Free Comic Book Day!

Free Comic Book Day #FCBD is tomorrow. You've got all day to locate your nearest comic book shop (if you don't already know it) and make plans to visit tomorrow.  Don't miss it!

 

BTW, if you're a librarian, did you know that in June, ALA announced the creation of a new official round table, the Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table (GNCRT)?  If you're already an ALA member, round table membership is very affordable—$5 for students/support staff and $15 for librarians. If you're not an ALA member,  you can  join the GNCRT Facebook group for free. Check us out!

Good Rosie! a review

Good Rosie!
by Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by Harry Bliss
Candlewick, 2018

The genre of comic book styled stories in the children's picture book section has been the almost exclusive milieu of Toon Books, one of my favorite imprints.  While Good Rosie! is not completely comic book style, it certainly brings something new to the class.  Other than the obvious star power—Kate DiCamillo is a Newbery medalist and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and Harry Bliss is a New Yorker cover artist and picture book artist for best-selling books such as Diary of a Worm, Good Rosie! is a fresh mashup of comic book, graphic novel, easy reader, and chapter book.

In sections called "parts," (I love Part Six's title best, "Part Six: Somebody Does Something"), DiCamillo tells a story of a lonely dog named Rosie, and her older, balding owner, who both find companionship at the dog park.  She writes, as always with heart.  After we learn that Rosie feels lonely when looking at her reflection in her food bowl, we are reminded of her feelings later in the story,

That cloud does look like a dog! Rosie wags her tail. "Hello,  hello!" she shouts.
[the image contains a lettered "Woof, woof!]

The dog cloud does not answer her. Rosie feels lonely in an empty-silver-bowl sort of way.

Rosie's owner is kind and gentle, walking with a cane and trench coat, vulnerable against the elements of weather and terrain.  Rosie reflects his gentle personality.  They are as sweet a pair as Mr. Putter and Tabby, both in word and picture.  The man's words appear in classic comic book word bubbles,

 Isn't this great? Look at all these dogs. 

Panels are framed in black against white gutters.  The text is a simple black typeface, allowing the images to enhance the story. Rosie is a sweet brown and white terrier.  Her new found friends are a Saint Bernard named Maurice and what looks to be a long-haired chihuahua named Fifi.  They are full of expression and frolic against a backdrop of lush green grass, and blue cloud-filled skies.

A charming book for reading alone or reading aloud.


Good Rosie! extras:

• A peek inside Good Rosie!
• An interview with Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss

My copy of Good Rosie! was provided by the publisher.

What Is Free Comic Book Day?

Just a friendly reminder that Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday!

The Dollar Kids - a review

The Dollar Kids

by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Illustrated by Ryan Andrews
Candlewick, 2018

After Lowen's friend is killed in a random shooting, he discovers an article describing a program in which families can apply to receive a home in a declining mill town for only one dollar.  Lowen is surprised when his family agrees to apply and is accepted into the program. It's a difficult transition. His father stays on in their old town of Flintlock to continue earning money, while Lowen, his older brother, younger sister, and mother work to fix up their dilapidated new home and get his mother's new family business up and running. Lowen hoped that the move would ease his mind after Abe's death, but life in Millville offers troubles of its own,

"Whereas Mum's shop was going to be a take-out place, the Busy Bee had around ten tables and a small bar.  A sign at the door advised them to seat themselves; they settled into the one remaining booth on the side of the room.  As they did, the noise level dropped to a whisper and all heads turned their way. If Dad were there, he'd probably wave to the onlookers or introduce the family to the people at the closest table. But that wasn't Mum's way. She dropped her eyes to the menu, willing others to be polite and look away.  Anneth pulled out her phone and began texting. Lowen reached to examine the bee-shaped salt and pepper shakers and wished for a moment that he hadn't complained about being hungry.

A man and a woman came in and, noticing that there were no booths left, resigned themselves to a center table. It didn't make sense, but Lowen felt like his family had sat down where they didn't belong."

The Dollar Kids touches on several themes including (but not limited to) moving, friendship, gun violence, grief, and perseverance, but it never gets bogged down and never feels forced. These things are merely part of a difficult period in the life of Lowen Grover's family. The story feels real and forces the reader to consider things from multiple points of view. There is often a rational motivation for behaviors that we might find hurtful or even inexplicable.

