Shushu

This is a tender, sharp and quietly powerful story about the isolation of motherhood and the pacifiers – both literal and metaphorical – we pass down through generations.

 

 

Miri is the exhausted mother of a screaming newborn and four-year-old Frances, who refuses to give up her shushu (pacifier). When Miri’s judgmental mother-in-law, Bella, arrives, she’s more of a burden than a help; criticising mealtimes, bedtimes, and of course, the ever-present shushu. When not dispensing unsolicited advice, Bella lounges in a Valium-induced haze on the sofa.

 

Miri is overwhelmed – not just by Bella, but by the new roles she finds herself in. Her identity is subsumed in the relentless rhythm of nursery runs, dinner prep and the demands of domesticity. All the while, Frances, ever watchful, gathers her lessons in silence.

 

From the creators of Alte Zachen, Old Things, Cicada’s first adult graphic novel.

 

 

THE AUTHOR

Ziggy Hanaor is a writer and publisher living in London. She is the author of critically acclaimed graphic novels including Alte Zachen (Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration 2023), The Egg Incident (2024 BRAW AMAZING BOOKSHELF) and Everything Amplified.

She is also the author of the following titles: Gory Rory Fangface Needs a Kiss, The Pocket Chaotic, I Am a Potato, Snail Trail, Special Delivery, Alex & Alex

 

 

THE ILLUSTRATOR

 

Benjamin Phillips works in various mediums, straddling the disciplines of illustration and fine art. From his studio in Hastings, Benjamin finds inspiration in human interaction, the humour and turmoil of everyday life and the joy of repetition. His clients include New York Times, Penguin Random House, Ebury Press and the British Council.