Book Links - Christine Boardman Moen
This 26-title set features dynamic comic-style art and abridged retellings of both myths and literature classics. Titles include The Jungle Book, The Wizard of Oz, Pinocchio, and Alice in Wonderland (all 2010), among others.
March 1, 2010Good Comics for Kids Blog, School Library Journal - Peter Gutierrez
The Emperor’s New Clothes. With this leveled title as well as The Jungle Book, The Princess and The Pea, and a version of The Ugly Duckling well suited to the Nickelodeon crowd, Stone Arch has added new energy and artistry to the business of adapting classics for young readers (although at fewer than 30 story pages, it’s a stretch to call them graphic “novels”). The backmatter includes discussion questions and writing prompts. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/540000654/post/220052222.html
January 25, 2010Booklist Online - Francisca Goldsmith
Necessarily vastly abridged to maintain the publisher’s page count, and without referencing Kipling’s idiom, this graphic novelization nonetheless offers readers a rich retelling. Pages pop with nicely varied frames that befit their content, and characters’ speech and captions are appropriately assigned rather than being seemingly random text attributions. The deeply and broodingly colored images, however, are what make this a good read, with animal-appropriate movement, expressive faces, and animated body language. While certainly no substitute for Kipling’s own storytelling prowess, this is, nonetheless, a worthwhile version to provide for visual learners, whether as a lead-in to the original or as a stand-alone experience. The tight binding may frustrate some but the book won’t wear out.
October 7, 2009