Off-Topic Recommendations: Bone; Jim Henson: The Works
Mary Novak
Speaking as a more-or-less adult who happens to love children's books, I
thought I'd plug two non-children's-books that greatly appeal to the
kid's-book-loving side of me. (Going for a hypenation record, there.)
First up is Jim Henson, The Works, which I finished last night. I miss
Jim Henson and this book is amazing; the fella who wrote it researched it
for ten years before Henson's death. You never realize how _many_
marvelous projects the man had til you see them all one after another.
(alt.fan.muppets recognizes this as the definitive work on The Muppets.)
The text would be mildly challenging, and probably too dry, for an actual
kid, but my sister (who recently renounced her kid status) was captivated
by the oodles of fabulous pictures with thorough descriptions.
Expensive, hard to find, but in print and worth a look.
Second up is Bone, a comic book/trade paperback by cartoonist Jeff Smith.
Smith follows a Chuck Jones/Walt Kellyish style with excellent lively
pictures and hilarious text. They follow the three modern Bone brothers
through a vaguely medieval setting populated with friendly people,
bugs, and dragons and evil Rat Creatures and Locust Kings. Any kid not
_too_ bothered by monsters (often as comic as they are threatening) might
enjoy Bone, especially if shared with an adult. The comic has six issues
a year which are reprinted annually in a trade paperback (which makes for
better reading.) Although I have no kids myself, Smith certainly prints
a lot of letters from parents who share this comic with their children.
The story will last for ten years, and is becoming more mature and
complex as it goes. When I was younger I grew up on Pogo--at first the
comic was just funny animals, later I came to understand the politics and
deeper meanings. I can imagine kids doing the same with Bone.
I would never have found either of these if a friend hadn't recommended
them--I'm not much of a comic buyer and the Henson book is relatively
rare. And when I read a great book I have the uncontrollable urge to
share it, and r.a.b.c. seemed a good place to do it. So here you are.
Mary Novak
mno...@rlem.tamu.edu