Kids comics have come a long way and continue to grow. Some are published as graphic novels, some as weekly comics, some as both, and the diversity you can find on the Kids shelf matches that of the Adult shelves (though with admitedly different content). Still, there’s a lot to like on the kids shelf and this category shows some of the best examples.
Want to get your kid into comics? Or, is your kid into comics and you’re not so sure about the medium? Why not pick from the titles below? It’ll set your mind at ease, and their minds into a creative, story-devouring frenzy. And what could be better than that?
Oh, and by the way, today’s Eisner Shakedown contains A LOT of free previews! So gather ’round the ‘ol computer screen and bask in the glory of these kids comics.
And the nominees are…
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczeka (Knopf)
Not familiar with the heroic Lunch Lady series? Here’s what it’s all about (via Random House’s Kids@Random):
Serving justice . . . and lunch!
Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes–she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!
Want to read a free preview of the book? Click the widget above.
The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis (Bloomsbury)
From the publisher’s website, The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook is all about:
In a graphic novel full of glorious gadgetry, three young inventors use their fantastic contraptions to combat an evil scientist.
Super-smart Julian Calendar thinks starting junior high at a new school will mean he can shed his nerdy image-but then he meets Ben and Greta, two secret scientists like himself! The three form a secret club, complete with a high-tech lair. There, they can work to their hearts content on projects like the Stink-O-Meter, the Kablovsky Copter, and the Nightsneak Goggles.
All that tinkering comes in handy when the trio discovers an evil scientist’s dastardly plan to rob a museum. Can three inventors, armed with their wacky creations, hope to defeat this criminal mastermind?
Hey, want to check out a few previous pages of The Secret Science Alliance? Head on over to The Secret Science Alliance website for free samples, character bios, and additional info on the book!
Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
Need to know what it’s all about? Not to worry; Macmillian has you covered with their description of the book:
The Tiny Tyrant returns: bigger and better than ever in our new, kid-friendly format.
Though he has a handful of advisors, this miniscule monarch is the one who calls the shots – demanding to see Santa Claus (to ask if he really has to eat a balanced diet), testing out his new bodyguard by putting a price on his own head, and replacing all the kids in the kingdom with robot doubles of his own royal self!
This rambunctious royal’s adventures were previously published in a smaller trim size, receiving great reviews and delighting children all over the US: now, Ethelbert is back, in a larger and more kid-friendly size. This single volume offers the first six stories from the original book – great reading for kids just getting into chapter books.
How about a free excerpt of Tiny Tyrant vol. 1? If the very thought of such a thing doesn’t strike you as too Tyranical, then head on over to the First Second preview page and take a look inside the book.
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)
Edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly, this collection from Abrams ComicArts represents some of the best Golden Age kids comics ever printed. Here’s how Abrams describes the book:
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics is an unprecedented collection of the greatest comics for children, artfully compiled by two of the best-known creators in publishing and the field of comics–Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly.
This treasury created for young readers focuses on comic books, not strips, and contains humorous stories that range from a single-page to eight or even twenty-two pages, each complete and self-contained. The comics have been culled from the Golden Age of comic books, roughly the 1940s through the early 1960s, and feature the best examples of works by such renowned artists and writers as Carl Barks, John Stanley, Sheldon Mayer, Walt Kelly, Basil Wolverton, and George Carlson, among many, many others.
Organizing the book into five categories (Hey, Kids!; Funny Animals; Fantasyland; Story Time!; and Wacky & Weird), Spiegelman and Mouly use their expertise in the area of comics to frame each category with an introductory essay, and provide brief biographies of the artists. The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics is essential reading for kids of all ages.
Ready to check out a few pages from the book? Then head on over to the Abrams Books page and check out some of their hi-res preview images.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (hard cover), by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)
L. Frank Baum’s classic story of the land of Oz and Dorothy’s adventure there is given the full-on comics treatment by Marvel. Here’s how Marvel.com describes the book:
The premiere American fantasy adventure gets the Merry Marvel treatment! Eisner Award-winning writer/artist Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze) teams up with fan-favorite artist Skottie Young (New X-Men) to bring L. Frank Baum’s beloved classic to life! When Kansas farm girl Dorothy flies away to the magical Land of Oz, she fatally flattens a Wicked Witch, liberates a living Scarecrow and is hailed by the Munchkin people as a great sorceress…but all she really wants to know is: how does she get home?
Collecting THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1-8.
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