All Ages Reads

Support Reading with Pictures!

2010-03-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Help Bring Comics into the Classroom

Reading with Pictures is an educational non-profit organization that promotes literacy and the visual arts through the use of comics in the classroom. To achieve our goals, we’ve recently launched a pledge drive on kickstarter.com (http://kck.st/a2LVJy) to finance the publication of a groundbreaking educational comics anthology. The anthology features a cover by Jill Thompson (The Sandman) and original stories by over 50 all-ages creators including Fred Van Lente (Amazing Spider-Man), Chris Giarrusso (Mini-Marvels), Jim Gownley (Amelia Rules), Jeffrey Brown (Sulk), Scott Sava (The Dreamland Chronicles), and RWP Executive Director Josh Elder (Mail Order Ninja). This limited edition anthology will serve as a proof of concept that comics can be both entertaining and educational, and the only way to guarantee that you get your copy is by pre-ordering on Kickstarter today!

Learn more by visiting us online at www.readingwithpictures.org.

At Reading with Pictures, we’re getting comics into schools and getting schools into comics.

New Gig!

2009-07-20T15:34:00.001-07:00

We've signed on with Chris Wilson at The Graphic Classroom to write about the latest news in the world of all-ages comics. We'll be reporting the latest from Comic-Con, so hop on over and check it out!

Link: Salt Water Taffy Author Interview

2009-06-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

Go read this interview with Matthew Loux, author of the Salt Water Taffy series. The books are so much fun - I'm sad they weren't nominated for an Eisner.

Exerpt from the interview:

O’Shea: What’s the appeal of writing an all ages book? What’s the biggest challenge of writing an all ages book? Do you wish there was another term than all ages, so that adults might pick up the book rather than unfairly pigeonholing it as something just for children?

Loux: A great appeal for writing the Salt Water Taffy series for the all-aged is that in a lot of ways it frees me from the expectations Indie comic artists often have to do serious or emotionally challenging stories. I love that kind of work when it’s done well, but it will be a long time before i attempt anything super deep in my own career. Kids comics might be the only avenue for purely fun and silly adventure stories in the industry today, and that’s what i love to do. It is incredibly enjoyable to create stories for the Salt Water Taffy universe because of it’s freedom to be fantastical, funny, action pact, and often making no sense at all. And though the series is aimed for kids, I really did write them to be enjoyed by all ages. I try to follow the lead of master creator, Carl Barks in writing age appropriate comics that are just enormously enjoyable to everyone. On the flip side, ‘all ages’ or children’s comics’ can turn off many who think it isn’t mature enough for them. That’s probably true, because i certainly don’t write mature stories. Doing all aged material has freed me from having to do mature stories. I think also, the industry has tired so hard to be taken more seriously as a genre that it can’t handle comics that are trying to be less serious, so there’s very often this stigma among main stream comic fans against kids comics.

Not Comics: Odd and the Frost Giants

2009-06-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

Neil Gaiman's Odd and the Frost Giants will be released in the US in the fall by Harpercollins. Yay! The book was written for World Book Day, which means it was written and published for free and children in the UK could buy it for one pound. Amazon lists the US release date as Sept. 22.

From Gaiman's website: "Odd's luck has been bad so far. He lost his father on a Viking expedition, his foot was crushed beneath a tree, and the winter seems to be going on forever. But when Odd flees to the woods and releases a trapped bear, his luck begins to change. The eagle, bear and fox he encounters reveal they're actually Nordic gods, trapped in animal form by the evil Frost Giants who have conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Can a twelve-year-old boy reclaim Thor's hammer, outwit the Frost Giants and release the gods"

Twittering the Eisner Nominees

2009-06-14T13:48:00.001-07:00

I'm twittering about each Eisner nominee in the Kids and Teens/Tweens categories. It's tough to keep the reviews so short!

@TracyEdmunds on Twitter

Animated Dark and Silly Night

2009-04-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite stories from It Was A Dark and Silly Night (Little Lit) by Neil Gaiman and Gahan Wilson. Enjoy!

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/movies/2009/04/wilson-and-gaiman-at-work-and-play.html

Eisner Nominations - Youth Categories

2009-04-07T16:04:00.000-07:00

Best Publication for Kids
Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper, by Kazu Kabuishi (Scholastic Graphix)
Cowa! by Akira Toriyama (Viz)
Princess at Midnight, by Andi Watson (Image)
Stinky, by Eleanor Davis (RAW Junior)
Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)

Best Publication for Teens/Tweens
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
Crogan’s Vengeance, by Chris Schweizer (Oni)
The Good Neighbors, Book 1: Kin, by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (Scholastic Graphix)
Rapunzel’s Revenge, by Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)

Our analysis to follow....

Bonus Review by the Boys!

2008-09-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

At Comic-Con we were thrilled to meet the Patton family from Ohio. Turns out they actually read our column (!) and are big comics fans themselves. I asked them to write some guest reviews, not knowing that the girls were going to stage a revolt. *sigh*

So, here is a fabulous set of reviews by Michael, 10 and Alex, 8., and mom, Jenny Enjoy!

All Ages Reads - What the Boys Say

Michael, 10, and Alex, 8, had the pleasure of meeting “All Ages Reads” reviewers Shelby and Sarah at Comic-Con. These Ohio boys have read most of what the girls have recommended, bringing them hours of joy. In addition to being an avid reader, Michael draws comics, plays baseball, likes to skateboard and is always hungry. Alex loves football and videogames, collects stuffed bears, plays Chess and talks nonstop.

Lookit!
Volume I: A Cheese Related Mishap and Other Stories
By Ray Friesen

Alex says … I thought it was extremely funny. Two narrators fight to tell the story. It’s so funny! When one gets hungry, he goes into the story because a character was cooking food. This book is about a kid named Raymond who visits his Uncle Clark and cousin Fidget in the country of Pellmellia. He arrives during the Cheese Festival. Eggner Von Shmoodledike, who is a professor, invented C5, which turns things into cheese. An evil scientist, who once lost to him in a dancing contest, sends his chicken ninjas to steal the C5. There’s a penguin character (Melville) who says penguins aren’t made for the cold. There’s an intermission when Raymond reads his comics. I have read it twice and will reread it. I recommend it for anyone who likes comedy.

Michael says … Lookit! was a really humorous book. I liked how the two guys argued in the beginning about who got to narrate the story. They were bad narrators, but that made it funny. I liked when the professor showed his lame movie, “The Rivals,” which won an award named after the guy who made the movie. My guess is that it’s an award you’d get if you were really bad. The villain is Jarvis Van Chickenheimer. The two guys were rivals because back in kindergarten one said, “Cheese sucks.” At the end of part one, the main character Raymond joins the narrators to take a break and read his comic books about Captain Cautious. At the beginning of part two, the narrators return and get off script. The bad disguises on the characters cracked me up. They were horrible – a sock pocket, the narration hat and roller skates – but they worked to fool chicken ninjas. The art style was cool, and I think others would like this book.

Jenny says … This is definitely an “all ages” book. I cracked up at its goofiness and absurdity, including parts the boys didn’t get … and you already know how funny they thought it was! The good news is that the boys were so engaged with the story, they raced to read part two. The bad news is they missed some witty storytelling in the 29-page “comics within the comic” section, particularly the Caption Cautious tales, showing Friesen’s illustration diversity. After several subsequent reads (The boys reread their favorites over and over and over again.), they read and enjoyed the middle section. I highly recommend this book to kids and parents.

Kaput & Zosky
By Lewis Trondheim, Illustrated by Eric Cartier, Translated by Edward Gauvin

Alex says … It’s a collection of stories in which two purple aliens invade planets. Kaput is short, egg-shaped, has red hair and likes to destroy everything. Zosky is tall, thin and smart. First they invaded Earth and a spider was like a beast to them so my guess is that they are smaller than they look. Kaput makes bad decisions that get them in trouble, and Zosky tries to stop him. The thing is there are tons of stories. Some of them are really funny. One I really liked was about another alien on a planet who would tell Kaput and Zoksy stuff (like who the ruler of this planet is) only if he beat them in hopscotch and “rock, paper, scissors.” One-page comics called “the Cosmonaut” are in between each story. Those are very funny. I wouldn’t say it’s too violent, but Kaput and Zosky do have laser guns and do kill other aliens. The art style looked familiar to me and I liked it a lot. I think boys will like it more than girls, but some girls may like it too. Everyone has their own opinion.

Michael says … Kaput and Zosky have the goal of conquering planets. Kaput, the small one, just wants to kill, kill, kill. Zosky is interested in learning about the culture and discovering the hopes, frustrations and goals of inhabitants. It’s funny because these two guys want to take over planets in two totally different ways. One planet elects its leader and Kaput didn’t like that because no one got killed. Once Kaput won a million dollars without cheating in a gambling game and said, “That was no fun.” He ends up being made ruler of the planet and didn’t want to be since he couldn’t kill people. They go to one planet where the beings look like small, red Pac-Mans who offer to do whatever Kaput and Zosky want. The leader says, “It’s all yours. Kill us, rob us, pillage the countryside … whatever floats your boat.” But this cooperation throws Kaput off, who says he “wants to be feared and dreaded.” This frustrates Kaput, and he and Zosky end up leaving the planet. The cover art made me laugh: The characters are more worried about killing a wasp than being eaten by the big monster whose tongue they are running on. All of the stories were good, and I especially liked the last “Cosmonaut” comic. I recommend this book for everyone, especially boys. Tomboys might like it too.

Jenny says … The characters provide a nice foil for one another, and their interaction is the highlight. Kaput is full of fury, and Zosky is good at redirecting his partner’s feistiness. Zosky is very logical about how to accomplish their goal of taking over planets. Even though his mission is questionable, the way he pursues it is respectable. For instance, he talks Kaput out of killing everyone on one planet because then they would have no one to plant and harvest food, cook and clean, play music, etc. Zosky brings balance to the team, but the stories wouldn’t be as entertaining without Kaput. It’s their teamwork that makes the stories work. I must nod to the second to last story in which Kaput and Zosky crash land in a cabbage patch field and become the adopted babies to an alien mother who meets their every need. Zosky finds it paradise, but Kaput is angry about there being nothing more he wants. Great stuff. The vibrant colors add to the energy of the tales. I especially loved the depictions of space as Kaput and Zosky leave one planet and travel to another. Despite disappointments, they maintain enthusiasm about their quest. If parents are concerned about the violence, I suggest they read it first, although I feel none of it is gratuitous. Rather, it adds to the humor and plot progression.

Johnny Boo
The Best Little Ghost in the World!
By James Kochalka

Michael says … It’s about a ghost (Johnny Boo) who has a pet ghost (Squiggle). I find that funny. Squiggle kind of looks like a ghost from Mario World except he’s really tiny and doesn’t have arms. In the beginning they play tag, and Johnny Boo can’t catch Squiggle. He was doing loop-de-loops and Johnny Boo said that was cheating. Johnny has Boo Power. When he says “Boo,” he scares Squiggle. Squiggle says he has Squiggle Power. The ghosts play by the same rules that Alex and I have: If one cheats then the other one gets to cheat. They end up fighting but the idea of ice cream reunites them. An ice cream monster appears when Squiggle shouts, “ICE CREAM!” Two problems come up, and the special powers of the ghosts come in handy. It was a short book that I recommend for others. I liked it.

Alex says … The main theme is ice cream, and I like ice cream. I thought it was funny how Johnny Boo buried and dug up ice cream. I like the art style because it’s cartoonish. Squiggle is a simple raindrop figure, and I think it’s creative how the author formed a raindrop into a pet ghost.

Jenny says … The character Johnny Boo is just so darned cute. His mug on the book’s cover caught my attention when we were at the Top Shelf Productions table at Comic-Con. He’s a marshmallow-white little guy with flowy 80s bangs. It’s amazing how much emotion is conveyed through his simply drawn eyes – joy, frustration, concern, hope, affection, fear and surprise. As the boys said, the illustrations appear rather simple, and the book is a fast read, but it has depth and a sweetness that was appealing.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

2008-09-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

It seems we've hit, well, if not the end of the road, then at least a rather large detour.

The girls are on strike until further notice. They both feel like they have too much going on in their non-comic lives and they want to "read comics because we like them, not because we have to talk about them."

On top of that, this has become more of a job than a hobby lately, and seeing that we get paid the high salary of $0.00 to write our columns, the math just isn't working out. Comics and graphic novels are an industry that grows larger by the day and creators and publishers are looking for publicity, especially free publicity. I've definitely been feeling pressured to review more and more titles as the girls become less and less interested.

Our love of the medium hasn't diminished -- we still make weekly trips to the comic shop and I will still use graphic novels in my classroom. So, I may pop up somewhere else in the future, but for now All Ages Reads is offline.

Many, many thanks to all the readers and creators who have been so wonderful to us. Your support and kindness are the reason we kept at this so long.

You don't need us anyway! Here are some great sites covering comics for kids:
The Graphic Classroom
Comics in the Classroom
Toon Books Kids Comics Blog
Good Comics for Kids

Nick Mag "Best Kids' Graphic Novel Awards"

2008-08-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

What a FABULOUS idea! Per the press release:

NICKELODEON MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES ITS
FIRST-EVER “BEST KIDS’ GRAPHIC NOVEL” AWARDS

Submission Process Now Open for Spring 2009 Awards

NEW YORK-Aug. 13, 2008-Nickelodeon Magazine, the leading entertainment and humor magazine for kids, has announced its first-ever “Best Kids’ Graphic Novel” Awards, taking place in spring 2009. The Awards will honor the best comic books and animated novels for kids published across the U.S. The submission process is open through Sept. 30, 2008, and voting will take place in December.

“Comics have always been an integral part of who we are, and these Awards will allow us to honor the great work for kids being produced in graphic novels today,” said Laura Galen, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director. “Our readers consistently rave about ‘The Comic Book’ section as one of their favorites, so awards are a natural direction for the magazine.”

All graphic novel submissions must be submitted before Sept. 30, 2008. A list of books for kids to vote on, pre-selected by the Nickelodeon Magazine editorial staff, will be available in the December issue and online at http://www.nickmag.com. The results will be announced in print and online in spring 2009 in conjunction with the release of Nickelodeon Magazine’s popular annual cartoon-themed issue. Nickelodeon Magazine welcomes all submissions appropriate for kids between the ages of seven and 13.

Publishers interested in submitting graphic novels should send two copies of each title no later than Sept. 30, 2008. Submissions should be mailed to:
Chris Duffy or Dave Roman Graphic Novel Award Nickelodeon Magazine 1515 Broadway 37th Floor New York, NY 10036.

New Kid Reviewer

2008-08-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

We have company!

http://kidscomicbooks.blogspot.com/

So far it's all superhero comics, and some titles that he's reviewed I wouldn't necessarily recommend for all 7-year-olds, but The Kid is quite a good little reviewer!

Oprah's Kids' Reading Lists

2008-08-13T13:04:00.001-07:00

I recently read this post declaring that the addition of Sara Varon's Robot Dreams to Oprah's Kids Reading List for 6 to 9 year-olds, intimating that this is the first graphic novel on the list. It isn't. Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid is on the 10 - 12 Year-Old list and Shaun Tan's The Arrival is on the 12 Years and Up list.

It's so wonderful to see my favorite form of literature represented on the Oprah's Kids list. Now, what about the adult list? I recommend Persepolis, as it seems to fit the female-friendly nature of the list. Your recommendations?

CON!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time at Comic-Con. We chatted with many of our favorite creators and the girls got lots of sketches. We even got to meet some of our readers, which was awesome! Too bad we had to leave on Friday afternoon -- we really wanted to stick around for Kids' Day on Sunday.

Art Baltazar and Franco of Tiny Titans and Patrick the Wolfboy. Awww yeah!

Andy Runton does awesome sketches.

Shelby got Owly as Anung Un Rama (the real Hellboy) and

Sarah got Owly and Wormy as luchadores.

Jill Thompson was so gracious and lovely.

You must all go out and buy a copy of Magic Trixie - it's awesome!

Scott Sava of Blue Dream Studios (Dreamland Chronicles, Pet Robots) has a new publishing deal with IDW and lots of Hollywood stuff in the works.

Here he is with his lovely wife, Donna, and his twin Power Rangers.

More news and tidbits from the Con to come -- after we recover!

Coraline Puppets

2008-07-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting these photos from Comic-Con. These are puppets from the upcoming Coraline movie. The girls and I all enjoyed the novel (by Neil Gaiman), but I have to say that I found the graphic novel (illustrations by P. Craig Russell) really, really creepy. I have one question: Who the heck is Wybie?

Coraline

The Other Mother

Ghosts

Wybie

2008-07-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Kids Are People, Too

This review, and the ensuing posts, debating what kids want in their comics, got me thinking about how adults review comics for kids.

Why do adults refer to “kids” as if they’re a vast monotype? Kids are as different from each other as adults are. There are 8-year-olds who like superheroes and 8-year-olds who like anime; 8-year-olds who are frightened by violence and 8-year-olds who love violence; 8-year-olds who enjoy a complex plot line and rich characters and 8-year-olds who love fart jokes.

The kid who loves Goosebumps and Tales from the Crypt is different from the kid who likes Dragonball Z and Naruto. Just because a kid likes Marvel Adventures, that doesn’t guarantee that he or she will like every superhero comic. Some kids don’t want to be “talked down to,” but others couldn't care less.

Predicting what a particular kid will or won’t like is difficult at best. Take my girls for example; sometimes they like what I think they will like, and sometimes they think I’m nuts. I loved Tellos and thought they would, too, but it just got a “meh” rating. And they don’t always agree – Sarah is one of the Archie faithful, but Shelby finds Riverdale boring. I see a huge variety of reading interests and tastes in the classroom. I brought in a stack of Teen Titans Go!, thinking my students would eat them up, but nobody touched them. One kid fell in love with The Dreamland Chronicles, another with The Incredibles, and another with Bone. And as for kids not wanting to read “baby stuff,” I had a fourth grade student who absolutely loved Jack and the Box, which seems to me to be intended for preschoolers.

So how can I, as an adult, review comics for kids? I don’t think that’s my role. I don’t think that my job as a reviewer is to predict what kids will or won’t like. I give my personal opinion about a book, aimed at other adults, and provide factual information about the contents of the book. The girls review for kids; I review for parents, teachers, and librarians.

Reader Survey

2008-07-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

I know there are a few of you out there who read our reviews regularly. Thank you!!! For those of you who don't know, all our work has been unpaid for lo these many years. I'm considering building a site on which we can host a few ads, just so we can afford to buy comics.

I'd like it to be a searchable database of our reviews and recommendations. I would have links on the front page where readers can find lists of comics/gn's by age and interest. If you click on an age group, say Early Elementary, you'd see an alphabetical list of titles, each one being a link to a review.

Each review would list the title, author and artist, publisher, recommended age level with notes, and interest area or genre.

Age categories:
All Ages
Early Elementary
Upper Elementary
Middle School

The interest/genre categories:
Action
Animals
Anthologies
Biography
Easy Readers
Fantasy
Female Protagonists
History
Horror
How To
Humor
Literature
Science
Science Fiction
Stories
Superheroes

I'd also like to do Top Ten lists by age and recommendations for classrooms.

What do you all think? Is there a need for a site like this? Would you use it? How would you use it and how would you like to see it organized? Should we have a rating system, like Amazon's stars?

Please post or email any input, advice, or comments. Thanks in advance for your help!

Tracy

Knights of the Lunch Table

2008-07-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

Knights of the Lunch Table, by Frank Camusso (Scholastic Graphix)

Shelby says: The story is about a boy named Artie King who is new in town and he has to go to a new school called Camelot Middle School. His sister, Morgan, is just a jerk who makes him miss the bus and makes him a soap sandwich for lunch. Artie makes the school bully mad because he gives him a soap sandwich that his sister made. Artie is the only one who can open cursed locker number 001XCL, so he becomes like the king of the school. The school bully, who thinks he’s the king, challenges Artie to a game of dodgeball against The Horde. Artie’s friends’ names are Percy, Wayne, and Gwen and they play dodgeball with Artie. The supervillanous principal, Mrs. Dagger, is on the bullys’ side, I guess ‘cause she’s evil. The science teacher is Mr. Merlyn and gets Artie and his friends out of trouble.

Sarah says: Knights of the Lunch Table is good for everybody. The story is basically the King Arthur story at a school, and instead of a sword in a stone, it’s a locker that’s busted and only can Artie King can open it. If you know about King Arthur and the whole pulling-the-sword-out-of-the-stone story, you can understand it and get the references. But, if you haven’t heard about that, you can still enjoy it because it makes sense on its own. Some people might not get that the lunch ladies are the three witches from Macbeth, but even if they don’t get that, they’ll get that the ladies are weird. The story is still really good and funny even if you don’t get any of that other stuff. I read it 3 times in a row!

Shelby says: I liked the drawings because the characters were cartoony but the settings were detailed and it was really, really colorful. Kids will like this book even if they don’t know the story of King Arthur because I liked it and I don’t know that much about it. I liked the pictures because they are really colorful and fun. I like the story, too, because it wasn’t exactly like every other story in the world.

Tracy says: This is a great example of an all-ages book. Kids will love the story of Artie and his friends facing down the bullies and the evil principal, while older readers will get a kick out of the clever parallels and references to everything medieval and literary. The amazing thing is how well the story stands on its own even with all the word play. It’s clever and easy to follow and each character is clearly defined visually. The panel layouts are dynamic but never get in the way of the story. Knights of the Lunch Table flows beautifully and keeps the action and laughs coming. I highly recommend this book for all libraries and classrooms.

See a sneak peek here.

Sticky Burr

2008-07-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Sticky Burr by John Lechner (Candlewick Press)

Sarah says: Sticky Burr is about a sticky burr (duh). He lives in Burrwood Forest with his best friend, Mossy Burr, and his enemy is Scurvy Burr. His dragonfly friend is Draffle and he helps Sticky by flying him around when he’s in trouble. They get along really well. There’s also a grasshopper that teaches Mossy Burr karate. You can tell which burr is which because Scurvy Burr has a hair on the top of his head, Mossy Burr has a bow, and Sticky has a big part in the middle of his hair…I mean stickers…oh, I don’t know, but he has a part. The first part of the story is about Scurvy being mean, the second part is about rescuing fireflies from inside a maze tree, and the last part is about trying to get the wild dogs out of Burr Village. This book has a lot of little things in it – some of them are Sticky Burr’s journal pages about the creatures and places in Burrwood Forest. Another thing I like is the song in the back called “Stuck in a Tree.” I tried to play it on the piano and I like to sing it. Sticky Burr is more like a kids’ book. It’s good for kids in elementary school.

Shelby says: Sticky Burr is for younger kids because the dialog is very simple and easy to read. It sounds childish to me. The character designs are really simple but some of the backgrounds of the forest are complex and painted well. I liked the idea of the maze tree and the little tiny village – it’s adorable because everything is so tiny. It’s cute and I like it, but it just seems like it’s for a younger audience.

Tracy says: Sticky Burr is definitely written for kids. It’s silly and sweet and the characters are charming. The character designs are very simple, so kids will enjoy drawing Sticky and his friends themselves – there is plenty here for kids to expand on in their own Burrwood Forest tales. The story is told in traditional paneled comic pages, but Lechner mixes it up by also including large splash pages, Sticky’s “diary” pages, a “newspaper,” and even a song, which I think will help hold young readers’ attention. It’s a nice amalgamation of picture book, comic, and activity book that younger kids will really enjoy. I recommend Sticky Burr for early elementary readers.

Sticky Burr started as a black and white webcomic, but the book is a completely new story in full color. Visit the Sticky Burr website for mucho goodies, including Sticky’s journal, games, and the Sticky Burr theme song.

Magic Trixie

2008-07-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

Magic Trixie, by Jill Thompson (Harper Trophy)

Sarah says: Magic Trixie is really, super, awesomely cute and funny and has a good story. Magic Trixie is this little witch that doesn’t really like her baby sister. She goes to a school that has a ghost teacher and her friends are Loupe Garou, the werewolf girl, Stitch Patch, the Frankenstein’s monster, the vampire twins, and Nefi, the mummy girl. Nefi writes notes to Magic Trixie on her bandages and Stitch Patch eats batteries for lunch! Magic Trixie has normal kid problems and magic problems, so it’s a good balance of both and it’s a good story mixing them in together. Mimi is Magic Trixie’s grandma and she’s my favorite character because she’s all fancied up with a peacock feather broom and lots of jewelry and crazy clothes. She really needs some fashion advice. Jill wrote the story well and added a lot of tiny little details in the art, like Magic Trixie’s bed looks like a haunted house and she has a Dia de los Muertos skeleton doll and her backpack is a fly. I like her cat, Scratches, which is a really good cat name. Every single panel is really pretty because it has so many different colors and little things to look at. I think Magic Trixie is kind of like a magical Junie B. Jones. Everybody would really like Magic Trixie because it’s funny and everyone will get it and the story is simple and easy to understand, and the art is bold, colorful, and very detailed.

Shelby says: This is probably the most colorful book I have ever seen in the world! The art...where do I start? All the art is watercolor and that is a really hard medium to use because you can’t fix anything if you mess up, but Jill is a master. Everything is so three-dimensional because there’s shading in everything, even the blacks and whites. Everything looks so realistic, yet it’s still cartoony and adorable beyond words. Magic Trixie is kinda like Sarah because she won’t stop talking and she’s really hyper, but she’s kinda like me because when I was about her age I was jealous of my little sister, too. I like how Magic Trixie doesn’t have any front teeth and whenever she’s talking you can see this big gap in between her teeth, like every other kid at that age. I like the vampire twins and Nefi the mummy girl because they’re very cute instead of scary. My friends will pretend it’s dumb because it’s cute, but I think everyone will like it, even if they won’t admit it.

Tracy says: From the candy-colored watercolors (which make me want to lick the pages) to the adorable characters (who are just begging to be made into plushies for bedtime snuggles) to the sweet and witty story (with an “Aaaawwww” ending), Magic Trixie is a delight all around. Trixie’s friends are cute, cuddly takes on classic monsters with personalities that could easily belong to real, live children, and the adults feel so real that I wonder if Thompson modeled them on her own friends and family. Magic Trixie herself is a very bright, mischievous bundle of energy with a knack for getting in trouble – she reminds me of a certain curly-haired 9-year-old I know who shall remain nameless. I can’t recommend Magic Trixie highly enough – it’s jumped straight into my top ten all-ages comics of all time.

Meet the whole gang over at Magic Trixie’s blog. We can’t wait for Magic Trixie Sleeps Over!

Titans Smackdown!

2008-06-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentelemen, welcome to the All Ages Reads Titans Smackdown! In this corner, we have Tiny Titans, a festival of color and cuteness brought to you by Art Baltazar and Franco. Awwwww yeah, Titans! In the opposite corner we have Teen Titans Year One, the action-oriented origin story by Wolfram, Kerschl, Lapointe, and Peru. Our judges tonight are comic reviewers extraordinaire, Shelby, age 12, and Sarah, age 9. Let’s get ready to rumble!

Round One: Humor
Sarah: Tiny Titans has actual jokes, even knock-knock jokes! Most of the time you don’t have to understand about the characters to get the jokes, but they’re funnier if you do. Like they talk about the Big Penny and the dinosaur that are always shown in the Batcave – that’s not so funny if you’re not a Batman fan.
Shelby: In Teen Titans Year One, when Aqualad squeals, that’s pretty funny. Flash tries to show off and be funny but he’s not exactly cool, kind of like this kid at my school. Most of the time he’s funny but sometimes he’s just stupid.

Round Two: Cuteness
Shelby: Tiny Titans, duh.
Sarah: Tiny Titans – oh, the cuteness! The cuteness!

Round Three: Action
Shelby: Teen Titans Year One has explosions and the Titans have to beat up their mentors.
Sarah: Teen Titans Year One because the characters aren’t in elementary school and they aren’t chubby. There’s actually punching and the bad guys are actually scary. In Tiny Titans the Fearsome Five are really cute and they try to take the swings away from the Titans, which is very evil. NOT!

Round Four: Powers
Shelby: In Teen Titans Year One they actually use their powers to kick the bad guys’ butts. Except Robin, of course, who just kicks butt without powers. The only way the Tiny Titans use their powers is like when the girls use Cyborg as an Easy Bake Oven.
Sarah: In Tiny Titans they use their powers to do cute stuff like when Kid Devil heats up Robin’s hot chocolate or flame-broils wieners or Beast Boy turns into different animals to bug the teacher. In Teen Titans Year One they use their powers the old-fashioned way to save the world.

So who is the winner of the All Ages Reads Titans Smackdown? The readers, of course! We highly recommend both titles. Teen Titans Year One might not be right for the very youngest kids – they might be afraid at seeing Batman act like a bad guy, and yes, Flash does say “kick butt.” It’s great for everyone else, though. Tiny Titans manages to be that rare beast, a truly all-ages comic; kids will laugh at the jokes and gags while adults will chuckle at the DC references.

Sarah: Tiny Titans makes you laugh out loud from cuteness and jokes. Teen Titans Year One tells a good story and makes you want to find out what happens next.

Shelby: It depends on who you are on the inside. Are you more tender on the inside, like a good steak? Then read Tiny Titans because it’s tender and cute. Or are you raw on the inside and charred on the outside? Then read Teen Titans Year One because you will enjoy some kick-butt action.

Little Vampire, Salt Water Taffy, & Johnny Boo

2008-06-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Our stack of titles to be reviewed is now taller than Sarah, so we’re going to try to power through a bunch of titles in the next few weeks. These reviews will be shorter than we usually do in the interest of getting the good stuff to you quickly, and I’m resorting to using the publishers’ book solicits as summaries. Cheap and easy? Yes, but quick!

Little Vampire by Joann Sfar (First Second)

Little Vampire and his friend Michael are the stars of these three stories about the things kids care about — like bullying, friendship, and being kind to animals — seasoned with a dose of supernatural adventure. Insightful and inventive, author/illustrator Joann Sfar brings Little Vampire and Michael's fantastical world to life, feeding the imagination of young readers with stories that resonate with emotional truth. (from First Second)

First Second has released three Little Vampire stories in one volume. This is one of our favorite titles and we really enjoyed reading “Little Vampire and the Canine Defenders Club,” which we hadn’t seen printed in English before. Sarah sums it up: “The creator’s imagination is different than most – his ideas make you feel like you’re really there even though most of it’s not real. I think it’s not for little tiny kids or kids who get scared easy, but if you like a little bit of violence and some funniness packed into one book, you will like Little Vampire.”

Creepy and dark, yet charming and lovable, the mix of simple and complex character designs gives the book a rich, textured feel. The panels are unbelievably detailed, yet feel uncluttered and inviting. You’ll be drawn in from the first page and will want to read these stories again and again. Little Vampire might be too scary for very young children or those afraid of monsters, but everyone else will love it.

Read the full text of our previous review of Little Vampire here. Read a preview at the First Second site.

Salt Water Taffy by Matthew Loux (Oni)

Eleven-year-old Jack Putnam and his eight-year-old brother Benny are being dragged against their will on a summer-long vacation with their family. And not to somewhere cool like Disney World, but to a little port town in Maine named Chowder Bay, far away from anyplace fun. But what promises to be a very bleak summer quickly becomes a series of exciting adventures in one of the most mysterious places on earth! (from Oni)

Shelby says: “The drawings look like a cartoon and the story is sort of like Scooby-Doo except without a dog. The beginning is a little slow because there isn’t as much action, but it gets better as you go along. The best part was when the big lobster came up and attacked – the drawing was really effective with all the wood splitting and flying in the air.” Sarah says: “Salt Water Taffy is very different in a good way because it has so many original ideas that make it unique. Like, have you ever seen two cute little lobsters in a newspaper boat planning schemes? Well you will when you read this book!” A high-energy mystery played out in stylized, black and white art makes this is a fun romp, perfect for summer reading. Salt Water Taffy is appropriate for all ages.

Read a preview at the Oni site.

Johnny Boo by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)

Johnny Boo is the best little ghost in the whole world, because he's got Boo Power. This means that he can go "BOO" really loudly. His pet ghost named Squiggle has Squiggle Power, which means that he can fly and do really fast loop-the-loops. Together they have the world's greatest ghost adventures! (from Top Shelf)

Sarah says: “Johnny Boo has simple but fun-to-look-at art that makes the story complete. It is a cute, touching story that lets the characters feel many different ways about each other. They change emotions over and over again in the book and I like that ‘cause you can tell what they’re feeling.” Shelby says: “I like the story but it was repetitive. That’s good for little kids, but I was getting bored. It’s cute, though.” Almost painfully cute, but with a slight air of naughtiness, Johnny Boo will appeal to the silly tastes of tiny tots. The story reads like it was written by a three-year-old, which is a good thing, and very young children will eat it up like secret, purple ice cream.

Read a preview at the Top Shelf site.

Supergirl Interview & Princess at Midnight

2008-05-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Interview: Landry Walker of Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade

Sarah broke out the happy dance when I told her that Little Gloomy and Super Scary Monster Show super team Landry Walker and Eric Jones were going to do a new Supergirl comic. Sarah has always loved Supergirl, but has had a hard time finding reading material featuring her favorite superheroine: “I read a couple issues of Justice League Unlimited that she was in. She’s the girl Superman, and she’s just as good, so why don’t they make more books about her?” When I showed her the character design, she felt like DC must be doing this just for her! So, naturally, she had questions for the writer, Landry Walker. And, yes, Sarah really did make up all the questions herself.

