Two new Toon Books

We were very happy that Stinky, a Toon Book, was named a Geisel Award Honor Book a few weeks ago. We are very fond of it in our house (it gave my older son the title for his own blog, Pickled Bananas).

Last week two new Toon Books-The Big No-No, and Luke on the Loose-came our way, and we read them with great enthusiasm and enjoyment. They are pretty darn excellent young reader books for the child just getting going on independent reading, coupling good stories with lavish graphic novel type spreads of pictures. They are also fun to read aloud.

Luke On The Loose, by Harry Bliss, is a wild and wacky pigeon chase through the streets of New York. In Central Park one day, young Luke's father strikes up a boring conversation with another adult. A flock of pigeons catches Luke's eye, and with a blood curdling YAAH! he sends them flying. Off he goes in pursuit-YAAH! YAAH! flap flap flap through Manhattan and into Brooklyn, leaving a trail of feathers and startled byststanders. His father and the police and the firefighters set off to the rescue...Fun!

Benny And Penny: The Big No-No, by Geoffry Hayes, has less mayhem, but a more character driven plot. Benny and Penny, two mice siblings, embark on a series of no-nos that leads to a mud war with the new neighbor child. When the misunderstanding is resolved, they become friends.

We like them both lots--perhaps Luke more so, just because of the wonderful insanity of it...