worships his grandfather, his stories and his inventions. When his grandfather gets struck by an ancient curse, it is up to him to return the evil skull causing the curse.
Not looking for adventure, Walter is suddenly swept up into hiding from pirates, ancient sea monsters hunting them, and inventing machines to fool the entire crew on his ship. Not to mention, he has to fight on the side of the pirates,...more
The Unsinkable Walker Bean was kinda... sinkable. Walker Bean (whom I keep wanting to call Walter Bean) is a young boy whose grandfather, an Admiral in the Navy, is dying. His grandfather is under a curse from a skull that was rescued from the depths of the ocean- a skull that belongs to two "evil" lobster ladies in the depths. Walker, an imaginative and engineering child, decides to rescue his grandfather and find a way to remove the curse.
This book is just plain "eh". The graphics REALLY turne...more
This book is just plain "eh". The graphics REALLY turne...more
Really wanted to give this one a 4.5, mainly because I really loved the art--the colorization, in particular, is so vibrant and wonderful. Great stuff. My only qualm is that I feel like it might be kind of hard for kids to follow, considering it was hard for ME to follow, especially in the beginning. And then at the end I felt like all this great stuff was happening really fast and I was ALMOST beginning to thoroughly understand everything--and then it ended. I mean, I know that's how you set it...more
Dec 09, 2011
Amy Keltner
added it
1. Graphic Novel
2. Walker Bean goes on his biggest adventure yet. When his grandfathers bag of mysterious treasures is stolen Walker finds himself on a ship with pirates, fighting sea monsters and maybe even discovering the lost city of Atlantis.
3. a: The greatest strength of the novel was it's ability to keep you entertained. It is full of adventure and you are able to see the mishaps that each of the characters find themselves in.
b: The book is about the adventurous mishaps of Walker. He fi...more
2. Walker Bean goes on his biggest adventure yet. When his grandfathers bag of mysterious treasures is stolen Walker finds himself on a ship with pirates, fighting sea monsters and maybe even discovering the lost city of Atlantis.
3. a: The greatest strength of the novel was it's ability to keep you entertained. It is full of adventure and you are able to see the mishaps that each of the characters find themselves in.
b: The book is about the adventurous mishaps of Walker. He fi...more
Genre: Graphic Novel
Summary: This comic begins with a mythical story about skeletons, merwitches, and underwater creatures. A young boy is told this story by his grandfather, an admiral. The young boy soon embarks on his own journey to return a skull to the merwitches, who will then in turn lift a curse off of his grandfather.
Critique: a) This being a graphic novel, the illustrations are equally, if not more, important than the words in the book. Together they tell an adventure story which will...more
Summary: This comic begins with a mythical story about skeletons, merwitches, and underwater creatures. A young boy is told this story by his grandfather, an admiral. The young boy soon embarks on his own journey to return a skull to the merwitches, who will then in turn lift a curse off of his grandfather.
Critique: a) This being a graphic novel, the illustrations are equally, if not more, important than the words in the book. Together they tell an adventure story which will...more
I picked this up for my nine year old son, and found myself drawn to the wonderful art and intriguing story, so in the end I nicked it from him and read it myself. Walker Bean's beloved grandfather is horribly ill. He made the mistake of looking into the eyes of the pearl skull, stolen from the hoard of the hideous merwitches who destroyed Atlantis. The skull must be returned, but only young Walker is willing to do so. The skull is stolen! There's a sea-battle! Walker stows away on a pirate ship...more
Uh so. This was hella good.
I really liked Spiral Bound, kid-friendly but complex. Saw this guy at the Minneapolis Indie Expo, and was all "ooh what's your new book about". He was like "um a kid and an enchanted skull?" and I said ooh who are your influences? and he said "um French guys..". I said "Sfar?" He said "Yep." I said "awesome."
So of course I had to read it ASAP. I was a little worried that it would be overly Sfarian, but it did a really great job differentiating itself, in tone, in stor...more
I really liked Spiral Bound, kid-friendly but complex. Saw this guy at the Minneapolis Indie Expo, and was all "ooh what's your new book about". He was like "um a kid and an enchanted skull?" and I said ooh who are your influences? and he said "um French guys..". I said "Sfar?" He said "Yep." I said "awesome."
So of course I had to read it ASAP. I was a little worried that it would be overly Sfarian, but it did a really great job differentiating itself, in tone, in stor...more
Reason for Reading: My son loves seafaring tales and this looked wonderful.
