3.5 rounded up to 4.
A pretty quick read, and an impulse grab when perusing the YA section because I haven't read all of Gene Luen Yang's works ([b:Boxers|17210470|Boxers (Boxers & Saints, #1)|Gene Luen Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359199413l/17210470._SX50_.jpg|23691809] and [b:Saints|17210471|Saints (Boxers & Saints, #2)|Gene Luen Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359199657l/17210471._SX50_.jpg|23691810] are sitting on my shelf...) Probably considered YA for length/previous works by author, though it does deal with some heavy topics.

Three short stories, illustrated that all have a little bit to do with an imagined environment that may not necessarily match reality for various reasons- escapism in 2 out of 3, capitalism for another 2/3 (if you were wondering, the third story matches both those imo). Great use of color to show the differences between worlds. The third one is the standout for me. ( )

Even though it's just a graphic novel, it was very thought-provoking. This book tells three different short stories, and what they all have in common is the idea of escapism. The last story was absolutely amazing. ( )

Duncan, the brave knight sets out to save the beautiful princess.

A money-hungry frog exploring every opportunity to make a dollar runs into the "Eternal Smile".

And a corporate drone responds to an email from a Nigerian prince ...

Looking around at the reviews ... it's loneliness that ties these stories together? I think it more has to do with how we embrace truth. Each hero of the stories faces a moment to embrace the truth or the illusion.



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fiction (graphix) ( )

Very unique stories tied together by the idea that people want/need to escape for the sake of their own self-worth. ( )

I'm a sucker for books with multiple art styles and themes about fantasy meeting reality ( )

Lovely graphics, but I found the stories had too much of an overt message. ( )

Really nice art hobbled by writing that tries so hard to be rich and deep and surprising, but ends up reading as flat as a day-old elderberry soda. Odd. ( )

This graphic novel has three stories, each of which do a great job of turning the reality we are first presented with on its head. In doing so, the stories prod us to ask ourselves what is important in life. The stories themselves are each wonderful fantasies.

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I absolutely love Yang's Boxers & Saints a novelization of the Boxer Rebellion told from Boxer and Christian perspectives. I am less familar with Derek Kirk Kim so I picked this graphic novel on my previous experience with Yang (still haven't read American Born Chinese).

This novel has three graphic short stories. All of the stories poke at unreality and facing up to reality. Each of the protagonists lives in an artificial world, each gathers the strength to face the 'real world.' Boxer's & Saint's was epic. This is not, though the art and story are both well executed. It was entertaining.

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Three different stories, rendered in different styles, about three characters who come upon defining moments that change the courses of their lives. Duncan must choose between living a fantasy or reality; money-grubbing cartoon character Gran'pa Greenbax rediscovers the lure of the pond; and "insignificant" Janet has an online encounter with a Nigerian prince, or so she thinks. There's a bittersweetness to these characters' defining moments, that moment when one thinks "I'm a loser" and then, "but I'm not going to be a loser forever!" ( )

three stories about things not being what they seem. These stories did not connect well with me. Oh, well. ( )

Gene Yang and Derek Kirk Kim together, what more to say? 3 excellent stories, with different art styles and an interesting personal twist. ( )

I'd enjoyed ABC by Yang and never read anything by Kim. The short stories seem all to be themed around loss and disconnect. Not loss in the sense of losing something or someone, but loss of purpose or will. There is a certain quality of desperation in the stories. In the first story this becomes evident about two thirds of the way, in the second one at the very very end, and the third one is dripping of desperation from beginning to end. The stories explore a wide range of subjects from evangelism/exploitation to internet fraud (sounds hard to believe, when i put it that way) but they are very human, very real, and sad. But they all manage to end in a bit of an up note, which is refreshing. The art work is exceptional, which surprised me, because I usually do not like the super colorful, computer-generated look. But the drawings of humans as well as non-human characters is exceptional. The last story certainly stands out in terms of the art work, with most panels drawn in dreary grays like black and white etchings.
All in all, a good small collection of stories which will surprise as you read. ( )

Summary: This book is a collection of three stories, each addressing places where the line between fantasy and reality gets blurry. In "Duncan's Kingdom", Duncan is a knight and the hero of the kingdom, but he can't shake the feeling that there's something he's not being told. In "Gran'pa Greenbax and the Eternal Smile", Gran'pa Greenbax is a money-loving frog who seeks to capitalize on a mysterious smile that appears floating in the sky. In "Urgent Request", Janet is lonely and unappreciated, but when she receives an e-mail from a Nigerian prince requesting her help, she decides to respond and see what happens.

