Getting Graphic
Graphic Novels and Comic-Style Books

Preschool | Younger | Intermediate | Young Adult

Preschool

The Marvelous Misadventures of Fun-Boy written and illustrated by Ralph Cosentino (Viking)
Simple panels show a young boy’s vivid imagination taking off, then coming down to earth when reality intrudes. 32 pages.

Supercat written by Kate McMullan, illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre (Workman)
Leaping tall couches in a single bound, Supercat finds missing blankies and performs feats to appease babies everywhere. 32 pages.

Younger
Suggested grade level with each entry

Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age and His Search for Soft Trousers written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs (Knopf)
With tongue in cheek, Briggs relates the trials of a forward-thinking Stone-Age boy and his gruff, traditionalist parents. Grade level: 1–3. 32 pages.

Around the World written by John Coy, illustrated by Antonio Reonegro (Lee)
An action-packed street basketball game traverses panels, cultures, and the globe. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

The Adventures of Polo and Polo: The Runaway Book illustrated by Regis Faller (Roaring Brook)
Little dog Polo goes on myriad (wordless) adventures equipped only with his trusty backpack and indefatigable resourcefulness. Grade level: K–3.

Babymouse series written and illustrated by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random)
Pink, black, and white illustrations energetically convey the comedic daydream sequences and real-life dilemmas of an unstoppable heroine. Grade level: 1–3.

Little Lit: Folklore and Fairy Tale Funnies and Little Lit: Strange Stories for Strange Kids edited by Francoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (Cotler/HarperCollins)
Two eclectic anthologies showcase a multitude of talents and a broad range of story lines, all in comic format with illustrations ranging from golden-age to postmodern in style. Grade level: 1–3. 64 pages.

Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic)
Toilet humor, rollicking adventure, and a hero in cape and BVDs will draw in even reluctant readers from the elementary school set. Grade level: 1–3.

The Adventures of Sparrowboy written and illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Simon)
Henry enjoys the heroic exploits of comic hero Falconman; when a little bird gifts Henry with superpowers, he's soon saving the neighborhood from all kinds of menace. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria written by Aaron Shepard, illustrated by David Wisniewski (HarperCollins)
In a variation on the superhero comic, a boastful bruiser named Shadusa meets his match. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

The Castaway written and illustrated by James Stevenson (Greenwillow)
Fraidy-mouse, Hubie, gets over his phobias when he becomes marooned on a deserted island with an inventive castaway hedgehog. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

Silent Night written and illustrated by Sandy Turner (Atheneum)
Christmas Eve is a not-so-silent night for a family whose yappy dog alone can see Santa approaching in his sleigh, coming down the chimney, and stashing the gifts under the tree. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta written by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Mark Siegel (Jackson/Atheneum)
A young dog is inspired when she attends a swashbuckling stage performance. Siegel deftly plays out Wheeler’s chanteys with humorous serial drawings. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

Fabulous Monsters written and illustrated by Marcia Williams (Candlewick)
Five monsters, in all their guts and glory, are profiled with bright, busy art. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

Intermediate
Suggested grade level for each entry: 4–6

The Adventures of Tintin, Volumes 1–7 written and illustrated by Herge (Little)
A boy and his dog travel the world becoming embroiled in adventures with a colorful cast of characters. 192 pages each.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow written by Washington Irving, illustrated by Gris Grimly (Atheneum)
The tale of the headless horseman, slightly condensed but with language and ambiguities intact, is accompanied by Halloween-hued illustrations whose comically caricaturized figures mute the scare factor for young readers. 40 pages.

Mirrormask written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean (HarperCollins)
A teenage girl battles her alter-ego in this Alice in Wonderland–esque graphic novel adaptation. 80 pages.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret written and illustrated by Brian Selznick (Scholastic)
1931 Paris is the setting for this seamless integration of sequential art and short prose installments detailing the adventures of orphan clocktender Hugo Cabret. 534 pages.

Tales from Shakespeare and Bravo, Mr. William Shakespeare retold and illustrated by Marcia Williams (Candlewick)
Williams retells Shakespearean stories with boisterous comic panels featuring dialogue from the plays along with corresponding summaries of the action.

The Adventures of Robin Hood; Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales; Charles Dickens and Friends; The Iliad and the Odyssey; and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table retold and illustrated by Marcia Williams (Candlewick)
In her trademark cartoon style, Williams breathes new life into the classics with peanut-gallery commentary and art packed with detail and humor.

Four Pictures by Emily Carr written and illustrated by Nicholas Debon (Groundwood)
The life of Canadian artist Emily Carr receives an innovative treatment in this involving portrait. 32 pages.

The Art of Making Comic Books written by Michael Morgan Pellowski, illustrated by Howard Bender (Lerner)
In addition to a history of comic books, this practical guide features tips on page design, writing scripts, and creating artwork. 80 pages.

Cartooning: The Only Cartooning Book You'll Ever Need to Be the Artist You've Always Wanted to Be written and illustrated by Art Roche (Lark)
With materials, drawing instruction, and suggestions for writing humor, this is a useful and clear introduction to creating comics and cartoons. 111 pages.

Beowulf: A Hero’s Tale retold and illustrated by James Rumford (Houghton)
A superb, emotional recounting of the ancient poem distinguished by vigorous prose and striking illustrations. 48 pages.

The Professor’s Daughter written by Joann Sfar, illustrated by Emmanuel Guibert, translated from the French by Alexis Siegel (First Second/Roaring Brook)
After Lillian Bowell finds an unlikely beau in a mummy from her father’s collection, the couple embarks upon several offbeat adventures. 80 pages.

To Dance written by Siena Cherson Siegel, illustrated by Mark Siegel (Jackson/Atheneum)
From first ballet slippers to toe shoes, a young dancer’s story is told with candor and illustrations that convey both the grandeur of the stage and the grit it takes to arrive there. 64 pages.

Hooray for Inventors! written and illustrated by Marcia Williams (Candlewick)
Spotlighting the inventors responsible for modern life as we know it, this comic-style book provides historical information as well as entertaining anecdotes. 40 pages.

Young Adult
Suggested grade level for each entry: 7 and up

The Plain Janes written by Cecil Castellucci, illustrated by Jim Rugg (Minx/DC Comics)
Struggling to see beauty in a dangerous world, Jane works with her peers to organize “art attacks” in this emotional, multilayered work. 152 pages.

Garage Band written and illustrated by Gipi, translated by Spectrum (First Second/Roaring Brook)
Dark-toned watercolors convey the realities that confront four teenage boys pursuing their musical ambitions. 128 pages.

Good as Lily written by Derek Kirk Kim, illustrated by Jesse Ham (Minx/DC Comics)
Grace Kwon’s eighteenth birthday is marked by the arrival of three unexpected visitors: herself at ages six, twenty-nine, and seventy. 148 pages.

Blindspot written and illustrated by Kevin C. Pyle (Holt)
Innovative illustrations capture the thoughts of a preadolescent boy who struggles to understand the trials of the adult world. 96 pages.

The Arrival illustrated by Shaun Tan (Levine/Scholastic)
This wordless, meticulously composed masterpiece depicts one man’s journey from a bleak, threatened city to a strange new shore where he works to reunite his family. Grade level: 6 and up. 128 pages.

Pedro and Me written and illustrated by Judd Winick (Holt)
A cast member from MTV’s The Real World recounts his friendship with his HIV-positive housemate, Pedro Zamora. 187 pages.

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