I like that it took two characters from different ends of the the world dealing with the issues of littering, over fishing, global warming, and just overall lack of resources in their daily life. Seeing the effect it has on the environments that they live in. I think it will show people a perspective they may not always see, but are very real "day in the life of ______." I think this is a good book for middle grade and up.

Global is a story of two resilient children. Yuki is a girl in Canada, near the Arctic. Readers follow her as she and her loyal canine try to help the bears that have been affected by climate change. Sami is a boy living with his grandfather along the Indian Ocean. His focus is to bring back his family's luck so they can survive the constant storms that change and destroy his village.

The art is gorgeous and captivating. And the story itself is heartbreaking but very real. This is a very important graphic novel for all ages. It highlights how climate change is affecting different parts of the world right now. There is no blame placed or scare tactics; it just shows the reality of the situation and how each society deals with it. And I think that is what makes this so poignant.

“Global” is a graphic novel that will be released on April 11. It follows two young people, Sami and Yuki, who live on opposite sides of the world. Sami lives in a village along the Indian Ocean, where the water is continuously rising, disastrous storms are hitting with greater frequency, and their catch of fish is drying up. Over in the arctic circle, Yuki is investigating the grizzly-polar bear hybrid (called a grolar) that has been wandering into town. The town wants to kill any bears that come nearby, but if Yuki can prove that the bear is the rare grolar hybrid, its life might be spared.

The novel switches back and forth between Yuki and Sami’s stories, showing both sides of the climate change coin. It’s incredibly moving to see how climate change is impacting people TODAY, and the authors even explain and visualize the scientific basics of climate change (e.g. greenhouse gas, feedback loops) in the back after the story concludes. “Global” is geared towards middle-grade readership, so it’s invaluable to explain climate change and its effects in an engaging way. Perhaps this book can galvanize more people, of all ages, to take action.

That being said, I am very picky about the FORM of graphic novels. I’m currently taking a class on graphic narratives, and in reading many different books, I’ve found what I like and dislike. This is just personal preference, but I don’t think the artist’s style lends itself to this specific medium. The art is beautiful on its own, but in a book, it comes across blurry somehow. It’s like my eyes can’t focus on the subject of a panel. Again, this is just my opinion, and I’m sure that others will love the art.

Yuki lives in Alaska, and Sami lives by the Indian Ocean. Far away, they're still connected by hardships caused by rising temperatures. Sami's home was destroyed by rising sea levels and increasing storms, and Yuki deals with encroaching polar bears and grizzly bears.

This is an interesting book. It shows us where we are likely headed as a planet, with humans living in dire situations due to rising temperatures. Yuki is hunting for the elusive offspring of polar bears and grizzly bears (which now have overlapping hunting ranges due to the change in temperatures) while Sami's house is in danger of being stolen by displaced migrants or even his neighbors. It's a bit sobering to think that this could be our actual future in less than a decade if we don't stop letting politicians cater to big corperations instead of looking out for what is best for everyone.

This graphic novel was devastating. It is so beautifully written and illustrated. I tore through it in one setting. The subject matter is one that is near and dear to my heart - climate change. I love how they took two different perspectives and experiences from two separate families living thousands and thousands of miles away from each other and tied it together. And unfortunately, that's the reality of how climate change works. What happens in area has a ripple effect on the whole planet and can be felt elsewhere. The ending made me teary but also instilled me with a sense of hope. My only critique is that Yuki's motivations didn't come through as obviously to me as Sami's.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this book.

I was very excited to read this book as I read a lot of Colfer's books as a child. His books generally have themes around protecting the environment and it was nice to see it again in this graphic novel. It was thought provoking and the artwork was engaging. The characters and storyline was strong. I enjoyed reading the digital version on this book and I can imagine the hardcopy will be visually stunning.

A suspenseful story with delightful illustrations. For lovers of Gary Paulsen, this book will be right of their alley. Colfer and crew doe well to create a sense of adventure mixed with an impactful lesson on climate change.

The fictional middle graphic novel Global by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin (Sourcebooks Young Readers, April 2023) addresses the effect of global climate change by illustrating two unique children in opposite situations on the other side of the globe. While Yuki faces a grolar bear (half grizzly and half polar bear) in the Arctic circle, Sami struggles with the rising sea waters in the Bay of Bengal off the shores of India. Both stories emphasize the real human impact of climate change on children, even while telling two unique adventure stories.


