meta-dad

The many adventures of Benny & Penny

Artist, Geoffrey Hayes, has illustrated many other children’s books including Margaret Wise Brown’s, When the Wind Blew. But his latest efforts are on The Adventures of Benny and Penny series published by TOON Books in NYC. These charming handcrafted drawings give these stories a soft and sweet old fashioned feel and somewhat timeless quality to them.

Both stories, “Just Pretend” and “The Big No-No!” capture with great accuracy the quick and sometimes bitter conflicts young siblings deal with many times throughout any given day. I think it is this that makes these stories engaging for the kids. I think the kids actually connect with the characters in the stories, quite simply Benny and Penny speak directly to them often responding to situations exactly like a preschooler would, case in point, at one point Penny proclaims, “I had to go pee-pee!”.

Then again, there are the Vaudevillian prat falls and other physical humor peppered throughout these stories get a chuckle out of them and keep them turning the pages.

It also helps that the panel-work of these junior comics is easy to follow, Hayes employs simple dialogue with proper doses of repetition and a well-chosen yet limited vocabulary to tell these simple stories.

It should be said that the publishers of this series, a small division of RAW Junior (husband and wife team, Francoise Mouly [*The New Yorker & Raw Books] and Art Spiegelman [*Maus]) have done a splendid job packaging these storybook/graphic mini-novels designed as primers for graphic novels and comics.

In summary, I would give these books two thumbs up. The timelessness of the pencil drawings and simple story make these Beginner Toon books very approachable for first time readers. They are labeled as age appropriate for 4-8 year old’s but feel they are well within reach for pre-readers (toddlers) as well as preschoolers.

Related and Sited Links:
Geoffrey Hayes | Benny and Penny; Just Pretend
Geoffrey Hayes | Benny and Penny; The Big No-No!

Margaret Wise Brown | When the Wind Blew
Art Spiegelman | Maus
Other TOON Books…

Otto’s Orange Day

We all had a favorite color when we were kids and maybe we still do. Otto’s story shows us what happens when we love that color a little too much, mayhem ensues! Written by Jay Lynch (among other things famed for his efforts on Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages) and penned by award winning illustrator, Frank Cammuso, Otto’s Orange Day shows us what happens when Otto wishes his world orange.

Otto’s Aunt mails him an orange (Aladdin’s) lamp and he quickly finds that he has one wish, where he can have anything he wants. With this, he wishes everything orange. Once his mother serves him orange spinach, he starts to realize that everything isn’t better orange. Knowing that he has used his one wish he has to think quick to turn everything back to the right color. To save the day, Otto will need his family’s help, some quick thinking, and…a pizza?

Cammuso’s art is both stylish and approachable for kids new to the -indicative of comic books, while Lynch’s writing is clever, lighthearted and attainable for this young audience. I read this to my four year old and two year old on a regular basis and both grab it from our crammed bookshelves over and over again, and that in itself speaks volumes.

Sited & Related Links:
Jay Lynch & Frank Cammuso | Otto’s Orange Day
Jay Lynch & Dean Haspiel | Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever

Jack and the Box, by Art Spiegelman

Jack and the Box has all the elements of a successful childrens book; it is created by a veritable powerhouse couple – Editorial Director, Francoise Mouly (Art Editor, New Yorker and founder of RAW Books & Graphics) and Writer/Illustrator, Art Spiegelman (Pultizer Prize winning, “Maus“), it has a simple storyline, it borrows heavily from the comic book genre and is drenched in colors straight from the kids’ nursery.

The premise of the story is simple enough; Jack, the bunny, gets a box from his parents and there is a little character named Zack who keeps popping out of it. At first, Jack is scared and a bit put off by him but within a few pages he’s demanding Zack to appear. And with that, Zack brings his friend Mack and all his buddies into the scene.

For most of the ride, Jack and the Box, comes off as a series of classic three panel Sunday comics; the “set-up,” the “conflict” and the “resolution.” Yes, thematically it licks of Dr. Seuss’ revered, “The Cat in the Hat“, but knowing the author’s long history of twisting seemingly simple stories on their head, I have to wonder if this story “speaks” to its target audience (4-8 year old) or does it go over their heads? Or mine for that matter?

As a parent, I feel childrens stories can and should encompass the same basic emotional range as any other piece of literature, so the fact that this story get a little weird or creepy, in theory, is fair game so long as there is some type of solid resolution at the end and the weird or creepy parts are well explained/defined. Yes, it is clear that the Zack & Mack we experience are a figment of Jack’s imagination, but I think it is lost by the younger Readers. There is no hard sell for that big “magical” moment when we ‘pop’ in and out of Jack’s imagination.

I understand there is a limited and attainable vocabulary being used for a reason but the use of “silly” throughout the story comes off as a verbal “twitch” more than anything, and rightly so considering Jack the Bunny is being haunted by a little Zack in the Box.

In the end, I will admit my expectations were quite high for this little book, perhaps too high. But I still admire his work, and have faith in the TOON Books line especially if Ms. Davis is still on their payroll. So, if you are looking to toss your kids into the deep pool that is the comic book genre have them wade through the TOON Book line, what a few years and introduce them to Art’s other work.

