October 10, 2016
In this delightful series of illustrations, Jacobson, cocreator of Comedy Central’s Broad City, imagines the contents of the bags and pockets of notable real and fictional people, including Sigmund Freud, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Willy Wonka. In her introduction, Jacobson professes a curiosity about the things people carry with them and the ways in which possessions help “make people refreshingly interesting or refreshingly normal.” In the latter category, Jacobson presumes pop singer Beyoncé’s purse contains a Ziploc bag full of Cheerios for her daughter, Blue Ivy, as well as her keys (one labeled “boat number 6”). Meanwhile, she decides that Oprah Winfrey carries stacks of cash, along with a “spare gift to hide under someone’s chair” and a gratitude journal, and Donald Trump carries an unsurprising number of self-tanning products and a comb for his favorite style of hair. Readers get a hypothetical glimpse of Michelle Obama’s saved podcasts and Martha Stewart’s choice of driving music (an Eminem CD). Clever patterns start to emerge; for example, Steve Jobs and Kanye West both have folders on their devices designated for “stand-up” comedy notes. The illustrations are vibrantly colored marker drawings, minimal in style but packed with clever and hilarious details. Fans of Broad City will find Jacobson’s signature silliness and absurdity on display here. The book’s only flaw is that it’s too short. Color illus.
November 15, 2016
What would Martha Stewart carry with her? Sigmund Freud? Homer Simpson? Ben Franklin? Jacobson (Color This Book; writer/actress, Broad City) conjures tongue-in-cheek take-alongs for over 50 people, both real and imaginary. Donald Trump's gear includes a comb labeled "Make Your Hair Great Again" and a copy of Building Walls for Dummies. Barbie totes a key ring jingling with 11 keys: secret agent motorcycle, sparkle style salon, and more. Santa sports a jeweled watch showing six time zones and packs baggies for all the cookies left out for him. The whimsical drawings are all hand-colored with bright markers and captioned as if by the "owner." Each object carries nuggets of story as Jacobson asks, in essence, what the things we carry say about us? The humor is more gentle than savage--a condom in Stewart's purse because "you never know" is as edgy as it gets. VERDICT As an exercise in creativity or as a way of understanding history, this would make good inspiration for workshops for middle schoolers through adults. Fans of Roz Chast and Kate Beaton will breeze through it with great enjoyment.--MC
Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.