I've never read the prose version of Watership Down. The graphic format really helped to gain am understanding of the story and the language the rabbits use. While some of the graphics do portray violence, the authors did a remarkable job of bringing the story to life. Overall, I think this graphic novel is a great way to introduce the prose format.

A timeless story of courage borne of hardships, deep camaraderie, epic adventure and enduring hope. Watership Down invites us to join Hazel, Fiver, a bigwig & a large cast of rabbits as they escape danger after danger, searching for a warden of their own.

Through many times of tribulations, the rabbits learn to lean hard on one another, and even make a few unlikely friends along the way. When they make a daring plan to rescue other rabbits from a tyrant, they risk everything they have fought for.

Because I haven’t read the original book, my review is based solely on this graphic novel adaptation. I enjoyed the story, which I drew strong parallels with Sam Smith’s Green Ember Series. The lessons of endurance & perseverance, along with heartwarming friendships amid times of extreme risk, were enough to keep my attention focused on this little band of brave rabbits.

The illustrations were well done, but occasionally violent & somewhat graphic, making this a book for much less timid or more mature readers. There are some pulse pounding moments, along with the more scenic pastoral scenes.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. Thank you to Ten Speed Graphic for sending me this ARC. All reviews are honest reflections of my own opinions, always.

This is a classic that most people have either read or at least heard about. But this graphic novel form is stunning. The story remains as this group of rabbits has to leave their down in search of a new and safe place to live due to the influx of man into their space. It becomes a vehicle for many current social themes but is enhanced by the graphic art on display within these pages. If you love this novel or have ever been interested in seeing what it is all about, this is the time to give it a go. The digital version of this is good but I would guess that the print version might be even better.
Highly recommend.
#WatershipDown #NetGalley #ClarksonPotter/TenSpeedPress

Watership Down is such a wonderful classic I’m glad it’s getting adapted into a graphic novel. The artwork is in a more classical style. The text is also significantly simplified (of course) so it could be adapted to a range of classrooms.

Thank you for this ARC.
First of all is the drawing. Amazing, life-like, true connection. Wow I didn't want to let go of any page.
The story is a long one and yet it is perfectly crafted in this graphic novel. I turned each page slowly admiring the words with the scene drawn for you to experience. This graphic novel can truly be read and shared with many ages and not have a lick of the original novel.
This is close to a perfect adaption as ever created.
I just reviewed Watership Down by Richard Adams. #WatershipDown #NetGalley

It’s been a long time since I read Watership Down as a middle-schooler, but this gorgeous graphic adaptation was a welcome visit to the warren. Much simplified from the source, this graphic version still captured the spirit and mood of the original. I loved it!

I have been intimidated by the heft of the original classic Watership Down, and was thrilled to see it adapted as a graphic novel. The graphic novel adaptation works so well with the animal voices as main characters, and lets the action unfold visually. This will allow the book to attract a whole new generation of readers. I highly recommend this for all readers, middle grades and up. There are visual depictions of animal-to-animal cruelty or animal deaths which may be difficult for some readers, so sensitive readers should be advised to skip past these parts. Otherwise the story is a terrific epic adventure.

So (embarrassingly admitting) I am one of those folks who haven't read Watership Down, the novel. There is something about how people talk about it reflecting on the painful emotions from the book, that has made me shy away from putting myself in the situation to feel that also....that being said, when I saw a graphic novel version I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to learn the story...but maybe not feel it as deeply as others have. I enjoyed the pictures and story, and am interested in talking with a friend of mine who has read the book and is planning on reading the graphic novel to hear their opinion :)

The graphic novel experience of Watership Down was very entertaining. It lent character and realism to the rabbits and they became personified. I enjoyed learning rabbit speak, and their interesting mannerisms when facing the man-made world and the everyday threats that rabbits face. It was filled with danger and the images captured what the rabbits were experiencing as they searched for a new warren. I thought the illustrations were expressive in a raw and natural way. I found this book hard to put down and enjoyed it thoroughly. I definitely recommend it.

I read the original story many years ago in elementary school and remember loving Watership Down so it was interesting to visit the story again in its graphic novel format. A must read for fans of the original novel!

