The thing about reviewing a book of Tom Gauld cartoons is that I don’t know what to say beyond “there’s a new Tom Gauld collection, go get it.” Physics for Cats collects 160 science cartoons previously published in New Scientist. Gauld’s sense of humor is dry and smart. I love his insight and observations, as well as how creative he can be with the comic format. Examples include an experiment about being in a cartoon, the “conceptual phrase” of a […]

Winnie the Pooh and his friends entered the public domain in 2022. Originally written by A.A. Milne, now they are available for more than just terrible horror movies. Travis Dandro, for example, has turned the ten chapters of the original Winnie-the-Pooh book into a gorgeous graphic novel. These are favorite stories: Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit’s doorway, Eeyore loses his tail, we meet Kanga and baby Roo, Piglet is flooded out, Pooh and his balloon, and so on. It gave […]

Elise Gravel once again gives kids an approachable way to understand an aspect of the natural world with Club Microbe (translated by Montana Kane). Drawn & Quarterly has previously published her The Bug Club, The Mushroom Fan Club, and the art-focused If Found… Please Return to Elise Gravel. Club Microbe is all about germs, illustrated in Gravel’s uniquely doodly style. Reading this book is like sitting down with a young friend who wants to tell and show you all about […]

With Revenge of the Librarians, Tom Gauld returns with another volume of witty, insightful cartoons about books, writers, and readers, following You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack and Baking With Kafka. The humor requires a certain level of literacy, but the feeling of “getting it” is addictive, reminding us of the joy of books. Gauld’s comic strips often make readers feel clever for getting the reference or feeling better informed after reading. There’s a wonderful, warm emotion of “oh! […]

The original, unabridged text of the founding document of the United States is presented in comic form, with each clause or section of the Constitution illustrated in a single-page panel. Author R. Sikoryak uses the original spelling and punctuation, so, for example, “choose” is “chuse”, reminding us that this is a historical document. End notes tell the reader which clauses have later been superseded. There’s also a list of when the amendments were proposed and ratified. Constitution Illustrated is educational […]

Following in the mold of her earlier The Mushroom Fan Club, Elise Gravel has created a wonderful book about her fascination with bugs in The Bug Club. The hardcover feels like a glimpse inside a personal scrapbook, as though a knowledgeable and devoted friend is sharing their interest with the reader. Gravel’s enthusiasm is contagious. It’s a quick read, but packed with content and well worth rereading. Tons of bug facts are accompanied by friendly, cartoony images. The story is […]

If I was to describe the concept of Rebecca and Lucie in the Case of the Missing Neighbor, I would say “what if a mommy blogger wrote Rear Window?” Rebecca is a new mother, about to end her maternity leave. She’s up late feeding baby Lucie when she sees someone loading something into a white van. Then she hears that one of the neighbors is missing. She decides to investigate and starts asking people questions about him and what happened, […]

The League of Super Feminists has an eye-catching title, but it’s really a scrapbook-style collection of pieces covering media literacy and political awareness. It covers the kind of topics more young people should be aware of, including sexist stereotypes in popular entertainment, the Bechdel Test, the lack of role models for female friendship, unequal emotional labor, the focus on appearance and sexual portrayals, gendered expectations of behavior, and an explanation of intersectionality. Written and drawn by Mirion Malle (translated by […]