Andre the Giant

Brown, B. (2014). Andre the giant. New York: First Second.

Andre Roussimoff, Andre the Giant, is known as the eighth wonder of the world. He grew up in Molien, France. He grew faster and larger than anyone had ever seen. By chance while working in Paris, he was introduced into the fighting scene and instantly became an attraction. He was then brought to Tokyo, Japan to be cleared by a doctor to enter the professional wrestling profession. From this visit Andre learns he has the condition called Acromegaly in which he would grow and die prematurely. Andre did not let this hold him back and quickly rose to stardom selling out arenas and traveling the globe. No one could come close to Andre’s strength in the ring, so Andre assisted in making wrestling into a gimmick. Although famous, Andre was still seen as a freak, so he spent much of his time playing cards and drinking heavily. At the end of his career, Andre knowingly gave up his 15-year winning streak and hero status to Hulk Hogan and portrayed himself as the villain showing his respect for the business. Over the next five years, Andre’s health decreased rapidly, but he continued to wrestle in Japan until he died in 1993. This nonfiction graphic novel artfully told the story of Andre’s life as well as the growth of the wrestling business. Recommended for grade level 9-12, it would be a great way to get a reluctant reader to engage with nonfiction text.