Response - I enjoyed learning about a legendary hero from another country, especially Canada. Also, I thought that the book also captures the emotions of the character, not just his physical feats.

Curricular connection - read aloud, guided reading, unit on biographies or notable people

Presented in panels similar to a graphic novel, this biographical picture book does a good job describing the life of a famous Canadian weightlifter/strongman. I'd never heard of the guy before, but I liked the book quite a bit. Very nicely presented. ( )

Illustrated largely in sepia hues, this graphic novel is narrated from the first person point of view as Louis Cyr tells his daughter about his beginnings as a Strongman. Told in a matter of fact style, the graphic novel shows both Cyr's tenacity and his strength. Many of his records are still unbroken over 100 years later. At the back of the book, there is an Afterword that talks about the real Louis Cyr and has several pictures of him. Middle School aged children who are interested in sport and/or history will get a kick out of this book. So would children who are interested in records. Although the storytelling is solid, the author, Nicholas Debon tries to cram just a little too much story into too few pages which translates to some of the story sounds more like a laundry list rather than an easily flowing narrative. That said, children will find this a relatively easy and uncomplicated read through the medium sized text and moderate vocabulary level. Recommended. ( )

In this graphic novel, the story of Louis Cyr is told as a flashback tale to his daughter as he prepares for his final show as a circus strongman. Brown-toned, almost sepia tone, are features in the painted frames that highlight the main text as the story progresses, but do not provide much action or detail for the viewer. While the story does not include his exact date of birth or death, it does highlight the main events in his life, as well as providing a short one-page summary of his life with several photographs of Louis Cyr and his family. Includes a short bibliography separated by age group. Recommended. Ages 7-10. ( )