Leave Me Alone!
Written and Illustrated by Vera Brosgol

Publisher’s Summary:
One day, a grandmother shouts, “LEAVE ME ALONE!” and leaves her tiny home and her very big family to journey to the moon and beyond to find peace and quiet to finish her knitting. Along the way, she encounters ravenous bears, obnoxious goats, and even hordes of aliens! But nothing stops grandma from accomplishing her goal–knitting sweaters for her many grandchildren to keep them warm and toasty for the coming winter.

Primary Source Pairing:
Author and illustrator Vera Brosgol writes of her inspirations in her FAQ on her website. One of her childhood favorites was Calvin and Hobbes; she describes herself as inhaling these comics. Take a look at her FAQ page for more on her artistic inspirations and influences. For this primary source pairing, invite students to read and look slowly at a Calvin and Hobbes comic they choose from the website:  http://www.calvinandhobbes.com/comic-art/.

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• What people and objects are shown?
• How are they arranged?
• What is the physical setting?
• What’s happening in the image?
• How is the story in Leave Me Alone! and the Calvin and Hobbes artwork similar?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Calvin and Hobbes: www.calvinandhobbes.com/comic-art/