Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Illustrated by Niko Henrichon
Publisher: DC Comics, 136 pages
Copyright: 2006
School Library Journal Review:
Gr 9 Up
A heartbreaking look at what it's like to live in a war zone. Inspired by true events, this story tells of four lions that escape from the Baghdad Zoo during a bombing raid in 2003 and encounter other animals that offer unique perspectives, such as a tortoise that survived World War I. They begin to question the nature of freedom. Can it be achieved without being earned? What is its price? What do the lions owe the zookeepers who took care of them at the cost of keeping them in captivity? Where should they go? What should they eat? The four lions soon realize that a desert city is nothing like the grassy savannas of their memories. Their experiences mirror those of the Iraqi citizens displaced by the conflict. The book succeeds as a graphic novel and as an account of the current crisis. Henrichon's full palette emphasizes browns and grays that evoke the sands of the country, while his long brushstrokes and careful attention to detail reflect the precise and minimalist dialogue that Vaughan uses. An allegorical tale with compelling and believable characters, Baghdad makes it clear that without self-determination, there can be no freedom
Review:
This novel starts off like a cross between the childrens' movies "Madagascar" and "The Lion King". I can imagine it turning off teens because of its seemingly childish portrayal of war. At first, that is..
The story is about a pride of lions who, during the bombing of Baghdad in 2003, escape from the Baghdad Zoo. In their attempts to understand the unfolding, catastrophic situation around them, they cross paths with an American patrol unit that shoots and kills them. The lions symbolize the Iraqi people, the common men, not the soldiers, and the Americans symbolize, well, the American troops.
This is a portrayal of war without sides, without the good guy or bad guy images, or even the innocent bystanders. It is depicted within a state of constant "regime change" and "chaos" in which cooperation is a necessity, but nobody can ever be trusted. There is arrogant pride and a whole lot of graphic violence without any purpose, but the struggle for survival and the dream of safety, food to eat, and the beauty of the setting sun. In other words, just like real life, and completely unlike most of the stories we tell about war.
The fact that animals represent humans in this novel is a little daunting and awkward, and the fact that animals get blown up instead of people, is nonetheless still jarring. Wartime scenarios like rape, explosive bombs, and slaughter take place just as they would in other war novels, so beware young readers. The dialogue between the animals should have been made less simplistic; the book cover, animal talk, and animal characters calls to young readers, even though the content is clearly for mature teens.
Reading Level: Beginner
Notes about Audience: Recommended for ages 15 and up.
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