Author of 'Wonder,' R. J. Palacio, Will Make Graphic Novel Debut with 'WHITE BIRD: A Wonder Story'

The bestselling novelist of Wonder, R. J. Palacio is making her graphic novel debut this fall with WHITE BIRD: A Wonder Story, an unforgettable story of the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war. With WHITE BIRD, Palacio both writes and illustrates the story of a young Jewish girl hidden away by a boy and his family in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.

Palacio’s graphic novel debut will be published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on October 1, 2019, and days later, the author will kick off an international book tour with an event at New York Comic Con: 

Sharing One’s Truths: Non-fiction, Memoir, Historical Fiction, and More

Thursday, October 3

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Room 1A18

“History is written by the victors” as an aphorism can apply to factual accounts both broad and personal. Creators discuss how they chose to share their stories, and the impact they are seeking from their non-fiction works. With Erin Williams (Commute), J. Michael Straczynski (Becoming Superman), Liana Finck (Excuse Me: Cartoons, Complaints, and Notes to Self), R.J. Palacio (White Bird: A Wonder Story) and Lauren Tarshis (I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912), in conversation with Tres Dean (For Your Consideration: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson).

 Wonder, Palacio’s literary debut, became an international publishing phenomenon, spending more than six years on the New York Times bestseller list, with editions published in fifty languages, and inspiring a star-studded film adaptation featuring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. In Auggie & Me, the New York Times bestselling companion to Wonder, readers were first introduced to Julian’s grandmother, Grandmère, who recounts her childhood during World War II. And now, in WHITE BIRD, Palacio tells and illustrates Grandmère’s complete story—her fairy-tale life before the war, the harsh restrictions and edicts that abruptly changed everything, and how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend. Grandmère’s harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives.

Like Margaret Atwood, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jonathan Lethem, Jodi Picoult, and others, R. J. Palacio is the latest bestselling writer to break into the world of graphic novels. The difference is that Palacio is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design, where she majored in illustration, and she is both the writer and artist of WHITE BIRD.

With poignant symbolism and gorgeous artwork, R. J. Palacio has created a book that is timely as well as timeless, one that brings Grandmère’s story out of the past, cementing it firmly in this moment in history.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR R. J. PALACIO’S WHITE BIRD

★  “A must-read graphic novel that is both heart-rending and beautifully hopeful.”

—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Palacio, a confident storyteller, has crafted a work whose classroom-friendly packaging

 belies a gripping human story.”

—Publishers Weekly