Review: I liked these stories a lot. "Gran'pa Greenbax" was my least favorite; it was over-the-top in terms of the dialog and the artwork, and even though all of the over-the-top-ness did have a point, it was enough initially to put me off of the story. I liked "Urgent Request" quite a bit; the artwork was totally gorgeous and it was great to watch Janet come to terms with herself and her situation (But it wasn't a "Girl Power!" type of thing; it maintained a little haunting note of melancholy underneath it all.) But I think "Duncan's Kingdom" was my favorite, maybe because it was a more traditional type of fantasy, but I think because it packed the biggest emotional punch. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: This is one of those graphic novels that I think has something to appeal to almost everyone who likes graphic novels, and maybe something to entice those that haven't tried one before. ( )

These three stories read like science fiction short stories and they all trace the liminal line between imagination and self-deception. I really enjoyed the artwork here. It's crisp and creative. ( )

This book consists of three different amusing and creative stories. The ideas and plots are unique and interesting, each one shows a different meaning and moral.The first story is about a prince that defeats his enemy and receives everything he ever wanted, but soon discovers that the life he’s living is not real or what it seems. The second story is about a greedy frog that loves money and will do anything to be rich. He believes that money is the only thing that brings him happiness, but he soon learns that he was wrong. The third story is about a woman that receives an email from Prince Henry of Nigeria asking for a loan, but, learns exactly why the people you meet on the internet can't always be trusted. ( )

This graphic novel is a collaboration between two masters of the field--Gene Luen Yang ([[ASIN:0312384483 American Born Chinese]]) and Derek Kirk Kim ([[ASIN:1596436573 Same Difference]])--with Gene writing wonderful short stories and Derek bringing his evocative drawing style. Together they show us three different stories about the worlds we create and the worlds that we live in. In the first story we meet a young prince who discovers his greatest enemy is not who it seems to be; the second story (which is where the title of the book comes from) shows us a wealthy frog that finds that sometimes things aren't as they seem and the simple life maybe better; and the final story is about a young woman who may have discovered her Prince.

Gene's stories create blur the line between fantasy and reality and create a world that we can all instantly recognize and feel a part of....and leave us wanting more. Even though he only has a few pages, the characters have more depth to them than many longer books and help us instantly feel a connection to them. Derek's evocative drawing style brings these characters and worlds to life. The greatest example of which is in the third story "Urgent Request," which alternates different color schemes and is drawn in a more lose style than the other two stories, but has a greater sense of power and purpose, which is difficult to describe in words.

If you've never read any of Gene's or Derek's work pick this book up and discover the magic they can create. Then....go pick up their other books and enjoy those worlds as well. ( )

Three stories that play wonderfully with the borders of reality. A prince finds his fantasy world unravelling at the edges, a greedy frog starts a new religion so he can obtain a pond with enough gold to swim in, and a Nigerian fraud pays off unexpectedly. Hilarious Second Life reference.This would be a good introduction to graphic for nervous post-modernists. And for anyone who enjoys stories with a twist. ( )

Beautifully illustrated in three distinct styles to represent three stories, The Eternal Smile is an empowering and bittersweet story about fiction versus reality. This is a quick-read with a thought-provoking message of making the most of your life, and I think many teens will relate to the characters’ desire to live in fantasy.

The story I enjoyed the most was that of Janet, the office assistant that willingly plays along with an Internet scam in order escape the drudgery of her life. Janet’s story really broke my heart but also had me cheering her on in the end.