Sarah: Is she gonna have normal girl problems, like friends and stuff, or is she gonna be just fighting crime and villains and stuff?

Landry Walker: Mostly normal problems, but normal problems as seen through the eyes of someone with a new set of super powers. Not so much crime, but she will also have an enemy or two.

Sarah: Where's her school, on Earth or somewhere else in the universe -- 'cause it's called 'Cosmic Adventures.'"

Landry: Earth. But there will be a bit of 'cosmic' in the book, too. And of course for Supergirl, Earth is a strange and distant alien world.

Sarah: Will it be one big story or will it be six different stories?

Landry: Kinda both. If we do our jobs right, each issue should be able to be enjoyed independently. However, there is a progression from issue to issue.

Sarah: Will it look like Little Gloomy -- will she have a big, cute head and a little body?

Landry: When we had our first meeting with DC, Eric produced three different drawings of Supergirl. One in a similar style to the Little Gloomy and Kid Gravity material, one as a more adult version, and one that is basically what we're using: the somewhere in-between style, more akin to traditional western animation.

Sarah: Will there be new characters that aren't in the other Supergirl and Superman comics?

Landry: One of the nice things about doing a DC book in the Johnny DC line is that we're not beholden to continuity, so we have the option of having familiar characters appear in unfamiliar ways.

Sarah: Will Carl be in it? He could be a dorky kid at her school that likes bunnies or something. (Note: Carl is a character from Little Gloomy. He’s a cthulhu and he likes bunnies and cookies.)

Landry: Carl is everywhere. No one can deny that which is Carl.

Thanks to Landry for making a little girl very, very happy. Check out Super Scary Monster Show (which was just released in trade), Little Gloomy, and Kid Gravity – Walker and Jones are two guys who get how to make comics for everyone. And shhhhhhhhh…don’t tell anybody, but they’re working on animation.

Review: Princess at Midnight, by Andi Watson (Image)

Tracy: I have to admit up front to an Andi Watson bias – I love pretty much everything he does. Part of it is probably because I have been an Anglophile since childhood and Watson’s work makes me feel all British inside. I’m so hooked on Glister that I keep both volumes on my nightstand and re-read them nightly. So, of course, I love Princess at Midnight. If I look at the book objectively, take off the Andi Watson-colored glasses, I have to say, it’s still fabulous, and the girls think so, too. I actually tried to discourage them from reviewing this because we reviewed Glister fairly recently, but they liked it so much they insisted.

Shelby: Holly and Henry are twins. They were born early so they were immediately hooked up to oxygen tanks and that is why their dad home schools them – he’s overprotective because of that. Holly’s always bored; Henry is competitive. When Holly goes to bed every night she wakes up as the princess of Castle Waxing. She decides to go on a picnic, but the Horrible Horde are there so she declares war. When the cockatrice crows at Castle Waxing it’s time for the princess to go to bed, and then Holly wakes up at home and begins her boring day at home school with her dad. I liked the art because it’s cute and it’s simple but it’s shaded in a kind of odd way, but it works. It looks a bit three-dimensional and two-dimensional at the same time. I like the way that Holly’s dad is talking but you can’t exactly read what he’s saying because the speech bubble isn’t big enough to fit all the words. It kind of tells you that Holly isn’t listening to him. I like the story because it’s original and it’s funny at times and it’s kinda weird at other times. I think everyone would like it because there’s entertainment for all ages.

Sarah: I liked the pictures and the story ‘cause it was very interesting. I like the pictures ‘cause they weren’t exactly perfect – it looks kind of rough, like a dream would be. It’s really cool. I liked the story ‘cause she had many different types of emotions; at one point she was calm and happy, sometimes she was angry, sometimes she was kind of sad, sometimes she was frightened and stuff like that. The characters that are in her world are really funny. I think probably everybody, even boys, would like this book. The girls would like it because it’s about girl power and stuff and it’s a good story. Adults would like it ‘cause it’s a good story. And boys would like it because of the surprise ending.

Tracy: A twist on traditional children’s fairy tales, Princess at Midnight is almost like something I remember from my childhood, only better. I would so love to be the Princess of Castle Waxing and give the Horrible Horde a good drubbing. Who wouldn’t? I can empathize with the overprotective parents’ fear of sending their fragile little ones into the big, bad world, while at the same time feeling Holly’s frustration at being smothered by her parents and annoyed by her little brother and needing an outlet, even if it’s in her dreams. Kids will enjoy the sauciness and strength of twins Holly and Henry, while adults can tarry awhile in a world that evokes the best kind of childhood.

The war against the Horrible Horde is mostly fought with mud and rocks that never hit anyone, so violence isn’t a problem – though Henry does take a nice soccer ball to the face. The final showdown against the most horrible of the horde involves much displaying of weapons (The Flail of Wailing and the Breadknife of Strife being my favorites), but no actual wielding of said weapons. Watson’s dialogue will certainly stretch most readers’ vocabularies – praetorian, cacophony, annihilative, and baneful all appear on the same page – so some adult assistance with the text may be required. I’d say Princess at Midnight is a must-read for anyone who likes good stories, be they kindergartner or college student, mom or dad, Princess of Midnight or Rendslaughter Sinewsplitter the Third.

Kid-Friendly Comics News and Notes

Owly Lesson Plans
Andy Runton and his mom, Patty, have written a great set of Owly lesson plans. If you’ve at all wondered, “How can I use comics in my classroom?” this is a great resource to get you started! At first glance the lessons seem to be for younger students, but as I read through them I could see that almost every lesson could be quickly adapted for use with many different grade levels, from Kindergarten to high school. The booklet includes some wonderful illustrations and student work pages drawn by Andy. And it’s all FREE! Download this great teaching guide here.

Riverside Reads
Scott Tingley of Comics in the Classroom has a new project:
What happens when you take a classroom full of comic loving kids, give them access to a web designer, art supplies, a giant stack of comics and a government grant? You get Riverside Reads, the newest comic book website, created almost entirely by kids, for kids.
"My students have just launched a web-publishing site for their comics, stories and reviews and I couldn't be more excited!" states Comics in the Classroom EiC Scott Tingley. "The purpose of the site is to get kids excited about school work in general and the whole process of writing specifically." The site will feature brand new, original comics created by Tingley's third grade class. Each kid will have the chance to contribute original comics, original artwork, reviews of existing comics and stories in various forms.
This is a great example of innovative teaching using comics. Check out the site for the kids’ interview with Andy Runton of Owly and their Free Comic Book Day reviews. Congratulations to Scott and all the kids!

Unpublished Interview about Kids and Comics

2008-05-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Months ago, I did an interview for a book about All Ages comics that has not been published. I recently re-read it and thought it might be of interest because it covers a lot of ground, so here it is.

Please tell me a little about yourself and your role in comics and books.
I came to comics fairly late. As a kid, I can remember reading Asterix at my grandma’s house and a few Donald Duck comics, but not much more than that. About 5 years ago my best friend, who has always been a comics fan, got me started on Fables and I was hooked. I think I’ve been to the comic shop almost every week since then! Once I started bringing home comics, my two daughters wanted to read them too, but most of what I was reading wasn’t suitable for them. So we all went looking for comics and graphic novels that we could read together. The hunt continues to this day. I’m also a teacher and I’ve seen how comics can change a reluctant reader into a rabid reader in a very short time. I’d like to see it happen for more kids.

What are some of the reasons that comics for kidsand "all ages" have made a resurgence in the pastdecade or longer?
In the beginning, comics were seen as only for kids and it was mostly kids who read them. When those kids grew up, they wanted their comics to grow with them, so the cry became, “Comics aren’t just for kids anymore!” Now, as the folks who grew up reading comics become parents (and grandparents) themselves, they want to share their love of comics with their children. I think the people having the biggest influence are the creators. A lot of people who write and draw comics want to reach a broader audience and want to write for their own kids. Interestingly, librarians are one of the biggest forces at the other end – they’ve seen the way comics draw in reluctant readers and are clamoring for more high-quality all-ages work for their children’s collections. The popularity of manga is certainly another influence. Kids feel like they’ve discovered a whole new type of reading! Once they are comfortable with the manga format, it’s not a far jump to American or European comics and graphic novels.

Do you believe this resurgence will soon peak andfade, or are all-ages comics here to stay?
I think that the comic format is here to stay, but maybe not in the way we are used to. Graphic novels and books that are a hybrid of prose, illustration, and comics will probably be the way this generation gets their comics, not the traditional, serialized, pamphlet-style books that most people think of when they hear “comic books.”

What do you think about the role the Web andwebcomics play in the lives of kids and teenagers?
Webcomics just aren’t on the radar of any of the kids we know. Most kids use their computers to play games, do homework, or keep in contact with friends, but not to read for pleasure.

How do you address concerns over the content ofcertain graphic novels/manga with parents, teachers,kids, etc.?
This is the biggest challenge. At this point the only thing I can say is that adults should read the material first to determine whether it is suitable for kids as there really is no other reliable way to tell. One of the reasons we write our column is to address this issue and let parents, librarians, and teachers know specifically what is contained comics and graphic novels that we believe are all-ages.

Do you believe comics publishers should adopt astandard rating system similar to the one used in thefilm industry? Or are we already overclassifying thesebooks?
Ratings systems only work when they are specific and consistent. Right now, each publisher has its own system, so something that is rated “Youth 7+” by one company might be very different from something rated “All Ages” by another publisher. Archie and DC (the Johnny DC line) are using the Comics Code and those books are certainly suitable for everyone, as are the Disney Gemstone comics. Beyond that, it really varies. I’ve read plenty of books labeled “All Ages” that contained just a few inappropriate words or images which lead me to not recommend them for children’s libraries or classrooms. Some people wonder what the big deal is –prose works don’t have ratings, so why should comics? There are three reasons that a standardized, voluntary rating system would be beneficial to comics and graphic novels. One, it is a visual medium and it’s much easier for a child to be exposed to inappropriate material just by flipping through a comic than a prose novel. Two, many of the creators who are making “all-ages” comics and graphic novels are not children’s book writers and sometimes are not aware of what most parents, librarians, and teachers would consider “inappropriate” for kids. And three, some librarians and teachers are looking for guidance on shelving graphic novels appropriately. Honestly, it’s not the kids that I’m worried about – they hear those words on the playground – but the parents. All it takes is one word in one book to create a lawsuit, a media frenzy, and a bad reputation for comics and graphic novels.

What role does/might the reviewer/critic play inall-ages comics?
At this point, I feel like there are two important roles for the reviewer. One is to bring attention to good books that might otherwise get overlooked by the comics press because they are all-ages. The other is to not only talk about the quality and appeal of a book, but the age-appropriateness as well.

What role does/might the librarian, teacher, andparent play in all-ages comics?
Librarians have been instrumental in the rise in popularity of graphic novels. They’ve seen so many kids come in and get hooked who would otherwise not pick up a book at all. I’m hoping that teachers will be the next to jump on board, but it may take a while. Parents tend to be great supporters if they read comics, but otherwise many are still hesitant and don’t see graphic novels as “real” books because they don’t have enough text. I hope we can get parents and teachers to see that comics can be good for kids.

Do you think reading works in the comics form canbe beneficial -- or even detrimental -- to a child'saquiring verbal and reading comprehension skills?
Wordless comics are wonderful for pre-readers. Kids must learn to track left to right and “read” each panel in order, all while becoming familiar with story structure. Young children must move from concrete to abstract in their interpretations of the world; at first a dog is a furry thing that barks, but then children learn that it can be represented by a photograph of a dog, a drawing of a dog, and finally by the letters “dog.” “Reading” the pictures and symbols of a wordless comic is a good intermediate step between the real world of their experience and the abstract world of reading text, where ink on a page conveys meaning.

The comic format can work magic with beginning, struggling, or reluctant readers. First, the text tends to be in word balloons and captions, which are much less intimidating to beginning readers than pages filled with words. More importantly, in my opinion, kids can read much more complex stories than “See Jane run” because much of the story is told visually. Especially for older kids who are still struggling with decoding and comprehension, graphic novels can provide all the elements of literature while supporting their text reading with visual cues.

Accomplished and fluent readers benefit from the comic format as well. Reading comics sometimes requires the reader to be more actively engaged in decoding the author/illustrator’s message than prose. Readers must not only decode text, but also decode the visual elements and symbols, then synthesize the two to “read” the story.

Certainly, graphic novels should not replace prose in a child’s life, but it can definitely be an added element. It’s another tool that teachers can use, just like film or video, computer programs, or educational games.

Creating comics can also be a great tool for learning. In order to write/draw a comic, the creator must be very clear about the story, break it into panels in a way that conveys meaning to the reader, and tell the story using both visual and text mediums. Many times the experience of creating comics helps kids improve their text writing.

NYCC Reports

2008-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Weekly has two reports of interest:

Kids' publishers panel
This post includes an interesting discussion about publishing formats and prices. I particularly like this quote from Jann Jones of DC, who is heading up the new kids' line, noting that many of the creators formerly working on kids' books would rather have been working on books for grown-ups: “They would just write watered-down versions of our characters,” she said. “I wanted something just for kids by people who were passionate about it.”

A short report on the panel about comics for girls, with title recommendations.
Jimmy Gownley, kids' comics superhero, speaks out: Gownley was quick to respond to a complaint that comics were “dumbed down,” noting that because the pictures help guide comprehension, a child can read a full grade higher in comic books than in prose.

Eisner Nominations: Best Publication for Kids

2008-04-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

We'll be doing a column soon covering all these nominees, but here are my quick reations to each. It's a pretty solid lineup, but we need to read more before I can evaluate them all properly.

Amelia Rules! and Amelia Rules! Funny Stories, by Jimmy Gownley (Renaissance)
I have to be honest here - I haven't read a lot of Amelia Rules! The art just doesn't appeal to me personally so I haven't bothered to crack open the pages, but I know the girls have both read "The Things I Cannot Change" -- I promise I'll read it tonight.

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, edited by Jeremy Barlow (Dark Horse)
I really, really like these books. There's definitely some cartoon violence, but how can you tell a story about Jedis without it? I completely dig the art and could just stare at the pages all day. That said, we've only bought few issues -- we'll get some more soon.

Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and Mouse Guard: Winter 1152, by David Petersen (Archaia)
Here is a link to our review of Mouse Guard: Fall 1152.

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, by Peter Sis (Frank Foster Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
I have no idea how this Caldecott winner has evaded my radar. I'll definitely be picking up a copy this week. Check out the preview at Amazon -- looks very intriguing.

Yotsuba&!, by Kiyohiko Azuma (ADV)
We have one trade of this title and we all liked it, but the translations are a bit akward at times. The girls had to ask me more than once to explain what was going on. I'll pick up a couple more volumes so we can give it another go.

Looks like I've got some shopping to do!

One last note: there are two titles in the Best Publication for Teens category that I absolutely love -- Mighty Skullboy Army and Laika. Go check those out for sure.

Eisner Nominations: Non-Kid Category Highlights

2008-04-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how quickly the world of kid-friendly comics and graphic novels has grown! In addition to a Kids Comic-Con, we now have the Kids Comic-Con Awards (the winners of which will be announced at Kids' Day at the New York Comic-Con this Sunday) and a new cateogory in the Eisner awards. In addition to the Best Publication for Kids and Best Publication for Teens categories, there are nominations throughout the list for kid-friendly and all-ages creators and works.

First, let me congratulate Jimmy Gownley whose Amelia Rules! is not only nominated in the Best Publication for Kids category, but also for Best Coloring, Best Lettering, and Best Single Issue! James Sturm's Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow is also nominated in Best Writer and Best Reality-Based Work. I'm so happy to see "kid-friendly" creators being taken seriously. Way to go Jimmy, way to go James, and way to go Eisner judging panel!

Other notable kid-friendly nominations outside the Kids and Teens categories:

The Arrival, by Shaun Tan in Best Graphic Album—New and Best Writer/Artist. If this doesn't win, I'll be shocked -- at the moment I'd say it's the best graphic novel I've ever read. It's the first thing I would hand to someone who thinks that comics can't be art or literature because it is a shining example of both.

PX! By Manny Trembley and Eric A. Anderson, www.pandaxpress.com in Best Digital Comic. Also nominated in the Teen category, this is an odd and entertaining story. I love the evil goat.

Laika, by Nick Abadzis and Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow, by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso in Best Reality Based Work. I haven't had a chance to read Sturm's book but Laika, also nominated in the Teen category, is a touching and meticulously written work. It made me bawl my eyes out.

Kyle Baker, The Bakers: Babies and Kittens in Best Writer/Artist—Humor. I balked a little at paying $20 for this slim volume, but it's Kyle Baker and I would give every last cent I have just to keep him working!

Steve Hamaker, Bone, vols. 5 and 6 and Shazam: Monster Society of Evil in Best Coloring. The color Bone volumes from Scholastic are probably the most popular books in our school library - the kids fight over them constantly.

James Vining, First in Space in Special Recognition. It's funny that this story about chimps in the American space program came out at about the same time as Abadzis' Laika, which is about dogs in the Russian space program. This is not as ambitious a work as Laika, and I hope it doesn't pale in comparison because it is quite good.

Tomorrow, I'll take a look at the Kids and Teens categories.

2008 Eisner Nominations: Now More Kid-Friendly!

2008-04-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Eisner Nominations have been announced and there's great news for kid-friendly comics. To start with, the former "Best Publication for a Younger Audience" has been split in two: "Best Publication for Kids," and "Best Publication for Teens." I'm so pleased to see this change!

Here are the nominees in each category:

Best Publication for Kids:
Amelia Rules! and Amelia Rules! Funny Stories, by Jimmy Gownley (Renaissance)
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, edited by Jeremy Barlow (Dark Horse)
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and Mouse Guard: Winter 1152, by David Petersen (Archaia)
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, by Peter Sis (Frank Foster Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
Yotsuba&!, by Kiyohiko Azuma (ADV)

Best Publication for Teens
Laika, by Nick Abadzis (First Second)
The Mighty Skullboy Army, by Jacob Chabot (Dark Horse)
The Annotated Northwest Passage, by Scott Chantler (Oni)
PX! Book One: A Girl and Her Panda, by Manny Trembley and Eric A. Anderson (Shadowline/Image)
Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow, by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso (Center for Cartoon Studies/Hyperion)

Secondly, there are some fabulous titles and authors/artists nominated, not only in these categories, but sprinkled throughout the nomination lists. I'll definitely have more to say about the nominations, hopefully later today, but for now I'll just say, "Hooray!"

Flight Explorer (and a rant about language)

2008-04-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Flight Explorer, Volume One. Edited by Kazu Kabuishi (Villard)

It’s time to discuss something that I know is a sore subject: “adult” language in children’s books. Now, before you go crying censorship or expounding on how you read Punisher when you were ten and it didn’t hurt you a bit, please understand that my personal feelings on this matter don’t always match my responsibilities as a teacher. My own kids know all the “bad” words; they read them in books and hear them in movies, they certainly hear them at school, and I really couldn’t care less. Words are words and we talk about when and where and by whom they are used. However, when it comes to being a teacher in a public school classroom, there are certain words that are completely off-limits if I want to keep my job.

I’m constantly dumbfounded by the inclusion of just one or two of these words in works aimed at the children’s market. One of the most surprising examples I can remember is in Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel. This touching tale of a boy and his dinosaur would be a welcome addition to any children’s collection except for one panel: when Tommy is dropped off at his Grandpa’s house, Gramps calls after the parents: “…Go have fun! Go have some sex! Call me when summer's over!” Because of that one panel, that one line, I can’t donate the book to our school library or have it on the shelf in my classroom. Was that panel really necessary? I don’t think it adds anything at all to the story and could easily have been left out. Obviously TenNapel and his editors felt differently, but that decision means that many children’s librarians and teachers won’t buy it.

This leads us to this week’s review: Flight Explorer. The Flight series has seen great success and is, in my opinion, showcases some of the most creative work being done in the medium today. Every anthology has its hits and misses, but the quality level overall in the Flight books is very high. Most of the stories are truly all-ages, with something for everyone, but there are a few small moments here and there that have led children’s librarians and teachers to keep these volumes off their shelves.

On the Flight blog, Kazu wrote, “After hearing from many booksellers and librarians that there weren’t very many high quality all-ages comics available for their youngest readers, we decided that a volume of Flight containing only the stories with the youngest readers in mind would be a great solution to the problem.” Hurray! What a fabulous idea!

Um, well, it would have been, with one – actually two – very small exceptions. While the stories in Flight Explorer are imaginative, colorful, well-written, and appeal to not only kids but to everyone, I cannot bring it into my classroom or give it to the school library.

In the story Missile Mouse, the eponymous character says, “Holy crap!” and “Oh crap.” That’s it. The same word, used twice, has cut this book out of many classrooms and libraries in America.

Lest you think, “Aw, that’s no big deal. Kids use that word all the time.” Yes, they do, when adults aren’t around. If they use it in the classroom they will be reprimanded and/or punished, so I can’t very well give them a book with crap in it, can I?

The kids in my class really struggle with reading, so I have a large selection of comics and graphic novels available in the classroom, hoping to stimulate their interest. Two of them were reading Lions, Tigers, and Bears and ran up to me yelling, “Ooooooh, there’s a bad word in this book! I’m gonna tell my mom!” Turns out the word was beastie, which they thought was bastard. I’m 100% sure they can decode the word crap.

I highly recommend Flight Explorer for both kids and adults. Buy it for your kids, your niece and nephew, grandkids. But unless your community has a tolerance for the word crap (and that word is definitely less onerous than when I was a kid), I can’t recommend it for elementary classrooms and libraries.

The girls and I reviewed each story individually – here are our favorites. As a reminder, Shelby is 12, Sarah is 9, and Tracy is the mom.

Copper by Kazu Kibuishi
Sarah: This is the second Copper story I’ve read in the Flight books and I like them. The mushroom-tree things in it are funny.

Shelby: I liked the art, especially the mushroom tops, and I like the dog and Copper.

Tracy: This short piece really stimulates the imagination. Where are Copper and Fred going? Where have they come from? I could almost feel what it would be like to jump from mushroom to mushroom.

Egyptian Cat: Perfect Cat by Johane Matte

Tracy: The story revolves around a cat living in an Egyptian royal family who becomes jealous of another cat who seems to be a palace favorite. Turns out that being the favorite gets you mummified as a gift to a goddess. Sarah actually didn’t understand the ending – I had to explain it to her. The jealous cat is such a great character; Matte manages to get a huge, Tex Avery-style range of facial expressions out of him. In fact, the whole story really plays in my head as an animated cartoon. It’s refreshing that the story doesn’t have a standard happy ending, though some little girls I know might be upset by it.

Sarah: This is probably one of my favorite stories in this. I like the way the different animals have different voices in the speech bubbles. I really liked the story, too, because it was really funny and it was also kind of sad.

Shelby: I like the art because the lines and the coloring are so straight and even that it looks very clean. The ending was a bit gross. I learned about mummies in class. We made a mummy chicken.

Big Mouth, by Phil Craven

Sarah: I loved this one! It’s kind of sad because he tries to be nice to everybody but they all be mean to him. Then there’s a bully and Big Mouth helps the little orange dude.

Shelby: I liked the way that he was drawn with the big, round body, and then the little, round teeth and the little, teeny arms and legs and a little, teeny hat.

Tracy: Any kid who doesn’t fit in will relate to this story about a misunderstood character who finds a friend.

Fish and Chips: All in a Day’s Work by Steve Hamaker

Sarah: I think it was really funny, especially when the fishy self-destructed his body and threw his bowl out to the Earth and he had a little propeller to make it swim.

Shelby: At first I didn’t really get what was going on, but then I could tell that the fish and the cat were a team. The cat only opened the door, though, and the fish did everything else.

Tracy: This is a great little story – Amazing Screw-On Head with a goldfish!

Delivery by Bannister

Sarah: I loved it – it was so funny! As long as you know the basic story of Tarzan or George of the Jungle, either way you wanna go, you’d get it.

Snow Cap: 2nd Verse by Matthew Armstrong

Tracy: The monster reminds me so much of Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, which is a good thing. This is one of my favorites because it’s achingly cute yet just a little creepy.

Shelby: I liked the art a lot. It’s like when my dog does something bad, like he barfs on the carpet, and he looks all sad and sorry. I still love him, but I know he’s gonna do it again.

Sarah: It was kind of sad when the monster eats the little girl, but it was funny when he spits her out and then she slaps him. It shows her little hat at the end. I think he ate her.

Sarah: I think Flight Explorer is good because it gives you some lessons and stuff. Like don’t get jealous and don’t try too hard to make friends or be nice to people who are different or don’t make fun of people ‘cause you might be wrong or you still love your family or your friend even if they do something wrong.

Shelby: This is like Flight but it’s shorter and cuter.

Links: Flight blog; Newsarama interview with Kazu Kibuishi including preview pages.

Why Should Kids Read Comics?

2008-03-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

Why Should Kids Read Comics?

By Tracy Edmunds

(Note: This article was orginally published at Grammarman Comics. I am reprinting it here as it was recently excerpted in the Owly Lesson Plans book from Top Shelf. Enjoy!)

When I was in school, kids would slip comics inside their textbooks to read on the sly. Comics were considered 'recreational reading' at best, but usually adults saw them as mind-numbing tripe and you certainly would never have seen one used in reading instruction. Times have changed, and as comics and graphic novels become more accepted as a legitimate form of art and literature they are making their way into classrooms. Many parents and teachers, however, still remember the stigma that comics had when they were young and are asking "Why should kids read comics?"

The biggest reason that kids should read comics and graphic novels is because they want to. Many young readers, when confronted with solid pages of text, become intimidated and overwhelmed and just give up. Give the same reluctant reader a thick, juicy graphic novel like Bone or Castle Waiting and they dive in eagerly, devouring every page. With many struggling readers motivation is the key, and comics are motivating. There is emerging research that shows that comics and graphic novels are not only motivating, but support struggling readers, enrich the skills of accomplished readers, and are highly effective at teaching sometimes 'boring' material in subject areas such as science and social studies.

The following excerpts from the excellent Scholastic Graphix Teaching with Graphix sum things up well. "Graphic novels can ... help improve reading development for students struggling with language acquisition, as the illustrations provide contextual clues to the meaning of the written narrative." "They require readers to be actively engaged in the process of decoding and comprehending a range of literary devices, including narrative structures, metaphor and symbolism, point of view, and the use of puns and alliteration, intertextuality, and inference." "Reading graphic novels can help students develop the critical skills necessary to read more challenging works, including the classics."

Emergent and Beginning Readers

Young children are just beginning to learn that concrete objects can be represented in different ways. For example, a dog is a furry animal that wags its tail and barks. It can be represented by a photograph of a dog, a stylized or cartoon illustration of a dog, or letters forming the word dog. Most children begin to make this transition from concrete to abstract through picture books, with a single illustration on each page. Sequential art (wordless comics) can take learning to the next level, asking kids to follow a sequence of illustrations that form a story.

A book like Owly provides an opportunity for young children to 'read' the pictures in order and follow the story. They love to verbalize the story, which reinforces the concept that ink on a page can be translated into ideas and words. In addition, the characters communicate using symbols, providing another opportunity for children to make the connection between abstract images and language. Before a child is ready to read text, sequential art can give them practice in making meaning from material printed on a page, tracking left to right and top to bottom, interpreting symbols, and following the sequence of events in a story. Sequential art provides plenty of opportunities for connecting the story to children's own experiences, predicting what will happen, inferring what happens between panels, and summarizing, just as you would do with a text story. The advantage to sequential art is that children don't need to be able to decode text to learn and practice comprehension skills.

Once a child begins to decode text, the comic format enables them to read much more complex stories than would be possible with traditional text and illustration. Imagine what this page would look like as text:

It would take many pages of text to convey all the information in the last panel alone! With comics and graphic novels, beginning readers can enjoy more emotion, action, and detail than in a typical 'See Jane run' story. When kids read enjoyable, complex, compelling stories they are motivated to read more, so graphic novels can be a great stepping stone to longer text works. This is also an advantage when encouraging struggling or reluctant readers or English learners - they can enjoy great stories and practice high-level reading comprehension skills even at a lower text reading level.

Proficient Readers

Since my teaching background and area of expertise is early childhood and primary education, I'll point you in the direction of experts in using comics and graphic novels with proficient readers:

The Association of College and Research Libraries has an excellent collection of links to the best internet sites for comics and graphic novels.

Librarian Allyson A. W. Lyga's comprehensive article on graphic novels includes specific ideas for using them with students and an excellent list of titles.

Gretchen E. Schwarz's excellent article on graphic novels across the curriculum touches on using graphic novels in subject areas such as history, civics, maths, and multicultural studies.

The National Council of Teachers of English article on using comics and graphic novels in the classroom includes specific examples of how to use graphic novels effectively in English classrooms.

Read, Write, Think offers a collection of lesson plans for using comics in the classroom.

School Library Journal Graphic Novel Reviews

2008-03-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

The School Library Journal recently highlighted graphic novels for schools and libraries.

Michelle Gorman lists 25 graphic novels for younger kids. She has most of what I consider the "best" works for elementary readers on her list, though a couple of the books she chose are a bit on the boring side for me.

In the review section, they rated Jeff Smith's Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil as appropriate for Grades 7 and up and I'm wondering whether that isn't a typo. I believe this was intended to be an "all ages" book, but I'd have to rate it at Grades 4 or 5 and up because of the scenes where Billy is being attacked by an adult. Grade 7 and up seems a bit high, though.

I noticed that their 2008 Book Picks includes Great Graphic Novels for Teens, but no category for graphic novels for younger kids. Hopefully that will be included next year.

Wilson's Graphic Novel Core Collection looks like a wonderful electronic database for librarians, but because the preview only includes a few titles, I can't be sure of how appropriate their grade level ratings are and what is actually in their Core Collection. The article reads like a press release, so I'd be interested in hearing from any actual librarians that have used the database.

Power Pack Iron Man and Jellaby

2008-02-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

Iron Man Power Pack by Marc Sumerak, Marcelo Dichiara, Gurihiru (Marvel)

So far in this series, the Power Pack has teamed up with Spidey, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Hulk. This time it’s Tony Stark’s turn to guest star in this wonderful all-ages comic. Kids love Power Pack because the kids are heroes, not sidekicks, and the stories and art appeal to girls as well as boys. The art is clean and colorful, with a bit of an animation feel to it, which I know old-school comics fan lament, but I think it’s a smart choice in the effort to get kids to read these comics. I preferred the art when Gurihiru Studios were doing the pencils as well as the colors – Dicheria’s work just isn’t quite as good – but Sumerak’s writing is always great.

Power Pack always has the right balance of humor and adventure and, unlike some of Marvel’s other “all-ages” comics, Power Pack is always appropriate for younger kids. Even when Venom took over little Katie Power, it all managed to be good fun. It’s a superhero comic so fighting is a big part of the story, but they keep it down to a kid-friendly level – it’s about stopping the bad guys, not hurting them. My favorite part was in Iron Man Power Pack issue #4 when Tony and the kids have to neutralize a phalanx of re-animated Iron Man tech. It gave them license to unleash total destruction without hurting anyone – smart thinking in a kids’ comic. I think adult superhero fans can enjoy these books if they let go of the continuity issues and just read them the way they did when they were kids – there’s plenty of action, surprises and laughs for everyone.

You get a bonus in the back of each comic with Chris Giarrusso’s awesome Mini Marvels. They always make me laugh, but I’m sure I’m missing half of the jokes because I’m not a True Believer. (Oh, and Chris Giarrusso has the best website in the known universe.) However, with the comics you also get several pages of ads, some of which are not very kid-friendly. I’d say buy the trades for libraries and classrooms (available in library bound editions) to avoid the advertising, but then you don’t get the Mini Marvels, which is a bummer.

Sarah says: Power Pack are these four kids, they’re brothers and sisters, and they have superpowers. One of them can defy gravity, one of them can fly real fast and run real fast, one of them can turn bigger or smaller or into, like, a cloud or something, and the youngest one, which is a girl, can shoot out energy from her hands. They have these yellow rings around their bodies that are like floating in the air and they go zzzzhhhhht and put their costumes on for them. In the Iron Man Power Pack series they meet Iron Man and have to help him with the Puppet Master. It was really good and basically anybody would like this. My favorite character is probably Katie because she is the youngest one in the Power Pack and she has strongest power. I like the part when Iron Man has to attack his own suits at a museum. It’s kind of scary for four-year-olds, but it wouldn’t scare the poop out of them or anything, it would just be a little scary because there’s lots of fighting and a girl gets kidnapped. But there’s no blood or gore or anything like that. I like the little Mini Marvels at the end because they’re always really funny. It was an Iron Man Mini Marvel this time and he gave everybody Iron Mani-ish suits, and there was an elephant named Steve. I like Steve.

Links to previews of all the Power Pack comics are on Marc Sumerak’s site.

Jellaby by Kean Soo (Hyperion)

Having read the Jellaby story in Flight 3, I was prepared for this book to be a festival of cuteness, and most of it is certainly adorable. Jellaby is the most loveable monster since Cookie, and the heroine, Portia, and her little friend Jason are cute as the dickens as well. The only small complaint I have about the art is the Tylenol caplet-shaped eyes on the human characters – humans without pupils feel a little creepy to me. Even so, the characters are all likeable and the relationship between the two kids feels realistic, complete with squabbling and bickering.

