Sardine In Outer Space Volume #1

European Comics
Sardine In Outer Space Volume #1
By Hervé St-Louis
June 3, 2006 - 18:32

First Second Books
Writer(s): Emmanuel Guibert
Penciller(s): Joann Sfar
Inker(s): Joann Sfar
Cover Artist(s): Joann Sfar

Originally Published by Bayard Éditions Jeunesse as Sardine de l’espace: Le doight dans l’oeil and Sardine de l’espace: le ar des ennemis

Written for kids, Sardine is about a space travelling young pirate, her uncle Captain Yellow Shoulders and best friend Little Louie. They try to thwart the evil plots of Supermuscleman, the chief executive dictator of the universe. Supermuscleman doesn’t like badly behaved kids who have fun. There are several stories in this volume all short tales that will be easy for little children to read and enjoy.

While the stories are inventive, they are also too didactic. They don’t try to teach anything worthwhile to kids but the very structure into which they are written is very strict and clash with the themes it tries to promote that being a kid is about having fun and not always being perfect. The resolutions to the conflicts are too smooth and simple. I’m sure kids of this generation and the ones from before, don’t want to be talked to. Unfortunately, this is what Sardine does. If you’re the type of parent who wants his kids to read stories that promise some excitement but don’t deliver, this is the stuff you need to give to your children.

The artwork is fun and could inspire children to draw their own version of Sardine and her friends. I would suggest this and encouraging kids to make their own Sardine stories and drawings. They might be more fun than those professional cartoonists created for this book. I really feel this is the type of comic book stuck up mothers will buy their kids thinking they gave them a cool comic book to enjoy. Sadly there is a market for this and at least this book exists for such parents.