the way home & the bittersweet summer andy runton

It’s a wonderful introduction to the conventions of comics, too, with simple panels, bold illustrations, word bubbles, and the added benefit of large print.

Simple cartoons with a few words tell the story of each seasonal adventure. Readers meet feisty little Lily and share her sense of wonder through the 4 seasons. Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons by Agnes Rosenstiehl Perfect for kids in the 4 to 8 year-old range–though older and younger audiences appreciate it as well. Polo, a sweet and clever little dog, has all the resources he needs in his small backpack, which magically can hold everything he needs. The story unfolds almost like film animation, as Polo has many magical adventures across the ocean, around the world, and even into space. The Polo books ( this is the first in a collection of Polo adventures) have the bonus of helping young children see the conventions of comics. Wordless picture books are terrific for young readers to practice their story-reading skills, focusing on the details of pictures, holding ideas as they turn pages, delighting in a well-told story, and talking about a satisfying plot. As we add to our collections this year, we plan to add more lists, so stay tuned! It’s hard to choose which ones to recommend out of so many good ones, so we are just starting with some of our favorites. They especially appreciate the chance to go off and read and reread and figure out these books on their own (though you’ll still find them cuddling on Mom and Dad’s and Grandma and Grandpa’s laps to read the comics together). Molly and Jacob, who just turned six, and perfect examples of book-loving, reading-loving, graphic-novel loving early readers. While some adults continue to bemoan the popularity of comics and graphic novels, here at Lit for Kids, we embrace them. Kids LOVE graphic novels! What’s not to love? Pictures and details and interesting stories to pore over, of course–and now there are so many that have the added attraction of good stories with thoughtful and interesting themes.

The way home & the bittersweet summer andy runton