PRINT IS THRIVING! (at least where we stand...)

TWO YEARS AGO, LIBRARIAN MICHELE GORMAN'S ARTICLE in School Library Journal about comics for young children was summarized thus in ERIC, the government database used by "education researchers, teachers, librarians, administrators, education policymakers, instructors and students in teacher-preparation programs, parents, the media and business communities, and the general public."

"After years of fighting for shelf space in libraries and classrooms, graphic novels have finally become an acceptable alternative to their prose-packed counterparts--and kids can't seem to get enough of them. For that matter, neither can grown-ups. In 2006, U.S. consumers dropped an estimated $330 million on graphic novels and comics, with librarians accounting for about 10 percent, or $33 million, of those purchases. Publishers have taken advantage of the format's rock-star status by launching special imprints--such as TOON Books, the new imprint from Raw Comics, published by "New Yorker" magazine art editor Francoise Mouly and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman--that feature developmentally appropriate comics for the pre-K-6 crowd. That means graphic novels are now addressing important personal and social issues like the power of imagination, being true to one's self, the benefits of teamwork, and how to cope with divorce and bullying. Teachers and librarians are also beginning to realize that these books are perfect for young readers who are making the transition from picture books to text-only titles. And with graphic novels' hypnotic power to pull kids into a story, they're also perfect for promoting recreational or free voluntary reading--one of the most effective ways to increase literacy and create lifelong readers."

And now, ERIC cross-references the above abstract with a recent article by educator Peter Gutierrez, also from School Library Journal, entitled: "Good & Plenty: It Used to Be Hard to Find Good Graphic Novels for the K-4 Crowd. My, How Times Have Changed," which prominently features (you guessed it!) the TOON Books!

From our point of view, as more and more parents discover how much young children love comics and books in general, the future of print looks rosy.

Expanding what will work for beginning readers!

Susan M. Veltfort, the chair of the Geisel committee, came over to meet us at the RAW Junior office (once her formidable research skills allowed her to find us.) We hosted a lunch to celebrate our sweep of the awards given "to the author and illustrator of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year." In attendance were, left to right: (seated) Françoise Mouly & Susan M. Veltfort; (standing) Geoffrey Hayes, Michael Rockliff, Leonard Marcus, Leigh Stein, Jon Scieszka and Trade Loeffler; (photo) Iru B.

While Susan could not talk about the committee's deliberations, she could tell us her opinions of the TOON Books. She's also hugely knowledgeable and the selection librarian for a large and well-funded library system in Washington State, so we were all ears.

Susan talked about how well the Geisel Award winner, Geoffrey Hayes' The Big No-No!, holds up when you dissect it with careful scrutiny. She appreciated the way the story and the words are perfectly suited for beginning readers or for older 'reluctant' readers. She loved the fact that the story starts out on the cover and draws the reader in. She pointed out how the title page echoes a 'hole in the fence' motif that recurs through the book. She noted that a TOON Book carefully blends easy and difficult words, that the harder words are made clear visually, and that it involves a lot of repetition, a thrill for the young reader. She appreciated the way the soft palette (done in colored pencils) underscores the mice's gentle personalities. Susan also mentioned that, while the twist ending in Geisel Honor Book Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith (of Bone fame) defies reality, she kept in mind that mice don't 'really' talk. She talked about how the TOON Books expand what's possible for beginning readers. Her committee's awards greatly expand what's possible for the TOON Books, so we could only chime in with a love fest of mutual appreciation.