Little Victories: Autism Through a Father's Eyes (Graphic Novel)

by Yvon Roy

Overview

THE AWARD WINNING GRAPHIC NOVEL AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FATHER, AND THE CHALLENGES HE FACES RAISING HIS AUTISTIC SON.

A beautiful visual exploration of the highs and lows experienced by a parent learning how to adapt to his son's autism. Faced with a challenging road ahead, the author uses creative flair and ingenuity in order to connect with his son, enabling him to reach his fullest potential and prepare him for the transition into adulthood.

This stunning insight into the nature of autism and the daily struggles of a parent uses humor and compassion to convey its message. This is the perfect creative outlet for anyone - from parent to teacher - looking for detailed information on the subject with a more personal touch.

Yvon Roy won the Best Biography Award from the Disability Fund and Society, as well receiving the INSPIREO High School Students Award for the most inspiring youth book, and the Literary Award for Citizenship from the Maine Teachers' League.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787732308
Publisher:	Titan
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Pages:	152
Sales rank:	1,013,575
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Yvon Roy is a Canada-based writer and artist for comic strips, known for his work on several children's stories, and his autobiographical book Little Victories.

Editorial Reviews

04/27/2020

Canadian artist Roy’s graphic memoir of raising a son with autism is a spirited journey through parenthood that occasionally settles for easy answers. The fallout is immediate when Oliver, the son of Mark (as Roy names himself here) and Chloe, is diagnosed as autistic. Roy separates from Chloe, distrusts the guidelines and teaching tools provided by social workers, and finds himself unable to give up on the son he’d thought he’d raise (he asks his toddler son, “Are you going to have a girlfriend, kids? A life?”). It is, as a friend calls it, his “rock bottom”—but in time, he learns to bond with Oliver through soccer, street hockey, and fishing. Roy’s comical cartooning is a joy to behold, especially its imaginative flourishes, as when calming a tantrum is portrayed as a sparring match between a cub and a full-grown tiger. But Roy’s portrayal of Oliver’s autism as something he should, as he says, “overcome” instead of “learn to live with” invites questions Mark is unwilling to answer. Being significantly impacted by disability is not an option for Oliver, in Mark’s view—wheelchairs and classmates with “quite pronounced” disabilities are invoked as utterly unacceptable futures. This is a tender, uplifting story of father and son bonding, but an unfulfilling work of disability literature. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"Diving into this exquisite comic book is truly a journey into the life of a child and will interest all parents concerned with understanding what their offspring is made of." - Huffington Post

"Roy’s comical cartooning is a joy to behold ... a tender, uplifting story of father and son bonding" - Publishers Weekly


"Families with autistic members will see a lot here that’s familiar and appreciate the positive story being told. Others  ... would doubtless learn valuable lessons from the book, too" - SF Crowsnest

"Inspiring ... portray[s] important moments in creative ways" - Foreword Reviews


"Readers looking for tales of unconditional familial love will enjoy Little Victories" - Library Journal Graphic Novels 2021 Previews 


"This charming depiction of a father’s quest to understand his son’s needs arrives having already garnered multiple awards, including the Best Biography Award from the Disability Fund and Society." - Library Journal

“The tale of one man’s quest to bond with his son. And it’s gorgeous: truly a thing of grace and beauty.” - The Pullbox

"It’s impossible to not become completely and utterly invested in Oliver’s development throughout the course of this graphic novel ... a fascinating and moving snapshot of a relationship between father and son" - Big Comic Page

"Beautiful album, both in substance and form" - BD Gest

"A vibrant song of comfort for autism" - Actua BD

“The writer and illustrator Yvon Roy does a stunning job of building an atmospheric story full of humour, love, pain, frustration & triumph” - The Emerald Archer

“Roy masterfully relates moments in a way that keeps the focus where it should be. Thus Roy allows readers to see things as he remembers” - Comicon

From the Publisher

05/07/2021

In this insightful memoir, Roy (Graines de Bandits) reveals his struggle to understand and connect with his autistic son Oliver. The author is devastated by Oliver's diagnosis, and his anguish and anxiety over Oliver's uncertain future creates a rift between him and his wife, Chloe, leading to their separation. Caring for Oliver as a single parent proves difficult, but Yvon is determined to help his son develop the skills he'll need to eventually achieve independence. He relies on a miscellany of creative games and techniques—silly, made-up songs to confront Oliver's difficulty with abstract thought; rearranging the furniture each night, to help Oliver overcome his reliance on routine; and teaching him to recite an overly mannered and polite greeting upon meeting someone, to assure that Oliver won't be ignored. As Oliver develops, Yvon comes to realize how deeply he projects his own fears onto his son and gains a deeper understanding of autism that creates a deep bond between the two. VERDICT This charming depiction of a father's quest to understand his son's needs arrives having already garnered multiple awards, including the Best Biography Award from the Disability Fund and Society.—Tom Batten, Grafton, VA

Library Journal