Toon Books is a publisher of hardcover

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

early readers founded by

Françoise Mouly Françoise Mouly (; born 24 October 1955) is a Paris-born New York-based designer, editor, and publisher. She is best known as co-founder, co-editor, and publisher of the comics and graphics magazine '' Raw'' (1980–1991), as the publisher of ...

. With titles by such creators as

Geoffrey Hayes Charles Geoffrey Hayes (13 March 1942 – 30 September 2018) was an English television presenter and actor. He presented Thames Television's children's show ''Rainbow'' from 1972 to 1992. Early life and education Hayes had various jobs such as ...

Jay Lynch Jay Patrick Lynch (January 7, 1945 – March 5, 2017) was an American cartoonist who played a key role in the underground comix movement with his ''Bijou Funnies'' and other titles. He is best known for his comic strip ''Nard n' Pat'' and the ...

Dean Haspiel Dean Edmund Haspiel (born May 31, 1967 in New York City) is an American comic book artist, writer, and playwright. He is known for creating Billy Dogma, The Red Hook, and for his collaborations with writer Harvey Pekar on his '' American Splendor ...

Eleanor Davis Eleanor McCutcheon Davis (born January 16, 1983) is an American cartoonist and illustrator. Early life Eleanor Davis was raised in Tucson, Arizona by comic-enthusiast parents who exposed her to stories like ''Little Lulu'', ''Krazy Kat'', ''Lit ...

, and Mouly's collaborator and husband,

Art Spiegelman Art Spiegelman (; born Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman on February 15, 1948) is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel '' Maus''. His work as co-editor on the comics magazines ''Arcade'' and '' Ra ...

, Toon Books promotes its line as "the first high-quality comics designed for children ages four and up."

History

The concept for Toon Books came to Mouly when her son Dash was learning to read, and his first-grade teacher assigned him "easy readers."MacPherson, Karen
"Comics for New Readers,"
''Pittsburgh Post Gazette'' (Scripps Howard News Service) (April 14, 2009). Appalled by the lack of appeal of the educational material, Mouly instead spent time with her child and armloads of French comic books. (In fact, one of the first Toon Books releases was

Agnès Rosenstiehl Agnès Rosenstiehl (born December 4, 1941) is a French author and illustrator from Paris. Born from a family of artists, she studied music at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris and obtained the first harmony prize in 1966 und ...

's ''Silly Lilly'', a.k.a. '' Mimi Cracra'', a comic-book character familiar to millions of French toddlers.) After proposing the Toon Books idea to major children's books publishers from 2004 to 2007, and being rejected because the proposed books didn't fit existing categories, Mouly returned to her roots as a self-publisher — she had founded her small press, RAW Books & Graphics, in 1977, and RAW Junior in 1999. As she had done for the avant-garde comics and graphics magazine ''

RAW Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...

'', or the kids comics anthology '' Little Lit'', both of which she co-edited, or for the covers of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', Mouly gathered an array of talent for Toon Books. 2008 saw the launch of eight titles, featuring star authors (such as

Harry Bliss Harry Bliss (born March 9, 1964, in Rochester, New York) is an American cartoonist and illustrator. Bliss has illustrated many books, and produced hundreds of cartoons and 25 covers for ''The New Yorker''. Bliss has a syndicated single-panel comi ...

or Jeff Smith), veteran children's book authors (

) as well as novice cartoonists (

, the author of ''Stinky'', was still in art school when Mouly contacted her). The initial line of titles received glowing reviews and multiple awards, prizes, and distinctions. Upon Toon Books' debut, ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' characterized the line as having the potential to revitalize the field of comics for kids: "Françoise Mouly is at it again. After transforming American comics with the seminal 1980s comics anthology ''

'', Mouly is now out to teach kids to read by using comics." In fall 2012, Toon Books released its first Toon

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

, ''The Secret of the Stone Frog'', by David Nytra. In 2014 Toon Books launched an imprint called Toon Graphics aimed at readers eight and up.

Distribution

When it first launched, Toon Books was distributed by Diamond Books, a unit of Diamond Comic Distributors dedicated to getting comics and graphic novels into the book trade. In 2010, Toon Books entered into a distribution partnership with

Candlewick Press Candlewick Press, established in 1992 and located in Somerville, Massachusetts, is part of the Walker Books group. The logo depicting a bear carrying a candle is based on Walker Books's original logo. Sebastian Walker launched Walker Books fro ...

