Toon Books is a publisher of hardcover

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

early readers founded by

Françoise Mouly Françoise Mouly (; born 24 October 1955) is a French-born American designer, editor and publisher. She is best known as co-founder, co-editor, and publisher of the comics and graphics magazine ''Raw (comics magazine), Raw'' (1980–1991), as t ...

. With titles by such creators as Geoffrey Hayes,

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 r ...

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 Splendo ...

, Eleanor Davis, and Mouly's collaborator and husband,

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

, 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'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 A small press is a publisher with annual sales below a certain level or below a certain number of titles published. The terms "indie publisher" and "independent press" and others are sometimes used interchangeably. However, when a distinction ...

, RAW Books & Graphics, in 1977, and RAW Junior in 1999. As she had done for the avant-garde comics and graphics magazine '' RAW'', 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 magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

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

or Jeff Smith), veteran children's book authors ( Geoffrey Hayes) as well as novice cartoonists ( Eleanor Davis, 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 '' RAW'', 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 self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...

, ''The Secret of the Stone Frog'', by David Nytra. Two years later, 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 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...

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. History Sebastian Walker launched Walker Boo ...

. In late summer/early fall of 2014, Toon Books launched the new line TOON Graphics, an imprint for readers 8 and up. It was distributed from by

Consortium A consortium () is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations, or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a ...

, a unit of

Perseus In Greek mythology, Perseus (, ; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of ...

, 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 station licensed to New York, New York. The station is owned by Columbia University and serves the New York metropolitan area. Founded in 1941, the station traces its history back to 1908 with the fi ...

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

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

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 Tournai, 90 kilometres southwest of the centre of Brussels, Belgium. History The company was founded in 1780 by Don ...

just released French-English Toon Books), audio versions (which will be developed into a novel multilingual tool for ESL 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's Accelerated Reader Program and have been assigned Reading Recovery and

Lexile The Lexile Framework for Reading is an educational tool in the United States that uses a measure called a Lexile to match readers with reading resources such as books and articles. Readers and texts are assigned a Lexile score, where lower scor ...

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 First Comics is an American comic book publisher that was active from 1983 to 1991 and then from 2011 to present (stylized as 1First Comics), known for titles like '' American Flagg!'', '' Grimjack'', ''Nexus'', ''Badger'', '' Dreadstar'', and '' ...

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 A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of a plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing narrative, storyline in episode, episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strip ...

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 Eleanor Davis, 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). Geoffrey Hayes' ''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' ''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 appen ...

, and Ivan Brunetti'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'' ( Geoffrey Hayes), 2008 * ''Otto's Orange Day'' ( Frank Cammuso &

), 2008 * ''Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons'' ( Agnès Rosenstiehl), 2008 * ''Stinky'' ( Eleanor Davis), 2008 * ''Mo & Jo Fighting Together Forever'' (

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

), 2008 * ''Luke on the Loose'' ( Harry Bliss), 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 Hilary Atwood Knight (born July 12, 1989) is an American ice hockey Forward (ice hockey), forward for PWHL Seattle of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She is also captain of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She ...

& 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), 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 literature, children's book author, and exhibiting artist. Her work is characterized by her "obsessive-looking and highly ...

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

), 2013 * ''The Big Wet Balloon'' ( Liniers), 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'' ( Liniers), 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 committe ...

), 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'' ( Ivan Brunetti), 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