Title: Prime Baby
Author: Gene Luen Yang
Illustrator: Gene Luen Yang (Colored by Derek Kirk Kim)
Publisher: First Second (:01)
Copyright: 2010
Price: $7.99
ISBN: 978-1-59643-612-1
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Summary and Quick Thoughts: Thaddeus K. Fong is not happy with the fact he has a baby sister. In fact, he tells his parents exactly how he feels, landing him in the corner, but he’ll show his parents. One day, he plans to rule the world, so the prime numbers he’s learning about in class? Useless. That is until he learns prime numbers might be a way to communicate with aliens. His sister has been talking oddly with her “ga-gas.” Soon, he discovers that his sister could be an alien and suddenly, she’s throwing up slug alien space ships. What can he do?
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Will Teens Like It? This is a title more enjoyed by adults.
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Things to be aware of: Nothing.
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Further Thoughts: It is clear that Thaddeus can see connections in things that other people do not. It is also clear that he has some issues he needs to work through before anyone will believe him.
I’m not sure what it is about this title, but it rubs me the wrong way. While a co-worker was laughing out loud, I could only read this, think “Heh, the aliens are kinda cute” and not laugh. I like Yang’s art work and I enjoy his stories, but I’m not exactly impressed by this title and like his other works, fear it will have a short lived shelf life. The issue of the story, for the most part, is the need for Thaddeus to accept he is no longer an only child, but this is not a child’s story. Thaddeus, at 8 can use YouTube, purchase an island, and create a ray gun. Then, there are the peaceful aliens who just want to make the world a better place.
Overall, I like the art style (Yang’s style usually doesn’t bother me), but find the story neither appealing nor memorable. Adults will probably find this a more enjoyable read, especially since it ran in the NY Times Magazine. I’d pass on this for children’s collections for Thaddeus’s higher level thinking and I’d pass on this one for teens for sure. Adults seem to be the audience for this one.
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Bonus: ALA Great Graphic Novel 2011
Source: Library copy.
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