Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel ~ A Timberdoodle Review

Adapted from George Orwell's Animal Farm, Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel is a graphic novel adapted and illustrated by Odyr. Artist and translator Odyr brings Animal Farm to life with his exquisite brush strokes and fantastic adaptation that seamlessly combines satire and fable.

First published in 1945, Animal Farm chronicles the revolt of animals against their farmer. All animals on the farm become subservient to the pigs once the revolution is under way. Chaos is unleashed. The pigs' corrupt stronghold oppresses and enslaves the animals. Using deception, Napoleon fools the farm animals into believing their lives are better under his guidance. It does not take long for the pigs to start exhibiting manlike characteristics. After living as man does, the pigs become friendly with the farmers. Farm animals were told that "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." Man and animal became equals and mistrust and misunderstanding were eradicated. A toast to the prosperity of The Manor Farm is raised by the pigs! The creatures looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; however, it was impossible to tell which was which.

This artwork is absolutely beautiful and compliments Animal Farm perfectly. This artwork on its own tells the story brilliantly. With Odyr's adaptation of Animal Farm into graphic novel form, readers can easily follow the storyline. There is a reading age range of 13-17 years old for this novel. Adults will also enjoy this adaptation. Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel is part of the Timberdoodle 2024 Tenth-Grade Curriculum Kit. 

My daughter struggles with reading and comprehension due to a learning difference. In contrast to her five older siblings, I have realized that she won't be able to read many of the classic novels. When I realized that some classic novels are now available in graphic novel format, I was thrilled. Rather than getting bogged down in novel form, she can get a clear overview of what the novels are about in visual and abbreviated form.

This graphic novel is divided into 10 chapters. The book contains 175 pages in total. 

The story begins with this beautiful artwork. 

The Principles of Animalism: Seven Commandments

Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

Four legs, or wings, a friend. 

No animal shall wear clothes.

No animal shall sleep in a bed.

No animal shall drink alcohol. 

No animal shall kill any other animal.

All animals are equal.

Several scenes in the novel depict violence and bloodshed.

Animal Farm allegorically depicts the 1917 Russian Revolution. Major Farm represents Russia. Farmer Jones depicts the Russian Czar. Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin are represented by Old Major, the pig. The pig Snowball represents Leon Trotsky. Josef Stalin is represented by Napoleon the pig. Propaganda is represented by Squealer the small fat pig. Symbolizing Russian laborers and workers is Boxer the horse. The puppies symbolize Stalin's secret police who were indoctrinated and trained by Napoleon to obey him at all costs. Collectively, the pigs represent the Russian government and political leaders. The raven Moses tells grand stories about Sugarcandy Mountain, which illustrates how communism exploits and pacifies the oppressed. Adolf Hitler is represented by the operator of Pinchfield, Mr. Frederick. The capitalist governments of England and the United States are represented by Mr. Pilkington.

In his artwork, Odyr does a terrific job portraying Napoleon the pig. 

As the pigs gain power, they grow more aggressive and power hungry. Consequently, they become the oppressors of the animals they are supposed to help. As time goes on, they become no different from the humans they rebelled against.

There is no doubt that Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel is worth reading. I highly recommend it. If you are unfamiliar with the novel Animal Farm, this book could be a good place to start. Check out this and many other graphic novels on the Timberdoodle website.   

Open Wide!

 

In Open Wide! Jaw-dropping Mouths of the Animal World by Letizia Diamante, children can examine animal mouths up close and personal. From a sea sponge with no mouth to a baleen whale with no teeth but a broom-like structure, get ready to CHOMP DOWN on fascinating facts. Throughout Open Wide!, the smallest, fiercist, and largest animals work their mouths by chomping, chewing, constructing, carrying, and climbing. 

Some of the animals talked about in Open Wide! include:

• anteaters
• beavers
• camels
• chameleons 
• dragonflies
• elephants
• frogs
• giraffes
• hawks
• jellyfish
• kangaroos
• lions
• marmots 
• oxpeckers
• platypuses
• puffins
• rodents
• sea sponges
• toucans
• walruses
• zooplankton  

An amazing book full of fascinating facts and information, Open Wide is definitely worth a look. 

Disclaimer - I received this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. 
As an Amazon affiliate I may earn commission if you click the link. 

RHS The Garden Almanac 2025

 

RHS The Garden Almanac 2025: The month-by-month guide to your best ever gardening year by Zia Allaway and Guy Barter gives readers a comprehensive gardening guide. The guide features:

• What to do in the garden each month
• Projects
• Sunrise and Sunset calendar
• Moonrise and Moonset calendar
• Average rainfall calendar
• Planting suggestions
• Edible garden
• Challenges this month
• Focus on wildlife
• Seasonal planting ideas
• Horticultural heros
• Recipes 

Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932)

Gertrude is featured in February.