The setting and premise for the book is unique, but its best feature is Jacobson's storytelling format.  The book begins with a multi-page comic drawn by Lowen, a talented artist. (Artist Ryan Andrews created the comic artwork.) It is through the comic that we learn the circumstances of Abe's death.  Following the murder, Lowen refuses to draw. Later, as he comes to terms with life in Millville, he slowly begins to draw again and his comics appear sporadically in the latter half of the book. A letter and a final comic bring touching closure to a great story.

This is a tightly woven story, recommended by the publisher for ages 10-14. I thoroughly enjoyed it.


Due on a shelf near you in August!


A note from The Dollar Kids author Jennifer Richard Jacobson


An interesting note:

I believe that the offer is now expired, however, the town of Ollolai, Italy, recently sold homes for one euro, with similar restrictions to the ones that "the dollar families" experienced in Millville.  You can read about it on CNN Travel , "Your own Italian home for $1? You can buy it in Ollolai" (Note: CNN's site does contain annoying ads.)


My copy of The Dollar Kids was provided by the publisher at my request.  The Dollar Kids is on this month's Early Reviewers List from LibraryThing (deadline to request is March 26) .


Note: 
Revised 6/6/18 to correct typos

I am Princess X - the sleeper hit that I didn't review this year

I received an advance copy of I am Princess X months before the book's actual release. The artwork wasn't completed—but it didn't matter.  Even with sample art and text descriptions of illustrations, I loved it.  I shared it with my colleagues, I gave it to one of the kids in my book club, I nominated it for a 2015 Cybils Award in the YA Fiction category (fingers crossed).  The one thing I didn't get around to doing is reviewing it. So, better late to the party than never ...

I am Princess X is a unique mix of webcomic and prose. Set in Seattle, it's a mystery, a thriller, and a look into a lifestyle that includes the literal Seattle underground and the dark web. 

Here's a quick booktalk you can use:

May is 16-yrs-old when she begins seeing stickers and graffiti of Princess X throughout Seattle.  When May was younger, she and her friend, Libby, created the Princess X comic.  May wrote the story and Libby illustrated it—but that was years ago—before Libby died.  So who's drawing Princess X now?

I think it's a sleeper hit, that will only become more popular with time. It received starred reviews in School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist.

You can listen to an audio excerpt of I am Princess X here: [http://iamprincessxbook.tumblr.com/post/124693032795/listen-to-an-excerpt-from-i-am-princess-x] (not sure how that will work without the embedded comic book pages)

The Canadian Scholastic site also posted a print excerpt.  You can access it here: [http://www.scholastic.ca/books/view/i-am-princess-x]

Free Comic Book Day

Today is Free Comic Book Day!

• Find a participating comic book store near you by clicking this link. 
• Can't find a store near you? You can download free comics for kids and teens including  Molly Danger , Simpsons Comics Free-for-All, and selections from Top Shelf's Kids Club at ComiXology.

What are you waiting for?

Simon's Cat vs. the World - a review

Technically an adult book, Simon's Cat, like Garfield, appeals to kids and teens, too.

First published in the UK, Simon's Cat is published in the US by Akashic Books.

Tofield, Simon. 2013. Simon's Cat vs. the World. Brooklyn, NY: Akashic.
(Advance Reader Copy provided by LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program) 

A Facebook, YouTube and Twitter phenomenon, Simon's Cat is as complex in attitude and emotion as he is simple in depiction. This fat, white, bug-eyed cat views himself as the center of the world; and in Simon's Cat vs. The World, the world may be out to get him.

Each page features Simon's Cat and his adversary - chickens, static, Monday, starlings, and many, many more.  Sometimes the world wins (it's hard to look dignified in a "novelty hat") and sometimes Simon's Cat wins (mere cloth cannot keep Simon's Cat from the joyful fun that awaits inside the beanbag chair).

A page of stickers is included as are instructions for drawing several kinds of cats and a squirrel. Less cynical than Garfield, and hipper than Heathcliff, Simon's Cat is irresistible.

My library shelves Simon's Cat books in DDC 817 - American humor and satire.  I think 741.5 - Comic books, graphic novels, fotonovelas, cartoons, caricatures, comic strips is a better fit, however, either way you slice it, it's funny.

Not familiar with Simon's Cat?  Here he is on YouTube.

 Today is Nonfiction Monday. You can find the day's roundup at Stacking Books.  

Next week's roundup is right here!

Bill The Boy Wonder - a review

Nobleman, Marc Tyler. 2012. Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman. Ill. By Ty Templeton.  Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Batman.  Who doesn’t know Batman in one format or another? The 1960s TV show, the incredibly popular Dark Knight movie series, cartoons,  and of course, the original comic books which first appeared in 1939, bearing the name of Batman creator, Bob Kane. 