So I’m enjoying this totally adorable story of a girl and her monster friend when suddenly I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. In a flashback, little Portia is sitting on a bench in a police station, waiting for her mom, when the rather scruffy man next to her tries to strike up a conversation. I don’t want to give away any more, but I must tell you that this scene really made my skin crawl. I think that in another book it might not have had the same impact, but when dropped into the middle of this cuddly-wuddly story, it was really unsettling. The man shows up again toward the end of the story briefly as well. Personally, I think this juxtaposition of sweet and evil makes the book more interesting, but parents should be aware that it might scare very young or easily frightened kids. Oh, and there is one use of the word “friggin” by a bully, just so you know. I’d say Jellaby is best for 8 and up because of the fright factor. You could certainly read the book to your very little ones and surreptitiously skip those pages and they’d still enjoy the story.

Sarah says: Jellaby is about a giant purple monster that meets this girl. She takes care of it and it’s really cute and I don’t want to say much more because I would give it all away, but it’s really cool and one kid likes carrots who is her best friend. And they, like, try to get the purple monster, Jellaby, back home. And Jellaby’s learning English and it’s really cute. I think anybody would really like this book but some of it is kinda freaky – the tiniest fraction of it is scary because there’s this evil crow dude who shows up in her dreams all the time and he scares me. The whole book is purple and red and black and white, with a little bit of orange, but I didn’t even notice because the story was so good.

Shelby says: Jellaby is about a little girl named Portia who finds a big, purple monster outside of her bedroom window, so she takes it inside and feeds it and then she finds out that he’s from this weird place behind a weird door. The drawings and the colors are really cute and everything is in a shade of purple or red except for Jason, Portia’s friend, because he has an orange shirt with a carrot on it. I like this book because it’s very cute and it’s a good storyline. I would say this book is for little kids or even older kids except there are a couple of things that aren’t exactly children-ish; the word “friggin” and this guy says, “I know where your daddy’s bones are buried” while he’s handcuffed to a bench and it’s really creepy. If they made a doll or a stuffed animal Jellaby I would totally buy one.

Click to check out some Jellaby short comics and the first couple chapters of the book.

Miki Falls and Diary of a Wimpy Kid

2008-02-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

We’re back from our hiatus! Now that we’ve adjusted to the homework load and the school play is over, we have a huge stack of great comics and graphic novels to tell you about. First, let’s be clear about this column – our mission is to get the word out about great comics and graphic novels that are kid-friendly or all-ages. The girls are so busy with homework and activities, I’m not about to ask them to read or review anything they are not interested in. All books reviewed in this column are chosen by Shelby (12) and Sarah (9).

What does all-ages mean? You can read my definition of all-ages here. My litmus test is not whether I would give a book to my own kids, but whether I would feel comfortable giving it to one of the kids in my class (I teach a reading intervention program for grades 3-5). I specify what I feel the age range for a book is based on appropriateness and interest and I will always try to mention anything that might be even slightly inappropriate in a classroom or public library setting.

Now that the ground rules have been re-established, here are this week’s reviews!

Miki Falls: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter by Mark Crilley (Harper Teen)

Mark Crilley’s Akiko stories (graphic novels/comics as well as chapter books) are wonderful kid-friendly sci-fi fare and show up on many “best-of all ages” lists. His newest work, a four-volume set, will appeal to a slightly older and mostly female audience. Miki Falls is Crilley’s own version of a teen romance manga…with a fantasy twist.

The four volumes, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, tell the story of Miki, a Japanese high school student, who falls for the mysterious Hiro. I definitely found myself drawn into the story and I liked the fantasy elements, but it is quite sappy and romantic – I’m sure I rolled my eyes a couple of times in each volume. Crilley’s take on manga is gorgeous; beautifully shaded and just lovely. At times, however, I felt a bit claustrophobic because of the large percentage of “close ups” on faces. When the point of view widens, the art really shines.

Even if you’re not a romantic, this series is really worth picking up for Crilley’s unique and dynamic page layouts. The shattered panels and overlays intensify the action while the placement of captions and dialog is quite intuitive and easy to follow, even for a novice comic reader. I like the page layouts in Miki Falls more than any other book I can think of at the moment.

I’d recommend Miki Falls for teen and tween girls (ages 10 and up). There’s nothing inappropriate at all – the romance is confined to kissing. Miki Falls will pull in not only manga readers but all girls in the age group. Put these volumes in your classroom or library and I’ll bet they won’t spend long on the shelf.

Shelby says: Miki Falls is about this girl named Miki who meets a boy at her high school named Hiro. She finds out that he has something to do with magic. The art is really good, but my friend doesn’t think it is manga. I think she thinks this because she’s used to the regular manga instead of an American version. I like it because it looks cartoony yet it’s detailed and pretty in a way.
The layout of the pages is kind of cool, like when there’s a picture of someone looking surprised he just shows their eyes and then another picture is in between their eyes. The panels are laid out on the page well because they’re not exactly straight all the time; they look like shards of glass or something. It makes it more interesting.
Sometimes things are explained over and over but I guess that’s how it is in love stories. I like that it’s in Japan so there are lots of pictures of Japanese houses, gardens, shrines, etc. That’s really pretty. (I’m obsessed with Japanese stuff!) The way the love and the magic are put together is really creative. Teen girls would like these books because it’s all about how you feel and how popular you are and about love and relationships.

Sarah says: Miki Falls is a really cool story. At the beginning it shows her doing something strange that has something to do with the title and at the end it reveals why she did it. None of the panels are really straight, they’re all crooked sort of. It’s love and romance, if you want that, and it also has a bit of fantasy and fairy tale, too. I think pre-teens would really like it (which is Shelby) and I liked it because of the magic part. It’s really a girls’ story because it’s from a girl’s point of view and it’s all about this lovey-dovey stuff and most boys aren’t interested in that until it is about them.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Roderick Rules by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid spent 39 weeks on the NY Times Bestsellers Children’s Chapter Books list, and was just knocked out of first place by its sequel, Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Roderick Rules. How’s that for comics in the mainstream? The rub here is that this isn’t really a comic or a graphic novel -- it’s actually a hybrid of comic illustrations and text. I found an interview with Kinney in which he says, “I had always wanted to be a cartoonist, but I found that it was very tough to break into the world of newspaper syndication. So I started playing with a style that mixed cartoons and "traditional" writing, and that's how Diary of a Wimpy Kid was born.” In most cases the cartoons are not integral to the story – the text is completely readable on its own – but there are some places where the “punch line” is contained in the illustrations.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid was first published as a webcomic on Funbrain, one of the most popular kids’ educational websites. Funbrain is also running On The Rocks (also called Wally and Osborne) and Silent Kimbly, two really great webcomics for kids (also available at Lunchbox Funnies). Could the new generation of comics readers develop their habit through online comics? Hmmmmm. I think dedicated webcomic sites are unlikely to draw kids in, but putting webcomics on sites where kids are already going feels like a slam dunk.

Because the webcomic was written in the form of a diary, it translates perfectly into book format. The “diary” of Greg Heffley details all the trials and tribulations of middle school popularity, nasty older brothers, and unwanted parental attention. Kinney does a good job of showing the world from a kid’s perspective, but the adults are not all completely useless and stupid, which is usually what you get in this genre. He also manages to keep things pretty tame and appropriate for ages 9 and up while still giving it a realistic feel and a lot of laughs. Kids who start out loving Captain Underpants will easily move “up” to these books. They’re kind of the boys’ version of the Dear Dumb Diary series, though most girls will enjoy the Wimpy Kid books as well.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid illustrates the phenomenon of children wanting to read about (or watch TV shows about) kids who are just a bit older than they are. The protagonist is in seventh grade, which would make him 12 or 13 years old, but the book really appeals to the 9-11 crowd. Shelby (age 12) only read about five pages of the first book before she decided that it just wasn’t for her – “It was supposed to be funny but it was just stupid.”

Sarah, who is nine, loves it.

Sarah says: Diary of a Wimpy Kid is about a boy named Greg whose mom bought him a diary to write down his “feelings.” Instead, he calls it a journal and writes about all the funny things that happens to him. It’s really funny. My favorite character is Manny, who is Greg’s little brother. I like him because he has a huge mouth and he’s really funny and he always gets scared. Some of the other characters are Roderick, his big brother, who is in high school and is the drummer for his band, Loded Diper, and Greg’s best friend, Rowley, who is really dumb and always says, “Come over and plaaaaaaaaay!” which embarrasses Greg a lot. My favorite part out of the two books is when Greg talks about the first day of preschool someone asked him, “Do you like ice cream?” and he said, “Yes,” and so the person said, “Why don’t you marry it?” and he didn’t know that it was a joke so he didn’t want to go back to preschool. The picture is his imagination where there’s him in a suit and a ice cream cone in a wedding dress getting married. It’s my favorite book right now and it’s fun to read over and over because you always laugh out loud. I think most eight-year-olds to adults will laugh at Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Shelby doesn’t like it because she’s a middle-schooler and middle-schoolers don’t like anything, just like Greg in the book!

All Hail Jon Scieszka!

2008-02-06T12:55:00.000-08:00

You must immediately read this fabulous interview with Jon Scieszka (author of The Stinky Cheese Man) who has been named the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by The Children's Book Council and the Library of Congress.

Some excerpts:

It’s important to find out who each kid is, pay some individual attention to that kid, then find out what he enjoys reading. What I like to tell people is that they really need to expand their definition of what reading is. I think that’s the first step, because people are still a little leery about kids reading graphic novels or comic books or any visual narrative. But if you work with kids, like we have, you know that kids respond to that stuff.

I need some gear—laureate swag—and just to come out and be official and say, “Take a break. Comics are OK.” I love Lisa Von Drasek, the librarian at Bank Street College. She’s somebody who knows that you’re not watering down the curriculum when you use comics. If you work with a bunch of kids, like Lisa does, and you see the work that they put into reading a comic or decoding an entire graphic novel, you realize it’s spectacular stuff.
So why would we cut off our nose just to uphold some imaginary standards? And the same thing is true of a lot of other genres that used to be looked down on, like science fiction and fantasy.

The man makes sense. I hope his new title will make people listen!

Death of Abadazad?

2008-02-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know how I missed it, but in September J.M. DeMatteis announced that Hyperion is killing the Abadazad books.

I never thought the hybrid format worked for Abadazad, and the design of those books was pretty unappealing. Here's hoping that it can be resurrected in comics format, because it was one of the best all-ages comics ever.

Beasties are Bad!

2008-01-30T14:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a funny classroom story. Two of my students (I teach struggling readers in grades 3-5) were reading Lions, Tigers, and Bears today and one of them said, “Ooooooh – there’s a bad word in here!”

Now, I know there is no inappropriate language in that book. When I asked what the word was, I was told it was “the B word – the one that means a bad guy. It starts with bast….” I asked them to show me the word; it was “beastie.”

So we all sounded out the word together and now everyone is fine.

The Arrival wins Best Book at Angouleme

2008-01-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

Shaun Tan's The Arrival has been named the best book at Angouleme, the massive comic festival in France. It's sort of the Pulitzer of the comic world, and a well-deserved win. The Arrival transcends language and age – the message is truly universal. That story just wouldn't be the same in any other medium. Comics can be magic.

You can read our review of The Arrival here.

Kids Comic Con Awards

2008-01-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

Alex Simmons, a true hero of kids' comics, is putting on another Kids Comic Con! The 2008 KCC will again be held at Bronx Community College and will be partnered with the NY Comic Con.

The first ever Kids Comic Con Comics Awards finalists will be announced at the KCC on March 29 and the winners will be announced at Kids' Day at the NYCC on April. Download the nomination form here and mail it in before February 14.

The girls are both working on their nomination forms. I love some of the category names: The Blazing Crayon Award (Best Colorist), Captain Keyboard Award (Best Writer), and The How I Passed History Class Historical Fiction Award. No mention on the KCC site of how the winners will be chosen.

Toon Books Blog

2008-01-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

Francois Mouly and Art Spiegelman's Toon Books has launched a really terrific blog about kids' comics. Maintained by Bill Kartalopoulos, the blog not only covers kids' comics in the news but links to scholarly findings on subjects such as the differences between a comic and a picture book and "childhood cognition and motion lines." I urge anyone interested in making, publishing, using, or reading comics for children to read this blog.

Classroom Comics in the News

2008-01-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

The NY Times ran a great article extolling the virtues of using comics in the classroom, followed by an editorial on the same subject. It mentions the Maryland Comic Book Initiative and quotes Francoise Mouly (my hero).

But what really caught my eye was this: In New York City, a group of educators applied to open a new small high school that would be based around a comics theme and named after the creators of Superman; their application was rejected but they plan to try again next year.

Holy moley, what an awesome idea!

Amelia Rules Musical

2008-01-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Gownley's Amelia Rules! is now a musical. See videos here.

Free Comic Book Day to be All Ages

2007-12-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

Johanna Draper Carlson reports that Free Comic Book Day has added “Your book should be for all ages and contain no nudity” to it's silver level contracts. Previously only gold level books were required to be all ages.
Is this a good thing? In my opinion, no. I can see why they did it, considering the ridiculously extended legal problems of Gordon Lee, but if the more adult books are clearly marked on the outside that should take care of the problem. There are some great comics out there that are not aimed at kids -- no need to spoil it for everyone.

Toon Books

2007-12-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a really great idea, but you didn't know how to go about making it reality, and then some else does it and you're conflicted between jealousy that you didn't get to it and giddy joy that it really was a good idea after all?

Yeah, so that's where I am right now.

I've wanted to create a line of comics for early readers for years, and now someone has done it, and so much better than I ever could have dreamed: Francoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman, comic and art legends and publishers of the fantastic Little Lit line will launch Toon Books in Spring 2008 and all I can say is, "IT'S ABOUT TIME!" Check out the website for all the details and some wonderful preview pages.

The comic format is so wonderful for early readers as the pictures support the text directly. There are many children's "picture books" on the market right now which are actually comics or use comic conventions, but this is the first time I've seen someone really trumpet the format for young readers. And when experts like Mouly and Spiegelman talk, people listen.

Angouleme Nominees

2007-12-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

The international comics festival in Angouleme, France is coming up in January. It's a whole city of comics and animation!
The nominees for various awards have been announced and the French versions of Linda Medley's Castle Waiting, Gene Yang's American Born Chinese, and Shaun Tan's The Arrival are among the nominees for the "Official Selection" which is like the Grand Prize.
Among the nominees for the "Youth Selection" award I recognized Jordan Crane's The Clouds Above and Emmanuel Guibert's Sardine 5. Unfortunately the only information on the official site about the Youth nominees are the covers, which makes me want to find out more about them all.
There will also be a contest where kids from 12 local schools will vote on one of five books (chosen by the school district in collaboration with the festival) and and then visit the festival to meet the author or authors for whom they voted. What a fantastic idea.
You should definitely check out the winners of the Comic Book Competition in Schools. Incredible talent for sure - I would read anything by Lucrece Andreae!

...aaaaaand we're back.

2007-12-06T10:17:00.001-08:00

Not that many people noticed, but the girls and I have been on hiatus for about 6 months. We're planning on starting up the Newsarama column again in January, so as a warm-up I thought I'd do a bit of blog posting.

The reasons for the break from writing were many, including school and other activities, but also because it had become more of a job than fun. Just so everyone is clear, we get paid exactly $0 for reviewing comics. We get quite a few books sent to us by publishers and individual creators and the pressure to review them all was getting to be a bit much.

So, new ground rules: The girls will review only books they love. If you send us something and it gets a negative or neutral reaction from the girls I'm not going to force them to write a review of it. I will continue to post news items and my own mini reviews here at the blog and I will try to list the titles and links for anything anyone sends us. Fair enough?

Ok, so now it's back to (completely unpaid but really, really fun) work.

Amelia Rules at Scholastic

2007-08-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Great news!

"Renaissance Press is pleased to announce that Amelia Rules! will now be carried as part of Scholastic Book Fairs and Clubs nationwide and in Canada."

Congratulations to Jimmy Gownley -- Scholastic has a pipeline directly into schools and this will bring another great comic directly to kids.

Read the press release here.

Comic-Con Report

2007-08-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy time at Comic-Con in San Diego -- so many people to talk to! The girls enjoyed using their new digital recorder to ask everyone the question of the day -- read the answers here.

Creator News
Scott Sava told us that he has optioned his newest book, Pet Robots, with Disney -- read all about it here. He's also hoping to land a publisher for Dreamland Chronicles soon as he has had buyers for major book chains express interest. The girls spent quite a bit of time with their noses buried in the preview copies of Dreamland Vol. 2.

It was great to see Andy Runton (our favorite person!) and order our Owly hat (handmade by Andy's mom). Right next to Andy was Christian Slade, who told us that on the day he and his wife brought their new twins home from the hospital his copies of Korgi were waiting on the front porch. What a great story!

It was great to meet Jason Kruse, whose World of Quest was not only picked up by the new Yen Press, but will also become an animated show on the WB. The character designs look good and it was interesting to hear about the process Jason has gone through in making all this happen. More info at Jason's site.

Debbie Huey had not only Bumperboy t-shirts, marble magnets, stickers, and buttons (I might as well have handed her my wallet), but a new mini comic called Bumperboy Learns How to Ride a Bike. It's as charming and fun as everything else she does and it turns out she is just learning to ride a bike herself, which is what inspired the story.

One of Sarah's favorite comics is Oz the Manga by David Hutchison (Antarctic Press), so she was thrilled to meet him and get a sketch. We even bought her an original page from the book for a scandalously low price. It features the steampunk Tinman and is incredibly cool. A collector is born!

We finally got to meet Mike Kunkel of Herobear and the Kid fame. He has really great news, but if I tell you I'll have to kill you and, well, there are a lot of you. You'll have to be satisfied with Mike's hints on his blog.

Art Baltazar and Franco of Patrick the Wolfboy also have big news -- look for an announcement at the Chicago con next month. You must visit them at a con -- they're more fun than a barrel of monkeys and you must see Art's crayon sketches and Franco's CD paintings.

Young Readers' Graphic Novel Publishing News
I attended two panels on Sunday. "The Graphic Novel Explosion" with publishers like David Saylor from Scholastic Graphix, Karen Berger from Vertigo/Minx/DC, and Mark Siegel from First Second, among others, ended up spending quite a bit of time discussing how to get graphic novels in the hands of kids. David Saylor told me afterwards that the Graphix line sells very well through Scholastic Book Fairs and Book Clubs, but not so well through bookstores.
The next panel, "What's Happening in Kids Comics Today?", skillfully moderated by Dave Roman, featured Debbie Huey (Bumperboy), Kazu Kibuishi (Flight, Amulet), Gene Yang (fresh from his Eisner win for American Born Chinese), Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules!), George O'Connor (Journey Into Mohawk Country), and Svetlana Chmakova (Dramacon). This discussion also turned to the distribution of comics and how to get them to kids.
Kazu's view is that there just isn't enough good material available for kids, and when there is, the kids will find it. Jimmy Gownly disagreed, saying that there is plenty of good stuff out there, and that kids are finding it in libraries, but not in bookstores.
I had a great conversation on the subject with Robin Brenner, librarian and all-ages cheerleader extraordinaire (her site, No Flying No Tights, inspired me to take up this work), Janna Morishima of the new Diamond Kids division, creator George O'Connor, and a reporter from the Detroit News who was working on a piece about how comics are for kids again.
The general thread that emerged from the panels and in conversations that I had throughout the con is that kids will voraciously read comics and graphic novels if they are readily available. The publishing of graphic novels for young readers seems to be a snowball rolling downhill -- it's gathering speed and momentum all the time. Librarians are reporting that kids love graphic novels and the circulation rates are very high.
I really feel that if two particular hurdles can be overcome -- if bookstores can find a way to effectively shelve and display comics and graphic novels for kids, and if parents and teachers can be convinced that reading graphic novels is "really reading" -- this segement of the market will truly explode.

Kilala Princess and Peach Fuzz

2007-07-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

This week the girls chose two titles from Tokyopop.

Kilala Princess Volumes 1 & 2 by Rika Tanaka and Nao Kodaka (Tokyopop)

I’ve never been much of a princess kind of gal, and the sweetness here makes me gag a little, so I confess that I rushed through these two volumes. On the plus side, the story is straight-forward and fairly easy to follow and makes good use of the various Disney characters – I kind of enjoyed the appearance of Snow White’s Wicked Queen. It is a little freaky to see the Disney Princesses pop up in the middle of a story about ultra-pretty manga characters, though. I’m not sure who the intended audience is for this – little American girls who still love the Princesses might have trouble reading “backwards.” The translations are a bit awkward and every speech bubble seems to contain fewer than ten words, but the drawings are very pretty and the Princesses look just like they should…except when they have no eyes. What’s up with that – is that a manga thing? There are also some really odd empty spaces which they have filled with portraits of characters having no relation to the story – I’m guessing maybe those spaces had advertisements in the original Japanese version.

There’s nothing here to keep these books out of classrooms or libraries – it’s all pretty innocent. Kilala kisses a boy, but it’s only because she thinks it will wake him, like in Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. There are the usual non-feminist messages about finding your Prince Charming, but there are also messages about kindness, courage, and teamwork. There is a little bit of fighting, but most of it is obscured by sound effects in Japanese. Recommended for little girls who love the Disney Princesses and for adults suffering from Disneymania.

Shelby says: Kilala Princess is about a girl named Kilala who is the biggest princess fan ever! Her best friend, Erica, turns out to become the school’s princess. Some men take her away and tie her up in the back of a black car. So Kilala ends up having to save her. She finds a gate which leads her to a forest where Snow White is living. There’s a boy she meets who has a sacred tiara. They and Snow White look for Erica and use the tiara to help them. The art is very manga. Sometimes it’s really realistic, and other times it’s really, really cartoony. This is a “backwards book” because it’s in Japanese style so sometimes it didn’t’ make sense because I forgot how to read it. This series is definitely for little girls who love princesses. The way it’s written and translated isn’t exactly the best it could be (sometimes it doesn’t make sense and sometimes it’s melodramatic) but little girls won’t care. . WARNING: THIS IS NOT FOR BOYS, TEENAGERS, ADULTS, OR ANYONE WHO CANNOT STAND PRINCESSES.

Sarah says: I sort of, kind of liked Kilala Princess. It’s about a girl named Kilala who is trying to save her friend. She meets two guys who help her and she also has Disney Princesses who help her. There’s some love stuff in it between Rei, one of the guys, and Kilala. It’s kind of gross. I feel the story is a little bit better then what I first thought it would be. It’s kind of cheesy in some parts, but I enjoy reading it and I’m looking forward to the next one. I think the next book will be interesting because they might turn into mermaids or something because they’re going to visit Ariel. It’s something a small child could read because there’s not that many words. It’s for young girls who like princesses, or girls like me who partly like them.

Peach Fuzz Volumes 1 & 2 by Lindsay Cibos and Jared Hodges (Tokyopop)

Peach Fuzz was the grand prize winner in Tokyopop’s Rising Stars of Manga competition. The story of a girl and her pet ferret, it’s told not only from nine-year-old Amanda’s point of view, but also through Peach the ferret’s eyes. The Peach segments are pretty darn funny – she thinks she’s a princess and acts like a complete diva. It’s nice to see an animal anthropomorphized as something other than an innocent widdle cweature. Peach Fuzz is very well-written and executed and it’s not just for young girls – I laughed quite a bit.

A note of caution for parents and teachers: Amanda is not the best pet owner in the world and often unwittingly mistreats Peach. I would recommend reading these books with younger children and following up with some discussion on responsible pet ownership. The second volume is more involved in Amanda’s school social life and popularity and includes a scene in which one of the “bad boys” pulls out a knife to kill a snake and gets taken directly to the principal. Overall Peach Fuzz is library and school safe and recommended for ages 8 and up.

Shelby says: Peach Fuzz is about a nine-year-old girl named Amanda who wanted to get a pet, so her mom takes her to the pet shop. She looks around and finds a ferret cage. All of them bite her but there’s one that doesn’t, but only because it’s sleeping. While Amanda is taking it home, it wakes up and thinks she is a princess who was taken away by a vicious “handra” (which is really a human hand). The entire book is about Amanda trying to be popular because of her ferret, while the ferret, which is named Peach, acts dramatic about the handra. You read this book forwards just like a regular comic. The art is very manga style. The people are drawn cartoony, but the shading looks realistic. It’s different from other stories because the animals have a real personality, like a person, but they’re not all innocent – they’re vicious sometimes. It’s funny sometimes because Peach thinks the girl’s toys can be her minions. This book is probably only for girls in elementary school because the girls in the story are trying to be popular but they’re still all into princesses and ponies and stuff. Amanda reminds me of my sister because she’s very emotional. You should really consider this book for young, animal-loving girls.

Sarah says: Peach Fuzz is so cool. My favorite thing is that they tell part of it from the ferret’s point of view. The ferret, Peach, is very hysterical because she thinks she’s a beautiful princess of Ferret Land, which is a cage in the pet store. The other part of the story is about a young girl named Amanda who gets Peach for a pet. She’s not as nice to Peach as she should be, but she loves her. In the second book Amanda’s friend gets a boy ferret named Pavaratty. They want Peach and Pavaratty to fall in love, but they really hate each other. Pavaratty is a stuck-up ferret that was bought on Ebay. Peach thinks that human hands are “handras,” a five-headed monster, while Pavaratty thinks they are “handlers” who look like gloves. He thinks he is a superstar singer/actor/dancer – he even has a toy microphone. I like the art because it really shows how people feel – it makes you know what their personalities are. I’m really looking forward to the third book because it says that Amanda’s friend gets some ferrets and “Peach gets the surprise of her life!” If boys read it, then they should know not to be like Tim and Phil because they are evil to Amanda and everybody else. Peach Fuzz is awesome!

Casper, Moomin, and Asterix

2007-07-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

This week we read some good, old-fashioned cartoon comics. I was curious to see how this material, some of it more than 40 years old, would go over with the girls. The lesson learned: quality lasts.

The Ultimate Casper Comics Collection by Sid Jacobson (ibooks)

Tracy says: I didn’t read too many comics when I was little, but I was a big Casper fan – I loved the cartoons on TV and I read the comics which my mom bought for me at the supermarket. So when I saw this reprint of early Casper comics on Amazon I had to order it. If only glowing memories of the past would remain golden as we age! About halfway through this book I found I had to force myself to read it – the inane writing just wore me down. Every character expounds at length about what’s going on – too much talk, not enough action! The few good bits involve Casper’s friend Spooky, (a different writer from the Casper stories). This might play well with young kids (the girls liked it), but I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Library and classroom safe for all ages.

Shelby says: It’s a bunch of different stories. Some of them are about Casper and Wendy but some are about Spooky. Some of the stories have evil people who cause trouble and Casper always gets them to be nice. The art is very cartoony but in a cute way. I like the scarecrow in one of the Spooky stories because he’s drawn really cute. In that story the scarecrow can’t scare away crows, but then Spooky comes up behind him and scares the crows. Then the scarecrow thinks he can scare anything, so he goes around town scaring everyone. Spooky has to stop him so he can scare them himself. Anyone will like Casper!

Sarah says: I like Casper mostly because of the artistic skills. The art is very cute but some of the stories are a little too cute for me. They’re a little too younger-kiddish for me – it kind of shoves one thing at a time in your face so younger kids will understand. Like, if Casper says, “I’m going to visit Wendy,” then he says to Nightmare, “I’m going to visit Wendy,” and when he meets Wendy in the woods he says, “Hi, Wendy, I was just coming to visit you.” I’m used to books where you kind of have to figure it out as you go along. I liked the Spooky stories the most because Spooky’s a mean ghost. My other favorite character is Nightmare, the ghost horse, because he can fly and turn invisible. I think young children would like it but as soon as somebody gets to about 7 years old they probably would get a little bored with it.

Moomin, by Tove Jansson (Drawn & Quarterly)

Tracy says: In this European favorite the Moomins, little creatures who look like cute hippos, stumble into and out of trouble, fall in love, go to the Riviera, and meet ancestral Moomin mummies and pirates. Definitely fun and quirky, it’s great that Moomin is available the States and the book itself is beautifully turned out. It may be difficult for little ones to understand everything that’s going on (I had to explain what the Riviera is), but they’ll get the gist of it most of the time. There are some bits that parents may object to, including quite a bit of whiskey for Poppa and rum for the pirates. This book is nominated for the Eisner Award for Best Publication for a Younger Audience. Recommended for ages 8 and up, with a warning for libraries and classrooms about gambling and alcohol references.

Shelby says: Moomin is about this hippopotamus-looking creature called a Moomin who goes on adventures with pirates and people taking over his house and things like that. The art is very simple because it’s just black and white and really cartoonish. The book has four different stories – I liked the pirate story the best because it was really funny. The pirates had to arrange a stone garden for the Mama Moomin in order to get their rum. The girl Moomin and the princess (that the pirates captured) were always saying, “It’s so romantic – those pirates are so manly!” but they get mad when the pirates have to do the stone garden because it’s not manly. The language sort of sounded a bit old-fashioned but I sort of understood what they meant and it was still funny. There are a lot of words, so if parents explained it to little kids they would probably like it. It would be good for parents and kids to read together.

Sarah says: Moomin is about a little elephant/hippo/animal-looking thingie named Moomin. He has a Moomin Mama, a Moomin Papa, and a girlfriend named Snorkmaiden. He also has a friend named Sniff – he looks like a rat. My favorite story was “Moomin on the Riviera”. I like it because they don’t understand the rich, French culture. They think that people welcome into their home, which is really a hotel, and they think everything is free until they get the bill. Snorkmaiden goes to the casino and wins a lot of games and wins a lot of money so she can pay the bill. After they run out of money they go to the beach to live under their old boat because they can’t afford anything. They’re just as happy there and a crazy, rich artist comes to live with them. He makes sculpture elephants. I think Moomin is very interesting and very strange, in a good way. It doesn’t feel old at all; it feels like something I’ve never read before. This book is for people who like make-believe creatures and realistic fantasy. I think this book is for ages 9 and up.

Asterix the Gaul by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo (Orion)

Tracy says: Another of the few comics I remember from my childhood – for some unknown reason my grandmother had Asterix comics and I remember reading them while the grownups talked about boring stuff. Asterix, Obelix, and all the folks in the Gaul village drink a magic potion brewed by their Druid, Getafix, that gives them superhuman strength and they generally drive the Roman garrisons crazy. In this story the local Roman leader, Crismus Bonus, wants to get the magic potion, make his soldiers super-strong, and overthrow Julius Caesar. As you might imagine, things don’t go quite the way he planned.

It’s hard to believe these stories were first published in 1961 because they are so fresh and funny. I laughed out loud quite a bit, not only at the brilliant puns but also at the slapstick action. I can’t imagine how hard it was to translate all those puns from the original French! The art is so expressive and the writing so lively that everyone will enjoy Asterix. It’s truly all-ages – kids will love the slapstick and adults will love the puns as well. I plan on picking up the trades until we’ve read them all! Highly recommended for ages 8 and up.

Shelby says: Asterix is about these people named Gauls who have a magic potion that will turn them invincible. Their enemies are the Romans and the leader of the Romans wants the magic potion so he can take the place of the emperor of Rome, Julius Ceasar. The Gauls always trick him and his soldiers. I liked the part where one of the Gauls tricked the Romans into thinking that the magic potion would make them invincible, but it really made their hair grow all of the time. It was funny. It was easy to understand. It’s for about ages 7 and older.

Sarah says: Asterix is about two Gauls and a Druid. The Druid makes a potion and everyone in the town drinks it and it makes them stronger. A Roman leader knows that they’re strong and wants the potion so he sends some of his men to go get it. The Druid ends up getting captured by the Romas so Asterix and Obelix try to save him. I liked it because it has a little bit of history and a lot of comedy. My favorite part is where the Romans play musical chairs. My favorite character is a small character – Caligula Minus. I like him the most because he loses musical chairs and has to dress up as a Gaul. I can’t tell it was written a long time ago – it seems like the things I read today. This book is probably for you if you’re old enough to read.

American Born Chinese and To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel

2007-06-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

American Born Chinese by Gene Yang (First Second)

The list of awards for this book is long. It’s the first graphic novel to be selected as a National Book Award Finalist and it was awarded the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature from the American Library Association, along with several other Book of the Year awards from various entities. It has also been nominated for Eisner awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Colorist (Lark Pien).

The book consists of three separate stories that all come together in the end. The first story is about Jin Wang, born to Chinese immigrant parents in America, who has to deal with not only school, friends, and girls, but also being one of just a few Asian students in his school – his struggle for identity is the heart of the book. The second (and most entertaining) story is a version of the Monkey King legend, and the third story is a sitcom about an over-the top stereotypical Chinese cousin named Chin-Kee. In the end, the knitting together of the three stories isn’t exactly seamless, but the message is crystal clear: Be yourself.

I enjoyed the book, but I did have to reread the ending a few times to sort it all out. I found the mixture of the Monkey King legend with Christianity a little odd (the Monkey King is shown at one point as one of the three wise men from the Bible) but I suppose it’s an example of the mixing of Chinese and American culture. At first I wasn’t sure about the Chin-Kee character, but in the end he makes sense as a symbol of everything Jin wants to escape. Overall, American Born Chinese is an entertaining read and speaks not only to kids struggling with cultural identity, but to all of us – the questions, “Who am I?” and “Who do I want to be?” are universal.

American Born Chinese is not for little ones – there are several sexual references (though they went right over the girls’ heads) and some violence. I recommend American Born Chinese for high school and young adult libraries, though, depending on the community, it could work for middle school as well.

Read a preview of American Born Chinese here.

On a side note, Gene Yang’s website is very interesting. I particularly enjoyed the Monkey King section and Comics in Education, Yang’s final project proposal for his Masters of Education degree.

