Krosoczka as an author generously and lovingly shows his flawed family members striving to do the best they can even as Krosoczka the character clearly aches for more.Ī serviceable graphic summary of Darwin’s life and achievement, pegged somewhere between educational use for preteens and a primer for adult readers. Interspersed are tender and at times heartbreaking images of real drawings and letters from the author and several family members. The palette, awash in gray and earth tones, invokes the feeling of hazy memories. He also learns to express himself through art. Krosoczka learns self-reliance as a survival strategy. Yes, there is chaos, but there is also warmth, seen, for example, when Krosoczka’s mom fakes his birthday for an impromptu party at a fast-food chain, or in the way his grandfather never misses an opportunity to tell him he is loved. The contradictions prevalent in his childhood will resonate with readers who have experienced addiction and educate those who have not. Krosoczka is raised by his grandparents when his mom can no longer care for him. Basic needs go unmet, promises are routinely broken, and the stability and safety most take for granted are never guaranteed.

Though he doesn’t realize it until later, Krosoczka’s ( The Principal Strikes Back, 2018, etc.) mother suffers from addiction, which brings turmoil into their family’s life. A childhood beset by generations of family addiction is revealed in this raw graphic-novel memoir from a well-known children’s author and illustrator.

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