Once Upon a Workday - Elizabeth Pich & Jonathan Kunz - ★★

AUTHOR: Elizabeth Pich & Jonathan Kunz

GENRE: Graphic Novel, Poetry.

PUBLICATION DATE: April 2, 2024

RATING: 2 stars.

In a Nutshell: Not exactly as I had expected, which is actually my fault as I should have read the blurb. This is a picture book for adults, containing six poems covering various adult/workplace-related issues. Some motivational, some humorous. Most were not my cup of tea, though.

I had grabbed this only by a look at the cover. (I know, I know!!!) What corporate professional wouldn’t resonate with the expression on that mouse’s face, as he stares at his comp? I assumed this to be a collection of funny comics related to the workplace, maybe something on the lines of Dilbert.

While this is still an illustrated book, the content isn’t a collection of comics but six poems. This was the first hurdle for me. I am NOT a poem person, and I had not anticipated this book to be written entirely in rhyming verse. Moreover, the poems are in AABB pattern, which, to be frank, is great for kiddie poems, not for adult verses. Some of the rhymes are too forced, further adding to my dissatisfaction. I think adult poetry lovers will find the poems too simplistic.

Secondly, I thought this would be a funny read, but the general vibe is more motivational than humorous. I don’t read inspirational books as this genre doesn’t work for me.

The poems are on varied topics somewhat connected to work, but not necessarily corporate jobs. One is like a motivational verse, aiming to inspire you to focus on yourself first rather than spending all hours at your workplace. Another talks of the travails of an overactive brain that awakens you at night and leaves you drowsy during the day. The third speaks of the wandering heart (the most vague poem of the set), the fourth shows an artist’s uncertainty over his painting, the fifth is about a professional’s quandary over how to end his email, and the final one is about a clown who entertains others and considers it his calling.

How does all this fit under “Encouraging Tales of Resilience”, as promised by the tagline? I honestly don’t know. As you can see, the poems and their core topics are not even close to each other in theme and hence the effect is very disjointed.

I did partly agree with the message in the first story (mental health is important). And I enjoyed the humour of the fifth poem titled “Sincerely Yours”, because I too have spent many minutes wondering if a ‘Sincerely’ works better than a ‘Take care’ or a ‘Thanking you in anticipation’. This poem was my favourite of the bunch, and the only one that made me smile.

Basically, I was the wrong reader for this as I am not a fan of such nonfiction, nor do I enjoy poetry. The illustrations could have saved the book for me to some extent, but I didn’t even like the artwork. Art is subjective, of course; I just wish the graphics had been more like that on the cover. However, only one of the poems had animals in the illustrations; the rest were ordinary humans, and in too simplistic a style.

This book is from the makers of the webcomic ‘War and Peas’. I am not a reader of webcomics, so I am not sure if this content is indicative of their general offerings. Perhaps fans of the comic might like to read this and see how it goes. But it sure wasn’t the right fit for me, sorry. The cover and the title do not represent the content accurately.

My thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Once Upon a Workday”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.