BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lê, Minh. 2018. Illustrated by Dan Santat. Drawn Together. New York: Hyperion. ISBN: 978-1484767603.
PLOT SUMMARY
A boy is dropped off at his grandfather’s house. Compared to his grandfather’s excitement as he greets him, the boy is unenthusiastic and dreading the visit. The boy does not speak Thai and the grandfather does not speak English. Just as they are about to give up on each other the grandfather realizes his grandson also likes to draw. The grandfather brings out his sketch book and they begin to draw together without need to speak. The distance between them still lurks during the boy’s visit, but since their mutual interest was discovered, they know art is a bridge for them to communicate and connect.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Santat and Lê are as perfect sidekicks as the boy and his grandfather. Drawn Together parallels the relationship between the protagonists: focusing the story in the illustrations rather than the words. Though the words included definitely hold their weight.
Caldecott medalist Dan Santat brings the characters to life both in this world and the one they create. From the very first spreads readers sense the boy’s reluctance walking up to his Grandpa’s house. His mother has a satisfied smile, happy her son is spending the day with her father, but given his body language and narrowed eyes, we know the boy is visiting to oblige her. Throughout the book, Santat affords expressive, even comical looks to the protagonists without losing care. In the lunch spread, Santat concisely and brilliantly conveys the cultural differences between the characters. Grandpa eats traditional Thai noodles with chopsticks, while the boy eats a hotdog, French fries, and a simple salad with carrots and radishes.
Grandpa’s bright smile fades shortly after lunch as twice, attempts to communicate have failed. Santat depicts Grandpa side-eyeing his grandson. The boy may be bored and frustrated, but Grandpa has feelings too. His grandson is not interested in the classic Thai movie he thought would entertain him and readers sense Grandpa’s own resentment. Despite the boy’s apparent disengagement with his culture, Grandpa does not berate or force his way upon him, rather he jumps at the opportunity to share a mutual hobby with his grandson. With many immigrant and intergenerational stories portraying grandparents in dependent roles to their grandchildren, it is refreshing to have Grandpa in Drawn Together be the grown up trying to forge a relationship with his grandson.
The book takes place inside Grandpa’s house, but the pair transform and transcend time and space in their drawings, which also contain many cultural markers. Aside from his cape, hat, and wand, the boy’s own Wizard alter-ego is dressed much as a ninja with traditional robes, leggings, and belt. His sidekick is a monkey, which demonstrates that despite not knowing the language, the boy is still in tune with his culture. Grandpa’s warrior-like alter-ego is dressed more traditionally, as is his medium of choice: brush pen and black ink. The cultural, generational, and language barriers are personified by a dragon, a traditional symbol of Southeast and East Asian cultures. The duo uses their artistic powers to defeat their distance by turning the dragon into a bridge. When the boy’s mother comes to pick him up in the evening light, joy radiates from all parties. Just as the celebratory hug between his daughter and Grandpa suggest she is happy they have finally bonded, Grandpa and his grandson switching art tools is a secret between the two of them.
Lê and Santat create a story that is larger than life, celebrating culture, family, and artistic expression. The warm and vibrant tones of the graphic novel picture book will appeal to readers of all ages while very few will be untouched by its message of intergenerational connection.
AWARDS
2019 Anna Dewdney Read Together Award, Finalist
2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, Winner, Picture Book
2019 Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children, Recommended
2018 Cybils Awards, Nominee
2020 Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Kirkus Review: “One draws in energetic colorful cartoons, the other with fierce black-and-white, precisely brushed drawings. Santat elevates their newfound shared passion into energetic, layered, and complex designs, separate and entwined at the same time…Lê’s compelling storyline is propelled forward by Santat’s illustrations, each capturing both the universal longing to connect and the joy of sharing the creative process.”
From Booklist, starred review: “Lê’s poignant and deeply meaningful tale is rocketed into the stratosphere by Santat’s dynamic and playful visuals, imaginatively conceived and action-packed even as they potently evoke the culture they’re drawn from…Focus on an underrepresented culture; highly accessible emotions; concise, strong storytelling; and artistic magnificence make this a must-have.”
CONNECTIONS
Readers do not want to miss this duo’s The Blurr, set to release May 3, 2022. Featuring a girl with superpowers.
Visit Dan Santat’s website, to browse his extensive list of books.
Check out Linda Sue Park’s bibliography on Korean and Korean American picture books at www.kiBooka.com
Moore, Katrina, Illustrated by Xindi Yan. Grandpa Grumps. 2020. Mimics the humor of Lê’s and Santat’s intergenerational story. Features a girl and her grandfather.
Biblioterika 