Facing Feelings: Inside the World of Raina Telgemeier

Gr 5 Up–Telgemeier is an Eisner Award–winning cartoonist whose works are central to the middle grade contemporary graphic novel boom. This book is an exhibition catalog for a retrospective exhibition, curated by Anne Drozod with Telgemeier’s collaboration, which was on view May through November 2023 at the Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum; information on the museum is included at the end of the work. The book begins with an interview between Telgemeier and Drozod. The following three parts cover her childhood and how it is depicted in autobiographical works, her artistic influences, development of her art style, depiction of emotions and how they are a core element of her art and storytelling, and behind-the-scenes of her most popular works. A unifying theme is how Telgemeier masterfully creates coming-of-age stories with a mix of moving yet comedic moments, all with true depictions of emotions, mental health, and relationships. The many images are captioned with additional notes. They range from exhibition photos, personal photos, childhood art, and early professional artwork. Elements of her graphic novel process are unpacked: idea origin, character development, prototype covers, panels, and full pages. Telgemeier’s fans will enjoy getting a peek at the process and may be inspired to create their own works. The book also features an introduction by Scott McCloud on Telgemeier’s impact on the comics world. A selected bibliography offers sources, primarily for the chapter on emotions.