In this bonus episode, we talk with graphic novelist K. Woodman-Maynard about her book recommendations. We look at her top reads, including a compelling middle-grade book told from a tree's perspective and a beautiful graphic novel that recently won an Eisner Award. K. also shares insights on a cleverly written mystery novel and her own graphic adaptation of "The Great Gatsby."
In this bonus episode, we talk with graphic novelist K. Woodman-Maynard about her book recommendations. We look at her top reads, including a compelling middle-grade book told from a tree's perspective and a beautiful graphic novel that recently won an Eisner Award. K. also shares insights on a cleverly written mystery novel and her own graphic adaptation of "The Great Gatsby."
K. Woodman Maynard on Instagram
K. Woodman Maynard on Substack
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Mignon Fogarty: Greetings, Grammarpaloozians. We just finished the main episode with K. Woodman Maynard about the graphic novel "Tuck Everlasting." It was such an interesting chat about the themes of the book and how comics can bring the visual elements in to add to the story because the words have to be pared down so much. K, thank you so much for being here. Welcome to the segment.
K. Woodman Maynard: Thank you. I'm so excited to be here.
Mignon Fogarty: Yeah. So, I'm so interested to get your book recommendations.
What are some of your favorite books that you think would make a good gift for our listeners?
K. Woodman Maynard: Now I'm like, oh, I should have chosen more graphic novels. So I chose a middle-grade book, a young adult graphic novel, and then an adult book. So I'm getting the different audiences. “Wish Tree” by Catherine Applegate is the one for middle-grade readers, and it's just a gorgeous book told from the perspective of a red maple tree.
Just like this maple tree that's lived through so much and that it's looking at the neighborhood and the changing neighborhood, like how the children get along or don't get along. It's a tree where people actually tie their wishes to it. It's just a remarkable story in terms of the voice of the narrator being so unique and so kind of clever how they introduce you to different themes or information about nature and wildlife. But it's so emotional and just beautiful.
Mignon Fogarty: The cover is really dark. Does it have undertones of darkness in the story?
K. Woodman Maynard: Yeah, so there are two kids who are living in neighboring houses that this tree has shadowed for so many years. One of the kids is from an immigrant family, and somebody carves on the base of the tree a message to the immigrant family. Then the owner of the tree decides it's time to take this tree down.
It's just causing too much trouble. That's sort of like the plot of trying to save the tree, but also get these kids, you know, this family to be part of the community.
Mignon Fogarty: That sounds great. So interesting.
K. Woodman Maynard: Yeah. And then my next one is a graphic novel called “Lunar New Year Love Story,” and it's by Jean Wyn Yang. And Lewyn Fam is the illustrator. They're both illustrators. But, Le Winham did the illustrations for this, and it just won a bunch of Eisner Awards, which is the big award in graphic novels. It's really just a gorgeous love story set at Lunar New Year in the Bay Area.
It's about the coming of age of a young woman who is trying to find out about her mother who left their family when she was really young and kind of her cultural identity as a Vietnamese American. It's just a beautiful story.
Mignon Fogarty: Looks great. That looks lovely.
K. Woodman Maynard: Yeah.
Mignon Fogarty: It's got a big orange burst, like fireworks, on the cover.
K. Woodman Maynard: Gorgeous art. Also, she thinks she doesn't have a heart, and there's like all these nice thematic things in it. And then my third is, I'm sure one that many of you have read, but I just reread it, which is “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman. There is a film adaptation that's coming out on August 28th, which I'm very excited about, I think on Netflix.
It is the story of these friends in a retirement community who start solving murders in England. It's just so cleverly written. I laugh out loud when I read it, you know, the kind of the things that they do because of their age, but then also how they use their age to their advantage with the police or with different suspects. It's so clever and just well crafted.
Mignon Fogarty: Oh, that's wonderful. I know I've heard so many good things about that book. It's on my to-read list, actually, and I've been seeing the ads, I think you're right, on Netflix. Well, thank you so much.
K. Woodman Maynard: Thank you.
Mignon Fogarty: Yeah, again, that is Kay Woodman Maynard, the illustrator and author of “Tuck Everlasting,” the graphic novel adaptation of the original book by Natalie Babbitt.
Just, I'll say it again, just a gorgeous, compelling book. It really draws you in, and you want to linger over the beautiful pictures.
Mignon Fogarty: Thank you to all the Grammarpaloozians for supporting the show. Kay, where can people find you online?
K. Woodman Maynard: Sure, I'm on Instagram and TikTok with my last name, which is Woodman Maynard. So, @W-O-O-D-M-A-N-M-A-Y-N-A-R-D. And then on Substack, I'm Creating Comics.
Mignon Fogarty: Wonderful. And you also did the graphic adaptation of “The Great Gatsby,” correct?
K. Woodman Maynard: Yes, I did. That is available wherever books are sold. And also we are getting a new cover for it, which I'm very excited about. This is “The Great Gatsby.” I'm holding it up right now. It is also watercolored by hand, but in a different style to match the 1920s.
Mignon Fogarty: Well, thank you so much for being here.
K. Woodman Maynard: Thank you.