328. The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra
Toon Book, Graphic Novel
Pages: 80
Ages: 8+
Finished: Nov. 30, 2012
First Published: Sept. 11, 2012
Publisher: Toon Books
Genre: graphic novel, easy reader, fantasy, Canadian author
Rating: 5/5
First sentence: "Leah! Leah! "
Publisher's Summary: "When Leah and Alan awaken in an enchanted forest, they have only each other and their wits to guide them. In a world full of pet bees and giant rabbits, they befriend foppish lions and stone frogs. Learning to overcome danger, they find their way home—and their independence."
Acquired: Received a review copy from Candlewick Press.
Reason for Reading: We were very excited about Toon Book's first full length graphic novel. Ds read aloud to me as his reader.
A wonderful, whimsical fantasy that ds and I both enjoyed tremendously. The illustrations are gorgeous and have an old-fashioned feel to them. The story, together with the illustrations, presents a fantastical tale that reminds one of "Alice in Wonderland" with its nonsensical and surreal elements. My son was fascinated with the story mostly, sometimes skipping over wordless panels. I'd have to make him go back and look at the pictures to see that they told a story too, that the words were not always referring to, as is with graphic novels. He just loved the ending which kept you wondering whether it was real or a dream, as he had determined it was all a dream close to the end. Myself, I was taken with the artwork which is exquisite and intricate. The fantastical is pure enjoyment and one never knows what will appear on the next page. My favourite, I think, is the scene of the buildings come to life. A caveat though, I do think that some people, perhaps those enjoying the Toon Books as early readers and not exactly fans of graphic novels and the fantasy genre itself, may not like this book as it is an extreme in the absurd. However, we were delighted! This one is a keeper for our shelves!
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