Here at the FPI blog we’re very keen on Toon Books; the graphic novel series designed for the youngest of readers. But I’m definitely not the target readership, no matter how much I try to think younger. And even when I get my 11 year-old Molly to review them I still feel she’s slightly too [...]
Continue reading...Saturday, May 28, 2011
Patrick in A Teddy Bears Picnic And Other Stories By Geoffrey Hayes Toon Books There was a time, not so long ago, that the old credo of “comics aren’t just for kids anymore” suddenly seemed to be closer to “comics aren’t for kids at all anymore“. Thankfully, over the last few years this has been [...]
Continue reading...Wednesday, May 5, 2010
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Benny And Penny in The Toy Breaker by Geoffrey Hayes Toon Books The latest Toon Books release sees another in Geoffrey Hayes’ award-winning Benny And Penny series, the gentlest of adventures of two little mice. The last Benny And Penny book – The Big No-No! won the prestigious 2009 American Library Association’s Theodor Seuss Geisel [...]
Continue reading...Friday, April 2, 2010
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Zig And Wikki – Something Ate My Homework by Nadja Spiegelman and Trade Loeffler Toon Books “I wanted to write a story that would have both hugs and bugs— a friendship and gross facts about flies” Nadja Spiegelman in School Library Journal. Poor Zig – he’s late with his homework and needs to find a [...]
Continue reading...Saturday, January 23, 2010
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It’s been a week of congratulations for some great publishers and creators. First Kate Brown, whose Spider Moon graphic novel will be coming soon from David Fickling books, wins the Arts Foundation graphic novel prize (Joe covered the story here) And now news comes of Toon Books sweeping the American Library Association’s awards. Although it [...]
Continue reading...Sunday, November 22, 2009
Over on the Toon Books website, they’ve a couple of very nice tools for early readers; Toon Creator and Toon Reader. Two lovely little applications, one allows children to listen to the authors reading the books aloud while they click on the balloons and turn the pages whilst the other allows the readers to make [...]
Continue reading...Saturday, October 3, 2009
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Isn’t that the cutest thing? Little Mouse by Jeff Smith was the latest in the first graphic novel series from Toon Books. We thought it was lovely. But if just the book isn’t enough Toon Books are now offering the book, signed by Jeff Smith and this gorgeous 9.5″ tall plush Little Mouse of your [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Toon Treasury Of Classic Children’s Comics Selected & Edited by Art Spiegelman & Francoise Mouly Abrams ComicArts The Toon Treasury is a huge (really huge – 350+ pages) hardcover of seemingly every wonderful comic for children from the 30s to the 60s, all lovingly compiled by Francoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman. Okay, not every [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith Toon Books. The Toon Books series has been extensively reviewed here on the FPI blog, simply because it’s so enjoyable to be able to actually celebrate smart, funny and entertaining graphic novels specifically written for younger children. Francoise Mouley’s initial idea for Toon Books was a very simple [...]
Continue reading...Thursday, April 30, 2009
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Benny & Penny in The Big No-No by Geoffrey Hayes Toon Books. This is the second in the Spring 2009 releases from Francoise Mouly’s Toon Books line for younger readers. It’s also the first sequel in the line, following on from Benny and Penny in Just Pretend which I reviewed back here, saying that it [...]
Continue reading...Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Luke On The Loose by Harry Bliss Toon Books Luke On The Loose from the ever excellent Toon Books is a kinetic MAD influenced romp through New York city as one little boy chases and chases and chases pigeons all the way across the city. The MAD influence comes out in the little touches on [...]
Continue reading...Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Little Lit: It Was A Dark And Silly Night Edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly Raw Junior / Little Lit (Big cover image for a BIG book!) In recent weeks I’ve reviewed the entire line of Toon Books releases and enjoyed them greatly, but a recent bookshop find means I can go a little [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Mo And Jo: Fighting Together Forever by Dean Haspiel and Jay Lynch. Toon Books. This is one of the most advanced of the Toon Books catalogue, both in concept and language. It’s also the one most grounded in standard superhero ideas. But it’s going to be immediately familiar to the younger readers it’s aimed at, [...]
Continue reading...Monday, January 12, 2009
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Stinky by Eleanor Davis Toon Books Another great comic tale for kids from Francoise Mouly’s Toon Books. This one will find children loving the grossness of Stinky; a monster living in the muckiest, smelliest swamp and keeping well away from the kids of the town who have baths, don’t like mucky mud, slimy slugs or [...]
Continue reading...Friday, January 9, 2009
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Benny And Penny by Geoffrey Hayes Toon Books Benny just wants to play at being a pirate with his cardboard box ship and his wooden sword. But his annoying little sister wants to play as well, dressed in her finest princess outfit. Benny doesn’t want to play with her and calls her a cry-baby and [...]
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
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