Written by Marion van Engelen

Elmer, a comic book (2009) by Gerry Alanguilan (✝ 2019)

This is not a new book, but I felt that perhaps it did not get the attention it deserved at the time of publishing. I found it a moving and thought-provoking graphic novel that blends social commentary with surrealism in a wonderful way. It reminded me of books like Maus by Art Spiegelman and Animal Farm by George Orwell. Set in an alternate version of the Philippines where chickens have suddenly gained human intelligence and civil rights, the story explores themes of prejudice, identity, trauma, and reconciliation through the eyes of Jake Gallo, a young rooster struggling to make sense of his family’s past and his place in a still-hostile world. Jake’s journey is a mirror for real-world struggles with racism, generational pain, and acceptance. 

What I really admired is how the absurd premise—a society where intelligent chickens coexist with humans—is treated with complete sincerity and emotional gravity: a sign of great magic realism, on par with works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Louis de Bernières. The author was born in the Philipines, aka Komikero. He was an important figure in the Filipino comics renaissance. Alanguilan’s art is expressive and detailed, capturing both the mundane and the grotesque with equal care. His black-and-white illustrations add a sense of stark realism that contrasts effectively with the story’s bizarre setup. The emotions on the characters’ faces—whether human or chicken—are rendered with great subtlety, giving weight to the novel’s more emotional beats.

In short, Elmer is a unique graphic novel. Equal parts satirical, heartfelt, and haunting, it stands as a testament to the power of comics to tackle complex themes through imaginative storytelling. The book has won Asian and French awards. The author died of an illness quite recently. Highly recommended for YA and adult readers looking for something outside the ordinary.

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Image above taken from the Epigram Books website, which is the Singapore publisher of Elmer.

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You can buy a copy of Elmer here or find it in a library here.

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Marion van Engelen is the Senior School Librarian at Branksome Hall Asia, Jeju, South Korea. She has worked in many international schools, in Asia, Africa and Europe. After trying out all levels, she found secondary school is her favourite place. Marion’s other passion is teaching yoga and walking Caminos, those long distance pilgrimages in Spain. She completed the Camino Frances in 2017, and teaches yoga to teachers and students at every school where she works, and on the Camino. 

Marion’s purpose in life is to bring joy to others, and relieve suffering. Offering the right book, to the right person, at the right time, is one of the tools to achieve that.

Katie Day is an international school teacher-librarian in Singapore and has been an American expatriate for almost 40 years (most of those in Asia). She is currently the chair of the 2025 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize and co-chair of the Neev Book Award in India, as well as heavily involved with the Singapore Red Dot Book Awards. Katie was the guest curator on the GLLI blog for the UN #SDGLitMonth in March 2021 and guest co-curator for #IndiaKidLitMonth in September 2022.