It weaves stories of female objectification and of class differences in the small working class suburb. This is a book for mature teens, as it deals with college dreams, teenage pregnancies, and infidelities. Aya balances the nostalgic power of the Ivory Coast in the 1970s with the personal drives, aspirations, and habits of its characters. The reader is a passive observer of the actions as they unfold, the subplot stories of the various characters are told through limited narrative full of slang and Ivorian references along with bright colorful images, giving the story a very real and local feel.

It is also an exploration of class and gender politics of 1970s Abidjan. While there is a wonderful preface introducing the politics and history of the Ivory Coast in the 1970s and an “Ivorian Bonus” in the back of the book that features a glossary, recipes, and instructions to wrap fabric for skirts, a hat, and baby carrier, the book is more about the story’s particular characters and the personal / social challenges they face. Côte d’Ivoire, a country on the west coast of Africa, was colonized by France and considered a French colony until August 7, 1960, when the country achieved its independence.

Modes of Storytelling and Visual LiteracyĪya of Yop City takes place in Yopougon-Koute, or Yop City for short.

Cultural Diversity, Civic Responsibilities, History, and Social Issues.

Language, Literature and Language Usage.

It has been adapted into a film, Aya of Yop City (produced by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux). It has also been included on best of lists from The Washington Post, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. It was also nominated for the Quill Award, YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels, and the Eisner Award. Aya: Life in Yop City is a novel that is loosely based on Abouet’s life and centers around 19-year old Aya, her friends, and their families in the Ivory Coast working class suburb of Abidjan in the 1970s.Īya was the winner of the Best First Album award at the Angouleme International Comics Festival, the Children’s Africana Book Award, and the Glyph Award. In this post, we explore Aya: Life in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie’s (Drawn & Quarterly).

Graphic Novels: Suggestions for Librarians.

Working With Libraries! A Handbook For Comics Creators.Know Your Rights: Student Rights Fact Sheet.Raising a Reader! How Comics & Graphic Novels Can Help Your Kids Love To Read!.Adding Graphic Novels to Your Library or Classroom Collection.Kirkpatrick, NY State Court of Appeals (1973) Obscenity Case Files: Joseph Burstyn, Inc.Des Moines Independent Community School District Obscenity Case Files: United States v.

Pacifica Foundation (George Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words) Obscenity Case Files: People of New York v.

Aya of yop city