Sited Links:
Art Spiegelman | Jack and the Box
Art Spiegelman | Maus
Art Spiegelman | In the Shadow of No Towers

Dr. Seuss | The Cat in the Hat
Eleanor Davis | Stinky

Mo & Jo Fighting Forever Together

Author Jay Lynch does a superb job capturing the high-pitched hum of tension found between rivaled siblings in this fractured fairytale about the brother and sister Superhero Team, Mo & Jo. Strangely enough, this sibling bickering struck a cord with my sons. Yeah my boys know how to bicker like the best of them. They seemed to enjoy (dare I say relish) the arguments happening between brother, Mo and sister, Jo.

Mo & Jo are granted the gift of super powers from their aging mailman/superhero, who bestows on them his prized suit (which holds all his powers), of course they get in a scuffle and tear it in half. Mom comes to the rescue (they always do) and sews it into two outfits, thus dividing the super powers between the two suits. Mo has the magnetic boots and Jo becomes super stretchy.

Dean Haspiel illustrated Mo & Jo Fighting Together Forever but it certainly isn’t the first project he has inked. He has illustrated Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon’s The Escapist and drawn superheroes for Marvel and DC Comics.

The flow of the pages drew my boys right into the book, understanding that developmentally they are somewhat obsessed with all things having to do with “good guys” and “bad guys” (which makes for interesting conversations with them in the grocery store) and this is one of their first experiences with the comic book format.

Of course, Mo & Jo are immediately put to the test by arch nemesis Saw Jaw and find themselves on the losing end of the stick until they stop their in-fighting and work as a team. The suggested reading age is 4-8 years. Assuming your kids haven’t already been steeped in the rich history of pulp and comic books, they will probably find Mo & Jo a really fun ride.

I will admit, growing up with both the mainstream and underground comic scene this storyline is formulaic. But then, I remind myself as I watch my son flip through the pages after I’m done reading it to him, “the book is not for me, it’s for him.”

Sited Links;
Jay Lynch & Dean Haspiel | Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever
Michael Chabon | The Escapist

Related Links;
Jay Lynch & Frank Cammuso | Otto’s Orange Day
Eleanor Davis | Stinky

Stinky Raw Toon for the Tikes

Evidently, there is a monster who lives in the swamp just outside of town, and his name is, Stinky. He is surrounded by his other swamp-bound friends like Wartbelly the toad, slimy slugs and a family of possums.

In a paired down and somewhat simplified graphic novel style, Writer and Artist, Eleanor Davis spins the clever tale of how Stinky the swamp monster haunts, pesters and eventually befriends a little boy. Initially, Stinky doesn’t like him because he’s different. Little boys like to eat things like candy and apples and more importantly they take baths, whereas Stinky likes to eat pickled onions and play in the mud. After a bunch of failed attempts to scare the little boy away, Stinky starts to realize he has a lot in common with his little nemesis.

Having grown up with comic books, and fully embraced the underground movement of the genre in the eighties (including RAW Magazine!), it is fascinating to watch my four year old eagerly try to follow along with the flow of panels and make sense of the dynamic style of story-telling. Sure, this is a far cry from the simple panel work Caldecott Winners like Mo Willem’s, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, or the open flow of Ian Falconer’s, Olivia, but it was obvious mid-way through the story that my son was up for the challenge. The chapter breaks are perfect for spent parents, like myself, who need a good break-point for story time (so far my efforts have been fruitless).

Stinky is one of many new stories are published by Raw Junior, under the tutelage of Art Spiegelman (acclaimed Pulitzer-prize winning graphic novel, Maus) and Francoise Mouly (of The New Yorker & RAW Book fame). Raw Junior seems is tapping into the rich soil of the comic book genre to reinvent and redefine the world of childrens books.

Even though this is a bit of a challenge for the younger Reader’s, I highly recommend this book. The adorable illustrations and clever story-telling draws our boys into the page and keeps their attention, as a parent, what more could you want? The only problem I see with this line of storybooks is that they won’t be able to make them fast enough for our voracious little Readers.

Sited Links;
Wikipedia | Caldecott Medal
Mo Willem’s | Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Ian Falconer | Olivia

Related Links;
Eleanor Davis | Stinky
Jay Lynch & Dean Haspiel | Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever
Jay Lynch & Frank Cammuso | Otto’s Orange Day

Big Words for Little People

Big Words for Little People is the eighth book in over ten years by author (and Hollywood star) Jamie Lee Curtis and Artist Extraordinaire Laura Cornell. It not only introduces some important words to kids but brings up important family stuff like, “privacy”, “cooperation”, and “patience.” My wife and I quickly found that the book spurred some interesting and candid conversations with our four year old about what is “possible” and “impossible.” What more could you ask for from a childrens book?

Both the illustrations and the writing get equal billing, Laura matches Jamie’s writing beat for beat with clever and irreverent illustrations that characterize big words like “perseverance” and “inconsiderate.” My current favorite is the spread for “consequence”, where a gum-stained little girl has to stay in her bleak colorless classroom (for blowing bubbles in class) while the rest of the kids enjoy recess in the color drenched playground.

This little literary voyage takes place with a mixed/blended family which will inevitably elicit some big questions from the kids (adopted siblings, foster kids, etc.), which is good and important. This details is one of many in this layered book that will entertain both the kids and the parents many times over.

Other Books by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell:
Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day
I’m Gonna Like Me : Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem
It’s Hard to Be Five : Learning How to Work My Control
Is There Really a Human Race?