In the tender embrace of 'The Adoption' by Zidou and Arno Monin, the pages unfold into a poignant tale, weaving threads of familial love and unexpected connections. As I delved into the graphic novel, I found myself captivated by the emotional brushstrokes that painted a canvas of life's intricate moments.

The narrative orbits around aging Gabriel, a man facing the complexities of adopting an orphaned girl from Peru with his son and daughter. Struggling with the unfamiliarity of a child not of his blood, Gabriel's journey from reluctant grandfather to a figure of endearing affection unfolds like a heartfelt melody. The story doesn't just dwell on the adoption itself but rather on the delicate nuances of sharing moments between generations.

The characters, notably Gabriel, are rendered with depth and authenticity. His internal conflict, mirrored in his interactions with his wife, lifelong friends, and his own son, adds layers to the narrative. The surprise twists in the tale serve as catalysts, unraveling true feelings and painting the canvas of life with vibrant emotions.

What stands out in 'The Adoption' is its ability to touch the soul with its portrayal of human connections. The relationship between the grandfather and the granddaughter is tenderly crafted, tugging at heartstrings and fostering an undeniable warmth. The illustrations, complementing the narrative seamlessly, breathe life into the characters and evoke genuine emotions.

As the story unfolds, it becomes a testament to the transformative power of love, challenging preconceptions and embracing the unforeseen colors that life brings. The graphic novel, like a masterful artwork, invites readers to explore the complexities of familial bonds, transcending blood ties and welcoming the beauty that emerges from unexpected connections.

In the grand tapestry of 'The Adoption,' love is not confined to familiar contours but expands to encompass the uncharted territories of the heart. It's a beautiful exploration of life's palette, where every hue signifies a moment of understanding, acceptance, and the pure joy of unconditional love.

Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book! Very cute and I would love to get this book for my cousin!

Absolutely adorable. Cute. Sweet. Every darling adjective relates to this one! I will be looking for more from this author.

This is one the most beautiful graphic novels I have ever read and that is due large in part to the stunning artwork. This could be completely wordless and still convey the beautiful and heartbreaking story that it is. A must have for every collection and this would make a remarkable example for library programs exploring art and storytelling.

A story that started by showing how affection really differs in the parent-child dynamic vs. grandparent-grandchild and then evolves into so much more. The personal journey Gabriel goes through wasn't easy and this graphic novel certainly didn't make it easy, but all that was what made this so beautiful and touching. And also a gut-punch when I didn't expect it.

The artwork is, as always, super stunning. It's warmer than the last I've read from Zidrou, but maybe that was intentional on the warm parts bec when the going got rough, it had me in tears!

Highly recommend this, but prepare your heart.

A touching story about a family. A adoption. Wonderful use of colours and artwork is wonderful. A touching story that leaves the reader thinking. An excellent gift for little kids.

Due to technical difficulties I had with this book, I am unable to read this book. The pages that I did read had really nice artwork and I liked where the start of the story was going. I really like reading stories about adoption as I am myself and I like seeing other people's stories, which was why I chose to pick this one up. It is just unfortunate that the format of the graphic novel would not work on my devices.

This book is so incredibly sad, but so good at the same time. An honest five star read about an old man whose son and daughter adopt a little girl from Peru after the country suffers a pretty devastating earthquake. The artwork of this graphic novel was simply beautiful and really added to the experience of reading the book. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough.

Zidou's The Adoption was given to me for free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have mixed feelings about this work. The artwork was lovely and the story was as sweet as sugar. The
twist broke my heart. I was disappointed for mainly two reasons it felt as if adoption was kind of a side note and not a major point. Secondly this book should be marketed to adults and meet teens because there is nothing for a teen to connect too.
3 out of 5 stars

It doesnt support or open after I download the pdf version of it. It's also not showing in my shelf in netgalley and I cant open it to read Please look into the issue and if you can send me the pdf in my mail ID- taniagungunsarkar@gmail.com I cant read the book from here. Please look into the issue

Real tears!

what a beautiful story with wonderful illustrations to add to the overall experience! This author is definitely someone to look out for, I know I will!

Highly recommend picking this one up!

*I received this book as an eARC from Magnetic Press via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This is a complex story focusing on a man becoming a grandfather and dealing with the decisions of other members of his family. There's a big twist halfway through the book. There's also some pretty xenophobic and racist characters in this book.

The perspective is the most interesting thing about this book to me. It's a grandfather's story. There's familial relationships. What could've been. False happiness. Unknown non-truths. It's really difficult to describe this book without giving too much away. One of my takeaways was that for the main character it took being a grandfather to understand what he had missed as a father.

I give this book a 4/5. This is a really interesting book about life circumstances and family.

The download for this failed at the time and I was not able to read it. It looks cute and sounds heartwarming. I would like to buy it for our school library.

Thank you, NetGalley, Europe Comics for an ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for my honest review.
This made me think about things that I honestly was not appreciating.