. In late summer/early fall of 2014, Toon Books launched the new line TOON Graphics, an imprint for readers 8 and up, and announced it would be distributed from 2015 by Consortium, a unit of Perseus, a move that reflects Toon's true status as a small but expanding independent publisher.

TOON in the classroom

Attitudes towards comics have radically changed since the 1954 Congressional hearings where they were denounced as the cause of juvenile delinquency. They are now touted by progressive librarians and educators as an effective tool for children to discover the pleasures of reading. As Art Spiegelman said, "Comics can be a gateway drug to literacy." In the absence of any model or precedent, Mouly developed her own methodology to make sure the TOON Books would be well adapted to beginning readers' needs. She consulted with educators as she developed each individual book but also took rough drafts of the stories to schools, taking notes while watching children read.Audio interview with Mouly
on

WKCR-FM WKCR-FM (89.9 FM broadcasting, FM) is a Radio broadcasting, radio station licensed to New York City, New York, New York, United States. The station is owned by Columbia University and serves the New York metropolitan area. Founded in 1941, the s ...

, archived on the ''Teaching Graphic Novels'' blog (June 12, 2009) Responding to educators' and librarians' suggestions, Mouly expanded the Toon Books line with bilingual versions (French publisher

Casterman Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Brussels, Belgium. History The company was founded in 1780 by Donat-Joseph Casterman, an editor and bookseller ...

just released French-English Toon Books), audio versions (which will be developed into a novel multilingual tool for

ESL English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL ...

and/or support for reluctant readers), as well as the first nonfiction Toon Book.

Nadja Spiegelman Nadja Spiegelman (born May 13, 1987) is an American writer and cartoonist. She is the author of articles, books, and graphic novels, as well as a literary magazine editor. Early life, family and education Nadja Spiegelman is the daughter of car ...

and Trade Loeffler. ''Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework'' (Toon Books, 2010) . Toon Books have been greeted enthusiastically by librarians, teachers, and parents looking for material for early readers. Early on, the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Nancy Grasmick, embraced Toon Books as part of the Maryland Comic Book Initiative. Other states' school systems are now considering Toon Books for their own Comics in the Classroom initiatives. The books are part of

Renaissance Learning Renaissance Learning, Inc. (also known simply as Renaissance) is a software as a service and learning analytics company that makes cloud-based, Pre-K–12 educational software and adaptive assessments. Renaissance employs about 1,000 employees in ...

's Accelerated Reader Program and have been assigned Reading Recovery and

Lexile The Lexile Framework for Reading is an educational tool that uses a measure called a Lexile to match readers with books, articles and other leveled reading resources. Readers and books are assigned a score on the Lexile scale, in which lower sco ...

levels, all of which are firsts for comics for young children. The Toon Books website offers free online learning tools for both students and educators. Downloadable lesson plans and activity sheets provide teachers with leveled lesson plans for kindergarten through third grade. Other tools include free online readers, videos, and games. The fre
"CarTOON Maker"
invites readers to make their own cartoons. The online Readers Theater teaches educators how to get students to perform TOON Books. On the Toon site for kids, early readers can make paper puppets, watch videos, and learn "CarTOON" lessons from master cartoonists.

The TOON Leveling System

The TOON into Reading program is divided into three levels: * Level 1 — first comics for brand new readers, recommended for Grades K–1. Contain 200–300 easy sight words, short sentences, usually one character, a single time frame, and 1–2 panels per page. Example: ''Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons'' Rosenstiehl, Agnès. ''Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons: A Toon Book'' (Toon Books, 2008) . * Level 2 — easy-to-read comics for emerging readers, recommended for Grades 1–2. Contain 300–600 words, short sentences and repetition, a story arc with few characters, and a few panels per page. Example: ''Benny and Penny in Just Pretend'' * Level 3 — chapter-book comics for advanced beginners, recommended for grades 2–3. Contain 800–1000 words in long sentences, a story that takes place in a broad world with shifts in time and place, chapters, and opportunities for the reader to make connections and speculate. Example: ''Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework''

Awards and honors

In 2009, ''Stinky'', written and illustrated by

, was named a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is awarded to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most renowned book for early readers published in English in the U.S.A.Press release
"Geoffrey Hayes, wins Geisel Award for “Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!”,"
American Library Association website (Jan. 18, 2010).

' ''Benny and Penny: The Big No-No!'' won the 2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, while Jeff Smith's ''Little Mouse Gets Ready'' was named a 2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book.

