A revealing summer vacation

Tamaki, M., & Tamaki, J. (2014). This one summer. New York, NY: First Second. The writing team of Jillian and Mariko Tamaki received the Caldecott Medal and a Printz Honor Award for this exemplary graphic novel. This One Summer tells the tale of Rose and her family during their annual family getaway at Awago Beach. But this summer lacks the carefree fun of earlier summers. Rose’s parents often argue but Rose doesn’t understand why. Clearly, Rose’s mother is suffering but being a girl on the brink of adolescence, Rose sees only how her parent’s troubles affect her. So Rose and her friend Windy divert themselves with their previous pastimes and by speculating about the love lives of local teens. As the story progresses, the two story lines eventually converge in an exciting climax that reveals underlying grief causing the tension in Rose’s home.

Jillian Tamaki’s unique illustrations are done in a bluish purple that heightens the wistful tone that permeates the novel. Characters are drawn more realistically than is often seen in graphic novels, most notably, Rose’s mother, whose sadness is revealed even in her smile. Mariko Tamaki writes with restraint, allowing the characters and the illustrations to tell the story rather than embellish with additional background information. This One Summer is an exceptional example of brilliant illustrations combined with masterful storytelling.

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