Little Monarchs - by Jonathan Case

About the Book

Book Synopsis

It's been fifty years since a sun shift wiped out nearly all mammal life across the earth.

Towns and cities are abandoned relics, autonomous machines maintain roadways, and the world is slowly being reclaimed by nature. Isolated pockets of survivors keep to themselves in underground sites, hiding from the lethal sunlight by day and coming above ground at night.

10-year-old Elvie and her caretaker, Flora, a biologist, are the only two humans who can survive during daylight because Flora made an incredible discovery - a way to make an antidote to sun sickness using the scales from monarch butterfly wings. Unfortunately, it can only be made in small quantities and has a short shelf life.

Free to travel during the day, Elvie and Flora follow monarchs as they migrate across the former Western United States, constantly making new medicine for themselves while trying to find a way to make a vaccine they can share with everyone. Will they discover a way to go from a treatment to a cure and preserve what remains of humanity, or will their efforts be thwarted by disaster and the very people they are trying to save?

Little Monarchs is a new kind of graphic novel adventure--one that invites readers to take an intimate look at the natural world and the secrets hidden within. Elvie and Flora's adventures take place in real locations marked panel-by-panel with coordinates and a compass heading. Curious readers can follow their travel routes and see the same landscapes--whether it be a secluded butterfly grove on the California coast or a hot-springs in the high desert. Through both comic narrative and journal entries, readers learn the basics of star navigation, how to tie useful knots, and other survival skills applicable in the natural world.

Creator Jonathan Case acquired the fact-based portion of Little Monarchs through intensive research and several expeditions to study monarchs across the western United States. Scientific support also came from the Xerces Society, the world leaders in monarch preservation.

An American Library Association Notable Children's Book
An ALA Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table Top Ten Best Graphic Novels for Children Selection
Named to the Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
An NPR Book We Love
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Editors' Choice Selection

Review Quotes

★ "Spectacular cartooning, meticulous world-building, and an arresting post-apocalyptic premise form the foundation of this exceptional graphic novel. . . . Case's ink and watercolor illustrations are lush, dynamic, and impressively consistent from panel to panel, allowing readers to immerse themselves in a believable near-future. . . ."--The Horn Book, Starred Review

★ "For a postapocalyptic survival struggle, Little Monarchs is nothing short of a romp, vibrant with a sense of exploration, adventure, and discovery. . . . Case exalts science and its meticulous application and brings it to life through Elvie's journal. . . . and the painterly, nuanced palette supports the story's measured complexity. . . ."--Booklist, Starred Review

★ "A gripping and action-packed tale. Bold ink lines paired with vibrant watercolors lend an ethereal feel to the sun-drenched landscape, providing a whimsical gentleness to Case's eerie, futuristic world. Elvie records nature observations and maps out her travels in her journal, balancing educational exposition with the ominous atmosphere of this fresh and timely apocalyptic narrative."--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

★ "[A] prescient, thrilling, unusual and occasionally hilarious graphic novel. . . . Just about everything one might need to survive post-apocalyptic life on Earth is packed into these colorful pages. . . . Save the planet--read this book!"--Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

★ "The eclecticism of Case's lively visuals in this riveting graphic novel will keep readers both enthralled and learning. The book teaches some astronomy, botany, biology, entomology, animal science, knot tying, and more. Elvie's special relationship with Flora, along with her quick wit, scientific knowledge, and careful observation skills, makes her a character worth following. Yet she's all kid. . . . Superbly written and illustrated; keeps readers breathless and guessing until the end."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"This graphic novel packs a punch, expertly balancing science fiction with the looming environmental crisis, highlighting the delicate balance of every aspect of our planet's relationship with the sun and our ecosystem."--School Library Journal

About the Author