Abstract
Reviewed by: The Mighty Bite by Nathan Hale Ally Byerly Hale, Nathan The Mighty Bite; written and illus. by Nathan Hale. Amulet/Abrams, 2023 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781419765537 $14.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781647008758 $13.49 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 1-4 Trilobite (an ancient arthropod which falls between a horseshoe crab and a rolypoly) lives happily and humbly on the Island of Losta Founda, a land populated by prehistoric and mythic creatures, until a vivid dream ignites his hunger for fame and fortune. Unfortunately, Trilobite and his companion, Amber the Ambulocetus (an amphibious whale that resembles a crocodile), don't quite know how they'll go about finding fame (an attempt at singing goes terribly awry) until they encounter Tiffany Timber, a paleo-newscaster who wields a taser and a tablet in her hunt for the latest scoop. Trilobite and Amber are quickly drawn into the absurdities of Timber's newscaster world, stumbling from one episodic misadventure to the next and facing everything from a claymation smear campaign to an interview with a [End Page 260] sea cucumber in their quest for fame, fortune, and journalistic integrity. The story's premise is as creative as it is absurd, and the farcical volume is structured like a series of daily strips, replete with silly gags and wry one-liners. Hale's dynamic layouts guide the eye to create a quick, accessible read, and perspective and transitions are skillfully used to produce an immersive, cinematic experience that blurs the boundaries between space, time, and genre. Hand-drawn, heavily cross-hatched illustrations brilliantly juxtapose with the modern video interface of the fame-hungry protagonists without privileging one medium over the other. Instead, the narrative plays on the commonalities between the sequential art forms—from the framing to the timing to the editing, and ultimately pays homage to the timeless craft of storytelling. This will be an absolute treat for any reader who likes their natural history with a side of whimsy. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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