Cat Kid Comic Club

The Kiddo bought this at the Spring book fair at our school in Shanghai, China.

Title: Cat Kid Comic Club
Publisher: Scholastic / Graphix
Date: 2020
Writer: Dav Pilkey
Artist: Dav Pilkey
Letterer: Dav Pilkey
Colorist: Jose Garibaldi, Aaron Polk
Editor: Ken Geist

Lil' Petey (AKA Cat Kid) and Molly the telekinetic tadpole (see Dog Man: Fetch 22 for her origin story; my review is here) hold the first meeting of their new comic club. But the other tadpoles are not making things easy. There's the issue of bickering to deal with, but an even bigger problem is that no one has the confidence to get started on making a comic.

The plot here is simple, but the point of this book is more inspiration than story. The message is that there is no wrong way to make a comic, and the Comic Club drama is interspersed with samples and previews of comics in all kinds of styles: Stick figures, b/w, color, collages, photo comics, haiku comics (photo haiku comics, actually!), and comics made with clay, cardboard, and recycled toys.

The examples are lots of fun, and the message is a great one for young comic creators who might not be ready for something like Understanding Comics (my review of that one is here).

There are some funny moments, but it's the creator's obvious love for comic creation that really shines through in this book.

Rating: 7.5/10

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You

Another entry that doesn't fit the really strict definition of a comic, but a beautifully illustrated work. From my school library.

Title: Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You
Date: 2005
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Writer: Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black
Artist: Tony DiTerlizzi

This is a companion book to the Spiderwick Chronicles novel series by DiTerlizzi and Black, with a few references to the stories, including an addendum by one of the main characters.

But primarily, this stands on its own as a gorgeous interpretation of the natural history of faerie and mythical creatures from elves to sea serpents to sprites and boggarts. DiTerlizzi's illustrations are lovely, and there are some very clever details. His merfolk were among my favorites, with their "hair" serving as gill filaments. There is a good mix of original ideas and traditional folklore in the descriptions, and some nice hints of stories to be discovered.

This would serve as an excellent roleplaying supplement for a GM who enjoys homebrewing creature stats, and it is an entertaining and inspiring read on its own.

Rating: 9/10