Geisel-Award Winning Mice are Back for More Fun

Young readers and their teachers are ready to embrace Benny and Penny in The Toy Breaker, which will be released in April alongside Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework.

Just a few months after his last early reader comic book, Benny and Penny in the Big No-No, was awarded the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award by the American Library Association, bestselling author Geoffrey Hayes is giving TOON Books fans another charming tale featuring the mischievous mice.

In The Toy Breaker, Benny and Penny hide their toys from their destructive cousin. “This book holds so much power in its message,” said Andrew Kauffman, second-grade teacher at Chandler Elementary School in Indiana. “Students can really relate to [Benny and Penny’s] thoughts and feelings” in this expressive, beautifully crafted book.

Kauffman also praised the comic format as an exceptional educational tool: The “illustrations and comic layout really convey the important parts of the story to the students…Not only does this allow for students to see a different set-up in terms of reading style, but [it] conveys the sense of voice that we want our students to use” when developing their own work.

Young readers from Indiana to Oregon and Maine are sure to be delighted by Hayes’ thrilling new story. Look for it everywhere after its April 6^th release!

TOON into the Classroom at Chandler Elementary

As the Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework’s April release date quickly approaches, librarians and educators across the country are raving over the early copies we sent out.

In Zig and Wikki, the very first science-based early reader comic, two little space travelers land on our planet and find strange creatures like flies, frogs, and raccoons. Through their wild adventures, Zig and Wikki provide young readers with fun facts about nature. Second grade teacher Andrew Kauffman said, “This is such a great book to use when talking to students about science and how to include informational text in their own writing.”

Kauffman, who teaches at Chandler Elementary School in Goshen, IN, praised the brand-new TOON Book for “the great information it conveyed about animals here on earth…Tying the food chain into a graphic novel is one of the best ways for students to understand” the ties between different animals. “For that,” Kauffman continued, “I am very thankful.”

Kauffman told us his students ask for TOON Books all the time. Neither they nor you will have to wait much longer for new great, educational comics! Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework will be released on April 6^th…Let the countdown begin!

TOON Raffle Giveaway Draws to an End

Tomorrow we will be announcing our 2010 TOON Books Raffle Giveaway winners! But first, we would like to thank everyone for your enthusiasm and participation!

Before we draw names, let’s look at some of the flattering feedback we’ve received:

Head of Youth Services at Wood County District Public Library, Maria Simon, says: “Spotting your email had me so excited! I love the TOON books. We do need more at my public library. These books really take our children far with lots of fun. Thank you TOON.”

“What a wonderful experience it was to hear Ms. Mouly speak along with Harry Bliss in Naperville last year,” says Nicki Clegg, the library media specialist at Churchill Elementary School in Illinois. “The books are an excellent, wholesome choice for young readers.”

Gretchen Schroeder, Woodlynde School librarian of Strafford, PA, says our books have helped her work with reluctant readers: “We have been trying to introduce our lower school students with reading differences to graphic novels to encourage them to read more!”

Thanks again for all of the positive remarks! And be sure to stay TOON-ed for our raffle winner announcement!

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.

Librarians Across the Country Chime In

Our raffle entrants really know how to make a publishing house blush. Esther Frazee of Tenacre Country Day school says, “You have provided so many of the first/second graders I teach with fun books. You are making them love reading. I teach pK-6 and many parents come in to say ‘thank you’ when I send home a TOON book with their child."

Lucie Dubuc of St. John’s School adds, “I read Stinky and I’m in love with him! I want to offer all the series to the students in my library.”

We are still reeling over the news from the ALA Midwinter Meeting and wish to express our deepest gratitude to the gatekeepers of children’s literacy by extending our TOON Books Raffle. Best of luck and thank you for your continued love and support!