This is a beautiful book to behold. The illustrations are so bold, vibrant and full of details. The panels have so much going on in the background that one can look into them and see something new each time. We are even treated to the occasional two-page spread illustration. While some of these may be focused on a large central figure, the background will still hold many small details that one should linger on so as not t...more
This is a beautiful book to behold. The illustrations are so bold, vibrant and full of details. The panels have so much going on in the background that one can look into them and see something new each time. We are even treated to the occasional two-page spread illustration. While some of these may be focused on a large central figure, the background will still hold many small details that one should linger on so as not t...more
In this graphic novel, Walker Bean must race to save his grandfather's life. To do this, Walker must recapture The Skull that has been stolen from evil merwitches who preside deep beneath the sea. Why this will save the grandfather, I'm not sure. Walker's father is in possession of The Skull, so it’s an easy steal for Walker. His father’s henchmen chase him down, and the adventure begins. Walker ends up on a pirate ship where he devises a plan to recapture The Skull. At least, that's what I thin...more
Audience: This is a beautiful book for older kids who love the comic or graphic novel format. It is for a reader who loves adventure and a fast paced twisting turning plot. Pirate lovers, sailors and those who love a good underdog story would enjoy this book as well. It is also great for a teacher looking for a different approach to using literature to teach lessons on courage, friendship or creative problem solving. There is quite a bit of violence and some mean name calling so I would not sugg...more
Another winner from First/Second. Walker Bean is a mild-mannered teen whose life is flipped upside down when his imaginative grandfather falls prey to a dangerous curse. The only way to save him is for Walker to return a magical glowing skull to a trio of evil witches that live in the deep sea. Mixing elements of fantasy, sea adventures, and folk tales this is a fun, fantastic read that should appeal to a lot of readers. Renier's art is very strong---the cartoonishness reminds me a lot of Herge...more
What can I say about Walker Bean? First you must know that I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels. I much prefer creating the pictures in my own mind, rather than having the illustrator create them for me (one of the reasons I rarely like the movie made from the book). That being said, this was an interesting story. The plot is one I think many of our middle school boys will enjoy...lots of adventure and creepy characters. There are twists and turns that are not always expected.
I think a book like...more
I think a book like...more
I had the honor of coloring this book, which is by one of my favorite cartoonists (and best friends!) Aaron Renier. There is more imagination and inventiveness packed into these 200 pages than some authors could dream up over their entire careers. Aaron has created such a convincing world, that you can smell the salty sea air and hear all the different vendors yelling at the market in a faraway port.
This book will hold up to multiple readings, as every panel on every page is jam packed with deta...more
This book will hold up to multiple readings, as every panel on every page is jam packed with deta...more
Perfect for fans of Jeff Smith's Bone. Walker Bean is a quiet, clumsy kid who finds himself on a ship full of pirates trying to steal back a cursed skull so he can save his grandpa's life all while being thwarted by a pirate girl with her own plans for the skull and pursued by two hideous monster sea-witches. This book has everything: action, adventure, suspense, drama, double-crosses, pirates, inventions, and genuine chills--the two-page illustration where one of the sea-witches is rising up fr...more
I really liked this graphic novel. I have read several over the last couple of days and this was my favorite. So why only four stars? There was a little too much unexplained randomness and several story lines are still waving around in the air and not secured down. How come all the pirates seem to be on first name basis with Walker's Dad? How come some people look into the skull and die almost right away but Walker's grandfather who was the first to look, lives till the end? Who is the doctor an...more
Aaron Renier's artwork reminds me in a way of Where's Waldo artist Martin Handford in its complexity and detail, but better. The story is fun and quirky and filled with pirates, sea-witches, high adventure and wonderful gadgets. It reminds me of when I was a little girl and spent my summers inventing fantastic stories with pirates, cowboys, and brave orphans that I then acted out with my sisters and the neighbor boys... oh for endless days of summer, climbing fences and trees, tents made of blan...more
One of the 5th graders in my book club has started giving me reading assignments to do before each meeting. This past month, I had to (finally) read The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier. This book was always on my "to read" list, but somehow just kept ending up getting lost in the mix. I'm so glad I finally read it (after all, I couldn't go the the book club meeting and tell this kid that I still haven't read it)! Sea creatures, mythology, adventure! With the great mystery story line and a...more
This is one of the best non-superhero comics out there.
Perfect for people of all ages and all walks, the story is one of unflappable courage and integrity in the face of indomitable evil. Young Walker acquires a dangerous skull that devastates everyone who gazes into its hollow eyes. He encounters pirates and makes friends while he is being pursued by his son of a bitch father who wants the skull. They are also being pursued by mythical creatures who also want the skull.
It becomes one crazy ch...more
Perfect for people of all ages and all walks, the story is one of unflappable courage and integrity in the face of indomitable evil. Young Walker acquires a dangerous skull that devastates everyone who gazes into its hollow eyes. He encounters pirates and makes friends while he is being pursued by his son of a bitch father who wants the skull. They are also being pursued by mythical creatures who also want the skull.
It becomes one crazy ch...more
There's a little Tintin here. A little Pirates of the Caribbean. A lot Aaron Renier. And it reads like a J. Although the sea-witches are very creepy. Very. Creepy. But beyond that, the characters don't have as much punch as I would like. The pirates aren't very well delineated, ages are hard to guess. But Renier's illustrations have a definite charm. This didn't have the quirk of Spiral Bound, and I'm bummed that this is slated to be a series when that was not. But this wasn't bad for what it is...more
Audience: 4th-6th grade, mostly boys. I found the story to be geared for older ages as there are some larger words to read.