Shelby says: This is a really great book. The art and colors are really simple, except some things like peaches or someone’s fist would have two different colors blended together. The writing is really cool because there are three stories that all come together in the end. One story is about a boy named Jin whose parents came from China to America. The second story is about Danny whose cousin is Chin-Kee who is all of the stereotypes of Chinese people. The third is about the Monkey King who learns that he should just be himself and not try to be anyone else. I like the part when the Monkey King locks himself underground and learns 12 different disciplines because it shows him in fire, ice, underwater, and with his head off! I liked the drawing on page 133 where there are mountains and fog is coming up because it looks very cool. I would think that the ages for this are about teen and up because there’s a bit of violence and talk about girl and boy stuff.

Sarah says: I like American Born Chinese because it’s three stories made into one. One of the stories was really supposed to be like a TV show. I also figured out that the fighting moves in one part were Chinese restaurant foods. My favorite part was the Monkey King part which is based on an old Chinese folktale because it has monkeys in it – what’s better than that? I think it won all those awards because it was one of the most complicated and interesting comics I’ve ever read.

To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel by Siena Cherson Siegel and Mark Siegel (Aladdin)

More a memoir than a story, To Dance follows Siena Cherson Siegel’s life as a dancer from beginner classes in Puerto Rico to George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet in New York to performing onstage at Lincoln Center. I enjoyed To Dance and was moved to tears near the end (I won’t spoil the book by telling you why). It reads as a sequence of memories, not a storyline, so just as in our memories some things are detailed while others gently fade away. The book lightly touches on the negative side of dance (injury, the pressure to stay thin) but is mostly full of glowing memories of ballet, from practice to the stage. My only complaint is that the last splash page, which is a touching end to the book, has been used as the end paper inside the back cover and I’m afraid some readers will miss it.

To Dance is touching and lovely and truly belongs in every library. To me it is a standout among the Eisner nominees for Best Publication for a Younger Audience and really should win.

Sarah says: The book is a story about one girl who wants to do ballet and shows her being a different level of a dancer year after year. My favorite part was where they talked about how dancers wore Japanese robes backstage. Some pictures had a basic color, like red, yellow, or blue, and some pictures were just regular colors. I think he did that to show different places. It’s easy to understand and I think this book is mostly for young girls. I understood what was going on even though I didn’t know who some of the famous people were. If you don’t know about dance you would still like it.

Shelby says: The art in To Dance is really colorful and pretty. The story starts with the girl when she is six years old. She goes to the doctor and her mother is told she has flat feet. So her mother signs her up for dance classes. But then the story is very sad in some parts but other parts were really happy. Like when the girl is in the Nutcracker or she gets to dance in a ballet that the founder of her ballet school choreographs. It has a couple of pages that show when the girl injures her leg a couple of times and she ends up injuring her ankle so bad that she has to stop dancing professionally. This book is for young girls or ballerinas.

See a preview of To Dance here.

Glister and The Arrival

2007-06-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Glister by Andi Watson (Image)

Glister, a young British girl who lives in a decrepit old house with her father where she has become accustomed to strange goings on, receives in the mail a mysterious teapot containing the ghost of a writer. The ghost of Phillip Bulwark-Stratton enlists Glister’s help in finishing his final novel but, unfortunately, is a rather dismal writer and Glister’s task becomes unbearable. After Glister’s unsuccessful attempt to get rid of the teapot and the ghost, the story takes a wonderfully surprising turn at the end.

I have to admit to a strong affection for anything that combines spooky with cute, as well as being a bit of an Anglophile, so I was predisposed to like Glister from the outset. It’s a rather quiet tale – no chase sequences or horrifying spectres –but what it lacks in action it more than makes up for in quirky characters and literary ambience. I really enjoyed Watson’s drawings and I read Glister through several times just to admire his work. The story is so delightfully charming that I couldn’t help but smile through the whole thing. I sincerely hope this is just the first book in a very long series.

Glister is appropriate for all ages, but younger kids might have a hard time with it due to the Britishness of the vocabulary. After about five pages Sarah asked me to read it with her, and once I got her through some of the words (malevolent solicitor, guineas, constitutional) she really enjoyed it. It’s definitely not a just kids’ book and will probably be most popular with adults. The copy we read wasn’t a final version, and we had some trouble with the font (Sarah read “father” as “fat her”) but hopefully those little problems will be remedied in the published version.

Glister would be a wonderful addition to any library or classroom and might actually be a fun companion to upper grade studies of Victorian writers such as Dickens and the Bronte sisters. It would be great fun to have older students study Edward Bullwer-Lyton, one of the inspirations for the teapot ghost, and write submissions for the very entertaining Bullwer-Lytton Fiction contest (though I’d keep them away from the very adult romance section!).

Glister will be available in August. Read the Newsarama interview with Andi Watson about Glister here.

Shelby says: I liked Glister because the drawings are really cool and old-fashioned. It’s cool because there’s lots of details but you can still tell what they’re doing. My mom had to explain the last part but after she explained it I liked it a lot – it’s a good ending. If you think that ghost stories are scary, this one isn’t, because the ghost is actually funny. It’s good for everyone but some kids wouldn’t really understand it. I think it should be for eight and up and maybe parents and kids should read it together.

Sarah says: I liked Glister because it’s about ghosts and disguises and teapots and stuff. It wasn’t scary – it was a nice story about a ghost. A young girl, Glister, gets a teapot in the mail that has a ghost living inside of it. The ghost wants to finish a story he was writing when he died. Glister has to type the rest of his story, but she doesn’t want to do it because there are a lot of chapters and the book is sad and boring for her to write. There is a surprise ending but I’m not telling you! It’s very exciting to read because you don’t know what’s coming next. I needed my mom to read it with me because I didn’t understand some of the words and I didn’t know what was going on. When we read it together I really liked it. I think Glister is good for people that like stories with surprises during the whole book and people that can comprehend hard words.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic)

Imagine you have left your home and family behind and traveled to a foreign country to make a new and better life. You can’t speak the language and everything is strange to you – the food, the buildings, the transportation, even the animals. How will you make your way? How will you find a place to live, a job, something to eat? The Arrival wordlessly tells the tale of one such immigrant and allows anyone from any country or walk of life to live the experience along with him.

This is the most fitting use of the medium of sequential art that I have ever seen. By eliminating language, Shaun Tan has created a world that is foreign and strange to everyone, sometimes frightening and sometimes wonderful, but just tied to our reality enough that it draws us in. Some of the basic elements of our world are there – the people are humans, the weather and seasons are the same as we know them, and some of the clothing may look familiar – but Tan has changed and added so many fantasy elements that this new city will feel foreign to everyone. The landscape, the plants, the food and the way it is purchased and prepared, the written language, the transportation, the animals, and the customs are all completely fabricated by Tan.

The story, though meant to put the reader in slightly confused state of mind, is perfectly clear and easy to follow. Tan makes great use of devices that can only exist in the graphic medium – evoking the passage of time through a sequence of panels featuring only clouds; calling out each character’s story by varying the page backgrounds; conveying emotion by varying the tones of his drawings from dark and gray to glowing, golden sepia. He is a truly gifted artist and the care and devotion he put into this book shows in every page and every panel.

If I have any complaint at all about this book it’s that the main character’s journey seems just a bit too easy. Everyone he meets is helpful and friendly – the prejudice and fear of strangers that exists in our world seem not to exist in the world of The Arrival. All of the immigrant character’s background stories are harrowing, but the new land they are living in seems to be a utopia.

That slight reservation aside, I think The Arrival should be compulsory material for the study of immigration at any level – in fact, it should be the first thing students read when they begin studying the topic. The publisher recommends ages 10 and up, but Sarah, who is eight, really loved it. In addition to its educational value, The Arrival will have very broad appeal both inside and outside of the comic and graphic novel world and I am convinced that we will be hearing much, much more about this book.

The Arrival will be available in October. Visit Shaun Tan’s website to see preview pages.

Shelby says: I have read this book about ten times already and I want to do it again. I like how the background colors change when the scene changes. Sometimes it’s black and then it’s a light brown. The little creatures that everyone has in the city are drawn really creatively. For a wordless book, it’s done really well because you can always tell what’s going on. The story is really cool, but some parts are really scary for little guys. There are skulls and it shows a guy with one leg. This is because this old guy is telling a story about war. This book is probably perfect for artistic people over ten. It would really help kids understand how immigrants come into other countries.

Sarah says: The Arrival is about a guy from another country coming to a big city like New York, but the whole story is very different. Instead of the Statue of Liberty it’s a different statue. The language looks like an alien language. When I read it I felt like the guy – I didn’t understand anything going on in the town so I felt like I was him. When people helped him it helped me understand a bit more. It really does make me feel like I’m from another country and I’m coming to this place that I have no clue about. I sort of didn’t understand part of it, the parts where people were telling their stories, but when my mom told me that those were other people’s stories, I understood it. I liked the part when the new guy’s alien pet thingy shows him around his house and helps him. I would love to have a pet like that!

The artist, Shaun Tan, is a good artist and shows many details. I felt like this place could be real. My favorite part about the book is not actually part of the story – it’s before the book starts and after the book ends. He drew passport photos based on real people who traveled to America at Ellis Island. I liked them because they look real and they look like they’re old and have crinkles in them. These pictures show me the looks of people who come from different countries and the feelings the people would have had when they came to America. I think that it’s for about ages 9 and up because I can fully understand it. I think both adults and kids would like it a lot.

2007-06-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hybrids, Part 2

This week we continue our series on what we’re calling “hybrids” – books with a mixture of prose and comics.

Thieves and Kings by Mark Oakley

Thieves and Kings, as far as I can tell, is the original all-ages hybrid. First published in 1998 as a regular comic book, we read the compiled Volume One (The Red Book). Thieves and Kings is a mix of long prose passages with fantasy illustration and comics. The story revolves around Rubel, a young thief with a mysterious past, and his quest to serve the princess he is sworn to. Thieves and Kings has all the expected fantasy elements, along with some new twists.

Before I get to the girls’ reviews, I need to give you a little insight into the process of writing these reviews. Usually, I choose the books for the week and ask the girls to read them, though I try to let them choose whenever possible. Then, they read the books and either type their own reviews or dictate them to me. It’s a pretty simple process and usually goes pretty smoothly. But not with this book.

I told the girls about two months ago that we would be reading these “hybrid” books and, since they take a bit longer to read than the average comic or graphic novel, that they should get started. They had no problem with the other books on my list, but as the weeks passed, I found that they became more and more resistant to reading Thieves and Kings. They said they just couldn’t follow it and had real problems with the vocabulary – and these are kids who devour fantasy books like Harry Potter and Eragon. So, the girls’ reviews here will be based on their aborted attempts at reading the first volume.

Personally, I found the first volume a bit hard to read in places as well. The prose is sometimes awkward and I had to reread quite a bit. The type is small and dense. I found, however, that it was worth the effort, as the story is classic fantasy with wonderful characters and the art is enchanting. The transitions and interweaving of prose and comic are well-done, but I think a bit less prose and a bit more comic would have made the first volume of Thieves and Kings better. I bought Volume Two (The Green Book) yesterday, and I’m looking forward to diving in.

Unfortunately, I can’t really recommend it for kids, not because there is anything objectionable in it at all, but because, based on the girls’ reactions, they might not be able to follow the story. I do highly recommend it for adults. Maybe if I can talk the girls into reading it along with me I can get them interested and we can do another review later.

Sarah says: I really don’t want to read Thieves and Kings because when I first started reading it, I couldn’t understand anything that was going on and there are too many big words. It was very slow at the beginning and I didn’t want to keep reading because it was getting very boring. My mom said that it gets really exciting later but I still didn’t want to read it because I didn’t understand what was going on.

Shelby says: I read about 5 pages and I didn’t understand half of the words and I didn’t really understand what was going on. So I just stopped.

Fashion Kitty by Charise Mericle Harper (Hyperion)

I spotted this book in a non-kids section of my local comic shop and showed it to Sarah, who immediately sat down on the floor and started devouring it. She finished reading it in the car on the way home and then disappeared into her room and read it twice more. She asked me to read it with her on the fourth round. The prose is mostly in the form of captions and sometimes sentences actually continue from a balloon into a caption. It’s an interesting mix and quite easy to read. Fashion Kitty is definitely a kids’ book, rather than all-ages, but it was quite entertaining and funny. I recommend it for elementary classrooms and libraries, and it would make a great gift for any little girl.

Sarah says: Fashion Kitty is about a young cat named Kiki Kittie that turned into a fashion hero. It all started on her birthday, but I’m not telling how. Her mother lets Kiki and her little sister, Lana, choose their own wild clothes. Kiki wears fashionable and wild clothes. Lana, on the other hand, wears stockings like scarves. This book has basically half text and half comic. Fashion Kitty is for girls that are six to eight-years-old. Most kids at these ages usually don’t like to read chapter books because they take a long time, so this would be a great book for kids my age. I enjoyed Fashion Kitty.

Travels of Thelonius (Fog Mound) by Susan Schade and Jon Buller (Simon & Schuster Children’s)

I can’t even remember how I accidentally discovered this book, but I’m certainly glad I did! It doesn’t even register on the comic radar – the author and illustrator have done plenty of children’s books, but no comics or graphic novels, though Jon Buller seems to be a cartoonist at heart and did write one book about how to draw superheroes.

Thelonius is a chipmunk living in a post-apocalyptic, humanless world. When he is swept away from his woodland home by a rainstorm and finds himself in a crumbling human city, adventure abounds. I know, I know – a post-apocalyptic children’s book? Yeah, but it really works. Buller’s illustrations/comics are cute and sweet, and it’s never frightening. The rather dire environmental warning is made palatable by the cute animals and everything seems to be alright for them in the end.

I wasn’t impressed with the first couple of chapters – the text and dialogue felt like it was written by a fifth grader – but in Chapter 4 things really took a turn for the better; Travels of Thelonius ended up being one of the better all-ages books I’ve read in a while. The art, while it is definitely cartoony, is marvelously expressive and detailed, and the blue tones are a great compliment to the nice line work. The story is incredibly original. Okay, so the environmental message is a bit heavy-handed at times, but it didn’t take me out of the story. The transitions from text to comic are pretty seamless and I found that I didn’t even notice them, and it felt like there was a nice balance between the two. I’m really looking forward to the second volume, Faradawn, due out this fall.

Travels of Thelonius is highly recommended for libraries and classrooms. There is a miniature naked man near the end (it kind of makes sense in the story) but he’s only shown from behind and it’s not offensive at all. With Travels of Thelonius Schade and Buller have managed to pull off an almost impossible feat – it will be enjoyed by kids who don’t like to read as much as by those who do.

Be sure to visit Susan Schade and Jon Buller’s site to see the map that somehow got left out of the book.

Shelby says: The beginning is sort of slow and you might get a little bit bored and not want to read the rest, but you should. As soon as Thelonius meets Fitzgerald the porcupine, the story starts flowing a bit better. The story is entertaining and it’s cool how it’s all talking animals and non-talking animals talking about humans and how they once lived on the earth, but they don’t anymore. The full-page drawings that aren’t comic are really detailed and it looks really cool. The comic ones aren’t as detailed, but they’re still cool. The text part was a little bit too long sometimes – there should have been more comic. But they went together smoothly. I think this is good for kids eight to adult, if they read past the beginning part they will enjoy it.

Sarah says: Deadly fog, ruined cities, and talking animals – oh, my! Travels of Thelonius is very funny but dramatic. It is about a young chipmunk that gets carried away from his home, a tree, to a mysterious land. This land is from one of the creepiest legends he knows, the City of Ruins. (I think it’s San Francisco or New York City.) He meets a porcupine and a bear. They travel to The Fog Mound, which is a big plateau. The Travels of Thelonius gave me a message that us humans should be very careful and not pollute the world or we will go extinct, and the book might be true! (Except for the talking animal part.) I think that it is for ages six to adult – anybody who can read would like it. I reeeeeeeeeeeally like this book and it is my favorite graphic novel (for right now). I want to read it over and over because I might find something new in the pictures.

2007-06-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hybrids, Part One

The comics industry has always had to fight against the perception that comics are just “fun” and aren’t “real books.” Nowhere has this been a more entrenched attitude than among teachers and parents – most of us as kids had to hide our comics inside “real” books to read them. A new weapon for fighting this perception is slowly emerging – the prose/comic hybrid.

The idea is fairly simple; alternate prose and comic sections within a book, not using the comics as illustration but as an integral, continuing part of the story. There is enough text that kids are “really reading” according to teachers and parents, but kids are drawn in by the comics, especially those kids who get uncomfortable when they flip through a book and don’t see any pictures.

One of the biggest strengths of this approach is that kids will be more likely to read hybrids in school than comics or graphic novels. For those of you who don’t have kids in school, many districts are using programs like Accelerated Reader where kids must read books at a certain level of text, then take quizzes to receive points. This discourages kids from reading anything that isn’t in the system, and most comics don’t get rated. A hybrid format contains enough straight text to get these books listed, and read, in schools.

The hybrid format is still fairly new, and there aren’t many out there yet, but we’ve managed to track down a handful for review.

Abadazad, written by J.M. DeMatteis, illustrated by Mike Ploog, and colored by Nick Bell (Hyperion)

Abadazad started life as a comic book published by CrossGen. Only three issues were published before the company went under, but what issues they were. Abadazad, in its original comic format, was the best all-ages comic I’ve ever read. It was lush fantasy, ripe with childhood dreams and imaginary history, brought to life by the most kinetic, lyrical, and bewitching art imaginable. Abadazad is the story of Kate, a modern, disillusioned tweenager, who must travel to the land of Abadazad, the imaginary world of a classic book from her childhood, in order to save her younger brother. The layering of book within book and real world upon fantasy world is part of the charm in Abadazad, and DeMatteis’ story reeks classic quality, but Ploog’s art and Bell’s colors are what really sold it.

How good was it? I’ve been told that Disney bought the rights to all of CrossGen’s material solely for Abadazad.

Unfortunately, instead of continuing on with the comic, Disney/Hyperion decided to repackage the material in a new format, a hybrid of text, illustration, and comics. The conceit of the new books is that we are reading Kate’s diary for the first-person narrative (including illustration), some pages from the “original” Abadazad books as background material, with a few comic pages squeezed in between.

I have several problems with the new format. First, there just isn’t enough of what made it great in the first place – comics. I counted 24 pages of comics out of the 144 pages in the first issue; if my calculator is to be trusted, that’s a tad over 16%. Second, the books are just too small. At roughly 8” by 5”, the books just aren’t big enough to do Ploog and Bell’s magnificent work justice. And because of the page frame that is supposed to look like we’re reading a book within a book, the comics are even smaller than they could have been. It looks like the pages were photocopied at a reduced percentage and they just don’t hold the same magic as the original at all. In addition, the text in the comic sections is so small that anyone over the age of 40 will have trouble reading it. Not that I’d know that from personal experience or anything.

These complaints aside, Abadazad is still high-quality literature and is recommended for readers of any age. It would make a great read-together book for younger kids and their parents. Abadazad definitely belongs in children’s libraries and could be used to great effect in classrooms – it’s a shining example of great storytelling.

Shelby says: I like that it’s in the form of a diary but she’s talking to you, too. The whole idea of the story is interesting because it’s different from everything else. I just like the idea that Kate goes to another world and the made-up characters in Abadazad are cool because they’re really different from the creatures on earth. The pictures are important because it explains some things that you can’t really do in words. Sometimes in books there are really good descriptions of characters so you can understand what they look like and you don’t need pictures, but in Abadazad it’s like impossible to describe some of them, so the artist has to draw them. The art has got a lot of color and that makes it look really good. Mostly kids who can read and their parents will like it.

Sarah says: I liked Abadazad better as a comic because it was quicker and there was a lot more art, and I like looking at art, especially that art! It is still pretty good as a book and every age will like it unless they can’t pronounce big words like “Abadazad” and “Shelloppers.” It would have been better for younger kids if it was just comic, but now that Abadazad has turned into mostly words, it’s for more mature kids because it’s a little harder to read. It would be good for parents or maybe older brothers and sisters to read to smaller children. So, basically anybody would like this story, even adults.

The Black Belt Club series by Dawn Barnes and Bernard Chang (Scholastic)

I have to admit that I did not read these books all the way through. They’re very obviously aimed at younger kids; the publisher recommends 7 to 12 years old, but I’d put them at about 7 to 9. Written by Dawn Barnes, owner of “the most successful all-children's karate school in the United States,” and illustrated by comic veteran Bernard Chang, these books work for their intended audience. The blending of text and comic is seamless and used effectively – action in comics and exposition in text and illustration. Judging by Sarah’s reaction, the writing could use some work, but The Black Belt Club will certainly find an audience in the second and third grade crowd and will draw in reluctant readers, so the series is definitely recommended for elementary libraries and classrooms.

Sarah says: The first Black Belt Club book was very interesting. It’s about a guy that comes from underground and is trying to destroy the world by making the Tree of Life dead, and four kids from Kids’ Karate World were chosen to save the world by defeating him with karate moves. The second and third books were basically the exact same thing but instead of death it was hate and evil eyes. I didn’t want to read any more because it was just the same thing but in a little bit different way. Here’s the summary for all three stories: There’s a bad guy trying to kill everybody in the world and the kids are trying to stop him and it always ends up really happy at the end in every single one. The comic and book part added together I liked. In the fighting scenes they used the comic and when they’re explaining what’s going on they use text and some pictures. They used it well and the parts that were comic made sense and fit right into the story. I think these books are for kids about second grade. Kids that don’t really like to read will enjoy the story and it won’t take them very long to read it so might enjoy it more than a regular book.

The Tizzle Sisters and Erik written by G. P. Taylor, adapted by Tony Lee, and illustrated by Dan Boultwood (Markosia)

I stumbled upon this book in the comic shop in a pile of recently arrived trades and immediately knew Shelby would like it. Written by G.P. Taylor, author of the very successful (in England) Shadowmancer series of young adult novels, The Tizzle Sisters and Erik is a dark, Lemony Snicket-style tale of orphans, intrigue, and action, and it’s very well-written. However, the comic sections, adapted from the original text, while off-beat and energetic, just don’t work for me in this book. My main complaint is that the tone of the story changes so drastically from prose to comic. The text portions of the story are written in a rich, erudite British style, while the comic dialogue sounds simple and American in comparison. When I read the prose sections, my mind conjures dark, haunting images – a mood captured very well in the cover art by Cliff Wright (of Harry Potter illustration fame) – but the interior art has a much more modern, indie-edgy sensibility. Most of the time the comics blend seamlessly with the text, picking up the next line, as it were, and are used to good effect in action sequences, but I actually found myself wishing that I could read the original prose sections that the comics were adapted from.

The Tizzle Sisters and Erik would have been just as good (maybe even better) without the comic bits, but then the book wouldn’t draw attention for being an “ILLUSTRONOVELLA,” the term publisher Markosia is using to promote the book. I think some kids will be more likely to pick this up off the shelf because it contains comics, and overall it’s still a rollicking good story. It is dark and there is a lot of violence, though much of it is implied, but kids who like Lemony Snicket and Harry Potter will most likely dig this – Shelby loved it. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Shelby says: This book is sort of violent for kids 10 and under because there is a lot of shooting and stuff like that. I personally don’t think anyone who is faint hearted will like it very much. The idea of the two sisters being almost the same is very cool. The art is very mod. It’s really cool! Personally, I think the text part of the book is better than the comic part. It seems that the text is more descriptive than the pictures and words. This book is for certain people. Like the ones who like a bit of violence, cool art, and text mixed with comic.

Interview: Runton & Slade, Part Two

2007-05-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

Without further ado, we present Part 2 of our interview with Andy Runton (Owly) and Christian Slade (Korgi).

Tracy: I'm curious about your process for starting a story. Do you make an outline or write a script, or do you stick with the wordless thing and go straight to thumbnails?

Slade: The earliest beginnings of a story start with spoken words. My wife and I are always coming up with fun little stories. The best of these seem to come when driving in the car on long road trips, usually to one of our National Corgi shows. Next, I write each idea on a little yellow post-it note. Then, I stick all the post-it notes on a large board. I then shuffle them around to see which ideas I can cluster together to make a great book. Then it goes to an outline, all words. (In fact, I am working this week on the outlines for the next 8 Korgi books all at once.) Only after I get the storyline working with words, do I start drawing out the thumbnails.

Runton: I work really similar to Christian. Honestly, coming up with a core idea for the story is the hardest part of the entire process for me. I have lots of ideas but finding one that I can really tap into and develop further takes lots of time. This is the most important piece of the puzzle because without a strong story, everything crumbles.

I take long walks with my mom and we discuss the story heavily. Once we get it to a certain point I write down all of the details and then we discuss it some more, working out the details. Eventually, when we think it's ready, I send the outline or simple narrative to my editors, and they take a look at it too. Once everyone has seen it and weighed in on the basics, I start sketching it out. But even so, the story isn't really finalized. It still changes... sometimes drastically. Just drawing it out gives me all kinds of ideas. Some things that I thought would work don't, and other things that I never considered come into being. While I'm sketching (like Christian alluded to earlier) it's almost like watching the movie unfold. I kind of just set the scene, gather all of the players, wind them up and let them go.

I sketchily pencil out the whole book and let the story work itself out. I get out the outline and just start drawing in pencil on regular 8.5x11 laser paper. I'll draw up to around 6 or 7 panels per page. I may end up re-ordering them as I go with little numbers (1) (3) (2) and I also draw panels I won't use. If I draw one I don't like I just keep going, finish the thought, and put a little (x) next to it. It's almost like I'm arranging a slide show in Powerpoint. Then I draw the panel again, learning from my mistakes... visually re-writing a sentence. (I finish the ones I don't plan on using because when I look back at the sketches sometimes even the bad panels give me ideas for other things.) Then, once I have a few pages done, I scan in those loose sketches and arrange them into pages using Photoshop, re-arranging the out-of-order panels and leaving off the (x)'d ones. I'll show a couple of pages at a time to my mom and my close friends to make sure everything is clear. Then, once it's done I show it to my editors and they read it through and ask me questions about it. If anything needs clarification, I rework pages and panels until we're all happy with it. It's a bit time-consuming but it's much better to get it working well in this stage when it's easy to make changes. It would be really hard to ink the whole thing and then have to re-work it.

Shelby: How many times did your book get rejected by publishers, and did you make changes before someone accepted it?"

Runton: Well, I actually never got rejected by a publisher per-se, but my story is a bit unique. I met Chris Staros (half of Top Shelf Productions) at a convention in Atlanta and that was the first time I saw anything like what he publishes (Graphic Novels but nothing like the Super Hero ones I was used to). So when I started drawing Owly I kind of had those stories in mind and I had something to shoot for.

Once I had a little 4-page story I showed it to Chris to get feedback. I was completely surprised by his reaction... he really liked Owly. But even so, that wasn't enough. I found out that there isn't a lot of money in comics, and publishers can't afford to take chances. Would I be able to produce a full graphic novel? Consistently? All of the work has to be done "on spec." (meaning you don't get paid until it's all done). Was this something I was willing to do, for little or no payoff? Well, those were the things I had to show him.

Along the way, I found that I had a lot to learn but I wasn't going to give up. I published my own copies of Owly stories (as folded and stapled mini-comics) and sold them at local comic shows. I also became friends with Robert Venditti (who was working part-time for Top Shelf and was a real writer) and sought his feedback on my stories. Chris helped me too. He gave me all kinds of editorial advice even though I wasn't signed or anything. Chris saw the potential in Owly, but he and Brett Warnock (the other half of Top Shelf) wanted to see it develop a tad more before they made a decision. So even though I wasn't picked up right away, I was sort of invited into the family to sell mini-comics from their tables and work with the Top Shelf team on the development of the stories.

So, I kept writing stories and producing my minis, showing my work to the guys at Top Shelf along the way, and starting to meet fans in the biz. Since Top Shelf really hadn't taken on comics meant mostly for kids before, Chris first suggested I try for a Xeric Foundation grant for my next story. This would give me a deadline to meet and if I won the grant ($5,000), it would allow me to self-publish the first graphic novel, which Top Shelf could then distribute for me. I finished "The Bittersweet Summer" and submitted it to the Xeric Foundation. Later, when I found out I was rejected by the Foundation, I had a short-lived period of being bummed, as the very next day Chris called and said not to worry, Top Shelf would publish Owly. It was time.

So, it wasn't a "yes" or "no" kinda thing, it was a gradual growth process. In the end it was kind of like, "Hey, we're both going the same way, do you want to team up?" And that's where we are today. I think a lot of people misunderstand the relationship between a creator and a publisher. It really can best be described as a partnership.

And I didn't really change anything about Owly during that time. I think he just became more of what I had always wanted him to be. He got more fleshed out and became more real. I think all of the little stories I wrote along the way were a big part of that.

Slade: I have had plenty of book ideas rejected, but that didn't really happen with Korgi. Like Owly, Korgi began self-published.

Korgi was my final thesis project for my Masters degree from Syracuse University. The degree was in illustration, and I completed it between 2003 and 2005. After graduating, my business plan was to self publish the Korgi series in limited distribution only through my website. I set up a booth in artist's alley at two comic shows in 2006 and the response for my self-published book was pretty enthusiastic.

It was around this time that I noticed when wandering into a comic shop or booth at a show, I picked up books that caught my eye. Ironically, they all said Top Shelf on the back of them. So I said, who is Top Shelf and how are they putting out such beautifully designed books? Maybe this could be a possible home for Korgi. I also recalled someone from the Syracuse program mentioning Top Shelf during a group dinner conversation; it was brief, but I remembered someone singing their praises. So early in 2006, I prepared an official submission to Top Shelf, and we were moving quickly after that.

Tracy: Andy, you're four volumes into a very successful series, and Christian, you're just starting out with Top Shelf. Where are you each going from here? Can you tell us anything about upcoming or future projects?

Runton: I'm inking Owly Book 4 as we speak, and it'll be in the stores soon. After that I'll be working on new Owly-playtime-fun-related-goodies that are, unfortunately, top secret at the moment ... but as soon as that's all finished, you'll know about it! Then, I'll start working on the fifth book and even more Owly stories. There are 15 convention appearances on my schedule this year, so it's going to be a busy 2007. In fact, on Free Comic Book Day, shop owner and super nice-guy Mr. Calum Johnston has invited Owly and me to spend the day signing comics at Strange Adventures in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada alongside Darwyn Cooke! We're really excited about that because the energy on that day is phenomenal! And, I plan on making more and more Owly graphic novels as the years go on with lots of new friends and adventures on the horizon. I can't wait! It's going to be a blast.

Slade: We have just finished Korgi #1 as of the time I write this. It is scheduled to be on shelves around the same time as Free Comic Book Day. I also have 3 other books I illustrated coming out this year; Reality Leak from Henry Holt, The Decoy from Mitten Press, and The Daring Adventures Of Penhaligon Brush from Random House. I am finishing Korgi #2 right now, which is shaping up nicely, and working on a new Christmas picture book for a 2008 release. However it’s going to be a few slow months at the drawing board as I am about to become a dad. And it’s going to be twins! Two of them to go with our two Corgis, Penny and Leo. They are scheduled to be due April 25, 2007, right around the same time I am supposed to be holding the finished copies of Korgi #1 in my hands. I will also be appearing at the Top Shelf booth at San Diego Comicon this year. Needless to say, 2007 is going to be a big year for my family and I!

Interview: Andy Runton (Owly) and Christian Slade (Korgi), Part One

2007-05-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

We’ve been a bit interview happy around here lately! This week we’re very excited about our interview with Andy Runton (Owly) and Christian Slade (Korgi). The Owly series is an all-ages phenomenon and one of our favorites, and the first volume of Korgi was a huge hit around here as well. Owly and Korgi are joining forces for Free Comic Book Day and each has their own book coming out soon.

If you haven’t seen Owly, visit the Top Shelf site to preview Volume 1, The Way Home; Volume 2, Just a Little Blue; and Volume 3, Flying Lessons. You can also preview Korgi, Sprouting Wings.

Why interview Andy and Christian together? Owly and Korgi are wordless books and they’re both exceedingly sweet and endearing, and, of course, they’re both published by Top Shelf. The creators have very different styles, however, so each series has its own appeal. We thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast the attitudes, working styles, and backgrounds of these two creators. What does Owly owe to Hellboy? Read on!

Sarah: Why did you write, um...draw, um...make your story with no words?

Andy Runton: Well, the real reason is that I don't really consider myself a writer. I tried to write "wordy" comics but the dialogue was always lacking. In fact, the first Owly comic ideas originally had words but I decided to leave them off and use his eyes and body language to tell the story. That was okay with me because I always loved silent characters, and it made me work harder to make sure the story was clear. My biggest inspirations were probably Snoopy and Woodstock, Dumbo, and Pete's Dragon. They were some of my favorites when I was growing up, and they were all silent characters, but they still had lots of personality. That's exactly what I was trying to do, too.

Christian Slade: I too enjoyed Peanuts comic strips and Disney animated films. I have always enjoyed stories told through pictures alone. Everything you need to know about Korgi is in the drawings. Also, the actions of Sprout the korgi are based on my dogs and they don’t use words to communicate.

Tracy: Your books are similar in that there is no dialogue, but your artistic styles are completely different. Could you give us a little background on how you developed your style and what works or artists had an influence on you?

