Kid Gloves

March 1, 2019

The subtitle to Knisley's latest autobiographical comic is "Nine Months of Careful Chaos." But her experiences with reproductive health began in high school. As a teen, Lucy volunteered at a Planned Parenthood peer-to-peer educator program and tried numerous birth control methods. Fast-forward nearly a decade later, and she and her husband John are ready to have a kid, but are finding it much harder than her younger self might have thought. After her first miscarriage and laparoscopic surgery to adjust the shape of her uterus, she finally gets pregnant. Next comes intense nausea, unsolicited advice from strangers, and fears that motherhood will affect her work. Finally, while Lucy is in labor, previously undiagnosed eclampsia leaves her unconscious for two days. As always, Knisley's illustrations are cheerful and colorful and her writing witty, but this powerful narrative doesn't shy away from bleak and terrifying moments. In one especially moving scene, John describes seeing his wife ailing in the hospital. As Lucy regains consciousness, the colors fade in from black-and-white sketches to a color frame of a recovering Lucy holding her new baby. The author also explores the often disturbing treatment that pregnant women have endured throughout history, stressing that all women should have control over their bodies. VERDICT Knisley's nuanced look at pregnancy and her message of bodily autonomy will resonate with teens, especially those who appreciated the graphic anthology Mine!-Anna Murphy, Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2019
Covering her childhood, traveling abroad, coming of age, and getting married, Knisley's hearty handful of previous graphic memoirs (the latest of which is Something New, 2016) are standouts in the genre. In this recollection of getting pregnant and giving birth to her son, Knisley once again writes and illustrates her life with an introspective transparency that, even for a topic as not-new as having a baby, feels totally novel. Knisley interrupts her narrative with enlightening interludes that share facts and historical oddities of pregnancy?a topic she found fascinating since she was a kid. Even in her signature neat and bright cartooning style, Knisley relays the despair of miscarriage in dark squiggles and visual metaphors, the yucky first trimester in a desperately green-faced Lucy, and the terror of her son's birth in a spare black and white section narrated by her husband, John. The book's title contains perhaps its greatest takeaway?that the unexpected difficulties of becoming a mom taught Knisley to be a little gentler with herself, to handle herself with kid gloves. ?In sharing her journey's bumps and switchbacks, Knisley assures that there's no perfect pregnancy story and that even a lot of strife won't dim the joy of a child's ecstatic arrival.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

Starred review from December 2, 2023

Fascinated by reproduction since childhood, Knisley (Something New) volunteered for Planned Parenthood's peer-to-peer educator program in high school and accordingly felt prepared to have the best experience with childbirth. Really, how hard could it be to have a baby? Really hard, as it turned out. Unforeseen, dangerous challenges included two miscarriages, a "weirdo uterus," preeclampsia, breastfeeding trouble, and conflicting advice from all quarters. Her bold narrative draws readers in while addressing not just the hazards she experienced but medical horror stories throughout history as doctors downplayed and mistreated pregnant women for centuries. Disturbingly, the United States' current maternal mortality rate is the highest of any developed nation. Knisley's cheerfully colored, simple art morphs towards a duskier realism when she relates past medical horrors. Then, when the story shifts to her husband John's perspective while his wife is unconscious and in danger, the coloring shifts to black and white--which heightens the suspense, even though readers know the happy ending: a healthy, loved little kid. VERDICT Knisley's painful yet often funny chronicle, spotlights difficult realities of childbearing that most women aren't told about. Excellent background for prospective parents, their friends and relatives, and clinical professionals.

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.