THE COMIC BOOK GUIDE TO GROWING FOOD

Author: Joseph Tychonievich

Art, Colors, and Letters: Liz Anna Kozik

Published by Ten Speed Press, 2021.

I’m not sure if I’m a graphic novel sort of person but this one sure peaked my curiosity. I have read one non-fiction graphic novel that was used as a textbook in class to help students be interested in the subject. It provided accurate information but I felt it lacked detail. I wondered if this format could translate into beginning gardening.

The author, Joseph Tychonievich, is an experienced gardener who has written several books and has his own podcast. You may recognize him from social media in his gardening drawings and the using stick figures. Luckily, this book has an artist to convey the graphics.

The premise of the story is simple: Mia would like to grow a garden and George, her neighbor who is an experienced gardener, offers to help her. He takes her through the basics of gardening including, choosing the location, what plants to grow, and purchasing plants or seeds. Because this is a comic book, the comedy can be found in the interactions between their generational gap.

As far as the process of growing food, the book goes further and discusses how to troubleshoot issues such as predators and diseases. The strength of this graphic novel is how the drawings by Kozik help emphasize the important things beginner gardeners should look for.

Overall, this book does what it sets out to do, it provides a clear path for beginning gardeners to grow food. It dispenses some important tips that gardeners who have been gardening for a long time provide, much like the advice you would find if you go online and ask questions to a group. The answers are scientific and experience based.

The only part I find lacking is the discussion of irrigation. It felt like the topic was skipped over when George claims that he does not need to water his garden. As a Southern California gardener, this would never happen, nor to many people throughout the States. The book should have provided a small list of options.

I did enjoy its reference to Margaret Roach (her gardening articles are a personal favorite of mine) and also the reputable list of references and resources at the back. This book also includes another aspect of gardening that is rarely discussed but is as common as weeds after a big rain, the community you form as a result of gardening.