Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novel 1: The Discovery of America
Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novel 1: The Discovery of America
ISBN-10: 1597071587
ISBN-13: 978-1597071581
Released: August 2009
Pages: 56
Summary:
The popular children’s story appears in graphic novel form for the first time in the U.S., with stories never seen in America. Geronimo Stilton is a talking mouse who lives in New Mouse City on Mouse Island with his friends and relatives. He works at The Rodent’s Gazette, the most famous newspaper in New Mouse City. In this series of comics, Geronimo Stilton travels through time in order to defend history from his arch nemeses, the Pirate Cats. These devious felines plan to travel back in time in order to change history to make them supreme rulers of Mouse Island! In his first time-traveling adventure, Geronimo and co. join Christopher Columbus on his voyage from Italy to America in 1492 in order to stop the Pirate cats and save all of the mice on Mouse Island.
Review:
This is the first of the Geronimo Stilton graphic novels to be translated into English but it feels so familiar that readers of the regular series will have no troubles getting into this comic-based story.
The main characters in each graphic novel are the same; Geronimo, Thea, Trap, Benjamin, Petunia and Pandora (introduced as Bugsy Wugsy in the book The Mummy With No Name). Professor Paws Von Volt, who has been featured in a number of the regular titles, also plays a bookend role in the graphic novels, introducing our heroes to the problem at hand and sending them on their way.
The main villains in the graphic novels are a group of cats, known as The Pirate Cats, who have the ability to travel through time and have the nefarious intention of changing history at various moments to benefit themselves.
The first moment in time they choose is Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America. Their grand plan is to stow aboard Columbus’ ship disguised as mice (because in this story everybody except the Pirate Cats are is a mouse), take over and then discover America for themselves and become very rich.
Before they can enact their plan Professor Paws Von Volt discovers a flux in the time-space continuum (or something like that) and sends Geronimo and crew back in time to save the day.
I should offer a disclaimer here...I love comics and I love Geronimo Stilton. So by putting Geronimo Stilton and comics together ...you would expect that I would enjoy them. And I did...Very much.
There are lots of little references to the era in pictures and in the dialogue between characters. There are also occasional fact-files about the time, though not as many as I expected. There were only 6 short fact-file segments in this book and I suppose I am used to the latter Geronimo books where there are significant chunks of information. I would have liked to have seen a timeline or a map at least. Perhaps the authors/publishers were limited by page count.
But this is a minor quibble. The art and flow of the book is beautiful, some of the illustrations would look stunning in a larger format (like Tintin or Asterix-sized) but I can understand keeping the size down would keep the cost down as well, and it is bigger than I expected it would be, based on Papercutz’s previous releases.
In conclusion this first volume in the Geronimo Stilton graphic novels is great and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the normal series of books. Being an art based medium they can be read, re-read and perused over and over again.
I have already read mine twice and plan to check out the pictures again and again.
Then my kids can have a look 
awsome books man but um i had an idea for a book when you have relased
the 50th book make it a two part story about geronimo stillton may lose the newspaper…
Hey William
Thanks for stopping by the site.
Its a good idea you have about the 50th book.
Perhaps you can contact Edizioni Piemme in Italy and let them know.
Or maybe they will read it here!
Cheers
Inger
I do not want to be the one to break to you, but, Scholastic only publishes and yes, only, you read me right,books that were published in Italian. But hey, why don’t you write it!?
And if you send it to Piemme, you will have to pay package fee, international shipping rates, etcetra, etcetra which should add up $5,000,000 and 75 cents. ($5,000,000.75). And it should reach them in the year of 2014. Plus, out of every 705 manuscripts sent to them, they pick none. Dami writes the books. I have to give you an important warning. By law, no person, young nor old, may write a story based on what is already published as a professional international series.
Bye!
Thanks for the warning EEKKNNAA You’re right in one respect, its always a good idea to play it safe.
I would imagine Elizabeth has a team of writers to help her write, as she has a team of illustrators working with her.
Also anyone can write a story based on already existing characters and places as long as they don’t seek to make a profit from it. Its called Fan-fiction and its quite fun to excercise your writing muscles, as well as a great way to pay respect to creations you like.
Feel free to send any story ideas, drawings to Edizioni Peimme.
I’m sure they would love to see what fans have created.
Cheers
Inger
Tjanks for telling me that! Now I might do it. But I once heard here in New York about the warning. Elizabetta (OAIEnglish [Or As In] Elizabeth) has a team of illustrators. Scripts and publications sent to Piemme are not published unless in SEs. Thes are always the next English books. Piemme has all the books.
PS-If you request to Scholastic, you can get future books as long as you don’t let other people know the next books and put up pictures. I got TS3 from a catalog, so I did not illegaly put pictures.
These future books are very expensive. When those books are released, you can put pictures.
49-TS 3
50-GN 4
51-MMK
52-TS 4
53- TPP THIEF (42)
54-GN 5
50-MMK
51-GN 4
excuse me,EEEEEKKKKKKKNA,but what does it all mean?i know that ‘TS’ stands for ‘Thea Stilton’ but what do the others mean?
MMK- Mighty mount kilimanjaro
TPP- THE PECULIAR PUMPKIN
GN-Graphic novel
okk