Liniers Liniers is a barrio (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires on the edge of the city, centered on Rivadavia Avenue. It is also an important train station and bus hub, connecting western Gran Buenos Aires with the Buenos Aires Metro. The neighborhood deve ...

' ''Good Night, Planet'' won the 2018

Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers The Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers is an award for "creative achievement" in American comic books for early readers. Name change From 2012 to 2015 the award was appended with "(up to age 7)" and from 2016 to 2019 it was app ...

, and

Ivan Brunetti Ivan Brunetti (born October 3, 1967) is an Italian and American cartoonist and comics scholar based in Chicago, Illinois. Career Noted for combining blackly humorous taboo-laden subject matter with simplified and exaggerated cartoon drawing styl ...

's ''Comics: Easy as ABC'' won the same award in 2020. (Toon Books have been nominated multiple times for that same award since the award's inception in 2012, including the years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020.)

Bibliography

*''Benny and Penny in Just Pretend'' (

), 2008 *''Otto's Orange Day'' ( Frank Cammuso &

), 2008 *''Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons'' (

), 2008 *''Stinky'' (

), 2008 *''Mo & Jo Fighting Together Forever'' (

), 2008 *''Jack and the Box'' (

), 2008 *''Luke on the Loose'' (

), 2009 *''Benny and Penny: The Big No-No!'' (Geoffrey Hayes), 2009 *''Little Mouse Gets Ready'' ( Jeff Smith), 2009 *''Benny and Penny in The Toy Breaker'' (Geoffrey Hayes), 2010 *''Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework'' (

& Trade Loeffler), 2010 *''Silly Lilly in What Will I Be Today?'' (Agnès Rosenstiehl), 2011 *''Patrick in a Teddy Bear's Picnic and Other Stories'' (Geoffrey Hayes), 2011 *''Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking'' (Philippe Coudray), 2011 *''Nina in That Makes Me Mad!'' ( Hilary Knight & Steven Kroll), 2011 *''Chick and Chickie'' ( Claude Ponti), 2012 *''Zig and Wikki in The Cow'' (

& Trade Loeffler), 2012 *''The Shark King'' (R. Kikuo Johnson), 2012 *''A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse'' (Frank Viva), 2012 *''Maya Makes a Mess'' (

Rutu Modan Rutu Modan ( he, רותו מודן, born 1966) is an Israeli illustrator and comic book artist. She is co-founder of the Israeli comics group Actus Tragicus and published the graphic novels '' Exit Wounds'' (2007) and '' The Property'' (2013). Bi ...

), 2012 *''Benny and Penny in Lights Out!'' (Geoffrey Hayes), 2012 *''The Secret of the Stone Frog'' (David Nytra), 2012 *''Barry's Best Buddy'' (

Renée French Renée French (born 1963) is an American comics writer and illustrator and, under the pen name Rainy Dohaney, a children's book author, and exhibiting artist. Her work is characterized by her "obsessive-looking and highly unsettling visual sty ...

), 2013 *''Benjamin Bear in Bright Ideas!'' (Philippe Coudray), 2013 *''Otto's Backward Day'' (Frank Cammuso with

), 2013 *''The Big Wet Balloon'' (

), 2013 *''Hearts'' (Thereza Rowe), 2014 *''Tippy's Night Parade'' ( Lilli Carré), 2014 *''Benny and Penny in Lost and Found'' (Geoffrey Hayes), 2014 * ''Flop to the Top!'' (Eleanor Davis and Drew Weing), 2015 * ''We Dig Worms!'' (Kevin McCloskey), 2015 * ''Written and Drawn by Henrietta'' (

), 2015 * ''Ape and Armadillo Take Over the World'' (

James Sturm James Sturm (born 1965) is an American cartoonist and co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont. Sturm is also the founder of the National Association of Comics Art Educators (NACAE), an organization committed t ...

), 2016 * ''Good Night, Planet'' (Liniers), 2017 * ''Adele in Sand Land'' ( Claude Ponti), 2017 (originally published in French as ''Adèle et la pelle'' in 1988) * ''Comics: Easy as ABC'' (

), 2019 * ''A Trip to the Top of the Volcano with Mouse'' (Frank Viva), 2019

References

External links

*
Little Lit
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toon Books American companies established in 2008 Book publishing companies based in New York City Comic book publishing companies of the United States Publishing companies established in 1978 Series of children's books