Diabetes and Me

Chaloner has lived with diabetes for over 25 years, and here she aims to educate young people who also have the disease by breaking down the origins and treatment of diabetes, as well as by showing readers how to live with it successfully. The book, which features art by her husband, Bertozzi, moves somewhat awkwardly between dry medical information, where the illustrations mean little, and the stories of typical young diabetes sufferers, which don’t go anywhere. The art is mostly minimal, lacking backgrounds or context. Chaloner’s work functions as a handbook for dealing with the disease, with information and hints. Bertozzi is best known for his quirky historical graphic novels like The Salon; perhaps his blobby, awkward figures aren’t well suited for explaining medical procedures. Despite all this, for young people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, this is a digestible guide that takes a fresh approach and stands out among a crowded shelf of books about the disease. (Nov.)