3+ Skippidy hoppity stars

“Perhaps you would care to hear a story, and to tell one yourself, if you like. And if I can tell a story as good as yours...”

I read the original Watership Down book decades ago. Once again, this book got me caring about ‘dumb rabbits.’ I love how this graphic novel version made them distinguishable (until I took too long a break in my reading.) I’d suggest reading it in a contained frame of time. After a week’s break I had a hard time remembering what was happening and recognizing the rabbits. The graphic novel has many moments of beauty and some moments of horror. At the end this graphic novel got a bit too graphic for me. I don’t mind reading about fights/ war /yucky stuff in the context of a well-told story but seeing creatures hurting one another and ‘blood’ all over was bit much for me.

While this was a fun way to reread this classic tale, I personally remember liking the original book a tad better. I like how the well-done graphic novel will reach out to new audiences.

I wish I had known there was a rabbit dictionary at the end. It was noted in a small line on the chapter listing. I guessed most of the rabbit vocab, but it would have been helpful if I had known a 2-page vocab worksheet was close at hand.

Make sure to read about the author/ illustrator ‘Adapting Rabbits’ at the end. It was enlightening to learn their process. I would have preferred this at the beginning to set context, instead of abruptly jumping into such an unusual book. My last suggestion is to take your time looking at the pictures and absorbing the tale. (except for the scratching biting, bloody illustrations.) Rabbit time is different than human time.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing ’the magic’, an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is very difficult to take a classic story and adapt it into a new medium and keep the magic of the original alive. It is even more difficult to adapt into a new medium and manage to make something that outshines the original, but I do believe that this graphic adaptation of Watership Down achieves this rare feat.

The original story of the a rabbit warren's formation due to the impending doom of man was wonderful, and uses long florid descriptions to describe the meadows and hills of England that the book takes place over. But seeing these beautiful vistas and burrows while better representing the heroic actions of Hazel and Bigwig through beautiful panels of bunny carnage takes this epic story to new heights. It's a story of superheroes, staged over a few hundred acres of British countryside.

I really enjoyed this! I first read Watership Down in the 10th grade. It was a little confused on all the characters and events happening. It made it a confusing read for sure. I like the pacing of the Graphic novel a lot! The art and illustrations were very beautiful to look at but also gruesome at times which is true to the story. I think I would recommend this to anyone interested in the story!

This is one of my favorite stories and if, like me, you are a fan of the original animated film, there is a lot to like in this graphic novel interpretation. The art is beautiful and sometimes disturbing; probably not very child friendly, but it makes an already compelling story moreso. The character designs are very similar to the original film which is a nice visual touch to help keep track of the characters. I can't wait to see this in hardcopy.

It's been a while since I've read the original, but as a rabbit-lover I really enjoyed this. The art is lovely and each rabbit has distinctive features. I doubt my students would pick up the original, but an animal lover who is unafraid of violence and in search of adventure would certainly pick this adaptation up.

I haven’t read the original novel, ‘Watership Down’ but when I saw this graphic novel available on NetGalley I REALLY wanted to read it. So THANK YOU NetGalley for providing me with this e-arc by James Sturm + Joe Sutphin. The illustrations are stunning and this has definitely inspired me to pick up the full length novel.

The story is riveting. There is the very practice and tactile story of these rabbits fleeing a dangerous home and seeking a new place to exist, all the trials they face from men, dogs and cats, and even other rabbits. It has a lot to say about the exploitation of nature by man and the ways nature is misunderstood through that lens. It’s also full of warm moments that remind us to help one another, across differences, through the other animals the rabbits come into contact with. There is also a mythology to the story, their own hiding figures and origin stories. I thought it was beautiful. Parts of this are extremely action-packed as well. A bit of a military style pursuit and one on one combat.

I knew I’d love this because I love animals, but it was so much deeper than I anticipated— what a wonderful story. Can’t wait to revisit in in the novel. I’d highly recommend.

Fantastic work in adapting this classic into a graphic novel format keeping the mood and essence of the story without too much text or missing the highlights.It made me feel the same eeriness, grimness, and tension of the original story. Also sadness and excitement for the characters' journey in a fulfilling way. About 381 pages.