A beautiful set of stories that all come together with an uplifting message, highly recommended! ( )

This graphic novel is comprised of three separate stories with similar themes. They convey messages about truth, reality, and contentment. I also thought that each story was touched with a bit of melancholy and an undercurrent of sadness infuses them. But don’t get the wrong idea; the book is still delightful and a joy to read. Each of the three different stories has a different art style befitting the story. ( )

Personal Response:
I enjoyed these stories greatly. The overall theme of the book is to be true to yourself. Each story establishes this idea in its own unique way. The stories display to the reader that fantasy isn't always better than reality, being true to yourself is more valuable than money, and sometimes we should let ourselves escape for awhile. These stories are very easy to relate to and would be excellent for any teen reader who has felt that sometimes they wish they were somewhere else.

middle reader, teen

Curricular Connections:
I could see these stories being excellent to serve the purpose of displaying the importance of self-esteem, especially the final story. ( )

The Eternal Smile is a collection of three graphic novels focusing on the nature of reality and fantasy, imagining the blurring of the boundaries between them, and remarking upon the significance of the separation.

The first story, "Duncan's Kingdom", features a classic story of a brave knight determined to win the hand of the queen by slaying the metaphorical dragon...frog, whatever. The second story, "The Eternal Smile", tells the story of Gran'Pa Greenbax, a money-hungry businessman who attempts to cash in on a religious scheme centered on a mysterious smile in the sky. The third story, "Urgent Request", brings readers into a romance which begins when Janet receives an urgent email from Prince Henry of Nigeria. He needs her help in securing his family fortune, and if she provides him with her banking information he will reward her with 350,000,000 dollars.

What I found most fascinating about each of these stories is the way the classic is mixed with the original. The first two stories share basic similarities with traditional tales: stories of men slaying beasts for the sake of a princess are not exactly unique; miserly businessmen undergoing internal transformations have been told and told again. But Yang and Kim really stretch the boundaries of these common motifs, leaving the reader thinking not only about the story but about how it relates to all the stories that came before. Even the third story, while not exactly based on a classic, takes something familiar - we've all received those emails - and defies our expectations even as it meets them.

I wish I could do more justice to these three stories by really delving in to the beautiful and intriguing theme present in each, but to do so would reveal too much of the story. Each one artfully blends fantasy and reality in the search for a deeper understanding of the role imagination plays in our lives. The topic is one near and dear to my heart, and probably to all readers, as we, more than most, find ourselves so entranced by the lives we live in our minds. Yang and Kim deliver stories that entertain and educate, and I find it simple to both enjoy the stories for their entertainment value and to use the stories as a jumping block for further intellectual pursuit. ( )

Gene Luen Yanga brings us three stories about fantasy, reality, and the way we think and dream about both. The first story looks at a young man named Duncan, serving in a medieval court and trying to win the heart of the princess. When he sets out to fight the Frog King, he discovers a mysterious bottle labeled Snappy Cola, and suddenly everything in the kingdom seems out of place.

Then there's Gran'pa Greenbax, a greedy frog with an insatiable desire for a bottomless pool of gold (sounds like a certain old duck, hmmm?). His latest profitable adventure has led him, his assistance, and his twin nieces, to the Eternal Smile, a grin that's always hovering in the sky.

And finally there's Janet, a woman that no one ever notices. She's been working the same nine-to-five job for seven years. When things are at their most dreary, she gets an email from a Nigerian prince who needs her help saving his family fortune... if only she'll give him her bank account information, she'll be rewarded beyond her wildest dreams.

These stories may appear to be fluffy and aimed at younger readers, but each deals with heavy issues (abuse, self-confidence, greed, and faith). The Gran'pa Greenbax story may be the most disturbing of them - though besides borrowing from Uncle Scrooge, it made me think of those Looney Tunes cartoons where the animator is able to reach into the animation cell and mess with things. Overall, these are uplifting stories about how we reconcile our fantasies with our real lives. ( )