Runton: Wow, well, that's a tough one because Owly didn't really come together for me until I was 28... so that's a lot of inspirational ground to cover. Honestly one of the things that really guided me and continues to guide me is the simple fact that I don't like to draw people. I never have. I somehow just see more character in animals. I loved Babar, Paddington Bear, Curious George, and Lyle Lyle Crocodile as a kid (and still do as an adult). I think the first animated movie I saw was The Rescuers and all of the Disney films were hugely inspirational for me because animals usually dominated the story lines. I also lived for Saturday morning cartoons. After I'd watch I used to try to draw what I had seen. This was pre-VCR and DVD so I'd have to watch closely to study the characters. That's really helped me out over the years. I found myself drawn to animated cartoons because a lot of characters designed for animation are simplified (so that it's less time consuming for the animators) and that made it easier for me to draw them as well. Keeping it simple was always the name of the game. The fact that I'm a bit impatient when I'm drawing probably has something to do with that.

When I was little I'd copy Peanuts drawings from the newspaper and cartoon animal drawings from books trying to learn how they did things. Growing up I read G.I. Joe and other comic books but when I found the early black and white Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, and Eric Talbot, my life changed. Here were superheroes that weren't people and I could draw them! I couldn't get enough.

After a while I stopped going to the comic shop and things got kinda crazy as my school-work got harder. The big turning point for me was really seeing Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. It had been around for a while but it took me a while to notice it. Once I really saw his comics I was older and I realized I had so much to learn and I didn't even know where to start. His artwork blew me away and I continued to see it every day in the newspaper. That kept my cartooning spark alive. Years later when I got back into comics it was because of that spark and because of Hellboy by Mike Mignola and the work of indie cartoonists like Jim Mahfood and Scott Morse. Their heavy use of black and bold sense of design was one of the main things that drew me in for good and really excited me.

Slade: I can relate quite a bit to Andy's answer too. I spent many youthful days in front of a TV drawing. When my family got a VCR, I paused scenes of cartoons and would lay paper over the television screen and proceed to draw my favorite characters in pencil. These were early attempts along with copying comic strips from newspapers which I would clip out and keep in a photo album. My first comic strip obsession was Garfield, followed by Bloom County, and then Calvin and Hobbes. Today, my favorite comic strip is Hagar The Horrible. I also love many of the Disney films. I was even able to work at Disney as an animator for a bit.

By the time I finished college (a place where I found out how hard I needed to work to become a professional), I was aware of many levels of Art History, but also some of the places in between. Before photography, newspapers, books, and magazines used artists to create everything from history and fantasy to maps and other decorations. Many of these artists, specifically pen and ink artists, influenced my work.

Regarding the style for Korgi; I thought it would be neat to create a comic that had drawings that felt more like a children's book rather than a comic book. My hope is to bring a background of illustration and animation to the comics medium.

Shelby: How did you get the idea for your story?

Slade: My wife, Ann, and I got the idea for Korgi while traveling to different dog shows to sell my paintings. The more we researched the breed that we had, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, we discovered many poems and tales about the dogs involving fairies. There is a collectible market for Welsh Corgi artwork that I have contributed to over the years. Many of the paintings revolve around a fantasy theme, and it is in these early works that the seeds for Korgi can be found. Ann and I are always talking about Korgi, and since we have gotten to know these characters (and there are new ones to be introduced in future books) it’s almost as if we are letting the characters tell the story themselves. We want to establish the characters so well that they take on a life of their own. Korgi is drawn from the world around Ann and I. We get inspiration from all the best things – from the landscapes of the places we have visited, to the way our dog tilts his head when he is begging for a cookie, it’s all Korgi!

Runton: Well my story is similar to Christian's in that Owly's stories are a combination of reality and imagination. I've always loved owls, but oddly enough, I never really drew them until I started drawing the little owl that eventually became Owly. When I was in college, I lived at home and I would stay up really late working on design projects. I would leave little notes for my mom and let her know what time I went to bed so she wouldn't worry about waking me up. I started stayed up so late that she started calling me her "little night owl." But I could tell she was worrying about me so I wanted to make her smile when she read the notes. Now, she's always loved my cute little drawings - the cuter the better. So I started drawing this cute little owl on the notes to make her happy. I drew him like that for years and after a while he sort of became my mascot. Years later when I was trying to come up with a comic book idea I tried everything, dragons, aliens, ninjas... nothing worked. Then one day I just looked at Owly and saw what I had. He'd been there all the time and I had totally missed it.

But that wasn't all. Over time I'd been drawing little birds and animals on the notes along with Owly. Through him I was somehow able to capture how I saw nature and how beautiful it was to me. I could take little snippets of things that really happened to me... like bluebirds rejecting a birdhouse, or hummingbirds having to leave for the winter, and I could reinterpret it all through Owly's eyes. I could draw on the excitement, happiness, sadness, beauty, and joy that I saw around me, bring it into my art and enjoy every minute of it. I combined all of that with my love of comics and drew a little Owly story one day. It all felt so natural. I loved it! After that I started writing and drawing more and more stories using Owly and everything just clicked.

For a couple of guys who create books without words, Andy and Christian can certainly string together a sentence! In fact, they gave us such great information that we’ll have to continue the interview tomorrow. How does a Masters thesis become an all-ages comic? Is Chris Staros really the nicest guy in publishing? And what spectacular news does Christian Slade want to share? Come back tomorrow to find out!

Andy Runton’s website
Christian Slade’s website

Houdini, the Handcuff King

2007-04-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Houdini, The Handcuff King by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi, presented by The Center for Cartoon Studies (Hyperion Books for Children)

I’ve been anxiously awaiting this book about the great escape artist Harry Houdini which is the first publication from The Center for Cartoon Studies. I was curious as to why The Center for Cartoon Studies would go into publishing, so I did some digging around and found a weeklong journal from 2005 at Slate.com written by CCS Director and series editor James Sturm. Here is how he explains it: My hope is that a working studio will lend vitality to CCS. Students will have an opportunity to see firsthand how one kind of graphic novel is put together by helping with research and production. Creating books will also provide a secondary source of revenue stream to supplement tuition. And in terms of marketing and promotion, these biographies, geared for a young-adult market, are likely to wind up in a lot of high school libraries where potential CCS student can discover them. Brilliant, I say.

Houdini, the Handcuff King is not a biography, but a fictionalized graphic depiction of Houdini’s handcuffed jump from the Harvard Bridge in 1908. We see Houdini’s entire day; his preparations and lock-picking practice, his morning jog, his press conference in a hotel lobby, tender moments with his wife, Bess, his swearing-in of a new employee, meeting his throngs of fans on the street, and finally the daring and highly-publicized stunt.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and not just because I’m a Houdini fan. It’s not a romanticized depiction of the escapist – his impatience and arrogance comes through – but his relationship with Bess humanizes him and brings him closer to the reader. The story also briefly touches on anti-semitism and Houdini’s deft defusing of uncomfortable situations. The “day in the life” depiction of one of Houdini’s stunts is a great story in its own right, but Lutes and Bertozzi have also managed to convey a sense of Houdini’s place in history very effectively. Bertozzi’s heavy line work is perfect for the tone of the story, though I might have chosen another shade besides blue for the third color – it comes across as a bit cold. The lettering leaves something to be desired, but I did appreciate the use of regular text and punctuation, reserving all caps for shouting. I particularly like the cover design under the dust jacket – I’ve left the book out on my desk just so I can look at it repeatedly. Be sure to read (and encourage kids to read) the introduction and the notes at the back – they’re full of fascinating historical information.

Sarah says: Houdini is this guy who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s who was a great escape artist. The book Houdini, the Handcuff King is about one trick that he did when he jumped off a bridge into the water and he took off handcuffs that he was wearing. It would probably be a hard trick because most people can’t hold their breath that long underwater and the water was cold enough to freak out the audience but not cold enough to freeze him to death. It was sort of cartoonish and I like that, but I didn’t like that they put too much sweat on the people and it looks funny. The kissing parts are really important even though I don’t really enjoy watching the cartoons kissing. I think that Houdini, the Handcuff King is for all ages. My only concern is that smaller children might get scared of it because there’s kissing in it and they might not understand the story.

Shelby says: Houdini, the Handcuff King is a great book. It is very interesting to see how Houdini might have done his tricks. It’s amazing how only a few lines can look just like the real Harry Houdini. I don’t think this book is for everyone because there is some kissing and a little bit of violence, but it’s okay for 8-years-old to adults. I think it’s cool how there are only three colors that the artist uses. The black is the outline and the blue makes the shading. In addition to the story is real information about Harry Houdini and it’s very interesting because it tells you all about how he and Bess, his wife, got married. I wouldn’t get married on the very first day I met someone – they’re crazy!

Houdini will probably be of interest to readers ages 12 and older, but there’s nothing to keep younger readers away. Houdini’s new hire, Mr. Beatty, roughs up a nosy reporter, but it’s not too violent. There are a few kissing scenes, which elicited some eeeeewwws from Sarah, but they are integral to the story. Though this is being sold as a children’s book labeled “ages 12 and up”, I highly recommend Houdini, The Handcuff King for adults as well – it would certainly be a wonderful addition to any collection.

Read a preview of Houdini at Nick Bertozzi’s site, read a Newsarama interview with Bertozzi, and visit The Center for Cartoon Studies

Texas Strangers

2007-04-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

Texas Strangers by Antony Johnston, Dan Evans III, and Mario Boon (Image)

I’m easily bored by Westerns (except for The Three Amigos and anything with or by Clint Eastwood) so I wasn’t expecting much here, but dang if I didn’t really enjoy this tale of the Old West. Well, it’s not exactly the Old West you might be used to, what with the native elves, Scottish orcs, and brawls fought with spells as well as guns. I’ve seen Western Mystery (Tony Hillerman’s novels) and Western Sci-Fi (Serenity) but this is the first Western Fantasy, or Magical Western, I’ve come across. It seems like such a no-brainer, I’m really surprised it hasn’t been done before (or maybe it has – I’m sure the highly knowledgeable Newsarama readers can correct me.)

In the world of Texas Strangers the United States of America extends west to the Mississippi and north to the Great Lakes, while the native elves control the remainder of the continent to the north and west. The French have set up a monarchy in the south and Mexico belongs to the Azteca and the Orcs. The Free Nation of Texas, smack dab in the middle of all of them, is policed by the magical lawmen known as The Texas Rangers, but most folks call them The Texas Strangers.

The story revolves around red-headed brother and sister Wyatt and Madera (I think they’re twins) and a mysterious knife which must be returned to its place of origin. This quest is complicated, however, by Black Bart and his gang of outlaws. The seeds of the tale are fairly standard western fare, complete with saloon poker games, a gang of mustachioed bad guys, and a wonderfully prototypical lawman named Rick Blackwood, but when magic is mixed in the story rises to another level. The intertwining of the two genres is done so seamlessly that a native elf casting a Wild Tornado spell in a saloon brawl seems like the most natural thing in the world.

I found myself caught up in the story right away and didn’t look up from the page until I had finished the issue. The art is clear and easy to follow while conveying a wonderful sense of adventure and the color palette captures the dusty feeling of the desert but is bright and fun at the same time. The story is well told and the first issue ends in a suitably breathtaking cliffhanger. The girls really had a hard time following some of the story, and I think that’s due to some of the vocabulary – mercenary, nexus, and commune are a bit over their heads.

Sarah says: I was confused in the story because all of it went by so quickly and you have to remember a lot of stuff. After my mom helped me try and figure it out I understood it, but I couldn’t do it by myself. I liked the elf that talks like Yoda and the Scottish Orc. I like the horse that has diamonds on its butt because it looks cool. I like the magic part better than the western part because I don’t really like cowboy stuff. I want to read the next one because I want to find out what happens to “What” (Wyatt). It wasn’t that violent, but some little kids might be scared and might not understand it.

Shelby says: I didn’t really understand some of it but I liked the art. It is interesting because it’s just a few lines for the characters but the backgrounds have a lot of shading. I like the idea of magic and cowboys and Indians because western stuff isn’t very interesting to me but the magic helps it. I’m not sure I like the saloon and gambling situations because gambling and drinking isn’t very good for kids. I liked the brother and sister and I like that there’s an orc that’s Scottish and one with a sombrero – that’s funny. Kids won’t understand what the elves are talking about because they’re speaking isn’t in kid talk – kids will say, “Run tracks to Hope to what?” because they won’t know what the heck that means. There wasn’t a single mention of “Yippee-kay-ay” though, so how can it be a western?

Texas Strangers is most definitely a western, so there is gun play and someone is very clearly shot (though I seriously doubt he will die). The magical knife, which plays a central role in the story, seems to turn Madera into a vicious killer when it touches blood, though the short, four-panel sequence depicting this is handled in such a way that it isn’t frightening, even with a close-up on the bloody knife. There are also references to whiskey and poker. I’d say it’s appropriate for ages eight and up, as long as the violence isn’t a problem for the adults. Kids will love Texas Strangers, but you never know how parents are going to react.

Read a preview of Texas Strangers and visit the Texas Strangers blog for character bios and previews.

Interview: Janna Morishima of Diamond Kids Group

2007-04-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

This week, in place of our regular reviews, we proudly present an interview with Janna Morishima of Diamond Book Distributors’ newly formed Diamond Kids Group. Morishima, formerly an editor at Scholastic Graphix, will work with children’s book publishers, comic and graphic novel publishers, store buyers, and the media to bring more graphic novels and comics to the kids’ market.

All Ages Reads: While at Scholastic Graphix you worked on Bone, the Babysitters Club, and Goosebumps, which are all great books that are really breaking ground in getting kids excited about graphic novels. Do you feel that Graphix has been successful so far? Was it hard to leave?

Janna Morishima: Yes, I do think that Graphix has been successful. The books you just mentioned represent, in different ways, what I believe is the future in kids’ comics.

The phenomenal success of manga in recent years proves that boys are not the only ones who love comics; girls do, too, as long as the stories being told appeal to them. The Babysitters Club graphic novels are adorable, funny, touching stories aimed at girls. Raina Telgemeier has an uncanny ability to channel the emotions of nine to twelve-year-old girls and express them in her illustrations. I think we’ll see more books like Babysitters Club soon – graphic novels that are not manga, but are directly aimed at female readers. (This is not to say that I think manga will go away – I think they are here to stay. I simply think there is room for a range of artistic and storytelling styles.)

Goosebumps represents another trend that I hope will keep growing in kids’ graphic novels: genre fiction. I am looking for publishers to release more good, fun, juicy graphic novel series. Horror stories, mysteries, romance, science fiction, historical adventure – all those genres that get you hooked on reading for its pure entertainment value, those are the types of graphic novels I hope we see more and more.

And finally, Bone is a classic. It’s an epic tale that will stand the test of time. It’s the kind of book you can read on different levels when you’re seven, when you’re twelve, when you’re twenty-one, and then start all over again when you have your own seven-year-old. In other words, graphic novels can tell a story with as much depth and truth as the best prose novels. So I’m looking forward to more gns that add to the canon of great children’s literature.

Having said all this, I’m sure you can imagine that it was hard to leave. I admired and loved working with all the artists and writers I edited at Scholastic. But a couple of things made my departure easier. First of all, the Graphix line is in very good hands. Sheila Keenan and David Saylor, the executive editor and creative director of Graphix, are both phenomenal – I think the publishing industry is lucky to have them. Second, I think my job at Diamond is perfect for me; all I want to do is evangelize for kids’ graphic novels, and that is basically what I’m being paid to do!

AAR: Can you give us a general picture of the goals for Diamond Kids Group?

JM: Diamond Kids Group has two main goals: first, to work with publishers to help them develop children’s graphic novels that are effectively edited, packaged, and marketed; and second, to work with retailers to convince them that children’s graphic novels are a category worth investing in. As a distributor, Diamond is the middleman between publishers and retailers, so we’re in the perfect position to create a dialogue and help both bookstores and publishers figure out what they can do to increase sales of kids’ graphic novels.

AAR: For the most part, kids don’t get their comics at local comic shops anymore. Libraries seem to be the place most kids are getting their first exposure to graphic novels. I know you attended the American Library Association’s meeting in Seattle. How did that go? Are librarians still excited about graphic novels?

JM: Absolutely, librarians are the graphic novel industry’s biggest cheerleaders. I have never heard of a library that introduced graphic novels without seeing healthy -- or even abnormally high -- circulation rates. So the answer is yes, librarians are still excited about graphic novels, and we (the graphic novel industry) are correspondingly excited about librarians. Seattle was a nice lovefest.

As a matter of fact, by this point some librarians are so ahead of the curve that the rest of us in the industry should be turning to them for advice. Questions like how to shelve graphic novels for maximum exposure, the most useful ways to categorize graphic novels by age level and genre, how to lure new and reluctant readers, what types of stories kids respond to … librarians have been grappling with these questions for a few years now, and they have strong and well-founded opinions.

AAR: Librarians are on board, but I know many teachers still look at graphic novels as “light reading” or “entertainment.” Shelby's fifth grade teacher told her class they couldn’t count graphic novels as part of their required reading minutes. How can the industry help teachers and parents understand the value of graphic novels?

JM: Yes, I’ve discussed this issue with many people – librarians are big graphic novel supporters, but many teachers are still skeptical. Part of this must be because teachers are under so much pressure these days to focus on test-taking and rigidly controlled curricula. It’s not hard to see why they are reluctant to try graphic novels, which haven’t been thoroughly “clinically tested and approved” by the education establishment.

Luckily there are already a number of great people and organizations who have been working on creating curricula and classroom guides for using graphic novels. The industry needs to keep supporting these efforts, and graphic novel publishers and creators should target the education community at national and local conventions, like the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English.

AAR: You mentioned that part of your job will be to help publishers package and market graphic novels for children. What do you think they need to do better?

JM: Comic book publishers need to take the children’s book market seriously and do their homework. For instance, if they’re going to publish a graphic novel aimed at boys ages 9-12, they need to go take a look at books that are being published for those readers. What trim size are they? How are the covers designed? How are they priced? What does the jacket copy say?

Then they need to actually *read* some of those books aimed at boys ages 9-12. What kinds of issues are dealt with in the stories? How do the kids talk? What makes the books funny, or suspenseful, or thrilling?

And finally, they need to learn about the book market’s marketing cycle and make sure that they get advance copies into the right reviewers’ hands, with the appropriate amount of lead time before the books hit the stores. Rather than just drop the books onto shelves and hope for the best, investing the time to create and execute a marketing plan will pay off.

My greatest hope is that there will be some “cross-pollination” in the industry: I’d love to see a comics publisher hire an experienced children’s book editor (of course, someone who also knows and loves graphic novels – and I know these people exist!) to develop a children’s graphic novel line.

AAR: Another big part of your job will be to work with book retailers. What specific things can retailers do to sell more graphic novels to kids?

JM: About six years ago, the graphic novel industry used to complain that their books were getting lost, either racked on a few lonely shelves at the end of the science fiction section, or mixed in somewhere among the humor books. A couple of things happened to change this situation: first, retailers decided to create a separate section with signage that clearly indicated “Graphic Novels.” Having a critical mass of graphic novels in one bay (bookcase) in the bookstores helped increase the books’ visibility. Second, some publishers, like Tokyopop, created P.O.P. (point-of-purchase) displays that called out their books even more noticeably for consumers. Suddenly, graphic novel and manga sales started taking off, and over the past five years sales have grown an astonishing 400% (according to icv2.com, graphic novel sales were approximately $75 million in 2001, and were approximately $330 million in 2006).

I predict that we’ll see the same pattern occurring for children’s graphic novels. Retailers will create a distinct subsection labeled “Graphic Novels and Manga” in the children’s department, and suddenly kids who love comics and manga will know where to find their books. Publishers who are interested in focusing on the category will work harder to market their books with promotions such as displays, special offers, advertising, author signings, etc.

AAR: There’s been a lot of discussion about content labeling for comics and graphic novels, mostly stemming from the popularity of manga, where many of the covers look like kids’ books even when they are not, and superhero titles featuring childhood heroes engaged in extreme violence. Many parents are really reluctant to let their kids read any graphic novels for fear that they will be, well, graphic. As a distributor, is there anything you can do to make it clear to parents and teachers that your titles are kid-friendly?

JM: Discussions about kid-friendly comics often head straight into debates about age ratings. While I do believe that labeling books with icons that indicate their age-appropriateness is extremely important – and most comic book publishers agree – I do not think that this action in itself will solve the graphic novel industry’s “image problem.” After all, parents are not necessarily crazy when they are reluctant to let their kids read graphic novels for fear that they will be violent. As a matter of fact, a huge number of the graphic novels currently on the market ARE quite violent! The problem here lies in the fact that most comic book publishers’ target demographic is 18- to 35-year-old men. As soon as more publishers start looking beyond that demographic and start making books for kids, for girls, for women, etc., the graphic novel category will start emerging from the superhero ghetto and become recognized as simply another format for telling stories. I think this process is just beginning right now, but we have a long way to go.

Second, I think that the graphic novel industry’s outreach to librarians and educators is critical. Librarians have already seen that graphic novels are a great aid to literacy. Kids who never used to set foot in the library will gobble up 10 or 20 volumes of a graphic novel or manga series and keep coming back for more. I’ve heard anecdotally from Steve Weiner, a Massachusetts librarian, that the circulation for prose books that are shelved next to popular graphic novels also increases. And finally, the vocabulary that kids encounter in graphic novels is often just as sophisticated – if not more sophisticated – than the vocabulary they would find in prose books at their reading level. The more that the graphic novel industry can help communicate this positive message to schools and libraries, the better.

As a distributor, we reach out to parents and teachers in basic ways by providing lists of our kid-friendly titles and attending library and educational conferences as much as possible. But we’re also working behind the scenes to encourage publishers to publish more graphic novels that are expressly aimed at kids.

AAR: What do you think the difference is between a “kids’ book” and an “all-ages book”? Can the distinction between them affect sales?

JM: This is a very good question. Honestly, I think this distinction is largely meaningless. Many of the world’s best children’s books appeal to a wide age range. On Amazon.com, Harry Potter is listed for “ages 9-12”, but we all know that kids as young as 7 and adults of every age are reading it. Now, it might seem counter-productive to give a book like Harry Potter an age level, but in fact, I believe that labeling books with an age or reading level is almost always useful. This is because it provides consumers with a general idea of the book’s vocabulary and thematic sophistication, and it helps booksellers target an audience. This is especially important when a book or series is first released, and the general public knows little or nothing about it.

From my casual observation, comic book publishers seem to want to label anything that is for kids “all ages.” This is probably because they don’t want to lose adult readers who might buy certain graphic novels because they are fans of the artist, writer, or character. I wonder, though, if this reluctance to explicitly target, for instance, 9- to 12-year-old readers is actually hampering the development of the children’s graphic novel market. It certainly makes it hard for sales reps and bookstore buyers to figure out where the books should be shelved – do they go in the children’s book section, or in the adult graphic novel section? As a matter of fact, many “all ages” titles do get shelved in the adult graphic novel section, where they will probably never reach thousands of kids who might otherwise love to read them.

AAR: Can you tell us about any specific titles in the works for Diamond Kids Group? Do you plan on mostly helping publishers repackage existing titles, or will you scout out new works as well?

JM: One publisher with whom I’ve been working closely recently is Seven Seas. Seven Seas is known primarily as an adult manga publisher, but they are expanding into the children’s market in an interesting way. Avalon is the first children's series that Seven Seas is releasing as part of its new children's book line. It's an interesting twist on a relaunch: Avalon is a very popular fantasy series for middle grade girls that was first published by Scholastic and then taken over by CDS. When CDS was acquired by Perseus and decided to get out of the children's book publishing business, Avalon was left without a publisher. Jason de Angelis discovered it last year and decided to relaunch all ten original volumes with new, manga-inspired cover art and interior illustrations. Seven Seas will also be publishing the last two volumes in the series (#11 and #12) which have never been published. And to top it off, Seven Seas is launching an all-new manga series based in the Avalon universe in Spring 2008.

Seven Seas has also licensed a whole slew of Japanese children’s book series that sort of straddle the line between prose and manga: they are traditional chapter books, heavily loaded with manga-style illustration. The first series, coming in October, will be The Pirate And The Princess, about a young princess whose family dies at the hands of an invading army and who is saved by a mysterious – and apparently immortal – pirate queen. Naturally, avenging the death of her family and uncovering the truth about her rescuer become the focus of the series.

The Pirate And The Princess will be followed by a series about an apprentice thief who is learning the trade at the side of his uncle, a true master criminal, and another series about a girl who wrangles ghosts and supernatural beings for a living, a la Ghostbusters.

I’ve also been working with Jimmy Gownley, the author of Amelia Rules!, who is continuing that series and planning a big publicity push this year. He just wrapped up Kids Love Comics Day March 3rd at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg, PA, where a group of creators held all-day workshops, signings, and demonstrations for more than 500 wide-eyed local kids and their parents. The tremendous success of that event bodes well for the future; Kids Love Comics is hoping to take their “Kids Love Comics Day” model around the country.

Top Shelf has a brand-new kids’ graphic novel coming out next month called Korgi, which looks absolutely beautiful. There’s a trailer for the book on the Top Shelf website. And of course, Owly volume 4 will be coming out April, too. Chris Staros and I have discussed the possiblility of repackaging Owly in color specifically for the children’s market, but it’s an option that we’re still exploring….

Lastly, I am in touch with a lot of artists and agents who have fantastic projects that are just waiting to find a home. As much as I can, I’m hoping to act as a conduit, sending the right projects to the right editors.

A Bit Haywire

2007-04-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

A Bit Haywire by Courtney Huddleston and Scott Zirkel (Viper)

This is the best superhero comic you’ve never heard of. I don’t know if it’s the clunky title or what, but even though I spend entirely too much time looking for all-ages books, it took me a while to stumble across this one. The concept is brilliant – young Owen begins to get his superpowers but they are, well, a little bit haywire. He has superspeed, but only when he holds his breath, he can fly, but only with his eyes closed, and just wait until you see what happens when he sneezes! My favorite is what happens when someone takes his picture, but I won’t spoil it – half the fun of this book is watching Owen discover new powers, each zanier than the one before.

A Bit Haywire is high quality on every level. Zirkel’s writing is spot-on. The story is crystal clear and none of us had any trouble telling what was going on at any point. (I know that seems like a given, but you’d be surprised how many comics we’ve tried to read where the kids had no idea what was happening.) I loved how it brought back the feelings I had as a kid playing superhero – there’s nothing better than putting on a mask and a pair of oven mitts, tying your mom’s bath towel around your neck, and flying off to fight evil. Huddleston’s art is perfectly cartoony, action-packed, and expressive and Mike Garcia’s fully-saturated colors are simply awesome. This is everything all-ages comics should be –colorful, funny, and highly entertaining. There’s nothing inappropriate for kids in this book because it just isn’t needed – the story will entertain everyone, regardless of age or affinity (or lack thereof) for superheroes.

Shelby says: I like A Little Bit Haywire because it is very funny. It’s about a kid who figures out he has superpowers when he’s chased by a dog, falls off of his treehouse, and accidentally lays on ice cubes. His superpowers are special because he can only run really fast when he holds his breath and he has to do other certain things to do other certain superpowers, but I can’t tell you because they’re surprises. The idea of using superpowers by doing a certain thing is a very good idea because it’s new and original. The drawings are cool because the people are just simple lines, but the shading is what makes it look sort of 3-D. Also I like a series of panels when he is in his new costume and everybody is asking him questions. I like it because of the colors are really interesting because I would never have thought of using those colors. It turns out that his parents also have super powers but they have to take a certain type of serum to get them. I think that this book is for kids 7 to adult.

Sarah says: I like A Bit Haywire because of the characters. My favorite character is the little boy named Owen because he likes Hotfoot (she’s a girl) even though she’s older than him. My favorite part is when Owen and his dad race across the canyon. I liked it because I like the idea that a little kid could beat a superhero dad. Another favorite part of mine is when Owen dresses up in a “HERS” bath towel as a cape and tries to stop three boys in super robot suits from trashing a mall. I also liked it when he accidentally teleported into the girls bathroom! I think that it is for all ages, like our column says, and I even think my dad and grandpa would like it.

I just don’t understand why A Bit Haywire hasn’t gotten the buzz it deserves. It’s great all-ages entertainment and belongs on every reader’s shelf, in every library, and in every classroom. A Bit Haywire is going straight into my personal top ten all-ages comic list. Yes, it’s that good.

The Mighty Skullboy Army

2007-04-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

The Mighty Skullboy Army by Jacob Chabot (Dark Horse)

We discovered Jacob Chabot and his Mighty Skullboy Army mini comics at the San Diego Comic-Con as he was sharing a table with Chris Giarrusso (Mini Marvels, G-Man, and the best website ever). Then, Chabot went on to win the Dark Horse new talent competition which has resulted in a trade of Skullboy goodness – yay! The girls will give you a good idea what it’s all about, but basically Skullboy is the world’s most evil elementary student, who, assisted by robot Unit 1 and monkey Unit 2, attempts to rule the world. Throw in a bunch of other fun characters – Mod Dog, Booger Ralph, Kevin the intern, Brutus the bully, Decoy Double #17 – and you get fun for everyone.

Sarah says: This is about this evil guy that’s a skeleton but is a kid and runs an evil corporation but he still has to go to school. The other major characters besides Skullboy are Unit 1, a robot, and Unit 2, a monkey that was made in a science lab to be extra smart but he’s really not. He’s extra dumb. I think that Skullboy and the Units are very cute characters. They look cute, but they don’t act cute – they just try to rule the world. Skullboy just wants to be evil and that’s it. My favorite character is Decoy Double 17 who is a clone of Skullboy. I like him because he is nice, but I feel sorry for him because everybody hates him.

Shelby says: Skullboy is basically a kid with a skull for a head. He has to go to school as he runs his evil corporation. He has two assistants who are a monkey and a robot. The robot is called Unit One and is very smart but very mean to the monkey, yet everyone in the corporation is anyway. The monkey (called Unit Two) was supposed to be the most intelligent animal there ever was but it didn’t happen. He can’t talk and messes around a lot. These three characters terrorize everyone, make a new unit for the corporation (which is a radish that goes psycho and attacks), compete each other with lemonade stands, and get (almost) demolished by the school bully. The art is very simple but it somehow works. I think this is a book for anybody ages 8 and up.

Skullboy is right up my alley as I’ve always loved a good mashup of cute and evil. Chabot’s character designs are so yummy, I’m even going to preorder the Skullboy vinyl figure. This is a fun book for all ages and would fit well on library and classroom shelves.

Journey into Mohawk Country

2007-04-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Journey into Mohawk Country by George O’Connor

This is an ambitious and fascinating project in which O’Connor uses as his text the 1634 journal of a Dutch trader in North America, creating all the visuals based on research and a creative interpretation of the trader’s own words. The story does have a beginning and an ending, but the storyline is not its allure. The difficulty of traveling many miles by foot in the winter, the size and configuration of native buildings, Mohawk healing traditions, the keeping and eating of bears – this may not be the most exciting graphic novel ever created, but it’s fascinating for its everyday details.

This is definitely a book that should be used in classrooms studying early American history – it’s amazing how we like to focus on the pilgrims, when so much more was going on in North America in that time. Journey into Mohawk Country is also a must for classes studying Native American culture, as there is a wealth of information about Mohawk life. This book could also provide the basis for a study on the interpretation of historical documents. Students can read the actual words written by Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert (albeit translated into English) and discuss O’Connor’s interpretations as well as the comedic additions he made via the illustrations, most likely in the name of making the story more interesting. Anyone with even a passing interest in history will enjoy it, and kids are certainly going be more interested in Journey into Mohawk Country than a textbook.

As to age-appropriateness, there is one depiction of topless women from behind (it’s in the preview) but it’s certainly not racy in any way. Due to the subject matter, I’d say this book is most suited to upper elementary students and older, only because younger kids might not be interested (unless, of course, they are history buffs like Sarah).

Sarah says: Journey into Mohawk Country is about a guy from the Neverlands (sic) that trades with Indians in New York. The Dutch guys mostly got beaver skin or other skins from animals. I think it was interesting that the Mohawks kept bears as pets. They waited for them to get fat and then they ate them! I like it when the Dutch guy watches some Indians try to heal a sick man traditionally. My favorite characters are the Dutch guy’s two friends because they are funny. They always mess around and in the beginning they fight and fall in the water. Once at night the large guy’s pants accidentally fell into the fire – that was funny. It’s not violent, but some little kids might be scared of the parts when the Indians try to cure the sick guys – it’s gross. I think that people who want history with a bit of funniness would like this book.

Shelby says: I like the fact that the author figured out how to turn the writings of the Dutch guy into pictures. It’s interesting that he used all of the writings from the journal and didn’t change a single thing. I think I would like this better than a textbook because it’s much more interesting!

The Professor's Daughter

2007-04-03T17:10:00.001-07:00

The Professor’s Daughter by Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert

Shelby says: I loved this book because the story was very unique – it was about a mummy who dates a professor’s daughter. He thinks that she is the reincarnation of his wife when he lived in Egypt. It seems like it’s in the 1800’s because of how everyone is dressed and there are horse-drawn carriages, but it never says anything about the time. I love the paintings because they were realistic and each scene has a different main color to create the mood. It’s not a horror story at all – the mummy is just a guy in some bandages. The mummy confronts his dad and there’s some violence in end. It’s a romance, but there’s no kissing, and it’s action-packed, too. This book would be for 12-year-olds and up. I’m 11, but I’m sophisticated in reading. The story is a bit rough for kids younger than me – there’s a bit of violence – but it’s not gross and gory.