Yuki’s story is intertwined with the grolar bears. As offspring of polar bears and a grizzly bear parent, they are protected from being shot as they come too close to her town. In hopes of saving the grolars, she goes on a mission to photograph one. But traveling in the Arctic circle is more difficult and dangerous than Yuki realizes. The effects of climate change include melting glaciers’ ice, which creates caverns with dangerously thin ice on top disguised as regular ice. In addition, the Arctic lakes are melting, letting the poisonous methane gas out into the world and removing Yuki’s means of retreat from the wild. Finally, the permafrost, below the snow layer, also is melting, removing the general stability of the ground. Yuki’s story is intense, although I couldn’t help but consider that she created this dangerous adventure by herself by going off on her own in the tundra’s wilderness.

Sami’s life likewise is full of modern-day difficulties related to climate change that directly impact his daily life. In his family’s fishing village, the houses are regularly sliding into the rising sea waters, making it necessary to relocate the homes farther inland regularly. Tropical storms regularly wipe out their stability as well, and people from failed farming villages join their fishing villages, leading to even fewer fish in the sea due to overfishing. His ultimate struggle likewise was his own fault, but I guess these two children were not thinking clearly so maybe kids won’t be as annoyed as I am, as a mother thinking about my own children!

As you may predict, the stories of these two children overlap in the end. I found the overlap between the two to be highly unlikely, but that’s okay. After the stories, a few pages extend the discussion of the climate’s effects on Sami’s and Yuki’s lives, again in graphic format. I had previously understood the rising water level issues worldwide, but I had been unfamiliar with the reasons why overfishing has become a problem: global weather patterns affect the water temperatures, reducing the number of fish overall. I also hadn’t learned about grolars before, and the ways that climate change had expanded the bears’ natural habitats, out of necessity.

Global nicely ties a series topic into a story format that even middle-grade children can understand. The graphic novel format makes the story highly readable, with a mix of explanation and dialog that will keep a reader’s attention. Using such a book, I believe it would do my kids well to show them a world outside of their own, showing the real-life effects of global warming.

I read a digital review copy of Global.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Global simultaneously tells two stories, one with a focus on Sami who is a child living on the coast of the India ocean, and one with a focus on Suki who lives in the Canadian part of the Arctic Circle. The only thing connecting them is that they live in areas negatively affected by climate change. I appreciate that their stories were written to be engaging and really make you sympathize with them. It's also written in a way that shows the negative effects of climate change without being weirdly preachy to the reader. Then again, it was written by Eoin Colfer. Having a story that clearly show you how bad climate change is without talking down to the reader is kind of his whole thing. Both Suki and Sami's stories were compelling, and I honestly forget the end goal was to show some of the horrors of climate change. I also loved the ending, it was so sweet! It was a nice reminder of "Humanity is more connected than you think". The art style was good, I really enjoyed it. The artist did a wonderful good on the environments and made them feel real.

I received an electronic ARC from SOURCEBOOKS Kids through NetGalley.
Powerful message about global warning through the lives of two children - one living in the Far North of Canada; one living on the shore of the Indian Ocean. Each is struggling with changes in their lives based on natural weather events. Sami lost most of his family in a tsunami; only he and his grandfather are left and surviving is difficult. Suki wants to protect the bears who have moved closer to humans with the changing habitat. Both make choices that risk their lives to improve the world around them. Fortunately, both survive and continue to grow. The artwork is stunning and captures the intense action and danger they both face. I appreciate the informative text at the end of the book. Readers have the opportunity to learn more and make their own decisions about the environment and their life choices.
An intense book for middle grade and young adult readers. Colfer builds the suspense in both story lines until the final resolution. The connection at the end works but is a bit contrived.

Global present to us two point of views from children in different parts of the world that are suffering with the Global Warming: Yuki, in Canada, where Polar Bears are at risk and Sami, in India, who suffers from uncontrolable storms and floodings that causes risk and poverty situations.

I had an amazing experience reading this book, it got me hooked since page one and I couldn’t put it down. It’s an extremelly important reading experience for the new generations (and the old ones!) to understand the importance of nature preserving and how we influence it on Global Warming is not only in this places, but global.

The comic design is super rich in details and with dialogues that explain to us scientific situations without being boring or hard to understand. It worth the reading!

Well drawn and well developed stories. Engaging plot, showing the author's bleak view of what's to come. Would recommend.

Global is a graphic novel that tells the stories of two children (Sami and Yuki) in different places around the world who have to deal with the effects of climate change and global warming. Sami lives in northern Canada in the Arctic Circle, while Yuki lives in the Bay of Bengal near the Indian Ocean. Both children find themselves in frightening situations due to the effects of global warming. The story shows very clearly that even if you live in very different places in the world, climate change will affect us all. The constantly changing perspectives also keep the story exciting, while at the same time keeping it informative and realistic. The book is intended for children aged 10 and above and I definitely recommend it, especially for adults too. It definitely gives a lot of food for thought.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free advanced reader copy of this book. This did nog affect my review in any way.

