Fox and Rabbit is the first book in a three-book series, and the intended audience of emerging readers (kids ages 5-8) will love this book. The illustrations created with graphite and ink and colored digitally are absolutely perfect for this story. The pictures are a mix of close-up and far-away shots of the characters. On the first page, the illustration shows Fox and Rabbit from a far away angle, lying down on their backs gazing at the images in the clouds. The illustrator included 3 closeup inset images of Fox and Rabbit with the speech bubbles as they discuss what they see in the clouds. These insets pull the reader into the story right away and make us feel like we are intimately involved in Fox and Rabbit's conversation.
Ferry uses repetition in her text such as using the letter F throughout the story. In chapter one, Fair, Fireworks, & Fred, Rabbit chooses the letter F in the Wheel of Fortune game. He chooses F because Fox is his friend and the word "friend" starts with F. In each chapter, there is a carry-over from the previous chapter. For example, Rabbit wins a beach ball at the Wheel of Fortune game in chapter one, and then Rabbit and Fox take the ball to the beach the next day in chapter two. A reader must closely read the pictures and the text to understand the nuances of this story. For instance, one image in chapter one shows a sign that says, "3 tickets = 1 prize," three tickets are lying next to the wall of stuffed animals, and Fox is holding a stuffed lion. The reader has to infer that Fox gave the carnival worker 3 tickets for the stuffed lion and comprehend the layered meaning in the story.
Ferry, B., & Dudás, G. (2021). Fox & Rabbit. Amulet Books.
Jop and Blip Wanna Know: Can you Hear a Penguin Fart on Mars? by Jim Benton is his first nonfiction graphic novel and won the Excellence in Graphic Literature Award. This graphic novel is perfect for the intended audience (ages 6-10) and reluctant readers would really enjoy the farting humor in this book. The illustrations were "drawn with a flair pen on cheap paper and colored in Photoshop" according to the notes on the copyright page, and the silly illustrations skillfully complement the funny text. Benton uses a pastel color palette in his illustrations that appeals to a broad audience. In the first panel on page 23 of the book, the author states that 4 of the 18 species of penguins live in warm environments. In the second panel of the same page, Benton drew a funny Galapagos penguin sipping lemonade on the beach to go along with the text: “And the Galapagos penguin lives at the equator” (p. 23). Children will understand the plot as Jop and Blip ask three questions in the book, and the two robots determine the answers. While figuring out the answers, readers learn about penguins, dragons, and the senses of hearing and vision.
Benton, J. (2021). Jop and Blip Wanna Know. Harper Collins.
Minecraft Volume 1 by Sfe R. Monster is the first book in a three-book series, and the intended audience is children ages 7 through 10 years old. The majority of kids will understand the plot which is a typical story where the characters travel on a quest; the main character Tyler and his crew go on a quest to the End and battle the Ender Dragon. Many children in this age group have played the video game, Minecraft, so they will be familiar with the terminology used in the book. However, kids don’t need to have played Minecraft to understand the story.
In the afterword, the illustrator, Sarah Graley, explains how the characters were designed and how the cover art and page illustrations were created. Graley sketches the illustrations with pencils and ink, her assistant adds color to the pictures, and Graley adds the final details and shading. According to my kids, the illustrations are mostly accurate and match the items (i.e. Creepers, chests, Ender Dragon) in the actual Minecraft video game. Graley uses a muted color palette with pinks, purples, greens, blues, and browns, and the images complement the text. For example, on page 71, when Candace expresses her admiration for Grace and accepts a date with her, the background has a deep pink color with stars and sparkles. The glittery background and the characters’ smiles evoke the feeling that a romantic relationship is developing between the two characters.
Monster, S. R. (2019). Minecraft Volume 1. Dark Horse Books.
Stargazing by Jen Wang is a delightful middle grade book with sweet illustrations that harmonize with the text. One example is the two page spread on pages 210-211 where Madison’s dance crew and the Laz-E Boyzzz are performing at the talent show. The light pink, yellow, and blue colors, yellow streamers with the lyrics, and smiles capture the happy emotions of the whole group. The images were created using a mechanical #2 pencil and inked with a Uni Jetstream ballpoint pen. The pictures were then colored with Photoshop using muted blues, greens, pinks, and browns.
Wang uses close up, medium, and far away shots in her panels to create an emotional impact. The panels also include Moon Lin’s drawings she sketches in her journal and song lyrics for the girls’ dances. In the afterword, Jen Wang explains that she was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age six and the surgery she had to remove the tumor. The events in Stargazing and Moon Lin’s hospitalization are based on Wang’s real life experiences. Wang includes photos of her six year old self in a hospital bed with her little sister and states in the afterword that it took her 33 years to be comfortable sharing her story.
Wang, J. (2019). Stargazing. First Second.
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