I have read the graphic novel
‘Pride of Baghdad’ and think it is excellent! It’s a book that really makes you
think about the perspective you have on life. It is based on a true story about
how four lions had escaped the Baghdad Zoo in 2003. Once they had fought and
struggled to understand their new found or regained freedom, they were shot by
U.S soldiers.
I really connected with the way the author and
artist portrayed the viewpoints of the animals. I understood what they were
fighting for and why they were weary to take the freedom that offered itself to
them so easily. Their interpretations of their simple lives compared to the world crumbling around them made
the human war seem so trivial. The
artist’s imagery was so intricate and amazing that you truly felt the anger and
fear the animals were feeling.The facial features of the lions and various other animals have been exaggerated so they can be understood more clearly, though this is common in graphic novels and comic strips.
The part that touched me most was
right at the end. As the soldiers stood over the lions’ bodies, one said
‘They’re free’… so after all they had been through, they only found freedom in
death.
