Remember when comic books used to be read by kids and animal heroes like Krypto the Superdog and Mighty Mouse were all the rage? While many comic books and graphic novels are read mostly by teenagers these days, there are still plenty of graphic novels out there made especially for young animal lovers and pet owners.
Here are three recent kids graphic novel series that will delight many animal lovers.
Babymouse Graphic Novels by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Created by brother-and-sister team Jennifer and Matthew Holm, the Babymouse graphic novels follow the misadventures of Babymouse, an insecure anthropomorphic mouse struggling to fit in with the other animals in her class. Thanks to Babymouse’s runaway imagination though, her ordinary life can take some fanciful twists – especially when she imagines rolls of toilet paper have turned her into the Mummy, or that she’s begun a career as a dragonslayer.
A popular choice for kids, the Babymouse graphic novels offer fun stories that deal with relatable issues like peer pressure, self esteem, and friendship. Readers will enjoy Babymouse’s constant fourth-wall breaking banter with an unseen narrator and the fanciful squiggly line drawings that bring her fantasies to life. Overall a great series of kids comic books for animal lovers that currently has eleven books.
Warriors: Tigerstar & Sasha by Dan Jolley and Don Hudson
Sasha is a pampered pet cat whose beloved master has been sent to a nursing home that doesn’t allow cats. Heartbroken, Sasha leaves her new owner and runs away to the woods beyond her old home. There, she discovers the woods are home to several wild cat clans that have formed their own communities far away from the humans (or “twolegs”) and their domestic cats (or “kittypets”).
At first spurned by the wild cats due to her "kittypet" status, Sasha slowly changes their minds by showing she can hunt and fight with the best of them. Soon, her abilities earn her the affections of Tigerstar, a handsome and charismatic leader. But when Sasha discovers Tigerstar's dark plan to start a war among the cat clans, she strikes out on her own again, wondering if she can still find a place among the humans or if she is destined to remain a homeless rogue.
A graphic novel spin-off series from the popular Warriors prose series by Erin Hunter, Tigerstar & Sasha differs slightly from other Warriors stories, which focus on secret societies and feline intrigue, opting instead to explore the struggles of a homeless cat to find her place in the world.
Drawn in a very effective Japanese manga art-style, which should earn them fans among Japanese anime lovers, Tigerstar & Sasha is highly recommended for both cat lovers and adventure buffs.
A Sam and Friends Mystery: Dracula Madness by Mary Labatt and Jo Rioux
Moving to dull Woodford doesn’t sit well with Sam, a sarcastic sheepdog with an appetite for junk food and mysteries, until she meets ten-year-old Jennie who has the rare gift to “hear” Sam’s thoughts. Things get even better (or scarier depending on your point of view) when Sam and Jennie come across the spookiest house in town and its mysterious owner McIver who’s been conducting some mysterious experiments at night.
What is McIver hiding? Could it have something to do with the bats flying outside his home? Is it possible McIver could be a goblin, an alien– or even (gasp!) a vampire?!
The witty dialogue sparkles in this graphic novel that takes relatable problems – like moving to a new town and making friends – and merges them with a mystery kids with love reading. Sam’s sarcastic observations about humans (“Leashes are for people!”) and her bizarre taste in junk food (“A chocolate pudding with ketchup on it might make me feel better”) will amuse dog lovers and keep readers of all ages turning pages.
Fans of Sam and Friends will be glad to know a sequel – Lake Monster Mix-Up – is in the works for a Fall 2009 release.
Want to learn about other graphic novels kids will love? Read Kids Graphic Novels with Girl Heroes, Review of Jellaby by Kean Soo, and Heartwarming Graphic Novels for Kids.
Holm, Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm. Babymouse: Monster Mash. NY: Random House Children’s Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-375-84387-7
Jolley, Dan and Don Hudson. Warriors: Tigerstar & Sasha – Into the Woods. NY: TOKYOPOP Inc./Harper Collins, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-06-154792-8
Labatt, Mary and Jo Rioux. A Sam & Friends Mystery: Dracula Madness. NY: Kids Can Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-55453-418-0
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