Book details

Laika

Author: Nick Abadzis, Illustrated by the author

Laika

Laika

$14.99

About This Book

Eisner Award Winner: Best Publication for Teens | Eisner Award Nominee: Best Reality-Based Work

Laika was the abandoned puppy destined to become...

Page Count
224
Genre
On Sale
09/30/2014
Age Range
10-14

Book Details

Eisner Award Winner: Best Publication for Teens | Eisner Award Nominee: Best Reality-Based Work

Laika was the abandoned puppy destined to become Earth's first space traveler. This graphic novel follows her journey.

Nick Abadzis masterfully blends fiction and fact in the intertwined stories of three compelling lives. Along with Laika, there is Korolev, once a political prisoner, now a driven engineer at the top of the Soviet Union's space program, and Yelena, the lab technician responsible for Laika's health and life. This intense triangle is rendered with the pitch-perfect emotionality of classics like Because of Winn Dixie, Shiloh, and Old Yeller.

Abadzis gives life to a pivotal moment in modern history, casting light on the hidden moments of deep humanity behind history.

Imprint Publisher

Square Fish

ISBN

9781250050625

Reading Guide

In The News

“* A luminous masterpiece filled with pathos and poignancy.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Abadzis doesn't just show Laika's plight. He makes you feel it in the core of your being. . . . Consider Nick Abadzis a name to watch from here on in.” —School Library Journal

“* Abadzis's tear-inducing and solidly researched graphic novel treatment of Laika's surpassingly tragic story is a standout, not just for its sympathetic point of view but for its refusal to Disnify or anthropomorphize the undeniably cute dog at its heart. . . . Although the tightly packed and vividly inked panels of Abadzis's art tell an impressively complex tale . . . where the dog becomes a pawn in larger political and bureaucratic scheming, Laika's palpable spirit is what readers will remember.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Space enthusiasts will . . . appreciate how much of the drama unfolds not only in dialogue bubbles but in the meticulous visual detail within wordless frames that captures the complex emotional responses of human participants pressured to sacrifice a dog they've come to treasure.” —BCCB

“Highly recommended for public and school libraries.” —Library Journal

About the Creators

Laika

Laika

$14.99