The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim

Three amazingly different and yet cohesive stories create this graphic novel.  In the first, Duncan is on the way to winning the hand of the Princess.  He has a magical sword that can slice the heads off of the frog-people and a desire to win.  But soon he discovers that his story has an entirely different piece to it.  In the second story, Gran’pa Greenbax is a frog who wants enough money to be able to dive into it and never hit bottom.  He’s not afraid to sell anything to reach his goal.  He is even willing to profit from the smile that has appeared in the sky, if he can.  But soon, he too discovers that all is not what it may seem.  The final story features Janet, who is stuck in a cubicle/watercooler culture where she doesn’t get any respect.  When she is contacted by a Nigerian prince who needs money, she gets caught up in a scam.  The question is who ends up profiting by it.

Strange, beautiful tales about being an outsider and being true to yourself, these stories will resonate with teens.  The artwork is very different in each story, setting them distinctly apart from one another.  From the epic fantasy art in the first to vintage comic book in the second, and ending with modern style in the final story.  At the same time, the stories all work together as a collection.  They have similar story arcs as well as that overarching theme of identity.

Highly recommended, this book belongs in all teen graphic novel collections because it shows teens how great graphic novels can be.  And if you are an adult like me who enjoys them, make sure you get your hands on this one.

Reviewed from library copy.