Reviewed by Wendy Lipke
This middle grade graphic novel by Jason Pamment is the second featuring Ember, a very kind and very tiny boy as he follows his emotionally tricky path on the way to adulthood.
This is the third book produced by the South Australian author and illustrator. His debut graphic novel, Treasure in the Lake, was released in 2021 and that work has been recognized for its detailed artwork and storytelling. It was named a 2022 Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association. This book follows a thirteen-year-old girl, Iris, and her best friend, Sam.
His books include vibrant and fascinating worlds filled with strange and wonderful characters. Jason Pamment also directs and designs for a variety of media, including award-winning animated films, children’s television shows, music videos, commercials and video games. His work has attracted much attention, and his books have been shortlisted for several awards.
At the beginning of this latest book, Ember and the Grand Metamorphosis, there are three pages which summarise the story of his first book about Ember, Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures giving the reader a better understanding of this young character. They learn that Ember was taken to the Island of Lost Creatures to attend school with other little ones his size. For a while life for him here is trying.
In this story the class is to engage in a field trip to experience something really special, metamorphosis. They are told that while strictly not metamorphosis, we all experience transformations throughout our lives, sometimes resulting in new abilities, other times, a revolution in how we think.
However, on the day their teacher is unable to lead them, but the experience is too important for them to cancel. Ember volunteers to lead the group, to the annoyance of some of his classmates. What they learn through this experience will affect them all in a positive way. They learn valuable lessons about friendships, resilience, and empathy as well as working together to solve problems. The characters involved, through their experiences, learn more self-confidence.
The storyline is presented in strong colours, yet each panel stands out as it has a white border. The colours change throughout the story in this substantial children’s book of 240 pages to suit the actions in the storyline. The illustrations tell the story as much as, if not more than, the dialogue.
Inside the back cover is an invitation for readers to go to a webpage to find more scientific facts and behind the scene sketches.
This book fulfilled the statement found on the back cover – ‘Today you will embark on a life-hanging…transformational…mind-opening journey’. It was an interesting story, presented beautifully and revealing messages beneficial to readers young and old. My one concern is about the structure of this book. Because of the thickness and heavy quality of the paper on which the story is told, I just hope that the pages, with continued use, still stay attached to the spine.
Ember and the Grand Metamorphosis
(2026)
by Jason Pamment
Allen & Unwin
ISBN:978-1-7611-8130-6
$19.99; 240pp