BLISS, Harry. Luke on the Loose map. ISBN 978-1-935179-00-9. LC number unavailable. ea vol: illus. by author. 32p. Toon Bks. 2009. Tr $12.95.
HAYES, Geoffrey. Benny and Penny in The Big No-No! CIP. May ISBN 978-0-9799238-9-0. LC 2008036307. ea vol: illus. by author. 32p. Toon Bks. 2009. Tr $12.95.
PreS-Gr 2–Bliss has created an ideal graphic novel for emerging readers. While his dad is engaged in “boring talk” with a friend, Luke notices a flock of pigeons and chases after them. The birds lead him out of Central Park through Manhattan and across the Brooklyn Bridge to a quiet rooftop. The cartoon panels are so successful at engaging readers that young children do not have to be able to read the text to enjoy the story. Each drawing is filled with humorous details. In one scene children see a man proposing to his girlfriend before Luke leaps over his café table. Though he creates havoc wherever he goes, he remains oblivious to everything but the pigeons he is chasing. Children will enjoy his rambunctious adventure as he takes them on a spirited tour of New York City. In Benny and Penny< /em>, the children are suspicious that their new neighbor has stolen Benny’s pail, so they sneak into her yard even though they know it’s a “big no-no!” Through many misunderstandings, they learn to apologize and make a new friend. The simple text uses basic vocabulary and repetition, making it accessible to emerging readers. Young children will love the graphic-novel format and the sweet, charming illustrations will draw them into the narrative. Fans of Geoffrey Hayes’s popular Benny and Penny: Just Pretend (Toon Bks., 2008) won’t be disappointed with this sequel.–Mari Pongkhamsing, St. Perpetua School, Lafayette, CA