Award list: The 2011 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominee for "Best publication for kids".
Appeal: I have never been a huge fan of comic books, but this particular story stuck out. I enjoyed reading it as it truly was an adventure from start to finish. One thing I do enjoy about comics is the artwork tells the story all in itself. This book did just that. You really can s...more
Award list: The 2011 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominee for "Best publication for kids".
Appeal: I have never been a huge fan of comic books, but this particular story stuck out. I enjoyed reading it as it truly was an adventure from start to finish. One thing I do enjoy about comics is the artwork tells the story all in itself. This book did just that. You really can s...more
This was pretty darn cool, as steampunk-y pirate adventures go. I loved the variety of panels the author included, from full-page spreads reminiscent of Where's Waldo to full-page spreads of a single image, to regular comic panels, to half-page panels mixed with others, and more. The bright color was nice, too. The plot mostly worked, though I was a bit confused at points, and I'm not sure if the ending was really an ending, or a promise of more, because there were things that remained unexplain...more
Great graphic novel for fans of Pirates of the Carribbean. Walker Bean is not your typical hero. He's overweight and kind of geeky, but he's smart and a talented artist. His task is to return a cursed skull to the sea witches's lair in order to save his granfather's life, though it's far from easy. Along the way he crosses paths with pirates and the sea witches themselves! Lots of action and detailed illustrations will engage reluctant readers and humor and a solid main character will make fans...more
The Unsinkable Walker Bean is about a little teen boy who's life is turned upside down. His grandfather falls ill because of a cursed skull and he has to return it back to the sea witches. While trying to do what his grandfather asked him to do, Walker falls into the hands of pirates, meets new people, and makes new friends.
My favorite part of the novel was when Walker and Genoa actually has a decent conversation with one another. I feel that this book would be a good one for young children to r...more
My favorite part of the novel was when Walker and Genoa actually has a decent conversation with one another. I feel that this book would be a good one for young children to r...more
Walker is a young boy back when pirates still roamed the 7 seas and the British Navy was the avowed military master of the world. Walker's grandfather has come across a mysterious skull that is said to be from Atlantis and poses powers of the unknown...but the grandfather has become deathly ill after looking into the skull and asks Walter to return it to whence it came. Along the way Walker meets up with pirates, a mysterious doctor, and two ancient merwitches that want the skull back and will d...more
The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier begins with a tale of how Atlantis sunk at the hands of a pair of sea witches. Now all these centuries later it appears that the story is true and Walker Bean's grandfather is suffering from their curse. Walker has to return a cursed skull to hopefully free him from a paranormal illness.
Walker Bean apparently lives in an alternate Earth version of the seventeenth or possibly eighteenth century. There's a world map included in the book and while the land...more
Walker Bean apparently lives in an alternate Earth version of the seventeenth or possibly eighteenth century. There's a world map included in the book and while the land...more
Non-stop action, fearsome pirates and a cursed skull – it’s a perfect recipe. Add into this exciting story exciting artwork that pulls readers right in, and you have an instant hit. Walker Bean adores his grandfather, listening to his stories of adventure and working together to create new inventions. But now his grandfather is on his death bed, and he has a special request for Walker: to return a cursed skull to the depths of the ocean floor. Unbeknownst to Walker, the skull was stolen from a p...more
Getting in some summer reading books before the fair. I did like Walker Bean alright, but I was confused at a few plot points. Reading others reviews, I was glad to see I am not alone. It is a fast graphic novel, but suffers from what some action/adventure stories and movies do - skip over some points to keep things moving. Hopefully a boy would spend a few hours in this during vacation if the alternative is this or nothing. I did like the color art work all throughout the book.
This graphic novel is an example of why I have difficulty reading this format. I have a hard time blending the pictorial with the words, so I had trouble understanding some of the details of the story (like Gen's back story and the friction with Walker's father). With that acknowledgement of my bias, I did enjoy the story. An adventure on the high seas, with some magical trickery and scientific geekery, the adventure was intriguing and the illustrations were beautiful.
Beautiful illustrations. The story is full of adventure but I found it hard to follow at times. There is a cursed skull. Walker's grandfather looked at the skull and is now on death's door. Walker steals it from his father to try and return it to the sea. Adventure follows with pirates, sword fighting and more. Of course there's a sequel and you are left with a cliffhanger. I think my students that are addicted to graphic novels will devour this.
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Aaron Renier was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He has been drawing comics, in one way or another, for as long as he can remember. His illustrations have appeared in a wide variety of places, including turning an entire city bus into a moving aquarium. He won the Eisner award for cartoonist deserving wider recognition for his first graphic novel Spiral-Bound. He is the illustrator of a s...more
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