Something really special happens when a memoir is told via words and pictures. SMILE is an excellent example of that phenomenon. This graphic novel is a great piece of storytelling--a timeless tale of the joys and pains of growing up. My daughter and I both devoured this book while at a nature sanctuary. It'll make you smile. It'll make you reminisce. Like all great memoirs, it'll make you pay closer attention to your own life--to see the greater story that's unfolding all around you.