Reviews 

Bookshelf Basics: “Skip”

By | October 26th, 2021
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

All-ages graphic novels are more diverse and prolific than ever. With so much great content out there – and more arriving every week – sifting through it all can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, librarian or young reader, Multiversity’s #BookshelfBasics is here to help. By highlighting a blend of newly released and classic titles for younger readers, we’ll help you find a book that’s perfect for you, even as your tastes and interests change. In today’s installment we look at the dazzling, surreal graphic novel “Skip,” by Molly Mendoza.

Cover by Molly Mendoza
Written and Illustrated
by Molly Mendoza

In this epic tale of friendship, compassion and growth, Molly Mendoza’s stunning art and gripping storytelling immerses you in alternate worlds filled with mystical creatures and dazzling landscapes. When Bloom is thrown from their world, and Gloopy is exiled from their own, the two youngsters find in each other a much-needed kindred spirit. But as they skip through dimensions and encounter weeping giants, alligator islands and topsy-turvy 2D worlds, they find that their greatest challenge will be facing their own fears back home.

Okay, Let’s Start with the Basics

“Skip” is written and illustrated by Oregon-based artist Molly Mendoza. Published in 2019, it was an Eisner nominee for Best Coloring in 2020. In addition to her work in comics, Mendoza has produced illustrations for clients such as The New York Times, The Marshall Project and Wired. She’s also done public murals for her hometown, the city of Portland, OR.

What’s It All About?

In one sense, “Skip” adheres pretty closely to the classic Hero’s Journey. In another sense, how and why the characters skip from one time and place to the next is beside the point. The book and its scenes are structured sequentially – with a beginning, middle and end – but the narrative thread largely serves as a way for Molly Mendoza to link a collection of incredible character designs, kaleidoscopic panels and spectacular splash pages.

The story centers Bloom and Gloopy, two strangers who come from very different worlds. Literally. Bloom appears to be human. They live next to a lake with their adult caretaker, Bee. The setting isn’t described or depicted in particularly concrete terms, but we know there’s been some kind of apocalyptic event. As Bloom later tells Gloopy, “There was a big tear in the world that divided everyone and the machines they created to make the world better were used to hurt each other instead, until only the machines were left.” Gloopy, by contrast, doesn’t look human at all. At least not in the typical sense. They have two arms, two legs and a face, but their body looks more like a tall thin haystack than anything else.

After two parallel scenes that give us a brief, but excellent look at the characters, their daily lives and the worlds they inhabit, the two strangers meet and quickly find themselves on an entirely different world – or dimension or plane of existence – that is new to them both. From that point forward, the characters’ opposing goals and ways of being in the world serves as the engine that drives the story forward. Bloom desperately wants to go home; Gloopy craves adventure and wants to keep exploring. Bloom feels sad and lost, while Gloopy is concurrently having the best day of their life. Thankfully, the two of them work it out and their journey continues.

After the first few scenes, the pattern is well established. Bloom and Gloopy travel to yet another new world – or universe or plane of existence – where they have a brief, but dramatic encounter with one or more fantastical beings. What these other characters want, however, is often unpredictable or not always clear. A gigantic cat wants to eat them; a humanoid alligator named Gloria wants to hang out and play board games; and an unnamed, forlorn dragon just wants everyone to stop fighting. Sometimes Bloom and Gloopy are running for their lives. Other times they’re struggling to politely excuse themselves and get back to their journey. Eventually, they each end up back home, having grown and changed along the way.

Continued below

What makes it essential?

Molly Mendoza’s art is a stunning, frenetic tour de force of lines, shapes, colors and styles. Sometimes the images have a liquid quality that flows and swirls across the page. Elsewhere, abstract geometric shapes collide, overlap and rub against each other. Occasional panels and pages feel like they could be a complete, self-contained worlds – a carefully crafted collage of shapes, colors and objects that tell their own, separate story. There’s harmony, there’s balance, there’s tension – and there’s everything in between.

From beginning to end, Mendoza deftly mixes an array of styles and influences. Some of the imagery alludes to painters like Salvador Dali or Giorgio de Chirico, while other compositions echo Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Linger and you may feel like you’re peeling apart an onion, revealing one layer after the next the deeper you go.

Kaleidoscopic shapes and hypnotic colors aside, underneath it all there’s a surprisingly powerful, poetic script. In the opening scene Bee fondly remembers eating mashed potatoes with cheese and butter. Intrigued, Bloom suggests they go to the other side of the lake and get some cheese. Bee says it’s not that simple. Cheese isn’t a thing you can find by foraging. The two of them fish from their boat for several wordless panels. Finally, Bloom says quietly, “I bet cheese isn’t even real.” It’s a short, melancholic statement that beautifully captures Bloom’s longing. Elsewhere, after a particularly trippy journey through an interdimensional portal, Gloopy asks Bloom how they’re doing. With a blank stare on their face they say, “I feel like my whole life just poured out of my skull.” Personally, I’ve never traveled from one plane to another, but I’m guessing that’s exactly how it would feel. The bold, fantastical art will draw you in, the character dialogue makes it real.

How Can You Read It?

You can find “Skip,” by Molly Mendoza, wherever books are sold, including online retailers. You can also find ebook editions on your favorite ebook platform, including Kindle and Google Play. If your school or public library doesn’t have it on their shelves, ask them to buy a copy. It’s a spectacular book that will delight readers of any age.

Why Should it be on Your Shelf?

Molly Mendoza’s “Skip” is a visual tour de force built around a subtle and poetic Hero’s Journey. You’ll surely want to linger with protagonists Bloom and Gloopy on its dazzling splash pages and mesmerizing sequences.


//TAGS | bookshelf basics

John Schaidler

EMAIL | ARTICLES


  • Columns
    Bookshelf Basics: “I Was Their American Dream”

    By | Nov 18, 2021 | Columns

    All-ages graphic novels are more diverse and prolific than ever. With so much great content out there – and more arriving every week – sifting through it all can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, librarian or young reader, Multiversity’s #BookshelfBasics is here to help. By highlighting a blend of newly […]

    MORE »
    Columns
    Bookshelf Basics: “You Brought Me the Ocean”

    By | Oct 11, 2021 | Columns

    All-ages graphic novels are more diverse and prolific than ever. With so much great content out there – and more arriving every week – sifting through it all can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, librarian or young reader, Multiversity’s Bookshelf Basics is here to help. By highlighting a blend of […]

    MORE »
    Columns
    Bookshelf Basics: “The Wendy Project”

    By | Sep 24, 2021 | Columns

    All-ages graphic novels are hotter than ever. With so much great content out there and more arriving each week, sifting through it all can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, librarian or young reader, Multiversity’s #BookshelfBasics is here to help. By highlighting a blend of newly released and classic all-ages books, […]

    MORE »

    -->