Every Batman story is marked with the words “Batman created by Bob Kane.” 
For almost thirty years, fans did not suspect otherwise.  But that is not the whole truth.  Bob Kane himself said so.
A Finger had a hand in it, too.

Bill the Boy Wonder is the story of that Finger, Bill Finger, the co-creator and long-time writer of Batman.

First forced to hide his identity as a Jew (his real name was Milton) to obtain work during the Great Depression, later writing in obscurity while Batman illustrator, Bob Kane,  rose to fame, and finally working (if only half-heartedly) to gain his duly deserved recognition, Nobleman chooses to present Bill, The Boy Wonder as a story with three parts, "Secret Identity 1 – Bill," "Secret Identity 2 – Writer of Batman," and "Secret Identity 3 – Co-creator of Batman."  This well-sourced and researched biography is as fascinating as it is entertaining,

Bill liked to ride through the city to think.  As the bus picked up passengers, Bill picked up plots from street scenes and daydreams.

He recorded stray facts – the boiling point of mercury, the Chinese character for virtue, what happens when a dog’s nose gets cold – in what he called his “gimmick book.”  He routinely skimmed it for a spark that might ignite a story.  In time he had a library of gimmick books at his Fingertips.  He even let other writers – his competitors – hunt for story ideas in them.

Though brimming with details and quotes, Nobleman moves the story along with the talent of a comic book writer.  A six-page Author’s Note adds details and period photographs.

Ty Templeton, a Batman artist himself, was the perfect choice to illustrate this fascinating look at Bill Finger’s work and the work of other talented artists, writers and fans who struggled to garner for him the credit he deserved.  The end papers are dramatic and inspired, and the illustrations are done, of course, in comic book style with white text box insets.

from Ty Templeton's site

Even if you’re not a Batmanian, you’ll love this book. It's clear that it was a labor of love for the author.

• Kirkus' review of Bill the Boy Wonder

(I'll be showing this one at my book club meeting!)

Can’t get enough of Bill The Boy Wonder?  Check out these great sites:

• The official site of Bill the Boy Wonder: The Co-Creator of Batman - the publisher's site containing puzzles, games, a contest, educator resources and more!
• Noblemania  - the author's blog
• An interview with Nobleman and Templeton that appeared on The Comics Cube blog

 and just for fun,

•  artist Ty Templeton's plug for the book

As I was reading this book, I could see a small child wearing the Batman symbol on his tee-shirt and his Crocs, and my own children were planning an opening night visit to the theater to see the Dark Knight’s latest incarnation.  Bill Finger’s now not-so-secret-identity lives on.

Today's Nonfiction Monday roundup is at Practically Paradise.

Adventures in Cartooning

Sturm, James, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost. 2009. Adventures in Cartooning. New York: :01 (First Second)

Adventures in Cartooning was published in 2009, but was recently brought to my attention by Diamond Comic Distributor's, Diamond Bookshelf e-newsletter. The latest edition featured a news article entitled, "Learn the Language of Cartooning: Resources for Non-Artists and Nervous Beginners."  I love comics; and I don't do it often, but I do love to draw (though "non-artist and nervous beginner" both describe me quite well).

In any case, Adventures in Cartooning: How to turn your doodles into comics, is a unique resource for young artists who have great ideas but lack great artistic skills.  A comic book itself, Adventures shows the budding cartoon artist how to use basic cartooning principles to overcome any lack or imagined lack of drawing skills when creating a comic.  Can't draw someone running?  No problem.  Draw the same figure in four different panels and change the scenery.

Running uphill?  Align the panels diagonally rather than horizontally. 

What makes this book so unique is that it's actually a story featuring an elf, a knight and a horse.  The elf points out the artistic principles inherent in the story. At one point in his quest to fight a dragon, the knight and his trusty horse are dropped from the sky.  As they fall upside down through the clouds, the helpful elf points out, "Long panels are good for going down, too!"

Following the story are "The Magical Elf's Cartooning Basics," instructions (à la Ed Emberly) for drawing the story's characters, a sample story done by a young artist, and a short strip "About the Authors," in which the authors appear as a three-headed monster.

A winner for budding cartoonists or graphic novelists.

Read pages 5-22 on :01's site.
An interview with the authors appears here.

It's Nonfiction Monday.  Be sure to check out all of today's posts @

 Anastasia Suen's Chapter Book of the Day.