"Move over Art Spiegelman and Harvey Pekar and make room for this new kid (literally-he's seventeen) Justin Taylan and his unique graphic novel / memoir of his grandfather's WWII experiences."
- Voice Of Youth Advocates

"The graphic novel can appeal to wide audiences and the format is flexible for both the serious and the lighthearted."
- Publishers Weekly

"The book does not glamorize the experience as might have been expected in this type of work. This book is an interesting and different way to present a personal history of WWII."
- Academic Library Book Review

Selected for the...
New York Public Library's
Books for the Teenage Age

Book Reviews

Washington Post
September 6, 1995
[ PDF file ]

Library Research Associates
January 1996
[ PDF file ]

WKZE Radio Interview 22 minutes Real Audio
[ Part 1 ] [ Part 2 ] [ Part 3 ] [ Part 4 ] [ Part 5 ]
[ Part 6 ] [ Part 7 ] [ Part 8 ] [ Part 9 ] [ Part 10 ]

Tampa Tribune

Hernando Today

Voice of Youth Advocates

Academic Library Book Review

 

 

Testimonials

"The book itself I consider a very fine achievment. You have captured your grandfather's experiences in a vivid, accessable form, and you have combined the drawings, photos, maps and other features skillfully. I enjoyed it very much and got a real feel for what day-to-day life was like for WWII soldiers in the Pacific.

Richard Teare
Former U.S. ambassador
to Papua New Guinea

Ordering Information

Wanpela Books
Order directly from the publisher for personalized copies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title Information

   No Place For A Picnic tells its story through a combination of illustrated panels,maps and photos.  The 208 page book includes over seventy never before published photos Thien took during his five years overseas. Beginning with Justin's curiosity about his grandfather's wartime nickname "picnic", the book spans the whole range of emotions a soldier experiences.  Grandfather and grandson grow in understanding and cross the "generation gap" between, and gain a new level of respect and love for each other.

No Place For A Picnic
ISBN: 1-885240-42-2
7"x9"
$19.95