Sarah says: I like The Professor’s Daughter because it has special qualities that might not appear in other graphic novels. It is about many things that the professor’s daughter, aka Lillian, and Imhotep “eye-vee” do together. It’s a romance story and an action story, too. The romance part is when Lillian and Imhotep talk about loving and marrying each other, but I like that there are no smooches. The action part is where they escape from The Tower of London and there are a few chases. Something happens to the Queen, too, but I’m not telling you what! Ha ha ha! It’s weird when the mummy drinks tea and gets drunk. The story has three people dying in it, but it’s not gross at all. But little kids that don’t understand that it’s just a story might get freaked out and cry. I didn’t understand the ending, but after my mom explained it to me, I understood everything perfectly and it was a very nice and happy ending.

Written by Sfar and beautifully painted by Guibert, this was the extraordinarily creative duo’s breakthrough hit ten years ago in Europe. The art is absolutely gorgeous and the story genuinely unique – imagine a mash-up between Masterpiece Theater and film noir, throw in some mummies, and play it all out in Victorian London. It’s probably too much for younger readers, with the murder and all, but I highly recommend The Professor’s Daughter to everyone old enough for a tale of love, kidnapping, betrayal, murder, and Queen Victoria soaked to her undies.

Read a preview here.

Tiny Tyrant & Sardine

2007-04-03T17:09:00.001-07:00

Tiny Tyrant, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme

Tiny Tyrant is series of short stories about King Ethelbert, the nasty little six-year-old king of Portocristo. Whether he’s trying to force Santa Claus to become his personal chef, calling for his own Ethelbertosaurus, or trying to cut to the front of the line for a signature from his favorite comic artist, this kid is one major handful. The art brings to mind the Fractured Fairy Tales cartoons that played alongside Bullwinkle (a personal favorite) and the retro animated style works perfectly for these stories. Ethelbert is the funniest spoiled rotten brat ever and I laughed through the whole book.

Sarah says: It’s about this dude named Ethelbert the something, and he’s really super bratty and he’s like a five-year-old. In the book he has a few supporting characters. They are a lady he calls Miss Prime Minister and he always gets what he wants and he thinks that nothing is impossible and she has to try to get him what he wants without letting him destroy the country. There’s Princess Hildegardina who is three times richer than him and says big words all the time like “disconsolate” and “philistine” and she tries to teach Ethelbert how to talk her way. Sigismund is his cousin and always fights with him. I would give it to my friends AND my grandparents!

Shelby says: I tried to read this book two times, but I only got to do it once all the way through because my mom took it away from me so she could read it. I would like to read it again because it is very funny and the stories are creative and the art is cool! It’s about a six-year-old dictator who is the king of Portocristo, an imaginary country. He thinks that he’s the best ruler in the world and he wants to be richer than his cousin, Sigismund. Actually, he’s pretty bad. He doesn’t pay attention to his tutor, and when the chef makes an ice cream sundae about as big as a couch, Ethelbert only takes a spoonful and says, “Small helpings are for wimps.” The adults treat him like he’s the neediest person in the entire city by getting him everything he wants and he threatens them if they don’t give him what he wants. I can’t pick which story is my favorite, so I’ll say all of them! This is a book for kids about six years old to adult.

Ethelbert is definitely an anti-role model, and there is some violence (lots of bombs explode, but no one gets hurt), so very conservative parents might not want to share it with very young readers (or little boys who might try to become Ethelbert). Honestly, I think Tiny Tyrant is what all-ages entertainment is all about – grandparents and grandkids could truly enjoy this book together.

Read a preview here.

Sardine in Outer Space by Emmanuel Guibert and Joann Sfar

I’m going to go ahead and call this a “kids’ comic” instead of all-ages because it really is squarely aimed at younger readers. There are plenty of jokes about bodily functions and a whole bunch of rambunctious pirate kids who, guided by Uncle Yellow Shoulder, repeatedly defeat the evil Supermuscleman. I imagine this is probably the European version of Captain Underpants – it’s goofy and silly and all kinds of fun.

Sarah says: I like all three books of Sardine in Outer Space because they are about kids that do bad things and don’t get punished for it – they get rewarded! They fight the evil Supermuscleman and his assistant, Doc Krok, who is a mad scientist. All the characters have something in common…they are all space pirates. I mostly remember two stories. One is about a flea circus that Uncle Yellow Shoulder and the kids save from a giant. The other one is the one about the Cha-Cha flies. It’s about these flies that sting people and that makes the people sing annoying cha-cha songs. The flies lure the people into their trap with their poo that tastes like chocolate. Anybody that is a geek for pirates or space and maybe boxing will like these books, as long as they’re old enough to know that they shouldn’t talk about poo and pee in public.

Nickelodeon Magazine comics

2007-04-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Best of Nickelodeon Magazine All-Comics Special

I would never, ever have picked this up in a grocery store and I would never have guessed what treasures were inside. With The Fairly Odd Parents on the cover, I automatically assumed that it would be nothing but branded junk from the network. Wrong! There are a Sponge Bob and an Oddparents strip at the beginning and the end, but sandwiched in between is such comic-y goodness! Strips, interviews, gags, and games by young, talented creators like Charise Mericle Harper, Souther Salazar, Andy Ristaino, and Jason Shiga (Eisner and Ignatz winner). Not convinced? How about Gahan Wilson, James Kochalka, Craig Thompson, and Jordan Crane? Thought that might get your attention.

In addition to the strips and gags, which really will make you laugh, this is a really wonderful way to get your creative juices flowing and learn more about how comics work. There are two great games – match the missing item to its gag (Robert Leighton), and mixed-up word balloons (Craig Thompson) – and lots of gags which really get you thinking about how to tell an entire story in one panel. The “how to” strips by Ellen Forney and Gahan Wilson and the interview with gag writers Felipe Galindo, Johnny Ryan, and Karen Sneider were so inspirational and instructive that I actually got out my crayons and drew some comics – for the first time ever!

Sarah says: I liked the Nickelodeon comics because there are many different stories and all of them are cool. I liked the Gag Station because it’s by all these different artists and each one is only one picture. They are funny and I especially like Ian Baker’s because it’s about a teenage fish getting her lip pierced and it made me laugh.

Shelby says: It’s all about how to make comics. There’s the kind that it could go different ways, like a maze. There’s some really interesting ones like “The Worst Comic Book Villains That Never Existed,” like Doctor Buckethead, Pants-On-Head-Man, and the Crayoniacs, who wear dog costumes and draw on people’s walls. I also like the one called “Rules for Falling in Public.”

The All-Comics Special, especially the Forney and Gahan bits and the interview with the gag writers, is a must-have for anyone teaching kids about making comics. This would also be a great little booster shot of creativity for anyone who writes or draws funny stuff. Next time you see a Nickelodeon Magazine in the grocery check-out line, pick it up and look for The Comic Book – you’ll be surprised. Check out some samples at the Nickmag Comics Livejournal.

Big Fat Little Lit

2007-04-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Big Fat Little Lit, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Puffin Books)

We have owned and enjoyed the three hardcover volumes of Little Lit for a while now, but at twenty bucks each, they can be a real budget buster. Now, there’s Big Fat Little Lit, a paperback anthology selected from all three volumes, bringing you 36 comics and games for the nice price of $14.99. It’s an amazing line-up of creators from both comics and children’s literature, including Neil Gaiman and Gahan Wilson, Ian Falconer (Olivia) and David Sedaris, J. Otto Seibold (Olive the Other Reindeer), Crockett Johnson (Harold and the Purple Crayon), William Joyce (A Day With Wilbur Robinson), Tony Millionaire (Sock Monkey), Walt Kelly, Kaz, Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are), Daniel Clowes (Eightball), David Macaulay (The Way Things Work), Lewis Trondheim (Mister O), Martin Handford (Where’s Waldo?), and of course, Art Spiegelman.

This is a refreshing collection of odd, imaginative, clever, and unconventional stories that are not just for kids. There’s an edge to many of them, and that’s what I like best – Little Lit proves that not all stories for children must have happy endings. Some of my favorites:

The Hungry Horse by Kaz– a circular tale wherein a bad guy gets what he deserves.

Maurice Sendak’s Cereal Baby Keller – which proves that even a beloved children’s author can be slightly twisted.

The Several Selves of Selby Sheldrake by Art Spiegelman – which begins with nose picking and turns into an inventive play on words.

Ian Falconer & David Sedaris’ Pretty Ugly – which gives new meaning to an old phrase.

Neil Gaiman & Gahan Wilson’s It Was A Dark And Silly Night… – which includes a Jell-O fight in a graveyard, and, really, what’s better than that?

Sarah says: I like Neil Gaiman’s story because it has good pictures and it’s a funny story about a boy having a party at a graveyard and all the monsters come alive. I like “The Hungry Horse” because the guy who’s a farmer turns into a horse and they sell him. I learned that you shouldn’t get something when you can’t take care of it. I also liked the “Prince Rooster” story by Art Spiegelman because it has good pictures and the story is very original.

Shelby says: I liked the story by Joost Swarte because the drawings are cool and this boy, his head came off and he had to go to the hospital and they put it back on. At the end he had his head on backwards. “The Baker’s Daughter” is good because some fairy person, dressed like a very poor person, asked for some food. The baker’s daughter only gave her a little piece, so she turned her into an owl. I learned even if someone’s poor and you’re rich, don’t treat them differently because they’re the same as you.

This definitely belongs in every library, with copies in the children’s section, the teen/young adult section, and the adult collection. If you want to show someone how diverse, entertaining, and engaging short-form comics can be, give them Big Fat Little Lit.

The Cryptics & The Very Big Monster Show

2007-04-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Cryptics by Steve Niles and Ben Roman (Image)

“For Immature Readers Only!” When you see that on the cover of a comic, it’s gotta be a good sign, right? Well, yes and no. For older readers, The Cryptics is really a lot of fun, but not so much for the little ones.

Niles and Roman take a bunch of young monsters (Wolfy, Drac, Jekyll/Hyde, and Sea Boy) and give them smart-aleck 10-year-old personalities, which, of course, leads to all kinds of zany mayhem and fun.

The first issue isn’t what I’d consider all-ages. There are the seemingly compulsory uses of the words “crap” and “ass” that seem to have become ubiquitous in comics. There is also the scene where “getting it on” and “sexual intercourse” are mentioned in reference to Wolfy’s parents (!), and there’s a seriously twisted Christmas tale. It’s very entertaining, however, for anyone over the age of about 15.

The second issue is much more kid-friendly. The story involves Wolfy mistakenly being sent to Limbo and the boys’ attempt to rescue him. A solid story, funny dialogue, and likeable characters make it a fun read for anyone 10 and older. The bureaucratic reaper minions and their psycho boss just might be my new favorite comic characters.

Sarah says: Cryptics is very funny, even though it has a few words in it that are, well, you know what I mean. The comics are very short. In the first comic it’s a bunch of different stories and in the second one it’s two different stories. My favorite character is Kid Hyde because he is really dorky when the potion isn’t in his body, but when he has the potion he is a giant monster. The Hyde monster doesn’t quite say things clearly and his shirt and pants are ripped. He’s funny because he doesn’t really know much but he always ends up helping everybody. In the second story there are little Viking dudes that accidentally come to the monster kids’ world. The Viking dudes are really teeny, only about a foot tall and I liked them because they were so chubby and cute, like little babies with beards and Viking hats.

Shelby says: I LOVE the Cryptics because the stories and the art are very cool. The art is awesome because the monsters are cute yet still creepy like they should be. There’s Drac, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Wolfy, and Jekyll turns into Hyde. The stories are cool because things happen like when Drac’s mom comes out to where he and his friends are playing with water guns. So Hyde says, “Drac’s in trouble…Drac’s in trouble!” She ends up making them play with their toys in the play room (a dungeon) which happen to be torturing stuff. So basically they act like regular kids but they are really monsters. This is basically all ages but there’s only a few things you have to watch out for. Sometimes the Creature from the Black Lagoon kid says “ crap,” Drac says “ass” once, and the occasional gross drool from their mouths, but other than that it’s really appropriate for almost anyone who likes monsters. Anyway, I LOVE this comic.

Read the Newsarama interview with Niles and Roman here. See a five-page preview of Issue #2 at Ben Roman’s blog.

While we’re talking Niles, we should also mention The Very Big Monster Show by Steve Niles and Butch Adams (IDW). This great little book came out a couple of years ago and is well worth picking up. In what amounts to a love letter to classic movie monsters, a young boy gets the old gang back together (Drac, Frank, the Mummy, etc.) and helps them remember how to be scary, just in time to run off the newbies from Big Deal Studios like Devil Doll and Forkhead. A really fun story with beautifully creepy art by Butch Adams, this isn’t for the littlest tykes, but anyone who likes monsters at all will love it.

Sarah says: It is not mean, and horrible, and scary except for the part when the monsters look all creepy because they’re all dark and have these big fingernails and teeth. I felt happy for the monsters because they finally got what they wanted, which was to be more famous again.

On the Roman side of things, we all loved the art in The Cryptics. Be warned, however, that Roman and Giffen’s I Luv Halloween, which on the surface appears to be a “spooky cute” story like The Cryptics, is most definitely NOT all-ages.

Gumby comics

2007-04-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

Gumby by Bob Burden and Rick Geary (Wildcard Ink)

I remember watching the Gumby show when I was a kid and thinking it was like an odd dream, but in a fun way. Reading the first two Gumby comic issues felt like floating through fever induced nightmares caused by the flu. In the first issue, a gang of rogue clowns loots a convenience store, tries to kidnap Cuddles and beat up Gumby, and then sets all the booze ablaze, trapping Gumby and friends in the burning building. In the second issue Gumby gets hypnotized and turned into a Golem, Pokey pukes, and Gumby’s mom is driven to say, “Our child! His guts are coming out!” Personally, I find Nimrod to be one of the creepiest characters ever drawn (*shudder*). There are some fun gags that adults will enjoy, and the art is actually very good, but overall the whole thing just set my teeth on edge.

Sarah says: Gumby is very different than most comics. It has its own style to it. The stories are very odd and sometimes they didn’t make too much sense. In the second one it sort of didn’t look too kid-friendly in Gumby’s dream because the girl, Cuddles, was all burnt and was on fire. When reading it, it felt like torturing myself a little because it creeps me out a little bit. I want to read the next one so I can torture myself more.

Shelby says: Gumby is very interesting. The art creeps me out sometimes because some of the characters are very creepy looking, like the clowns and the Ringmaster. The stories are not for children in some parts because the things that some of the characters do are bad examples for children and there are some scary images, like when the bulldog takes a bite out of Gumby’s leg and when the clowns scare away a policeman by kicking him in the bottom and aiming a cannon at him. In one scene, a superhero sidekick calls Cuddles a “hoochie mama.” Gumby and his pal Pokey are cute and I like the town because all of the buildings are things like a big, huge mailbox, a chair, a fire hydrant, and other stuff.

Ugh – I think that’s our first across-the-board negative review. The next one is better, I promise!

Castle Waiting

2007-04-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley, published by Fantagraphics

If you have even a passing interest in all-ages graphic novels, you’ve heard of Castle Waiting. It has won Harveys and Eisners and was just named to the American Library Association’s 2007 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens. I’m slightly ashamed that we are just getting around to reading this book now, and I intend to do penance before St. Wilgeforte to make up for it.

Castle Waiting has its roots in classic fairy tales (Sleeping Beauty shapes the beginning of the story) but the completely original cast of characters drives this book into new and very creative territory. You get bearded nuns, a horse knight, poltersprites, a green baby, an Opinicus, and plenty of other odd and amusing characters, but it’s the depth and complexity of the main characters that is so appealing. There are no Disney princesses here! My favorite character is Sister Peace, a bearded nun who can be silly as well as strong, inept as well as insightful, and, like most of us, is groping and stumbling her way toward doing the right thing.

The clean lined art is completely focused on the characters, featuring great facial expressions and body language. The story can get complicated – there’s a story within a story within a story – so it might be difficult for younger readers to follow. There is some minor language (“crap” and “hell”) that might keep it out of an elementary school, but that would be a shame, because this is a great book that shows what an all-ages graphic novel can and should be.

The girls balked at the sight of the hefty book at first – it certainly doesn’t look like a comic book! – but that only lasted about two pages. The very second Sarah finished the last page of the book, she flipped back to the beginning and started all over again. Now, she’s a strong reader for her age (8 years old), and often has her nose buried in a book, but I’ve never seen her do that before. Shelby (age 11) flopped out on her bed and read it cover to cover in a couple of hours straight.

Shelby says: Castle Waiting is very awesome because the characters are interesting. There are funny characters and characters that are like people but they have animal heads. The drawings are very detailed and it’s only black, no gray at all, but Linda Medley uses lines to give it a lot of depth and detail. I like Pindar because he’s a cute, tiny baby and he’s got funny hair when it doesn’t get cut. If kids think that this book is way too long to read, they should know that it’s not hard to read and I read it in one day. I think the ages should be nine to adult. Like our topic says, “This is an all-ages book!” Kids eight and under might not understand it because there are stories within the story.

Sarah says: I like Castle Waiting because of the characters. It’s different from other books because it’s a VERY large graphic novel. It has many characters. I can probably only name half of them because there are so many. My favorite ones are Leeds, who is a demon, because he always talks to and has a crush on Sister Peace. He can turn into anything he can think of, but the only thing he can’t do is get lost. Sir Chess is a man who looks like a horse and I like him because he’s a really tough guy and he always makes jokes and he’s nice, too. Did you know that “caudal appendage” means a tail? You’ll learn a lot in this book! I like Finny, the worm-looking dude that protects the baby. He talks funny, like when he says, “Skeereeree monnsserrrz!” I had to read his words out loud in order to understand them and that was fun. I think that both kids and grownups would like this book, but kids that don’t know that they shouldn’t say certain words that are in the book shouldn’t read it by themselves. The words aren’t really that bad, but just to be safe, adults should be supervising them.

The collected hardcover edition of Castle Waiting from Fantagraphics is a beautifully produced book. You can purchase color plates to put in it and a gorgeous cover to put on it at Linda Medley’s site, where you can also preview an entire chapter. The best news of all is that Castle Waiting Volume 2 is being released in single issues every six weeks. We have the first four issues and we’ve penciled in the release date for #4 on the family calendar.

Lunchbox Funnies online comics

2007-04-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Lunchbox Funnies online comic collective

When I read about the launch of www.lunchboxfunnies.com, the new all-ages webcomic collective, my excitement about new all-ages material was tempered by the fact that I’ve never been a big webcomics fan. I’d rather see a two-page spread all at once and not have to scroll and click. That, and the computer screen gives me a headache if I look at it too long.

But the mission statement for Lunchbox Funnies is so dead-on, I just had to give it a try:
The term “all-ages” has become something of a mantra for our creators. We’ve each been working towards creating highly entertaining comics that can be enjoyed by beginning readers, teenagers, and adults alike. We’re convinced that “all-ages” doesn’t mean “just for kids,” but rather it’s a label that should apply to entertainment that allows for shared experiences across generational lines. Our creators benefited greatly from quality all-ages entertainment growing up, but these days stories that can be enjoyed by children and adults seem incredibly rare. Lunchbox Funnies wants to change that.

Ah, someone actually gets it. But are the comics actually all-ages? And are they any good? We took it upon ourselves to find out. I clicked and clicked and clicked some more, got a headache, took a break, and clicked some more. And I smiled and I giggled and I laughed. The best part, however, is what happened when I turned the girls loose on the site. It was completely silent in our house for several hours except for the occasional chortle, giggle, or guffaw. That alone makes this site a success in my book.

Here’s what we thought of each of the eight webcomics in the collective. Our reviews include the number of clicks (think “pages”) available as of this writing.

Aki Alliance by Ryan Estrada

I got a few chuckles out of Ryan Estrada’s story of “one girl's battle to make friends with everyone in her class, whether they like it or not.” Each chapter features Aki trying to make another of her classmates into a friend – all on a bet. If you like smart-alek humor, definitely give this one a shot. 36 clicks

Sarah says: My favorite part about Aki Alliance is the part when Aki’s mom talks instead of the Dad. I also like the part when the kids talk in a funny made-up language. I can understand it because I know that they separate the letters in to different colors so you just read the black letters. I want to read more because I want to see her make friends with all the other people in the school.

Astronaut Elementary by Dave Roman

I had a hard time getting through about the first 18 clicks or so – the quirky way the characters speak just got annoying after a while – but I started to get into it when I got to the “anti-gravity drill” storyline and enjoyed it from there on. Be warned that the second page is somewhat inappropriate for young kids, so you might want to skip that one. 30 clicks, some much longer than others

Shelby says: It’s a series of different comics that have a story about a different character. There’s a snotty brat rich girl, a bunny, a regular girl, and a boy who lives in a robot’s head. It’s really long, so I didn’t read it all yet, and some of the pages take a while to download on my computer. Someday, if I have enough time, I will finish reading it.

Butterfly by Dean Trippe

Butterfly is a cute, little superhero sidekick and most of the other characters in the strip are parodies of existing superhero characters. I think I’m missing something here – even though I started reading at the oldest strip in the archive it feels like I came into the middle of the story and I’m not quite sure what’s going on. It’s always hard to start a new title and establish characters, so maybe I just need to stick with it until it gets rolling. And maybe if I read more superhero comics, especially DC titles, I’d get more out of this one. 38 clicks

Sarah says: It just didn’t make sense to me because it didn’t introduce you to any of the characters – it just sort of started.

Cow & Buffalo by Mark Maihack

Stupid Cow + smart Buffalo = funny. I really enjoyed the early strips in black and white – pretty funny stuff. But when Maihack started adding color shading, well, it just isn’t my cup of hot chocolate. For me, it actually made it harder to see the characters. I also liked the writing up until about the same point, but I just didn’t find the time travel storyline as entertaining as the earlier stuff. Many, many clicks, going back to 2003

Shelby says: The cow is a boy with udders – it explains how that happened and it’s funny. They try to eat the hen’s eggs and they tease her like on one that’s Halloween costumes, they say, “What are you dressed up as?” and she says, “I’m a witch,” and they say, “No, really, what’s your costume?” It’s funny.

Lunchbox by Ovi Nedelcu

Sarah says: Lunchbox is about a girl and her little brother, but the brother is a baby but speaks long words. They’re not very good friends. The girl is basically a brat in most of the stories and the little boy is cute and kind. Each picture is a separate story but about the same two characters.

Hard to tell about this one as there are only 7 strips so far. All I can say at this point is that the humor is very biting. I enjoyed Ovi’s Pigtale, so I’ll come back for more of Lunchbox to see how it plays out.

Silent Kimbly by Ryan Sias

Silent Kimbly is a collection of one-shot puns which run the gamut from real groaners to genuine laugh-out louds. I can see these being used in a classroom to teach homonyms, heteronyms, homographs, and other odd fun with the English language. I recommend that parents and kids (or teachers and students) read it together so those with more life experience can explain some of the jokes to the younger readers. 292 clicks –the puns start around the mid-fifties

Sarah says: It’s like Amelia Bedealia because it has different meanings for the words that make it funny. It’s not a story but each picture tells its own joke. Most of them made me laugh, but certain ones (like the “bottom of the bathtub”) just made me go, “Eeeew!” I think it would be good in a second grade class or older to teach kids about double meaning words.

Wally & Osborne by Tyler Martin

In the same spirit as Peanuts and Calvin & Hobbes, Tyler Martin makes all-ages comics really funny. Wally & Osborne is a Sunday funnies style strip starring a penguin and a polar bear in Antarctica and it will definitely make you laugh. Much of the humor revolves around something very bad happening to Osborne the penguin (a la Coyote & Roadrunner) and/or various bodily functions, so I suppose if a parent were worried about violence and bathroom humor they might want to skip this one, but it’s no worse than most cartoons. Recommended for most everyone and should definitely be in the funny pages of all major newspapers! Mucho, mucho clicks going back to June 2005

Shelby says: The polar bear is Wally and the penguin is Osborne and they tease each other. Sometimes they’re really stupid because they get themselves trapped or hurt or in some kind of trouble. I liked it because it’s funny when their teasing works on each other.

Zip and Lil’ Bit by Trade Loeffler

In my opinion, this is the best of the bunch. Completely charming and old-fashioned in the best way, Zip and Lil’ Bit really needs to be put in print. Go read it right now – it won’t take too long and will totally be worth your while. On a technical note, I liked that I could set the screen at just the right spot and not have to scroll at all as I went from page to page. 48 clicks

Sarah says: It’s awesome and would make a good text book (without pictures). It’s interesting because it has a strong amount of mystery-ish stuff. Lil’ Bit never really has a speech bubble – she only whispers into people’s ears and then they say stuff like, “Hey, that’s a good idea,” and then they say what she told them. There are two Zips, the upside down Zip and the regular Zip. They both think each other are upside down. They switch places and most of the story takes place with the actual upside down Zip. I can’t wait till Sunday to read and find out what happened to right-side-up Zip!

Kat & Mouse

2007-04-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Kat & Mouse, Teacher Torture and Kat & Mouse, Tripped
Alex de Campi and Federica Manfredi (Tokyopop)

When Kat's dad gets a job as a science teacher at a posh private school, things seem perfect—that is, until Kat's rich, popular classmates shove her to the bottom of the social heap just for being smart. And bad turns to worse when an anonymous student blackmails Kat's dad to give the class better grades! Can Kat and her new friend, the rebellious computer nerd Mouse, find the real culprits before Kat's dad loses his job? (Tokyopop)

The girls had to really push me to read these books. Frankly, reading about seventh-grade girls just didn’t appeal to me – I lived it, and I didn’t enjoy it the first time. I’m a sucker for a good mystery, though, and I have to admit that once I read the first two volumes, Alex de Campi had me hooked. There isn’t as much overblown pre-teen drama as I expected, and very little focus on the boy-girl dynamic, which is a relief. Each issue in the series features a mini-mystery (which is solved by the end), but the larger mystery of the Artful Dodger carries through all the books. I freely admit to being a manga moron (I don’t even how to pronounce it), so I can’t speak to how these books fit the genre, but the characters are all big-eyed and beautiful, so it looks like manga to me. I was a bit relieved that Kat & Mouse is in the English format and I didn’t have to read backwards, as I’ve just never gotten the hang of it.

Overall, this series is very entertaining so far and will certainly appeal to its intended audience of preteen girls. Adults looking for some light reading will also enjoy it. Kat & Mouse is definitely a must for every youth library.

Sarah says: Kat & Mouse is a good beginner’s mystery story that anyone would like. The two books I read are really good. The characters are all different – Kat and Mouse are friends Mouse is a punk chick and Kat is more girly-girl. I like the art because it’s kind of cartoony and kind of realistic at the same time. I like Mouse’s Guide to Dover Academy Seventh Grade because it explains everybody at the school. I like when younger people are the solvers of the mystery because it makes me feel like I could do it.

Shelby says: I like the art because the characters look sometimes manga but like real people at the same time. They make a good team because Kat is really smart and Mouse is friendly and tough. I like mystery stories and I liked this one a lot because I can’t figure it out before they give you the answer. The “popular” kids are just lame because of the way they talk and the way that they bully around Kat and Mouse just like what the popular kids do at my school. Boys wouldn’t be seen reading a story about girls, but if you gave it to them and they read it at home when no one was watching, they would like it.

Mail Order Ninja

2007-04-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

Mail Order Ninja, written by Joshua Elder, illustrated by Erich Owen (Tokyopop)

Shelby says: Mail Order Ninja is a story about a boy named Timmy who enters in a contest and wins a ninja named Jiro. His mom and dad won’t let him keep Jiro but he ends up doing it anyway. So the snobby rich girl at his school gets jealous and buys an evil ninja, which happens to be Jiro’s arch enemy.

And hilarity ensues! Timmy takes on bullies, deals with his bratty little sister, battles the most evil of villainesses and her ninja army, and saves the town – with Jiro’s help of course. Mail Order Ninja puts a ninja clan battle in the middle of an elementary school, manages not to kill anyone, and makes you laugh.

Is this great literature? No. Is it really, really fun? Absolutely! Kids will love the story, the humor, and the action, while adults will enjoy the plethora of pop culture references. Elder does a great job of working the references into the story so that even if kids don’t get them, they still make sense. The author and artist found some very creative ways to make these books all-ages – there’s nothing here that would keep these books out of a children’s library – with some simple word choices (“crud” instead of “crap”) and carefully depicted fight scenes. I got quite a few chuckles out of these books and I enjoyed the art quite a bit, even though I’m not a manga reader. Mail Order Ninja is silly fun for pretty much everyone.

Of course, some parents might make the “ninjas are violent” argument, though the violence in this book is very mild compared to many supposedly all-ages comics I’ve read. Be prepared, however, for some role play. As soon as Shelby finished reading Mail Order Ninja Vol. 2, she used her newly acquired ninja skills to attack me using a rolled up map as a sword. Though the stealth of her approach was impressive, I was able to employ some swift defensive maneuvers and take her down with the dreaded “tickle torture.” Tokyopop has a “Youth Age 10+” label on M.O.N. but I think I’d put it at 7 and up. The preview of Vol. 1, Chapter 1 is about as violent as these books get, so you can decide for yourself.

Mail Order Ninja Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are really one continuous story, so if you’re going to get one, go ahead and get both.

Shelby says: The art is very manga and the story is cool but the way some of the characters talk is a little odd. Like, the stupid kid just goes “duhhhhhhhhh” and the nerdy kid talks the opposite. That’s not how kids in the real world act but it was funny. It’s funny the way that Timmy’s little sister, Lindsay, always says, “Are you prouder of me than of Timmy? May I have a unicorn since Timmy gets a ninja?” She’s always jealous, like somebody else I know. You probably can guess who! The second book is much different than the first, but I can’t tell you why because it’s a surprise. If you are gonna read the first book, you should read the second because it’s the same story. If you only read the first one, you’re not going to get the entire story. I would say the ages are 7 and up. If you like funny things and action you will like this book, because there’s a lot of that in it.

Sarah says: Mail Order Ninja is so good it was certificated by the Awesome Awesomeness Association of America. I like it because the art was totally awesome and the kids and the ninjas kicked butt in it – hiiiiiiiiyaaaaaaaa! I would consider it easy to read except for a few long words that Herman says. Herman is the school nerd. I liked Felicity, the evil rich girl, because I made a voice up for her and it’s a cool voice. I liked the part when the kids that had no training beat up the bad ninjas. I didn’t like the kissing part so I’m glad they didn’t really show it. Everybody will like it except for small kids that can’t understand words very easily. I gave these books to my school library and I’ll bet lots of kids will check ‘em out!

Interview: David Saylor of Scholastic Graphics

2007-04-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

This week, we have an interview with one of the very first folks to take up the graphic novel banner at a major children’s publisher – David Saylor of Scholastic Graphix. Scholastic is, according to its website, “the largest publisher and distributor of children's books and related products to home and school,” distributing approximately 400 million books in 2006. So far the Graphix imprint has released two volumes of Raina Telgemeier’s adaptation of The Babysitters Club, a first volume of Goosebumps adaptations, Chynna Clugston’s Queen Bee, and four color volumes of Jeff Smith’s classic, Bone.

All-ages Reads: With so many people saying, "Comics aren't for kids anymore," it's wonderful to see a large publisher bring all-ages work out in a big way. Where did the idea for a Scholastic line of all-ages graphic novels originate and what are your goals for the imprint?

David Saylor: The first thing I'd love to change is the perception that “comics aren’t for kids anymore”. Perhaps it would be wiser to say: "Comics ARE for kids (and for everyone else, too)". In the push to make comics respectable and noteworthy, comics for kids have been somewhat ignored in the last 20 years. I believe strongly that now is the time for publishers to create wonderful comics for kids: we’re poised for an explosion of graphic novels, and perhaps even a new golden age. I want GRAPHIX to be a part of that. About 4 or 5 years ago, the buzz about Graphic novels was heating up again due to the incredible talents of creators like Jeff Smith, Kazu Kibuishi, Marjane Satrapi, and Craig Thompson. At that time, too, I began reading graphic novels and I rediscovered a love for comics originating from when I was eight years old. But when I was around ten or eleven, I stopped reading comics (except for the comics in MAD Magazine), and I think it was partly because there wasn’t a broad range of comics available for me to read, beyond superhero comics. The comics I liked best then were character-based stories with Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, Little Lotta, and Richie Rich. And I definitely liked reading longer comics that felt more substantial. Anyway, while I was discovering these great graphic novels for adults and thinking back on my childhood reading patterns, it suddenly seemed clear that today’s kids who love comics weren’t being especially well served by comic book publishers, and worse, were being completely ignored by mainstream children's publishers. And that made no sense: kids love comics; we publish books for kids. Why weren’t we publishing comics for kids? It seemed so obvious. So that’s what spurred me to create the GRAPHIX imprint at Scholastic.

Another nice confluence happened when I hired Janna Morishima to be my assistant, and it turned out that she loved comics as much as I did. Our passion and quiet determination helped launch the GRAPHIX imprint at Scholastic, though it only came together with the addition of the talented editor and comics advocate, Sheila Keenan, and the vision of our then publisher, Jean Feiwel. And now here we are, going into our third year of publishing.

AAR: So, how is it going so far? Are you getting the response and sales figures you wanted or expected?

