by Nanette McGuinness

You’ve probably heard about the Caldecott Award (picture books), Newbery Medal (children’s literature), and the Prinz Award (books for teens). But did you know that there are also awards just for graphic novels? The best known are arguably the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, sometimes considered the Academy Awards of the comics world, and there are many others, such as the prestigious Harvey Awards, the Ignatz and Excellence in Graphic Literature.

Graphic novels are an extraordinarily versatile genre: advanced readers can enjoy them just as much as reluctant and beginning ones; nonfiction fans will feel just as much at home as fiction mavens. Below are three graphic novels in translation for young readers that have been nominated for major awards this year.

Beneath the Trees: A Fine Summer

Written and illustrated by Dav
Translated by Mike Kennedy
Translated from French (France)
Published by Magnetic Press, 2022

Nomination: Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

Beneath the Trees: A Fine Summer is the third in a four-volume series of stand-alone books depicting everyday life—one per season. Here, the reader encounters Mr. Owl and Mr. Toad, two cranky oldsters who can’t stand the noise of the local kids enjoying summertime games. When a ball flies into Mr. Owl’s open door, he first hangs onto it (the better to keep the neighborhood quiet) and then starts playing with it himself. Eventually even Mr. Toad joins in the fun. With few or no words on each page, this charming, sweet book conveys great depth of feeling and leads its readers (ages 4-8) to think about seeing things from another person’s—or animal’s—perspective.

Magical History Tour: Gandhi

Written by Fabrice Erre
Illustrated by Sylvain Savoia
Translated by Nanette McGuinness
Translated from French (France)
Published by Papercutz, 2022

Nomination: Excellence in Graphic Literature, Middle Grade Nonfiction Finalist

I may be just a wee bit prejudiced, but I love the Magical History Tour series for middle grade readers! Each book is a stand-alone volume following modern-day kids Annie and Nico as they travel through time to learn about interesting topics in history, covering subjects ranging from the pyramids to the Titanic, gladiators to Marie Curie, and slavery to the moon landing. This year, the 7^th and 8^th volumes, Gandhi and Vikings, respectively, were both Finalists in the MG nonfiction division of the Excellence in Graphic Literature Award.

Magical History Tour: Gandhi is a biography of Mahatma Gandhi, going from his childhood to becoming a politician and developing his world-changing philosophy of civil disobedience during the struggle for India’s independence. It graphically turns dry history into an enjoyable read, showing, among many topics, the racism that colonial rule brought. Young readers get an excellent context of this great man and his times.

Shuna’s Journey

Written and illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki
Translated by Alex Dudok de Wit
Translated from Japanese (Japan)
Published by First Second Press, 2022

Nomination: Will Eisner Comic Awards, for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

In Shuna’s Journey, Hayao Miyazaki (yes, that Miyazaki) reshapes a Tibetan folk tale, The Prince Who Turned Into a Dog, to create a strange and beautiful story for YA readers. It’s partly manga (read right to left) and partly more of an illustrated book or graphic novel.

An early Miyazaki work, Shuna’s Journey was originally published in 1983, two years before he founded Studio Ghibli. It tells the story of a prince from a poor land who goes on a quest, riding his trusty yakul to find legendary magic golden seeds of grain to feed his people. Along the way, he rescues two young sisters  from slave traders, loses his memory, and falls in love. Drawn in gorgeous watercolors, Shuna’s Journey explores themes and ideas that will feel familiar to Miyazaki fans worldwide. Surprisingly, the book has never been published in translation before and, according to the translator’s note, continues to sell well in Japan, 40 years after it was originally published.

As I write this in late June, the Excellence in Digital Literature winners have been chosen, while the Eisner winners will not be revealed until San Diego Comic Con in July. By time you read this, the results will be out!

Meet Nanette McGuinness:

Award-winning opera singer Nanette McGuinness is the translator of over 100 books and graphic novels for children and adults from French, Italian, German and Spanish into English, including the much-loved Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novels, as well as Tiki: A Very Ruff Year (nominated for the 2023 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards and 2023 Harvey Awards) and Alice on the Run: One Child’s Journey Through the Rwandan Civil War (2023 GLLI YA Translated Book Prize Honor Book, 2023 Mosaic Prize winner, 2023 Excellence in Graphic Literature Finalist and 2023 Harvey Award nomination). Accolades have also gone to her translations of Magical History Tour: Vikings and of Magical History Tour: Gandhi (both 2023 Excellence in Graphic Literature Finalists), Luisa: Now and Then (2019 Stonewall Honor Book; 2020 GLLI YA Translated Honor Book; YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens in 2019) and California Dreamin’: Cass Elliot Before the Mamas & the Papas (2018 Harvey Award; YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens in 2018). An exchange student in a tiny town in Switzerland when she was 16, Nanette’s favorite season is summer.