Book Review: The Adventures of Loupio
Catholic Graphic Novels for Your Homeschool
Some time ago, I received review copies of The Adventures of Loupio series from Magnificat, the children’s division of Ignatius Press. It took me a while to get to these books, mainly because I couldn’t pry them out of the hands of my eight-year-old for a few weeks. That in itself really says all that needs to about these lovely books. I hope you enjoy my review!
The Adventures of Loupio Series
The Adventures of Loupio is a series of six graphic novels written and illustrated by Jean-Francois Kieffer (the original Loupio books were written in French and translated into English by Ignatius). The books are set in the 13th century and loosely based on the legendarium of St. Francis of Assisi. The titular character, Loupio, is a young orphan boy who ends up befriending the famous wolf of Gubbio that was tamed by St. Francis. The book follows Loupio as he goes on various adventures and meets a host of eccentric medieval characters—minstrels, crusaders, monks, lords, beggars, and more. As Loupio finds his way in the world, he occasionally makes mistakes and learns lessons, With the help of St. Francis, he grows in wisdom and virtue.
Charming Illustrations
There’s much to commend about these books. First, the illustrations are charming. I am including The Adventures of Loupio in the graphic novel genre, but it looks very different than most other graphic novels I have reviewed. The art is a little more cartoonish, better suited to a younger audience. The book is also beautifully colorful. It might seem odd that I would point this out given that, well, you know, most full-color books have colors. But what I mean is that Loupio uses a brilliant full range of colors on every page. It does not restrict itself to a single color palette. Every page is a brilliant kaleidoscope of color that is aesthetically pleasing to view.
Well-Crafted Storytelling
The storytelling also deserves praise. It is clever and well-crafted. Usually, when I read religiously-themed books, I am on the lookout for the moral being too preachy. Religious authors often sacrifice the story for messaging, beating the audience over the head with a shoe-horned moral lesson. Thankfully, Kieffer’s storytelling is more masterful. There’s a bit of messaging, of course, but it’s well-integrated into the plot, with Francis of Assisi serving as the mouthpiece for the lessons Loupio learns along the way.
Musical Interludes
Another part of the books I loved was the inclusion of simple musical pieces. In Book 1, Loupio receives a lute and takes up the art of minstrelsy. Consequently, the text leans heavily into the troubadour traditions of the 12th and 13th centuries. In that vein, the books have occasional musical interludes complete with musical notation. Being somewhat of a musician myself, when I got to these parts, I would take the book to my piano, play out the melodies, and sing them. Thankfully, they are all fairly simple. I’m atrocious at sight reading, but I was able to tease them out in about two minutes. I was delighted with these charming little tunes, which were reminiscent of the melodies prevalent in the troubadour age. I think for a musical family, these musical interludes would be great fun to perform.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Adventures of Loupio are fantastic. My children and I enjoyed them. They tell a fun story that cleverly weaves plot and messaging together in a brilliantly colorful presentation, and the musical interludes are the cherry on top. They are also reasonably priced; currently, you can get the entire set of six for $45. I highly recommend the Loupio books for your collection of Catholic graphic novels.
This is part of a series of Catholic novel reviews. What are your thoughts? Have you added graphic novels to your homeschool library? Join me and other homeschooling parents at our Homeschool Connections Community or our Facebook group to continue the discussion!