DS: The response has been great from everyone so far: retailers, comics aficionados, and, most happily, kids. I think our timing was good. We launched in 2005 and we seem to be riding a very nice wave, one that grew from the grassroots of the comics world, swelled from the enthusiasm of Librarians (who quickly embraced graphic novels for kids), and is now surging forward on the excitement of retailers and the book-buying public. Teachers, too, are starting to join the swim. Everyone is looking for ways to get kids reading and I think graphic novels and comics are the new answer to an old problem. As far as sales go, we’ve been doing well, and in some cases the sales have been spectacular, as with Jeff Smith's BONE books. The first four BONE books combined have sold over a million copies in all of Scholastic’s distribution channels (Trade, Book Fairs, and Clubs). Those figures verify for me that when kids connect with comics, it's a really powerful phenomenon.

AAR: Scholastic's distribution model is distinctly different than Diamond's direct market approach or even most mainstream book publishers - kids can buy Scholastic books at school. For those readers who don't have kids in school, can you explain the Book Clubs and Book Fairs and how they impact your sales?

DS: Scholastic is very unusual in that we have three areas of distribution: Trade, Book Fairs, and Clubs. The Trade market consists of traditional book stores, comic book stores, mass superstores (Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, Costco, for example) and other retailers and wholesalers. This is the territory that every publisher is selling to.

Scholastic Book Fairs are like a book store set up by schools in their library, gym, or even a hallway for several days or up to a week. Kids and parents come to the fair and are able to buy books at good prices from all publishers, not just Scholastic, and so there’s a great variety of books to choose from. Each fair is managed and staffed by volunteers from the community--kids and adults alike--and they put enormous energy into making it a success. The essential part is that each school receives a percentage of sales from their fair, and that money is then used to support programs at that school. Beyond income for the school, it also generates plenty of excitement about books. I’ve been to several fairs and it’s always incredibly energizing to see kids get so excited by books they’ve picked out for themselves. The fairs are a great way for kids to explore the pleasure of reading.

The Scholastic Book Clubs distribute book catalogs through teachers who then distribute them to kids in the classroom. The Clubs are all about great value: wonderful books at amazing prices. And again, they offer books from all publishers, not just Scholastic. I have great memories of ordering from the Scholastic Book Clubs when I was a kid. It was the first time that I got to choose books for myself. And I ordered anything that piqued my interest: mysteries, joke books, adventure stories. It was very empowering to be able to order what I wanted and to realize that the world was full of so many different kinds of books that I might love to read. So, when it comes to getting books to children, Scholastic is incredibly effective: it’s astonishing how many kids we can reach. We’re the largest publisher and distributor of children's books in the world.

AAR: When I was teaching, my entire classroom library came from Scholastic Book Order bonus points! Scholastic’s presence in the schools is huge. How are books selected for the Book Club flyers? Is there the possibility of an all graphic novel flyer in the future?

DS: Book Club selections are made by a team of editors at the Book Clubs. They review books sent to them by various publishers who are eager to license a Scholastic edition of their books to the Book Clubs. The editors pick books that they feel are right for the age group and for the particular book club (there are a few different Clubs, mostly differentiated by ages/grades and content). Naturally all books are screened for content to make sure that it’s age appropriate and therefore many Teen graphic novels would not work for Book Clubs based on that criteria. As to what’s featured in the flyers, these are also decisions made by the Book Club editors. Graphic novels can be submitted to Teresa Imperato, Director of Product Development. The idea of doing an “all graphic novel flyer” is interesting, but my guess is that there would have to be enough interest among kids and teachers to justify the expense of creating and marketing a separate flyer, which is enormous. And at this point, the demand is not yet there.

AAR: Your PDF publication aimed at teachers, Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom, is excellent. I think every teacher and librarian should have a copy. Who wrote it? Has it been well-received?

DS: It's a great pamphlet and it's available as a free download on our website: http://scholastic.com/graphix/ There’s a box on the homepage that says, “Click here for Teaching with Graphix”. Click, and you can download the PDF file. It was written by Philip Crawford and Stephen Weiner, two authors who are each highly regarded experts in the field of graphic novels for youth librarians and teachers, and edited by our Director of Library Marketing, John Mason.

AAR: Graphix has gone with some proven winners, like Bone, and adapted some popular prose series, like The Babysitters Club and Goosebumps. When evaluating existing titles that could be added to the Graphix line, what do you look for?

DS: The first thing to think about is whether or not a book feels like it can be successfully adapted into a graphic novel. Not every book or series we've published is going to be right for visual adaptation. Nor would we want to try: most books intended as prose works are just perfect as they are. Why adapt them unless there’s a compelling reason to do so? In the case of Goosebumps and The Babysitters Club, both were series that had been out in the world in several different forms, including spin-offs and movie versions, so they were ready for a graphic novel incarnation. With Goosebumps, it felt like a natural next step, so we created anthologies, putting three scary stories in one volume that we knew would be fun see as a comic. And it’s a great way for us to work with well-known artists who can’t fit a longer volume into their schedule: a 40-page story is very do-able. So far we’ve worked with Greg Ruth, Scott Morse, Gabriel Hernandez, Amy Kim Ganter, Jill Thompson, Jaime Tolagson, Kyle Baker, Ted Naifeh, and Dean Haspiel.

With the Babysitters Club, we weren’t sure at first if it could be done, until we found the perfect person to adapt them, Raina Telgemeier. She grew up reading The Babysitters Club, and she realized that reading Ann M. Martin greatly influenced her own writing voice. So when she told us that it was something she'd love to do, we were very excited to see how she’d handle it. After seeing her first sketches, we knew she was the perfect person to adapt this series. At the moment, we’re open to adapting other series, but we don’t have any immediate plans.

AAR: You've got some original work as well, such as Queen Bee. How do you select creators to work with?

DS: Chynna Clugston, who wrote and drew Queen Bee, channeled exactly the right tone for this story about middle-school girls who are rivals to become the "Queen Bee" of their social set. Girls really love it, and that was part of Chynna's interest in doing this book: to make entertaining comics for girls that they'd love reading. Queen Bee was one of the reasons that GRAPHIX won the Lulu of the Year Award at this year's Comic-con in San Diego. We're committed to creating comics for girls that reflect their interests.

When we're looking for original books, we want three things: rich storytelling, great characters, and wonderful artwork. When those three things come into combination, that's a book we want to publish. For that reason, BONE is really the centerpiece of the GRAPHIX imprint. Jeff Smith created a timeless classic that represents the best of what a comic book writer and artist can achieve. We try to publish books that are creator-driven, meaning that the artists and writers have a strong point-of-view and they express themselves eloquently through their words and artwork.

AAR: How do you feel about the recent discussions regarding content labeling for comics and graphic novels? Do you think it's necessary? Would content labeling change the way Graphix selects or publishes its titles?

DS: Content labeling feels necessary sometimes, if only because when it comes to children's books, people get very nervous and want guidance. With the usual children's prose or illustrated books, it's perhaps easier for consumers to get a book for the right age child because they are shelved within specific age categories inside book stores. But graphic novels for different ages, at least at the moment, are sometimes placed together on the same shelf. It's occasionally unclear (without carefully perusing the book) whether or not a comic book is age appropriate for a certain child. As with most things involving kids, parents (or some other adult) are the guardians and they are responsible to help sort things out. If labeling helps, especially when bookstores are still figuring out where and how to shelve graphic novels and manga, then it seems like it could be useful for everyone: parents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers. In fact, most children's books already have an age range printed on them somewhere, so I don't think it's a problem to offer general content information or age-appropriateness guidelines on kids’ books. So, content labeling would not effect how we select or publish our titles.

One side note: GRAPHIX is about to publish our first graphic novel for teens called, Breaking Up, by Aimee Friedman and Christine Norrie. It has a T for “Teen Content” label and will be in bookstores in January of 2007.

AAR: The Graphix line so far seems aimed at upper elementary and middle school students. I'd love to see some titles for the younger kids, say kindergarten to second grade - I think the graphic novel format is great for beginning readers because it allows them to read more complex stories. Do you have any plans for that age range?

DS: We have the Magic Pickle graphic novel (reissued in full color) and two Magic Pickle chapter books coming from Scott Morse as well as two younger series by Frank Cammuso, Salem Hyde and Knights of the Lunch Table. Aaron Renier is creating two books for us. They both feature a spunky boy, Walker Bean, who fights evil merwitches and thwarts pirates. These will definitely appeal to those younger elementary kids. As GRAPHIX grows, I’m sure we’ll be publishing more for younger readers from K to 2nd grade.

AAR: Jeff Smith's book tour looks like a great undertaking. Any chance of getting some of your creators to visit schools as well as trade shows and bookstores?

DS: This is very much a possibility. In fact, if anyone is interested in setting up a school visit or bookstore visit, then Scholastic can help arrange that. You can reach our author appearance coordinator at: 212-389-3772.

AAR: Thanks so much, David. We’re certainly looking forward to more Graphix!

In addition to more volumes of Bone, The Babysitters Club, and Goosebumps (Kyle Baker and Jill Thompson!), here is a short list of upcoming titles:

The Seventh Voyage adapted and illustrated by Jon J Muth. Caught in a time warp, a hapless astronaut meets his past and future selves as they attempt to fix their broken rocket ship.

The Woodland Chronicles, written and illustrated by Greg Ruth. Fifty years ago a boy named Walt disappeared. Strange woodland creatures seem to be responsible. Can 12-year-old Nathan Superb solve the mystery and save the world from a cataclysmic battle?

Amulet, Book 1 by Kazu Kibuishi
Emily and Navin must rescue their mother after she disappears in the basement of their strange new house. They stumble into a subterranean world of giant robots, human-eating demons, and weird creatures. The brother and sister are befriended by a small mechanical rabbit as they head out on a mysterious and dangerous adventure.

Interview: Kevin Grevioux

2007-04-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

Valkyries is written by Kevin Grevioux, who is probably most well-known as the writer of the movie Underworld. A former microbiologist who left his graduate studies in genetic engineering to give Hollywood a try, Kevin became a successful actor (Underworld, Planet of the Apes), stuntman, and producer. A self-described Marvel Zombie, Kevin is multi-talented and a heck of a nice guy, and the good news for us is that he’s now writing his own line of All Ages comics under the banner of Astounding Studios. Until recently, several of his titles (Valkyries, The Toy Box, The Hammer Kid, Guardian Heroes, The Vindicators) were being published by Alias, but with their change in publishing focus, things are a bit up in the air for Astounding’s comics. We checked in with Kevin to talk about Valkyries and get the latest.

All Ages Reads: You have quite a varied and fascinating background. How did you go from genetic engineering to Hollywood screenwriting to writing comics?

Kevin Grevioux: Well, I have always loved science-fiction and fantasy ever since I was a kid. Getting into REAL science as a profession was a natural progression that was more “socially acceptable” than getting into “science fiction,” especially for the parents. Basically, I ended up getting out of science because it didn’t pay very well. I loved it, and I was already in grad school, but when I looked at how long it was going to take me to finish my masters and PhD, as well as the small amount of money that people in my lab at NIH were making, I decided it was no longer for me. Plus, I had already decided to try to start a film career by taking film classes congruently with my GE curriculum. Film eventually won out.

AAR: Was it a natural transition from writing films to writing comics? It seems to me that because of their visual nature they might be similar.

Kevin: I don’t know if it was natural per se, but I think I was able to do it without too much difficulty, although there are still some things I’m learning. But remember, I’m doing my own comics, so the environment of doing my own thing is probably much different than working for Marvel and DC. There are some similarities between screenplays and comics, but there are differences as well – the major differences being the placing of “reveals” and the pacing of a comic book script versus a screenplay. You can drag things out and take your time with comics, but with a screenplay you can’t do that. At least not in the same way.

AAR: What made you want to write comics? And why all-ages comics in particular?

Kevin: As far as the comic books were concerned, they’ve been a hobby of mine since I was about 12 and I’ve always wanted to write them, but I never thought I’d get the chance. But, doing the all-ages stuff really came about accidentally. I met two guys, Scott Sava and Mike Kunkel, two of the most talented cats I know, and they showed me this book of all-ages/animated properties they were creating. It was some of the most imaginative stuff I’ve ever seen. That’s what really got the ball rolling and provided the impetus for my getting into the medium. Other than that, I had noticed for some years that there was really a dearth of comics for kids nowadays. The public still thinks comics are for kids, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I like mainstream comics, especially with Marvel’s Civil War. But sometimes parents read some of the books out now and they may view them as too intense for younger audiences, thinking that comics have gone from G rated to R rated. But after seeing some of the books like Dreamland Chronicles, Herobear, and Bone I thought…WOW – these are cool. So I decided to throw my hat into the ring.

AAR: How do you define “all-ages”?

Kevin: I guess the best definition is a book that ANYONE can enjoy. But all-ages shouldn’t mean “kiddie”. I don’t want to read a kiddie-book. I do want to read a book that takes me back to the time when I first started reading books. Look at the books Stan Lee created in the 60’s. To me those were all-ages books. But they didn’t talk down to the kids. They respected them and treated them like they had intelligence. And to be honest, no matter how sophisticated or how good mainstream comics get, I still get a kick out of the books Marvel created in the 60’s and 70’s. The writing may have been simpler, but it was honest and fun. Marvel currently has a line of all-ages books, Marvel Adventures, that I think is really cool – especially the Avengers one.

AAR: It’s difficult enough to create one successful all-ages title – what made you want to create a whole line?

Kevin: A couple of reasons. First, because I have varied interests. I like mythology and action-adventure, as well as fantasy and science fiction. Secondly, I wanted to appeal to a wider demographic. When I grew up, comics were basically for boys. But with an eye towards global inclusion, in today’s market you have to have something for everyone. So, I have The Hammer Kid and The Toy Box that may appeal more to boys. Valkyries, The Mighty Girls, and Pam Bam are skewed more towards girls. The Vindicators is about a group of black superheroes, something that black kids can identify with because healthy, well-balanced images of African-Americans are so scarce in comics. And lastly Guardian Heroes is an international and multicultural book that everybody can enjoy. However, and I want to be clear about this, ALL the books can be enjoyed by EVERYONE. They are not so demographically specific that only the target audiences can enjoy them. There is something about each title that can strike a chord with everybody.

AAR: It seems that there aren’t a lot of kids going into comic shops these days. Do you have any great ideas for getting your comics into kids’ hands?

Kevin: I do, but then again, who am I? I’m really not going to say anything that hasn’t been said better by someone else. I just think that if comics got on the news stands again, in the schools and the libraries, kids might be exposed to them more. I will say that comic commercials may do the trick. Marvel has put out some neat little trailers of some of their books, and I’m quite sure if you did those on TV more people would at least be more aware of current comics. All action figures and video games should also come with a corresponding graphic novel or comic book like some DVD’s do. But, that’s just my 2 cents, for what it’s worth.

AAR: What comic books did you read as a kid? How have they influenced your work?

Kevin: I was a HUGE Hulk and Fantastic Four fan. The Avengers and Thor too. I have almost a complete run of each of them and even recently bought the DVD collections that Eagle One is putting out. These books really helped instill a sense of wonder in my books. I hope it translates.

AAR: You mentioned Thor -- were those books an influence on Valkyries?

Kevin: Hmmm… Yes and no. I mean Marvel’s Thor is a modern day comic book superhero character and they brought Norse mythology to the medium. I’ve done the same thing, but my book is a period piece based on the myths. Stan and Jack’s Thor, at least in the beginning, was a mixture of mythology and science fiction. So it stands out and can go much further in terms of scope and power than mine can.

AAR: Mark my words – Vikings are going to be the new pirates! How did you develop such an interest in Norse mythology?

Kevin: HAH! Probably because I’m a Minnesota Vikings fan. I grew up partially in Minnesota, so the cool Vikings logo the football team had was probably what flipped the switch for me.

AAR: Did you do any research while you were writing Valkyries?

Kevin: Yes. I was already familiar with most of the Norse myths, but I didn’t know that much about the Valkyries. Most of the names of the Valkyries I took from the myths.

AAR: The art in Valkyries, as in your other books, is phenomenal. I mean, talk about eye candy! Who are your artists and how did you find them?

Kevin: Leonel Castellani and his team of Eduardo Lemos, Mauro Vargas, and Javier Tartaglia at Pampa Studios are my main guys. The work they do is so good it seems to MOVE off the page. They’re so good it scares me sometimes when I look at the pages! They are doing three of my books, Valkyries, The Vindicators and Guardian Heroes, with more titles on the way.

I’m also working with a great artist named Javier Giangiacomo. He’s doing The Toy Box for me as well as the upcoming book P.R.O.D.I.G.Y. The work he’s doing is simply amazing. Toy Box #2 should be out soon.

Lastly, I’ve had the privilege to have worked with the incomparable Jack Lawrence of Lions, Tigers and Bears fame. My buddy Mike Bullock introduced us and I was able to get him to do The Hammer Kid preview issue for me. Jack couldn’t finish the series for me due to other commitments, but I have a new fantastic artist named James Riehl who will be taking over the book. You’ll be floored when you see what he can do.

AAR: Can’t wait to see it – we really loved The Hammer Kid. Can you talk a bit about the work process between you as a creator/writer and the artists?

Kevin: I come up with a book concept and bang out on paper what I envision as character concepts and possible environment elements. I give these to the artists and they draw based on my descriptions. Very rarely do we disagree. I’m hands-on, but not so much that I’m stymieing to the artist. I basically do my job and let them do theirs. But there have been occasions when they have spotted something in a scene I’ve written that they think can be done in a much more exciting and dynamic way. I give them as much latitude as they need. But, to be quite frank, I can come up with cool concepts, ideas and scripts all I want, but it’s my artists that really make the books come alive. If there is a reason that people like the books, I have to tip my hat to them. I’m just here to enjoy the show.

AAR: With Alias’ change to all Christian comics, we certainly hope that Valkyries, as well as your other books, will continue. Any news on the publishing front?

Kevin: Not quite yet. The artist is working on #3 now, and I will have Valkyries #3 and #4 available at SDCC 2007 and online as they're finished. I’m working on a few things that I hope come to fruition, but I’m just not sure yet. But when I do you’ll be the first to know.

UPDATE: Kevin has been announced as the writer of Marvel's New Warriors!

Valkyries

2007-04-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Valkyries, by Kevin Grevioux, Leonel Castellani, Eduardo Lemos

The purpose of this column is to bring you the best in all-ages comics, and I have to tell you, it is a pleasure to introduce you to Valkyries. This comic has it all – stunningly attractive Norse gods, winged horses in armor, breastplates, reeeeeally big swords, nasty villains, romance, humor, feminism, and lots of fighting. The story is set in Viking mythology and tells the story of Keldegarde, a Valkyrie who would rather rescue the humble and strong of heart than bring valorous warriors to Valhalla. I thoroughly enjoyed going over the Rainbow Bridge to Asgard (I’m kinda crushin’ on Heimdal) and witnessing the goings on among the Gods and Valkyries. Will Keldegarde and Baldur make a love connection or will the jealous Valkyries have their way? Will Princess Yola convince Odin to let women into Valhalla? Will Thor and Vidar stop squabbling long enough to stop Loki in his latest evil attempt to take over Asgard?

The art in Valkyries is simply phenomenal and this would be my choice of comic on a desert island, just so I could look at the pictures. There’s definitely an animation quality to it, in a good way, and I’m floored by the level of detail the artists attain while still making everything clear and easy to follow. The character designs are wonderful – the Valkyries are strong and gorgeous without being Playboy-ized, the gods seem to be made of testosterone and steel, and every character is distinct and easily recognizable. The consistency and detail in every bit of art is amazing – from the supernatural shine on Odin’s armor, to the harness fastenings on the Valkyries’ horses, I find wonderful new details every time I re-read these comics. When there is a fight, it’s crystal clear who is doing what to whom, which I really appreciate as I often have trouble following the fight scenes in comics. The only character designs that I find slightly puzzling are the female villains. They’re beautifully designed, but much more overtly sexual than any of the other characters. Maybe it’s because they use their “powers” for evil…

Is Valkyries all-ages? Well, there is a fair bit of violence (a story about Viking mythology wouldn’t work without that), but instead of red blood when someone gets hit hard in the face, you get a lot of white or clear liquid – I’m assuming it’s drool. It’s amazing the difference that can make. The villains are probably too scary, and too sexy, for the little ones and there is one kissing scene that’s, well, kind of adult – I mean, it looks like a real passionate kiss. There are also some nasty-looking monsters at the end of issue two. I’d say it’s about on the level of a PG movie. I would consider it library safe and probably classroom safe for all but primary grades.

Sarah says: Valkyries is a great piece of work, especially for comics. I’m waiting for the third one come out so I could read it. The story is really good but the art is even better. I like the story because it explains things in a way that’s easy to understand but it doesn’t sound too weird and dumb. I like the art because it’s very realistic but cartoony at the same time. My favorite characters were the animals because they are cute and Keldegarde because she’s pretty and nice. My favorite scene was in the first book when Thor and his brother were fighting because one of them used the other’s toothbrush to clean his moustache. I think it’s probably for six-year-olds and up but if you don’t like Norse mythology, then I don’t think it’s for you.

Shelby says: I like when Keldegarde was talking to all the animals that she had saved and they are all her friends because the animals were cute and I like the fact that she likes to help animals and not just guys who like to fight. I like the shading and the colors in the art. Some of it is gross, like the slobber in the guys’ beards, but the picture of Asgard is very beautiful. I like how light comes in through windows, sort of like what real life does. It’s got a bit of comedy but it’s serious at the same time and the very last part is a very big cliff hanger. I want to see what happens to Asgard! I think little kids might not understand it but everyone else will love it if they love art and a good story about big, buff dues and big, buff, gorgeous, your-jaw-drops-to-the-floor ladies.

As you can probably tell, we loved the first two issues. Check out some more of the incredible Valkyries art here.

The Babysitters Club

2007-04-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

The Babysitters Club series of novels for young girls, written (mostly) by Ann M. Martin, has been around since 1986. The original series of 131 titles spawned several spin-off book series, which run to over 200 titles, as well as board games and dolls, a TV show, and a movie. For years it was a children’s publishing juggernaut, so it’s no surprise that the folks at Scholastic Graphix chose The Babysitters Club as one of their first graphic novel adaptations. And who better to do the adaptation than a former babysitter and lifelong fan of the series? Raina Telgemeier, 2005 Eisner Award nominee for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition, brings the gang from Stoneybrook to life better than I think anyone else could have.

The main characters are a group of 7th grade girls who form a baby-sitting club and become fast friends. Along the way we meet their parents, the families they sit for, and other kids at the girls’ school…and yes, some boys as well. The girls share with each other, keep secrets, support each other, disagree, and work together to turn failures into successes. This is really a refreshing change from many of the graphic novels we’ve been reading because there are no superheroes or villains, no violence, and nothing too adult, just true-to-life girls doing everyday girl things.

Raina’s spare, cartoony style belies the depth of her work – the whole thing just feels so real. She very effectively uses background, or the lack thereof, to focus the reader’s attention. When she wants us to focus on the characters’ expressions or conversation, the backgrounds are almost completely empty, and when she’s establishing place and action, her backgrounds are fully realized. These are not action stories, but there’s never a dull moment thanks to the constant movement and expression of the characters. The Babysitters Club graphic novels are thoroughly entertaining and I couldn’t get the girls to put them down. Not only are these great books for young girls, they are also wonderful for grown-up girls. Will boys like The Babysitters Club? Of course, but only if no one catches them reading their sister’s copy!

Shelby says: The Babysitters Club is about four girls who baby-sit little kids by setting up a club. Mary Anne only has a dad because her mom died when she was little and she’s sort of shy and likes to read, like me. Kristy has about twenty other siblings and she’s not shy at all – she’s the leader of the club. Claudia likes to do art, like me, and she’s sort of punk. Stacey is new in town and she has a secret. They meet at Claudia’s house and they talk about what they can change and what’s been doing well. They also get phone calls from people who need babysitters. Then they all go out and do babysitting jobs and they write about it in a journal.

I like the part when they go on the babysitting jobs because some of the kids are weird and cause trouble and some of them are nice and sweet. Lots of funny things happen when they go babysitting. I just can’t stop reading this. I say, “I’m going to put it down now,” but I always end up reading about 35 pages more. This is because of the art. I like sometimes how Raina uses highlights and shadows only on some things, like chairs, hats, and hair. I like the doggies because they are cute and they have detail in their fur. The little kids that Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, and Stacey baby-sit are adorable!

Sarah says: I liked Babysitters Club 1 and 2 because all of the characters had different personalities. My favorite characters would have to be Jamie, a little boy that they baby-sit, because he is all cute and stuff and seems like a nice person, and Stacy because she wears good clothes and she’s nice, too. I liked the drawings – it doesn’t feel realistic and it doesn’t feel make believe either. I like reading about kids who are older because I wanna know what it’s going to be like when I get older. It’s basically about regular kids doing regular stuff, but it’s not boring because there’s competition and they talk about cool stuff a lot and it’s funny. I think Babysitters Club is for people who like Archie, because it’s kind of like that.

The Babysitters Club; Kristy’s Great Idea (you can check out a preview here) and The Babysitters Club; The Truth About Stacey are available now, with more titles on the way. These books belong in every children’s library and classroom! And if you haven’t seen Raina’s webcomic, Smile, click right now! I would never have guessed that I’d truly enjoy a comic about dental work.

Goosebumps & The Thief of Always

2007-04-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Goosebumps: Creepy Creatures, stories by R.L. Stine, adapted and illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez, Greg Ruth, and Scott Morse (Scholastic Graphix)

R. L. Stine has sold over 300 million books worldwide and has been called the world’s #1 best-selling children’s book series author by the Guinness Book of Records. There are 180 Goosebumps books in print in over thirty languages. TV shows, DVDs, it’s a whole empire! The smart folks at Scholastic Graphix have given well-known comic artists the opportunity to adapt some of the amazingly popular Goosebumps stories into the comic format. There are three stories in each paperback book – the first collection includes The Werewolf of Fever Swamp by Gabriel Hernandez, The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, by Greg Ruth, and The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena, by Scott Morse.

When I was in about fifth grade, I discovered horror as a genre. I can remember reading late at night and scaring myself silly – and coming back for more the next night. Honestly, I can’t remember the names of any of the books, but I distinctly remember the feeling of being scared and loving it. If the first issue is any indication, lots more kids will get the opportunity to scare themselves (just enough) with Goosebumps from Graphix.

In the first two stories, Gabriel Hernandez and Greg Ruth’s semi-realistic, shadowy styles create a very eerie feeling that fits the stories perfectly. The last story, by Scott Morse, has a much more cartoon feel to it, which undercuts the scare factor by quite a bit, but the story isn’t as terrifying as the first two so it works. It’s a good lesson for budding artists in matching the tone of your art to the tone of the story. The only thing I might have done differently as an editor is put Scott’s story first, to get young readers comfortable before they go into the really scary stuff.

And scary it is! In The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, the werewolf takes a nice bite out of the young protagonist, and Ruth manages to make scarecrows terrifying. These are really great stories for kids who like to be scared, but not for the faint of heart. Shelby flipped through the book and refused to read it – she’s never liked to be scared. Sarah, however, absolutely loved it. It’s interesting that she wasn’t in love with Hernandez’ art in Thief of Always, but seemed to enjoy his somewhat tightened up work in this book.

In the back there’s a nice page about each artist that explains the process they used to adapt the stories – it’s great for kids to see that people can go about doing something in many different ways and all achieve outstanding results. The solicitations for the next two books look amazing – Jill Thompson draws One Day at Horrorland, Kyle Baker does The Horror at Camp Jellyjam, Ted Naifeh adapts Ghost Beach – I am really looking forward to the next two collections.

Sarah says: I really like Goosebumps because the stories are very different but have the same feeling – a monster of some kind trying to attack kids. The first story about a werewolf ends in a different way, because it doesn’t really end. What I mean by that is that it doesn’t really feel like it’s the end of a story, or even a middle, more like the beginning. The second story about scarecrows is a little mixed up – sometimes I could understand what’s going on and sometimes I couldn’t. There were too many names in the story so I couldn’t really remember who’s who. The art was the most realistic. The first two artists sort of have the same idea of realistic, but one uses more shadows and the other uses more lighting. But the third artist thinks weird shapes all day. I like that kind of thinking! I liked this book. Kids who like to be scared would like this because it has good art and because it doesn’t have as many big words as the regular Goosebumps. That makes it easier to get scared.

The Thief Of Always, by Clive Barker, Kris Oprisko, Gabriel Hernandez (IDW)

Clive Barker for kids? Hmmmmm. I mean, he’s done some pretty graphic horror stuff, right? I wasn’t sure about this until I read the first book, but I really enjoyed it. This graphic adaptation of Barker’s book, The Thief Of Always, isn’t for timid readers, but for those who like a bit of creepy, it’s excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling, but I think what turned the girls off was the art. They seem to want clean lines – I think the loose style and subdued color palette are just a bit beyond their appreciation. They also love some humor with their fright, and Barker just doesn’t do funny. Despite the girls’ lukewarm reactions, I think it’s a wonderful piece of literature translated very well into the graphic medium, though it’s best suited to those with slightly more mature tastes.

Shelby says: Sorry, but I didn’t like it very much. The story is about a house that seems perfect but it’s not ‘cause it’s really a person and it steals time and it’s evil. It wasn’t really very action-packed and it wasn’t funny. The art made it scarier because it’s dark and creepy. It’s too scary for little kids.

Sarah says: I sorta liked Thief Of Always. It starts out about a boy who goes into this magical house behind a magical wall. He doesn’t know it’s magical because it seems like 31 days, but it’s really 31 years that he’s been there. He even doesn’t get older. He leaves and he finds his parents 31 years older than they were when he left them. He has to go back and fight Mr. Hood (which is actually the house) to get back his time. My favorite part was when the big flying monster went into the real world and was dying. He looked cool. The art looks kinda dirty, like the artist drew the pictures and splattered the paint. Probably little kids would be too scared.

Haunted Mansion

2007-04-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

Haunted Mansion (Slave Labor Graphics)

When I first heard about this project I was beside myself with joy (I have been accused of being an obsessed Disneyland Haunted Mansion fan and I don’t deny it). My immediate elation, however, was soon tempered by doubt – how many new and interesting stories can anyone possibly tell about the Haunted Mansion? And since it’s a Disney licensed product, I assumed it would be sanitized and Mickey-ized.

It’s so good to be wrong sometimes. Haunted Mansion showcases amazing creativity and talent and is thoroughly entertaining. From sweet stories about puppies and children to the ongoing tale of Master Gracy (piracy, villainy, and treachery!), there’s something for everyone here and it’s all good. It’s quite fascinating to see one subject through so many different lenses. My personal favorites are: Jon “Bean” Hastings’ tale of the treacherous architects who built the Mansion; Roman Dirge’s comedy sketches in the pet cemetery starring Fifi, the smart-aleck poodle; Christopher’s new verse to Grim Grinning Ghosts; and Serena Valentino’s The Woman in Black, a ghost story with a happy ending. And, of course, if you’re a Haunted Mansion fan at all, there are tributes and references galore.

I wouldn’t call Haunted Mansion all-ages – it’s a shade dark for little ones. If your kids are old enough to really like the ride they’ll probably like the comics. As far as classrooms or libraries, it would be fine for upper elementary, but you should know that Fifi does like to say, “crap.”

Shelby says: Haunted Mansion is basically a bunch of stories that happen at the Haunted Mansion. There are stories about a bad language dog, a kid who accidentally reunites a boy and his mother who didn’t see each other for about 5 years, Madame Leota doesn’t know she’s dead, and many other WACKY stories. My favorite one is when a new ghost comes to the mansion and the whole time he is followed by the voice in the ride at Disneyland. He’s very scared at first but then fits right in. I love Eric Jones’ art (He does Little Gloomy and Super Scary Monster Show with Landry Walker).

Sarah says: Haunted Mansion is a series of stories by different writers and different artists. Basically they’re all about Gracie Mansion, aka The Haunted Mansion. I have two favorite stories. One is about Fifi the Ghost Dog and the other is new words to the song Grim Grinning Ghosts and it tells why the caretaker goes to the graveyard every night. The Fifi story has three sort of bad words, so it’s probably better for children that know those words are not okay to say. I like the way the artists put every single detail in their pictures of the real Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. I like the ride and I don’t close my eyes anymore!

Little Gloomy/Super Scary Monster Show

2007-04-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

Little Gloomy and Super Scary Monster Show, by Landry Walker and Eric Jones (Slave Labor Graphics)

Little Gloomy is the only “normal” person living in a world of monsters. She’s constantly getting into trouble and her friends, Larry (a werewolf), Carl (a chthulhu), and Frank (can you guess?), are always helping her out. There’s a friendly mummy who owns a bar and speaks in hieroglyphics, an unfriendly witch named Evey who has evil robot kitties, Gloomy’s spurned mad scientist boyfriend, Simon, and Shelley, the supposed-to-be-bride of Frank, who didn’t turn out as planned.

The characters are absolutely adorable and the stories are fun. The adult favorite has to be Carl Chthulhu, an interstellar demi-god, destined to destroy all existence, who suffers from self-esteem problems. He’s cute as the dickens, refers to himself in the third person, and loves ponies and daisies. When he returns Gloomy’s copy of “Happy Bunny Hollow,” he says, “It did not displease Carl. Particularly the chapter with the talking bunnies. In his gratitude, Carl has decided that when the time comes for the Eldritch Gods to consume all that lives, your death will be merciful and painless.” Carl’s blog is at http://www.littlegloomy.com/ – trust me, you will laugh.

Super Scary Monster Show is sort of a fresher, hipper version of Little Gloomy. Eric Jones has given all the characters balloon heads and little bodies, which seems to make them cuter, and has loosened up his lines which gives it a bit of an edge. The stories are just as much fun as before, so Gloomy fans need not despair.