It is not a graphic novel that you binge in one hour, but a slow burn of a wonderful adventure filled with action, clairvoyance, villains, characters growing into heroes, courage, leadership, friendship, and allies cooperating for survival. 

The artwork was well thought out, the colors well picked, and they change only to hint that a flashback or a story is about to be told. The panels are well organized, there is never confusion on which panel to read next.
The characters are well-identified with marks, scars, different eye colors, or types of fur. Great balance between action and respite, pages with dialogue or silence. There are amazing landscape panels with wide open silence that are full of wind, smells, and sounds. The artist is great at relaying the five senses with the art.

I'm grateful for this adaptation that sometimes adds a bit more, a great companion to the original classic that will be on my Christmas and birthday lists to gift my family and friends. 

It is described as for ages 10 and up, it shows blood and fights between the animals, but anything more gruesome is left off-camera. It is more about how it makes us fear for our favorite characters and keep turning the page for more. (Hazel team forever.)

It has a glossary at the end and helps us keep up with some terms. 
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion.

I have been anxiously and excitedly awaiting this graphic novel since Joe Sutphin posted some teasers/sketches on Instagram. And I when I was approved for this E-ARC I couldn't believe how fortunate I was. I'm happy to report that the wait was worth it and I wasn't disappointed.

While this is certainly not a substitute for the original work due to the amount of internal monologues and exposition that occurs that is impossible to capture through a graphic novel, it would absolutely unfair to fault this book for that fact. Instead I would say that this edition of Watership Down is an absolutely stunning and perfect companion to the novel. It could be read before or after (or I would suggest reading it alongside) a reading of the original to help visualize or understand certain textual elements that could be hard to picture. I would also say that I think this version would be a good introduction for younger audiences as it simplifies the plot in a more condensed manner.

Now that is not to say that this book fails to succeed in provoking emotion or providing a great story! In fact I would say that were many elements and moments within the graphic novel that truly enhanced or improved the experience. For example there is an absolutely stunning panel of the Black Rabbit of Inle against the night sky that took my breath away with absolutely no words on the page. Another panel introducing Cowslip actually had the hairs on my arms stand up because of the way the artists differentiated his characteristics from the others. These two examples, out of many that I could use, show how words aren't necessary to tell a story.

It is very apparent how much thought and detail was put into the art and the adaptions made. Each rabbit is clearly different from one another, there are incredibly ingenious methods of setting the mood and atmosphere, and I think the idea of using such a whimsical and nostalgic art style for such a heavy themed story was so smart.

I cannot wait for the book to release later this year and add it to my collection of Watership Down books. Like I said above, I highly, highly recommend checking this out after reading or reading it alongside the original novel (or check out the great audiobook narrated by Peter Capaldi). It will enhance your experience and truly elevate both versions.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Netgalley, and James Sturm and Joe Sutphin for allowing me the opportunity to read this in advance in exchange for an honest review. I wish you the best of luck when this releases! I'll be sharing this review to my bookstagram the week of the books official publishing date, as per the requests of the Publisher.

I really enjoyed Watership Down, it was really beautifully illustrated. The story is not for young readers but I appreciated revisiting it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Ten Speed Graphic, Richard Adams, James Sturm (adapter), and Joe Sutphin (illustrator) for the opportunity to read the Watership Down graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful adaptation. If you are familiar with the movie, this graphic novel really takes adaptations to the next step, given more leeway in its nearly 400 page expanse to remain true to the original novel.

This graphic novel has beautiful art and vividly captures the individuality of each rabbit while capturing the beauty and realities of nature. While this story revolves around Fiver, a rabbit who has visions, and Hazel, who leaves upon one of Fiver's visions and becomes his own chief rabbit, there is much more than just the simplicity of rabbits having to find a new home. They must face off against humans, cats, dogs, cars, trains, and other rabbits.

There are also elements that filter into the author's background having been in the war. Vivid aspects of PTSD as well as one group of rabbits that live in resemblance almost like that of a concentration camp. These things may not be noticed by a younger reader, and I do not recommend this for a younger audience, as there are a lot of adult aspects to it. I would say age 11+ is good for this adaptation, considering the vocabulary and the brutal imagery of rabbits being hurt or killing each other at times. Overall, a really great adaptation that I would highly recommend for readers both familiar with the story or new to it.