FROM THE YELLIN CENTER NEWSLETTER - SPRING 2016
Graphic Novels for Emerging Readers
By Beth Guadagni, M.A.
Children love to look at colorful pictures. But pictures are a feature of children’s books for reasons beyond simple enjoyment. Images help youngsters, who are still developing receptive language skills, to understand the words, sentences, and plots in stories.
Graphic novels are gaining in popularity for older readers, but because the format relies so heavily on images to tell stories, it is ideal for emerging readers, too. Heavily graphic books allow kids the satisfaction of having read and understood a whole book themselves. Children between the ages of three and six will love the suggestions below.
Recommendations for readers ages 3-6
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus series by Mo Willems
Children (and parents, too) can’t get enough of these genuinely funny books, in which the whole story appears in speech bubbles. Don’t miss Willems’s equally wonderful Elephant and Piggie series, either.
Jack and the Box by Art Spiegelman
Told in comic book format, this is the delightful story of a Jack-in-the-box who leaves his box to go play. Love this format? Check out others in the same vein, like Jeff Smith’s Little Mouse and Claude Ponti’s Chick & Chickie.
Dear Fish by Chris Gall
Peter uses a message in a bottle to invite sea creatures to visit him, never imagining that they will. But they do, and chaos ensues! This witty book employs oceans of puns and humor and is a great platform for learning about literal and figurative language.
Awesome Dawson by Chris Gall
Dawson loves to recycle; he knows that junk can be used to create incredible things. But when his robot, the Vacu-Maniac, takes things a little too far, only Dawson can save the world from his well-intentioned creation.
The Adventures of Polo series by Regis Faller
Polo (an adventurous and resourceful dog) gets into lots of exciting adventures; he travels the world, meets dragons, and sometimes gets robbed by small, book-loving aliens. These books take the format of comic books and contain engaging, complex pictures that reward close examination.
Stinky by Eleanor Davis
A small swamp monster (not scary) is not happy to see the new kid in town – an actual kid! Readers will learn lessons about friendship that feel fresh in this charming book. For similar books on this level, check out Geoffrey Hayes’s The Toy Breaker (and the whole Benny and Penny series) and Phillippe Coudray’s Benjamin Bear.
You Can’t take a Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Glasser
This one doesn’t really fit our list, but the series is so charming (look for all of the installments) that we had to include it. This is the story of what happens when a balloon gets loose in the Met, told without words. Kids will love the detailed, rich illustrations, and the chance to tell the story themselves as they turn the pages. In particular, fans of the Fancy Nancy series will love this offering by Nancy’s illustrator.
You Can’t take a Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Glasser
This one doesn’t really fit our list, but the series is so charming (look for all of the installments) that we had to include it. This is the story of what happens when a balloon gets loose in the Met, told without words. Kids will love the detailed, rich illustrations, and the chance to tell the story themselves as they turn the pages. In particular, fans of the Fancy Nancy series will love this offering by Nancy’s illustrator.
The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie dePaola
This is another irresistible book with almost no words. In it, a skittish knight and hapless dragon prepare for their first fight. The tone, set entirely by the wonderful illustrations, is tongue-in-cheek and warm.
|
Beth Guadagni, M.A. is a Learning Specialist at The Yellin Center for Mind, Brain, and Education. She earned her bachelor's degree at Vanderbilt University, double majoring in English and secondary education, and her master’s degree from Columbia University's Teachers College.
|