Quite a lot going on here. Very reflective. It's this exploration of relationships. Father and son. Elder and grandchild. And how our role and perception within the community can be wildly different from within our family. The things that desperation drives us to do. And that's where the book differs from what I expected. I was expecting this guy trying to figure out a relationship with a child suddenly thrust into his life. But I was surprised when the turn, when his developing attachment, happened early. Of course there was good reason as the girl is then taken away and the journey turns to closure and reconciliation.

My starred review for Booklist is here: https://www.booklistonline.com/The-Adoption-/pid=9742720

The review was also cross-posted to Smithsonian BookDragon: http://smithsonianapa.org/bookdragon/the-adoption-by-zidrou-illustrated-by-arno-monin-translated-by-jeremy-melloul-in-booklist/

Well, this did not go the way I was expecting it to go. I was expecting a light, heartwarming story of a little girl from Peru, orphaned by the Arequipa earthquake and adopted by a French couple, and her curmudgeonly grandfather, and how she melts his cold exterior with her irresistible adorableness. I was expecting a slice-of-life tale of an old man getting a second chance at helping to raise a child, after he missed much of the raising of his own son and daughter, working long hours in the butcher shop he owned, and seeing how he adapted to being a grandfather. Don't get me wrong, I got all that, and my heart was properly warmed, when all of a sudden BAM!!! and s**t got real really fast. At least my warmed heart broke easily when the story plunged that knife into it, right? The grandfather's journey through what happens after all that reality got dumped on him is so full of feels (not to detract from the other characters' journeys and feels, those are there too, but the grandfather is the main character here) that I am spent now, I have been wrung out. This was poignant, y'all, POIGNANT!!! That ending, though, so tentative and fragile, so sweetly hopeful.... It's good! Yeah, it's good! Kudos to Zidrou for creating this story, and for creating such an amazing cast of characters- even the secondary characters, the friends, relatives, and neighborhood peeps were fleshed out and real, every one of them was someone you cared about, and it was all done so effortlessly! And the art, good heavens, so lovely- Monin worked magic here, putting such emotion in the faces, so real you could see the shifting emotions play over the features. The details so rich, the colors so soft and glowy and cinematic, just beautiful. Just read this. It's going to pull your heart out and kick it around a bit, but it'll pick it back up, dust it off, and hand it back to you with a sheepish, please-forgive-me smile, and you'll sigh and put your heart back in place, and smile back.

#TheAdoption #NetGalley

~ Thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review ~

Oh man, this was an emotional rollercoaster that had wonderful highs but, in my opinion, wasted its potential. The blurb presents "The Adoption" as a heartwarming story of an old man connecting with a young Peruvian orphan who becomes his granddaughter, and while the first half of the book follows this storyline, the big twist ended up spoiling the story for me. It takes the narrative in a much more depressing direction, and without giving too much away, towards the end of the story the little girl is only featured in fragments. My heart actually hurts a little after reading this, because of how bittersweet the whole experience was.

Don't misunderstand me, the book was pretty well written (despite some glaring plot holes) and the art was lovely, but if - like me - you start reading this with the expectation of a wholesome, fun time, you're going to be let down. This book also isn't designed for children, as there is a depiction of nudity (which your opinion might vary on depending on where you're from regionally) and, more importantly, there is frequent referrals to sexual behaviour. All in all, I enjoyed about 49% of this book, but it just wasn't for me, regardless of traces of happiness that were scattered through its second half.

This was such a heartwarming book. This is not just a story about adoption, but it's about familial love and its bond. This book had its sweet moments, moments of despair and moments of hope.

Qinaya was adopted by a French couple after her hometown in Peru faced a devastating earthquake. Back in France, Qinaya's adoptive grandfather Gabriel tries his best to accept Qinaya into the family. Albeit the subtle xenophobia, the family is happy to have little Qinaya in their lives. Slowly, Gabriel eases up to Qinaya as well, and in turn Qinaya becomes an important part of the family.

But happy days don't last long, and Qinaya is taken away from the family. On a mission to see Qinaya again, Gabriel goes to Peru, where he discovers himself and his children - what it means to be a family.

Zidrou's story and Arno Monin's splendid graphics gives this book a beautiful form. The book is both mesmerizing and heart-breaking. The feel of being unable become a parent and the sudden loss of family is all too real. Along with, giving us readers a chance to visit Peru, and the alleys of France, The Adoption feels straight out of a soul-searching family movie.

This graphic novel follows new grandparents of an adopted girl from Peru as they come to accept her as family and form a bond with her. But things aren’t always what they seem...

I don’t want to spoil anything, but this book was NOT what I thought it was. I thought it would be a heartwarming story about adoption but it’s actually quite dark and heartbreaking. It’s pretty moving in the way it discusses family, acceptance, and forgiveness.

I do wish a bit more was explained about how the girl came to be adopted and why things went down like they did. I was left with a lot of questions at the end.

Overall, this was a good graphic novel with lovely artwork and a powerful story! I definitely recommend it to graphic novel readers everywhere.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributers for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review*