Agrimbau, Diego . Leonardo da Vinci . illus. by Diego Aballay. ISBN 9781515791638 ; ISBN 9781515791676 . Morini, Manuel . Nelson Mandela . illus. by Ignacio Segesso. ISBN 9781515791645 ; ISBN 9781515791683 . Morini, Manuel . Pope Francis . illus. by Ignacio Segesso. ISBN 9781515791621 ; ISBN 9781515791669 . ea vol: 80p. (Graphic Lives). chron. further reading. glossary. index. photos. websites. Capstone . Aug. 2017. lib. ed. $31.99. pap. $6.95. Gr 7 UpIn this graphic novel series, the stories are mostly conveyed through speech bubbles and clearly demarcated text boxes. The visual style is rich and evocative. A scene of a war battle in Amsterdam includes inset close-up illustrations of participants and bystanders. Some text-only narrative includes biography and related topics (for example, "Italy in the Renaissance" or "South Africa and Apartheid"), as well as an overview of the subject's portrayal in film. Complex stories are sometimes compressed. Mandela's first marriage, divorce, and then remarriage occur within a few pages. Some of the detail in Francis will be incomprehensible to non-Catholics. Each text includes discussion questions and writing prompts. A limited number of books are also cited for additional reading, but no sources are listed. VERDICT Generally solid introductions to historical figures, particularly for more visual learners, though less useful for research.

These graphic novels detail the lives of the titular historical figures, with emphasis on events that garnered each the most notoriety. The comic-book format makes the volumes feel more like stories than typical biographies, which may appeal to reluctant history readers. The art in both books is generic and busy but decently expressive. Contextual notes, discussion questions, and writing prompts are included. Reading list, timeline. Glos.