If your little ones like spooky, this is good stuff. Invisible men, a trip to mummy land, and lots of laughs – what’s not to like? Landry Walker writes brilliant dialogue and Jones’ art is wonderful (the sketches he did for the girls at Comic Con are amazing). There are some semi-scary zombies and a soul-stealing pumpkin-head guy, so these books probably aren’t for tiny tots who are prone to nightmares, but otherwise Little Gloomy and SSMS are great all-ages fun.

Sarah says: I like Carl because he’s supposed to kill people, but he likes bunnies and daisies and cute stuff. And I like Gloomy because she always likes to be alone like I do. It’s not too scary but it’s kind of scary ‘cause a boy scientist, Simon, is trying to take Gloomy’s mind and put it into Frank’s girlfriend that he made – she’s Shelly. Gloomy still had her mind, but Shelly is craaaaaazy (twirls fingers by ears). You will like it because it’s really funny and Carl’s really cute. SSMS is about the same thing, Little Gloomy, but the art work is different. I like it better because they make the artwork cuter.

Shelby says: You’ll like it because it isn’t very scary. Little Gloomy has a necklace that’s like an eye but they didn’t tell us why yet. She’s “the girl with three eyes” and she keeps getting kidnapped and she has this wacky ex-boyfriend who’s an evil scientist. SSMS is about Little Gloomy and her pals but is in Super Deformed style. I think Carl’s MUCH cuter – his body is rounder and smaller. The eyes get better and that’s the ticket to cuteness.

Grumpy Old Monsters

2007-04-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

Grumpy Old Monsters, by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta (IDW)

Drac, Frank, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, the Wolfman, and all the other old-timers, now past their prime, are “living” at Rest In Peace, “a retirement care facility for mature monsters with special needs.” They’re falling apart – some of them literally – and have been forgotten by their once adoring public. Tiffany Frankenstein, granddaughter of the famous doc, arrives with bad news: Castle Frankenstein is about to be torn down by the evil Van Helsing Corporation to make way for luxury condos. Will the aging monsters overcome their own insecurities and the domineering Nurse Wrentch to help Tiffany take on Van Helsing?

Have I used the word cute yet? Okay, how about adorable? Anyone have a thesaurus? Nothing even remotely scary here – just wonderful characters and bright, snappy art. It’s actually touching to see these old ghouls overcoming their self-doubts (sort of a G-rated Bubba Ho-Tep). The story is easy to follow, even if the little ones don’t know what luxury condominiums are, and it all resolves nicely at the end. It’s so nice to see a book that’s thoroughly entertaining for both kids and adults without resorting to any double entendre at all. If you like movie monsters even a little bit, be sure to pick up the trade of Grumpy Old Monsters.

Shelby says: I like Grumpy Old Monsters because they’re funny and Nurse Wrentch is all being mean to them and then at the end of the last comic she gets taken away so they’re all happy. I liked the little doggy that Wolfman found in the forest. I like when the nurse said the Creature from the Black Lagoon was floating in the water and the other nurse said, “He’s an amphibian, you idiot!” The Creature’s all “He gave me mouth to mouth! Can’t even take a nap around here!”

Sarah says: I liked it because it’s funny like when the monster, aka Frankenstein, is watching one of those really weird shows where this woman is telling ladies how to exercise. I like it when Dracula sometimes doesn’t know how to say words, like “I vill help” and “Vatch the birdie!” That cracks me up! My favorite characters are the Invisible Man and Gobblin’, the puppy. I like Gobblin’ because at first in the story he doesn’t look very important, but later on he’s very important. I like the Invisible Man because he’s funny and he can cheat in cards. If I was invisible, I would like it because no one can see me when I’m naked.

Patrick the Wolfboy

2007-04-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Patrick the Wolfboy by Art Baltazar and Franco (Blind Wolf Studios)

Patrick is a typical little boy in a typical suburban family, except…oh yeah, he’s a werewolf. The only word he says is “RRARGH,” which could mean anything from “I love you, Sasquatch!” to “Would you like a bite of my squirrel, Ozzie?” He “wolfs up” once in a while, chases his local squirrel, tortures the old lady next door (who he thinks is a witch), wrecks lots of stuff and interprets the world around him in his own little-boy way.

Patrick reminds everyone of some little boy they know – overly curious, a little troublesome, and cute as heck. Franco and Art’s stories are giggle-inducing and sweet. The black and white art is clean and fairly simple, in the tradition of Peanuts, Dennis the Menace, and Calvin and Hobbes, and Art Baltazar, the smiliest guy in comics, is great at on-the-page slapstick humor.

Patrick originally appeared in “Specials” -- there are several Halloween Specials, Specials for most major holidays, Father’s Day and Wedding Specials, Sci-Fi, Rock-n-Roll, and Superhero Specials (my favorites) , and even an After-School Special (rimshot – ba-dum-pum). Each Special is full of short vignettes instead of one long story, so it’s great for little kids (short-attention-span theater). Devil’s Due is now publishing Patrick compilations, so you can read more Patrick all at once!

There are a few faux-swears, like “fricken,” “sunsa-bishus,” and “#@*@!!”, and the old lady next door is prone to saying, “Crap!” but that’s the worst of it. The cute quotient is very high here, from the way Art numbers the pages (ate-teen), to photos of family and friends on the back cover. The humor works on both kid and adult levels, and you’ll definitely find yourself chuckling, if not laughing out loud.

Shelby says: Patrick the Wolfboy is a boy who can turn into this wolf-looking thing. He likes to chase squirrels and dump water on his neighbor, an old grumpy lady, because he thinks she’s a witch. He gets in trouble all the time for cheating at games or jumping in a lobster tank while getting his parents wet. All he says is RARGH. He doesn’t know anything which is like my little six-year-old cousin. I love this comic! It’s for anyone!

Sarah says: It’s funny because they have a costume contest and Patrick turns into the wolfboy and wins. And they go to the wax museum and Patrick looks for a string in the wax Frankenstein’s head because he thinks he’s a candle. He always messes around and just says, “RRAHRG.” His parents understand him, but the neighbors don’t. The “Grim Repair” is Patrick’s friend and I like him ‘cause he’s cute.

Little Vampire

2007-04-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

Little Vampire Goes to School and Little Vampire Does Kung Fu, by Joann Sfar

Little Vampire lives with his mom, dad, and assorted haunts and spooks in an old mansion on a hill. In Little Vampire Goes to School, his fondest wish is to go to school like other kids, and his parents reluctantly agree. Of course, there’s no one at school in the middle of the night, so Little Vampire strikes up a pen pal conversation with one of the daytime students, Michael, and a great friendship is soon formed. In Little Vampire Does Kung Fu, Michael and Little Vampire deal with a school bully – but not in the usual way!

I guarantee you’ve never read anything quite like Little Vampire. Translated from Sfar’s original French, these stories are warm, funny, enchanting, unconventional, intriguing, and, ultimately, satisfying. And the art! Creepy and dark, yet charming and lovable, the mix of simple and complex character designs gives the book a rich, textured feel. The panels are unbelievably detailed, yet feel uncluttered and inviting. You’ll be drawn in from the first page and will want to read these stories again and again.

Sfar has created some truly unique characters. There’s Phantomat, Little Vampire’s grumpy flying dog; his parents, the Captain of the Dead and Pandora, who have impressive parenting skills; Rabbi Solomon, the violin playing Kung Fu master who lives in a painting; Ophtamol, Claude, and Marguerite, a trio of odd monsters; and a group of truly bizarre magicians that live under the Luminous and Legendary Tree of Chinese Hanukkah.

The main characters, Little Vampire and Michael, are sweet and lovable, but they are also “real” kids. There’s none of the sugar-coating you get in most kids’ books – Sfar takes on weighty topics such as honesty, friendship, death, the existence of God, and the value of doing your own homework. The monsters act as sort of a Greek anti-chorus, voicing (and acting out) Michael’s emotions and impulses. There are morals to be learned and questions to be pondered, but they are embedded in such imaginative and unexpected stories that kids won’t notice that they’re learning and growing while they read. None of that should imply that Sfar’s work is only for children, though, because I love it just as much as the girls do.

While Little Vampire Goes to School is truly all ages, Little Vampire Does Kung Fu is probably just a shade too dark for the youngest or most fragile kids (“Ages 10 up” is printed on the back cover). There is a scene in Kung Fu where the monsters have eaten a little boy, then they spit out the pieces and sew them back together (don’t worry – it turns out okay in the end!). Much of the lettering is in cursive, so younger kids might not be able to read it alone, but this just means you have to share the reading, and these stories are best when shared.

Shelby says: I read this book a lot because we keep it in the bathroom. Little Vampire’s dad is the Captain of the Dead. He’s cool looking and has curly hair like George Washington and he knows everything, even if he doesn’t tell. I like how the Captain always has something following him around, like an octopus as big as a house or a bird as big as your thumb. It’s different than other books because of the way it’s translated from French to English – sometimes the words sound kind of funny, but it’s a good thing. I like the way Little Vampire is drawn because he looks kind of like a vampire, but not very scary at all. And some of the pictures are disgusting because there are green, white, or yellow blobs coming out of a monster’s nose. The house is really cool because of the way he draws the bricks. The eyeball monster dude thing is drawn really cool because he has about 5 eyes which are on long eye stalks and each eye has a red hat on it.

Sarah says: It’s about a young vampire who meets a boy named Michael. They become friends and play with the monsters in Little Vampire’s house. The ending of Kung Fu is different than most stories – it’s surprising and I liked it. This is one of my favorite comics because it’s unusual. The art is great because it has so much detail in one teeny panel. I like the way he uses color. The creator’s imagination is different than most – his ideas make you feel like you’re really there even though most of it’s not real. I think it’s not for little tiny kids or kids who get scared easy, but if you like a little bit of violence and some funniness packed into one book, you will like Little Vampire.

Scary Godmother

2007-04-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Scary Godmother, by Jill Thompson

Hannah Marie, a cute-as-a-button little girl, is frightened by her older cousin, Jimmy, on Halloween. Who comes to the rescue? Why, her Scary Godmother, of course! She takes Hannah to the Fright Side to meet Mr. Pettibone, the skeleton in the closet, Harry the obnoxious werewolf, the royal vampire family, Max, Ruby and Orson, and Bug-A-Boo, the most loveable monster-under-the-bed you’ve ever seen.

If I ever wanted to be somebody else, I’d be Jill Thompson. If you know anything about comics, you know about Jill – she’s this incredible woman with bright red curls and the most vivid imagination, not to mention supernatural artistic talent. (Not coincidentally, Scary Godmother is a dead ringer for Jill.) She’s a multiple Eisner Award winner who has drawn for Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, Sandman, and many others. I loved her manga, At Death’s Door, so much that I bought two original pages, and only Jill could do a children’s book featuring Neil Gaiman’s seven Endless siblings (The Little Endless Storybook, recently re-released in softcover). In Scary Godmother, Jill has created the most loveable cast of characters you’re likely to come across in a comic. These stories have it all: tricks, treats (really, recipes and everything!), friendly monsters, touching friendships, high adventure, and lots of heart.

The denizens of the Fright Side have made the transition to the TV screen in two computer animated adventures, Scary Godmother Halloween Spooktakular and Scary Godmother Vol. 2; The Revenge of Jimmy (available on DVD and showing on Cartoon Network in October), which we watch all year long. We sing along, call out our favorite lines, and generally dance around and act crazy. Instead of losing something in the translation from comic to animation, Jill’s characters really come to life. I’ve taken the animated voices with me – I hear them (and the theme music) very clearly when reading the books.

Though there haven’t been any new Scary Godmother books in a few years, the hardback, full-color books are available at Cosmic Therapy or on Amazon, and the comics might well be in your local back issue bins.

Shelby says: I love Scary Godmother because all the monsters are funny and not so scary. It’s fairy taleyish and Scary Godmother is half a witch and half a fairy godmother. Bug-A-Boo is a monster with lots of eyes and he goes under kids’ beds and scares ‘em, but it’s just his job. Harry the werewolf loves to eat and he wears pajamas with sheep on them. He’s such a jerk! Skully is a skeleton who goes in all the closets and keeps everybody’s secrets. The vampire family doesn’t really eat people, they eat blood pizza – no garlic ‘cause they’re allergic! There’s a mom and a dad who are the King and Queen of the Night and they have a son named Orson. Orson is friends with Hannah, a little human girl. They are friends and they try to save each other all the time. Scary Godmother is nice and she tries to help everybody. I think anyone would like it because it’s not violent at all and it’s not too scary, just funny. You could read it to little kids and they wouldn’t be scared.

Sarah says: I like Harry and Bug-A-Boo – they are really funny. Harry loves to eat all the time and Bug-A-Boo’s just really funny and nice. I like it when Jill Thompson makes up funny words like “Daily Boogle” and “gross-ery store.” I sorta liked it when Scary Godmother and Harry were in the punkin’ patch with Hannah and they were making treats. They made a soybean butter and pickle sandwich and it made Harry’s mouth stick together. Scary Godmother really likes pickles.

Johnny DC

2007-04-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

Okay, so comics aren’t really for kids anymore – we all get it. That hasn’t stopped the marketing juggernauts at DC and Marvel, however, from pumping out unbelievable numbers of dolls, toys, bedsheets, curtains, dishes, sippy cups, coloring and sticker books, Halloween costumes, and all manner of paraphernalia featuring famous comic book heroes like Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and the Hulk. I hear all the time how comics for kids don’t make any money, but there sure must be money in merchandise.

So what happens when cute, little, six-year-old Bobby, with his Superman lunchbox, Batman backpack, and singing, plush Spidey, wants to read comics starring his favorite costumed heroes? You’re certainly not going to hand him Identity Crisis or Civil War. Think of poor little Bobby!

Bobby’s options are limited, but there are a few superhero comics from the Big Two he can read. Currently, Marvel has its Marvel Adventures line, including Marvel Adventures Spiderman, Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four, and Marvel Adventures The Avengers. In addition, there is Spiderman Loves Mary Jane (which I don’t think little Bobby would be interested in), Power Pack, and Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius. We’ve reviewed a few of these before, and we’ll get to the others soon.

Today we’ll look at DC’s “all ages” line – the revival of Johnny DC. All of the Johnny DC titles are written to conform to the Comics Code Authority and each is tied to an animated TV show. The line-up includes Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo, Cartoon Network Block Party, and the new Princess Natasha (not too highly rated around here), but for little Bobby’s sake, we’re going to concentrate our reviews on the superhero stuff.

Krypto the Superdog

I have a truly pathetic confession to make: The first animated episode of Krypto the Superdog made me cry. When Superman is reunited with his long-lost pal, Krypto, a tear trickled down my face as I realized the magnitude of Superman’s loss and how completely alone he must have felt. Tucked away in Krypto’s spaceship are drawings that Kal-el did as a boy; “The only pictures left of Krypton.” When he talked about his mother helping him with one of the drawings, I lost it. I know, I know – shut up.

The rest of the show, however, and the new comic, are created strictly for the kiddos. The opening pages of the first issue recap the first episode of the show (yes, I teared up again) but it seems very hastily thrown together. The main storyline, starring all the super pets, is completely silly – Joker’s laughing gas causes all the rats underground to laugh every 15 minutes and create earthquakes. Um, yeah. The girls seemed to like that plotline, though – they thought it was pretty funny. Otherwise, they weren’t that impressed. It’s not particularly well written, not very well edited, and the art is mediocre. We did all enjoy Ace the Bathound, however, because he’s so much like his owner. I get the feeling younger kids might like this, but that’s about it.

Sarah says: I kinda liked it because there were a few funny jokes but a few not so funny jokes, too. The stories were interesting but weird. I think most kids that are into dogs that fight would like it. I think my mom should get number two to see if it’s better.

Shelby says: It’s kinda like the TV show in comic form. It’s a story about Batman and Superman’s dogs and other super powered animals. It’s probably good for about 5 to 9 year olds. I think I’m a little too old for it. It’s just the way they explain things too much in words. It’s kind of stupid for someone to explain their plan – it’s kinda like the Adam West Batman series… except it’s not funny. The drawings of Krypto when he is a puppy are really cute though.

Teen Titans Go!

Sadly, the animated show was cancelled, but the comic will continue – hurray! TTG is definitely intended for kids, but adults who remember what it’s like to have fun will love it as well. This is very different than the original Teen Titans, so hardcore fans might not dig it, but there’s plenty of not-too-violent action, mega-doses of silliness, and the plot lines manage to be entertaining while still being straightforward enough for kids to follow. Kids really like the chibi characters across the bottom of the page doing knock-knock jokes and anagrams. The super-duper team of J Torres (words) and Todd Nauck (pencils) consistently give readers fun, frolic, and action in every issue. Truth, justice, pizza, and lots of funny bodily noises.

Shelby says: They’re funny, especially when they have manga faces, like when they laugh. Robin is the leader and he used to be with Batman, but Batman probably fired him so Robin started his own group. At least that’s what I think. (Poor child is already caught up in continuity!) Beast Boy is a vegetarian and he is hilarious and he can turn into any animal and he doesn’t even blink about it. Raven is very, very, very, very mellow. She’s always not happy.

Sarah says: It’s cool because they are all funny. They have trouble in different comics. Blackfire is Starfire’s sister and she is mean and she always cheats.

Shelby: You like her ‘cause you cheat, too.

Sarah: I do not! (small scuffle; parental intervention) I like Cyborg and Beast Boy and they’re always like, “Boo-yah! Let’s go eat food!” Raven is really bored all the time. She doesn’t know how to have fun. Starfire is really sweet and nice and she always loves Robin.

The Batman Strikes!

Sorry, I couldn’t get the girls to review this one. They used to be big Batfans, but the art here just turns them off. Shelby read the first two or three issues and decided she didn’t want to buy it anymore. Dig through the back-issue bins and get the Batman Adventures series – you may have to explain gangland vendettas, crooked politics, and why a woman would take a bullet for the man she loves, but at least the art is good. Even better, dig around for the five issue mini Gotham Girls – Ivy, Harley, Catwoman, and Detective Renee Montoya at play in Gotham – girl power, baby! A fairly straightforward storyline, lots of hand-to-hand combat, no shots fired, and totally fun characters.

Justice League Unlimited

This book and its precursor, Justice League Adventures, are excellent. I have to say, on a personal note, that the Justice League Unlimited animated series features my most favoritest moment in animated television: Gorilla Grod briefly turns Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman into apes. I may buy the season on DVD just for that glorious 55 seconds.

While Teen Titans Go!, Power Pack, and PS 238 are the best superhero comics featuring kid heroes, Justice League Unlimited is the best superhero book out there for kids that features the iconic heroes. This is all about the stories – the scripts are interesting and well-crafted and it’s tons of fun to see a less serious take on the DC heroes and villains. Not that it’s all silly – there is plenty of well-written drama and action as well. The trade of the JLU precursor, Justice League Adventures, makes a great gift for any kid or kid-at-heart who loves tights and capes.

Sarah says: I like it because it’s cool – there are so many characters in it. I don’t know who some of them even are, but I’m learning! I like to see not very well known characters that only fanboys know and the ones with the cool powers like making ice and green fire. The particular issue I liked was when the Flash met Old Flash ‘cause Flash is one of my favorites. And I liked the one with Starro.

Shelby says: I like the show because it’s got great music and it’s similar to the comic. I like Flash because he’s a smart-aleck and he can run faster than anyone and that’s cool. I like Superman because he doesn’t want to kill anyone and I like Wonder Woman because she has this rope that makes people tell the truth when she puts it on you. And I like Batman, of course, because he’s a really good crime fighter and he’s from Earth. Green Lantern is from Earth but he can save everyone with his ring. Hawkgirl is from a different planet and she can whack villains with her whacky-thing with the pointies on it.

Interview: Mike Bullock

2007-04-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

I consider Mike Bullock to be at the forefront of the movement to create more high-quality all ages comics and graphic novels. I spoke to him about some of his great ideas for getting kids back into comics and getting comics out to kids.

All Ages Reads: You’ve been a real advocate for all-ages comics. How did that particular fire get lit?

Mike Bullock: Comic books played a very big part in my early years and it pains me to know that my children might not have the opportunity to dig through a spinner rack at the local drug store and grab up a handful of good comics to wile away an afternoon with. Bringing comics back to drug stores, grocery stores and the like is one battle, but when I started writing Lions, Tigers and Bears, the lack of great all-ages comics that parents could feel good about giving to their children was a glaring hole in what the average comic shop offered. Luckily, that trend has reversed quite a bit lately with the recent influx of solid all-ages comics now available, however, that doesn’t mean everyone out there knows about them.

AAR: Which titles do you remember loving as a kid?

MB: When I was very little, I loved Batman and the Justice League, mainly because those were the books my older brother would buy. When I was about 7 or 8, my mom let me buy my own comic book and I picked up a copy of the Avengers and from that day until I was about 14 all I wanted to read was Marvel stuff like Spider-Man, Moon Knight, ROM: Spaceknight, The Micronauts, Defenders and a few others. Then DC slowly crept back in with books like Firestorm, All-Star Squadron and Warlord. By my sixteenth birthday, I’d “outgrown” comics and stopped reading them until I was in my early twenties and I realized that comics were just great stories and it didn’t matter if anyone else thought they were “just for kids” since to me great entertainment is good for anyone of any age.

AAR: While Lions, Tigers, and Bears is definitely “all ages” in terms of being family-friendly, some of your Beasties are pretty scary! At what age do you feel a child might be ready to read Lions, Tigers, and Bears?

MB: I think that’s totally up to the parents. For me as a child, I was never scared by things I found in comics or saw in animation. For some reason I was always able to realize the difference between fantasy and reality. However, I have encountered children as old as nine or ten who are unable to make that distinction. I really don’t think you can place a blanket statement on it that says what exact age children will respond in what way to entertainment they’re presented with, as each child is an individual and grow in their own unique ways. That’s why it’s so important for parents to always be involved in the lives of their little ones, just as you are with your girls.

AAR: Can you talk a bit about some of the creative ideas you’ve used to get your comics into the hands of kids?

MB: Certainly. When I was a kid, my local library had a Comic Book Exchange, where you could bring in some comic books and trade them for the books the library had in stock. I probably read thousands of comics that way that I’d have never been able to read had I been forced to purchase them with my meager allowance. When I started LTB, I realized that local libraries here in Phoenix didn’t have this sort of thing going on, so I went to Mike Banks at Samurai Comics and pitched the idea to him of starting an exchange at our local library.

Armed with a few hundred books donated by Samurai, as well as fifty to sixty from my personal collection and two hundred copies of Lions, Tigers and Bears, I held a free comic program at the local library to launch the exchange. All the children who attended received free comics and were given an explanation of how it worked and what they needed to do so that they could all have new (to them) comics to read on a regular basis.

After that, (once again with the help of Samurai Comics) I launched another exchange at my local Elementary School and put on a “Create Your Own Beastie” contest, where the kids were able to learn how to create comic characters, comic books and ask questions on how all those things happen, as well as what happens in the stories. At the end of the program, the Comic Book Exchange concept was explained to all the students who attended and the raw excitement on their faces and in their voices when they heard about it was staggering. Anyone who thinks kids don’t like comics is dead wrong. They love them just as much now as they ever have before, they just don’t have the access to them that our generation enjoyed growing up.

Jack Lawrence and I also participated in the Phoenix area Children’s Literacy Program. We created an original LTB story that ran in the Arizona Republic newspaper every Sunday, all summer long, in 2005 as part of that program. Scott Tingley over at www.comicsintheclassroom.net has taken the initiative to create lesson plans for teachers all over the world based on that story. If you’re a teacher or a parent reading this, surf over to Scott’s site and check out all the great resources he’s compiled for parents and teachers.

AAR: Besides LTB, can you name some current or recent all ages books that stand out in your mind?

MB: The first that always comes to mind is Owly. I absolutely love that book and can’t say enough good things about it. It was awesome to see Andy Runton get the Eisner this year. It was certainly well deserved. The next to come to mind is Abadazad. JM DeMatteis is making magic between those covers and Mike Ploog is there to bring it all to life for us. Another one that’s crept up on me is Sonic X. Every issue is an exciting, lighthearted story that’s just plain fun.

AAR: Coming back to your work, Jack Lawrence did such a great job on the art for Lions, Tigers, and Bears. How did you go about replacing him when he had to move on?

MB: It was hard. Very hard. Jack and I grew together so much that we almost seemed like twins to those who saw us together and heard us talk. Every time I had an idea, he took it one step further and vice versa. I really couldn’t have asked for a better artist to work with on my first project. His talent and drive are immeasurable and his imagination is as fertile as anyone I’ve ever encountered.

Unfortunately, working with Jack spoiled me to a certain extent and when it came time to replace him, I found Jack had raised the bar higher than some people can jump. Luckily, after quite a bit of “hair-pulling-out”, I stumbled upon an old email from Paul “Gutz” Gutierrez and went to his site and checked out his work. Remembering he’d replaced Jack once before and knowing he had a great love of all-ages comics, I shot him an email and within days he was working on the book.

AAR: We met Paul at Comic-Con and his sketches were great. We’re looking forward to seeing his work on LTB. We also really love The Gimoles, which have been appearing in the back of LTB issues. Any plans for a Gimoles series or trade?

MB: Well, as lucky as I was to find a replacement for Jack on LTB, I’ve not been so lucky in replacing Gimoles artist Theo Bain. Theo’s style suited that property so well that I’ve yet to come across another artist who could give those characters the same magic. However, that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped trying. In fact, if there’s an artist reading this and you think you’re the one to continue Gimoles, shoot me an email and you might be the next Gimoles artist.

Ultimately, I’d like to finish the four-part story and release the entire mini-series as one single trade paperback. But before that can happen, there are roughly thirty-five pages of artwork that need to be completed.

AAR: Both LTB and Gimoles seem tailor-made for animation. Anything in the works you can tell us about?

MB: Hollywood is a funny place. The Gimoles was optioned first by an exciting new production company that has gone through massive restructuring since they first took on the option. Now that the restructuring is over, the option term has ended as well with nothing having come of it.

Meanwhile, Lions, Tigers and Bears is charging full steam ahead and some pretty big announcements should be forthcoming soon. I can’t say much more than that about it at this time, but I’m pretty excited and really think the people involved in bringing LTB to the big screen will ensure that existing LTB readers are blown away by the project they have coming down the pike.

AAR: The reprint of the Lions, Tigers, and Bears Volume 1 trade paperback came out this week, and I’ll be buying one to donate to the girls’ school library. Issue 3 of Volume 2 will be in stores soon – don’t miss it!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears

2007-04-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

Lions, Tigers, and Bears by Mike Bullock (Image)

Why is it some people just seem to be good at everything? In his wide-ranging career Mike Bullock has been a musician, manager, promoter, producer, journalist, PR Director, and editor, and he has written successfully in almost every genre. Nowadays, he’s writing The Phantom for Moonstone and, lucky for us, he writes an all ages comic called Lions, Tigers, and Bears for his own Runemaster Studios.

Lions, Tigers, and Bears is, at heart, a simple, old-fashioned good vs. evil story. The evil Beasties want to eat children and the brave and valiant Stuffed Animal Militia, so cute and cuddly during the day, come to life and protect their young owners at night. It’s always very clear who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. The Night Pride, the lead group of big cats, are courageous and graceful, and the bears of the Crystal Castle are noble and fearless. The Beasties are drooling, malicious nasties who would like nothing better than to destroy King Bear and the Night Pride and feast on the children of the world. The children, Joey and Courtney, must face their fears and use the power of imagination to help defeat the Beasties.

The one word that keeps coming to mind when I read LTB is “powerful” – the characters are strong, the story is compelling, and the art is rich. What makes LTB great entertainment for most readers, however, may be too much for some to handle. I would recommend that if your kids are very young or easily frightened, or if they have bedtime issues at all, you read LTB first and decide if they can handle it. It’s one thing to talk about the monsters in their closet or read about them in text, but it’s quite another to see them snarling, slashing, drooling, and attacking in full color. Jack Lawrence is really good at drawing scary Beasties! There are intense fight scenes and the children are often in danger. There’s a great message to be gained in these stories about facing your fears – just be sure your kids are ready.

Shelby says: I like Lions, Tigers, and Bears because it is about stuffed animals that come alive. Joey Price gets the Night Pride stuffed animal pack from his Grandma which is a lion, two tigers, and a jaguar. Every night the Night Pride comes alive and protects Joey from the Beasties. The Beasties are evil and they come from the Stuffed Animal Kingdom into kids’ rooms through their closets. The story is good because of the whole idea of stuffed animals coming alive – I always hoped my stuffed animals were alive. The way the artist draws the Night Pride when they are stuffed animals is they have cute little faces and little tiny bodies and big heads. When they’re alive they have big muscles and their hair flies out everywhere like they’re handsome princes. When I was little, I probably would have been scared and not been able to go to sleep for a while, but now it’s not scary at all.

Sarah says: Lions, Tigers, and Bears is an absolutely great book for ages eight and up. I say that because there are a few part that would creep younger kids out. Like sometimes it’s really dramatic and it seems like the kids are going to be eaten at some points and some of the monsters are scary, even for me. Like Drool is a Beastie and he freaks me out because all that drool on his face is yucky. I like the Beasties because they’re cool and one of them is dumb and has really big teeth. I don’t have any front teeth! I like the art because it has lots of color. I love everything about this book, even the scary parts!

Adventures in Oz

2007-04-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Adventures in Oz, by Eric Shanower (IDW)

Eric Shanower’s Adventures in Oz is so beautiful that I can’t take my eyes off of it. I find myself trying to work on other things only to have my gaze drift back to the cover, and soon I’m lost in Oz again. It’s kind of like having a bowl of jelly beans on your desk – you just keep taking another one and another one and another one…. Sometimes I even run through the pages like a flip book, just to see the colors go by.

This is a reprinted, collected edition of five of Shanower’s original Oz tales: “The Enchanted Apples of Oz,” “The Secret Island of Oz,” “The Ice King of Oz,” “The Forgotten Forest of Oz,” and “The Blue Witch of Oz.” The loving care that Shanower and the publisher have put into this edition is readily evident on every page, with Shanower having final approval over everything. The jaw-dropping colors alone make this book worth the price tag, and the large format really shows off the work to its best advantage. I recommend reading about the publishing process and at the IDW site – this was truly a labor of love.

I think I read a few of the original L. Frank Baum stories when I was little, and of course I grew up with the movie, but Oz just never captivated me – until now. These stories are odd and quirky, very much in the spirit of the originals, and there are a lot of deux ex machina moments, but I really don’t care because it’s the visual feast that keeps me coming back for more. Trying to choose pages to scan for this column was like trying to choose flavors of ice cream – I wanted them all.

This might not be for young children who are easily frightened because some of the stories include “mild peril” and scary-looking trolls, but beyond that Adventures in Oz is wonderful all ages literature. My only disappointment is that I don’t have the hardcover edition with 70 pages of sketches and extra goodies. Hmmm, something for my Christmas list.

On a side note, here’s a link to Shanower’s great (if short) list of his favorite all ages titles. This paragraph, appearing at the end of the list, beautifully sums up the magic of comics:

“The idea I want to leave you with, what I think is the most important concept for you to understand, is that the medium of comic books and graphic novels is a valid artform unto itself. The goal of literacy isn’t solely to achieve the ability to read, important as that is. It’s to gain the ability to use what we read in order to learn, to think, to understand the world around us, to understand other humans, to understand ourselves. When you read a graphic novel, you’re experiencing how someone else sees the world. Just as travel in the physical world is broadening, so is travel into the minds and hearts of our fellow humans. And this, really, is what makes the best graphic novels worthwhile—not as collectibles, not as bridges to reading so-called “real” books—but for the sake of how deeply each cartoonist’s vision touches the common humanity in each of us. Graphic novels allow us--more directly than the written word alone and more intimately than images on film--to travel on journeys--to experience tangible expressions of creators who have dug down into their hearts and souls and carefully arranged what they found there for the rest of the world to see. As far as I can tell, that’s what art is for. That’s the power of comic books and graphic novels.”

Amen.

Sarah says: I love this book. It’s about Dorothy, Scarecrow, and all the other people from the Oz books. Sometimes the stories made sense and sometimes you wouldn’t know what was going to happen next. But sometimes they have too much luck and it just doesn’t feel right. I think this book is for six and older because sometimes there’s some blood and scary stuff. The pictures are completely amazing because the artist puts so much detail in them. I want to count all the circles on the dragons but I think there are too many. Eric likes to draw lots and lots of heavy clothing and it looks very realistic when he does that. The art makes it feel like what Oz would be if there really was one.

Shelby says: I love Adventures in Oz. It’s got the best art in any comic books. It is because of the color and shading and the expressions on the faces of the characters. The funny thing is, the art in the very first story is different from the other stories because it’s more flat shapes and objects without as much shading. When you get farther into the story, the art gets better. As I get older, my art gets better and better, so maybe in the first story the artist was still learning. The details are great because there’s a lot going on in the dragons and the trees and the clothes and anything else you can imagine. The stories are also good because they are still very magical like the Wizard of Oz movie but there are more characters and more things that happen. Some of the stories are interesting but some are a little bit too weird for my taste, like when a wood nymph gets kicked out of the forest and then joins the trolls and becomes the troll queen. I didn’t get why she wanted to kill the other wood nymphs just because they kicked her out. But I liked it anyway because the art is awesome. Little kids would like the art, but they might be scared of some of the stories. This is not just a children’s book, it’s for grown-ups too, if they like imagination. You can certainly find imagination in this book – that’s all it is! It’s one of my favorite books.