The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story - by Allan Wolf (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Home to catfish and crawdads, shrimp and spoonbills, even a gator or two, Lake Peigneur--pronounced 'your pain,' only backward--bustles also with human life. Each day, the bean-shaped freshwater lake and its shores hum with folks going about their work--a devoted gardener's apprentice and his dogs, fishermen, oilmen drilling at Well P-20, and the fifty-one miners employed by the Diamond Crystal Salt Mines. For most, November 20, 1980 began as 'just another day on the lake.' But as the lake itself reflects, humans had, over time, left behind a honeycomb of salt highways deep beneath its surface, and water and salt mix all too well. Bracing, suspenseful, and packed with dramatic illustrations and dense end matter, this story of a catastrophic accident--narrated with the homespun voice of a 'tall' tale, but true nonetheless--will amaze science and history buffs alike"

Book Synopsis

"A riveting page-turner that will have readers eager to learn more about the topic." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The strange, true tale of a Louisiana lake that vanished--taking with it every fish below and every boat and barge above--told in a gripping and accessible graphic format.

Home to catfish and crawdads, shrimp and spoonbills, even a gator or two, Lake Peigneur--pronounced "your pain," only backward--bustles also with human life. Each day, the bean-shaped freshwater lake and its shores hum with folks going about their work: a devoted gardener's apprentice and his dogs, fishermen, oilmen drilling at Well P-20, and the fifty-one miners employed by the Diamond Crystal Salt Mines. For most, November 20, 1980, began as "just another day on the lake." But as the lake itself reflects, humans had, over time, left behind a honeycomb of salt highways deep beneath its surface, and water and salt mix all too well. Bracing, suspenseful, and packed with dramatic illustrations and dense end matter, this story of a catastrophic accident--narrated with the homespun voice of a "tall" tale, but true nonetheless--will amaze science and history buffs alike.

Review Quotes

Pimienta's artwork brilliantly supports the storytelling through strategic panel design that mirrors the characters' emotional states. . . .Wolf's meticulous research is apparent in the technical details and authentic dialogue, while his honest acknowledgment of gaps in his investigation only adds credibility. A riveting page-turner that will have readers eager to learn more about the topic.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Budding environmentalists will likely be captivated, though the extraordinary writing and art make this an easy recommendation for graphic novel fans, non-fiction buffs, and, if you can talk them into a lake as a protagonist, character-driven readers as well.
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

[An] intriguing cautionary tale about industry's impact on the natural world. . . . Pimienta utilizes informative geological cross-sections to emphasize the lake's destruction alongside colorful, bucolic views. . . . [A] cinematic take on the interconnectedness between humans and nature.
--Publishers Weekly

Readers will be in suspense over what happened to the lake. . . .Digital illustrations with muted, retro-feel colors support the narrative and provide details that enhance an understanding of what happened at Lake Peigneur, including maps and diagrams. Readers who enjoy true-life ­mysteries and survival stories will be pulled into this book and inspired to learn more about this little-known but fascinating event.
--School Library Journal

There are equal parts drama, horror, adventure, and environmental warning . . . .Detailed narration by Lake Peigneur itself, supported by soft linework and lucid, specific settings, ground the proceedings and give it a powerful sense of place while simultaneously infusing it with warm humanity.
--Booklist

A gripping survival story, packed with environmental science and truly strange history!
--Steve Sheinkin, author of Bomb and The Bletchley Riddle

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur is a tense and gripping journey through an unnatural disaster that expertly balances many compelling stories (human, animal, and lake) at the same time. Jose Pimienta brings the drill rig environment to life with delightful maps, diagrams, and some of the best draftsmanship you'll see in comics today.
--Shing Yin Khor, creator of the National Book Award Finalist The Legend of Auntie Po

A beautifully illustrated, captivating true story that seems fantastical. Perfectly shows how human impact on nature can cause strange and sudden ecological disasters.
--Rachel Ignotofsky, New York Times best-selling author of Women in Science

A strange and riveting tale of heroism in the face of extreme peril, The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur is a page-turner that never lets up. Brilliantly told and beautifully illustrated, this is a graphic novel that will captivate readers young and old.
--Matt Tavares, New York Times best-selling author of Hoops

A riveting tall tale of a book about one of the great unknown natural disasters of recent times. Heart-stopping, folksy, and bizarre, a perfect gumbo of ideas for a nonfiction comic.
--G. Neri, author of the Eisner Award nominee Yummy

About the Author

Allan Wolf is the author of several picture books, poetry books, and young adult novels, including Junius Leak and the Vortex of Doom, The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep: Voices from the Donner Party, The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic, Who Killed Christopher Goodman?, and Zane's Trace. Allan Wolf lives in Roanoke, Virginia.

Jose Pimienta draws comics, storyboards, and sketches for visual development and is the creator of the graphic novels Twin Cities and Suncatcher, as well as the illustrator of Stars, Hide Your Fire by Kel McDonald and numerous other graphic novels. They live in Burbank, California.