Just like in Illegal, Colfer, Donkin, and Rigano do a beautiful job putting a narrative to a crisis to make it more accessible to children who may not understand how something so big is affecting their life and their world.

In Global, the two stories that are told are half a world apart but are tied in the young people who are willing to fight to make the world a better place amidst what many would find truly unlivable and treacherous times.

These three creators obviously have a mission that they have taken on in spreading information to young minds about about “man-mad disaster(s) that most impact vulnerable children who had no hand in causing it,” and they do it so well. I look forward to their next collaboration.

It's like a graphic novel version of Alan Gratz' stories because there are two separate narratives that compliment and/or converge in a meaningful way by the end. Colfer does important work with his books and this one is no different. There are powerful images, like there was with Illegal, and a strong message- this one of the significant impacts of global warming on cultures and "ways of life" around the world.

In this story there is a boy and his grandfather in Bengal and there is a girl and her parents in Northern Canada, inside the Arctic Circle.

Sami's story deals with ocean pollution, rising water, tidal disruption, and overfishing while Yuki's deals with melting permafrost and encroachment of animals as well as intermixing of animals since the grolar bear makes prominent appearances. How they connect by the end is bittersweet.

This is a useful book both in sequencing (plus several pages/panels are fantastically laid out and add different experiences to the graphic novel experience itself) for a graphic novel with multiple perspectives but also as a teachable book that sends a message.

A brilliant job done by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, Giovanni Rigano, and Chris Dickey. What a dream team! The artwork was stunning, and the story was skillfully told while still bringing attention to an important topic. Definitely an important read, and there definitely needs to be more works like this out in the world.

Puts another view on immigration and things happening. Everyone experiences it differently. The story takes you on a journey and you can see various aspects of it through the lens of the author.

Sami lives along the Indian Ocean while Yuki lives in the arctic, but both are affected by climate change. Sami's parents were lost in one of the ever-worsening storms that hit the impoverished villages along the coast. Although Sami always hopes his luck will change, he and his grandpa have no choice but to keep rowing farther out to pick out a meager living as fishermen. Sami is sure that if he can retrieve his mother's lucky knife, he can finally catch a break, but he doesn't anticipate a sudden storm. Meanwhile, Yuki is convinced that the bears that have been raiding her town are actually a new and protected species, so she sets out to get photographic evidence. She comes face-to-face with a bear, and in her fright, ends up lost in the Arctic wilderness.

Despite living in very different parts of the world, Yuki and Sami face the same root problem: climate change. There were a few crazy coincidences at times, but overall, this story was informative and well-crafted. It's definitely worth a read.

In graphic novel form, climate change is addressed, as witnessed by two children on opposite sides of the globe.

Twelve year old, Sami, lives in the Bay of Bengal (Indian Ocean) with his grandfather. His parents died in the last typhoon. "Each season we work harder to stay exactly where we are...We take more risks to catch fewer fish...and even those are further from the shore." Too many fishermen, not enough fish. Water comes over the seawall...powerful waves...typhoons...mudslides make it necessary to constantly rebuild our shacks. Perhaps diving for the lucky family knife, in the waters where our old dwelling was washed away, will change our luck.

Fourteen year old, Yuki, lives in Northern Canada (inside the Arctic Circle). "I'm on a mission to save a bear...Warmer winters mean less sea ice...when the ice goes it takes life with it...Global warming has mixed up territories, and now polar bears and grizzly bears are crossbreeding creating a third type of bear called grolars (who don't have the skills to hunt on ice or to catch salmon in rivers)." Camera in hand, with dog Lockjaw by her side, Yuki journeys to take photos of grolar bears, with the goal of presenting her snapshots to the Conservation Center to save the grolars.

Two determined kids and their suspenseful adventures! In Sami's world, "the sea comes in further every day...the ground gives way...hillsides slide. In Yuki's world, "early spring temperatures and rising water have hollowed out the snow and ice that filled the canyon...a cracking sound...very thin ice...".

The writing/artistic team of Colfer, Donkin and Rigano have crafted a realistic, beautifully written and illustrated story of two youngsters whose nail-biting adventures were undertaken with the goal of improving their harsh, climate-related living conditions. The excellent appendix explains global warming in easy to understand terms for ages 10-14. An informative, highly recommended read for one and all!

Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Kids and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(4/5) This climate-change based graphic novel sucked me in and was so compulsively readable that I didn't want to put it down without finishing it to know what happened to Sami and Yuki. I was originally drawn to this novel because of its author - Eoin Colfer of Artemis Fowl fame - but it's so much more than that. Suspenseful and with beautiful art, this novel would be great for any young/middle grades reader to learn more about climate change and the devastating impacts it will have if we don't make changes now. I appreciated the apolitical explainer at the end of the book on climate change and how we can take steps to slow its impact.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This graphic novel is out April 11!