Rhubarb Kombucha 

This recipe is featured in April.

Red Admiral Butterfly

The beautiful butterfly is featured in September.

Making an Autumn Wreath

The project is featured in October.

Each month begins with a beautiful illustrated picture.

The following are the illustrations for each month in no particular order. 

The Garden Almanac 2025 is a wonderful resource for those that live in Europe.

Disclaimer - I received this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. 
As an Amazon affiliate I may earn commission if you click the link. 

LogiBugs ~ A Timberdoodle Review

 

The objective of LogiBugs is to find the final placement of all 12 ladybugs using hints, a play board, and ladybugs. Ladybugs are divided into three families. There are five members in the red ladybug family. Four members make up the orange family, while three members make up the yellow family. 

In order to begin a game, remove all ladybugs from the board. You can choose a challenge from any of the four levels: Starter, Junior, Expert, or Master. 48 challenges are included in the game. The challenges will provide specific hints about the location of a few ladybugs. Hints become less obvious as levels increase. 

Spaces with a specific ladybug, shown by the color and number of dots, must be occupied by that ladybug. 

Colored spaces (red, yellow, orange) must be occupied by ladybugs of that color. Dot count does not matter. 

When a space has a white ladybug with a specific number of dots, you must place a ladybug of any color with that specific number of dots there. 

Ladybugs of the same family must form a chain vertically or horizontally. Within each family, the numbers must be arranged in order. 

There is only one solution to every puzzle, so order and placement do matter.

In terms of size, LogiBugs is 6 1/2" x 6 1/2". This game box is made from aluminum. Ladybugs are made of lightweight, durable plastic with magnetic backs. Ladybugs adhere to the game board without falling off during storage. The game comes with a playbook that contains solutions that fit perfectly into the game for storage. 

LogiBugs can be enjoyed by the entire family. The game is intended for players aged 6 and older. To get the hang of how the game works, young children can start with the starter level and level up as they become more adept. Adults will enjoy the game as it requires logic and deduction skills to place each ladybug correctly. It is important to remember that each game has only one solution. LogiBugs was fun for our family, but we got stuck on some of the high-level challenges.

The whole family can enjoy LogiBugs as an on-the-go travel game. You can compete among yourselves by timing each other and seeing how long it takes to complete each level, and after so many levels, crown the winner! In a very competitive group, you can challenge one another to solve specific puzzles. Perhaps you're looking for something quiet your child can do in between schoolwork. LogiBugs is the perfect way to integrate logic into your child's academic studies! You may just be looking to expand your game collection. LogiBugs has been a real hit with our family, so I'm confident that you will be pleased with it too. 

Hidden Systems ~ A Timberdoodle Review

A fascinating journey behind the scenes of the water, electric, and internet systems is presented in Hidden Systems by Dan Nott. Have you ever wondered how electricity powers our world? Where do we get fresh water from? Can you explain what cyberspace is? Hidden Systems answers all of these questions and more. This book is unique in that it is presented in graphic novel format. This book is full of pictures, but the amount of information will blow your mind! I found this book to be particularly interesting because it is written in a way that children and individuals without any experience with these systems can understand and follow it completely. After reading the book, you will understand water's importance, deep time, sewer systems, dams, reservoirs, and aquifers. You will also understand undersea cables, data centers, power grids, alternating current, power grids, power distribution, undersea cables, and so much more. Hidden Systems are much more than technology –– they shape how we function and perceive the world around us. Hidden System is part of Timberdoodles 2024 Twelfth-Grade Curriculum Kit. 

Power Grid

How do we power our world with electricity?

Waterworks

Where is our place in Earth's most important system?

Lines of Light

How do we picture the internet, and what is it actually?

Lights that illuminate our homes, clean water that flows through our faucets, and internet access that we rely on throughout the day and night are all taken for granted until there is an outage or disaster. By reading Hidden Systems, students will learn about how our world is powered by hidden systems. This book explores the origins of discovery, the current impact on our environment, societal challenges, and inequalities throughout the world. The amount of information available for discovery and discussion is substantial. Those in grades 6th-12th will find this book very useful and informative.

We found Hidden Systems to be an interesting and enjoyable read. A graphic novel format makes learning technical information like hidden systems simple and easy. Anyone looking for information on these topics should check out Hidden Systems.