Children's Literature
- Lisette Baez
This a great book for a young artist who also has a love and passion for comics. It reads as a chapter book but this graphic novel provides interesting dialogue and the ins and outs of creating a comic. The only thing missing is color for the graphics. The black and white text and illustrations pale in comparison to the attractive cover. The author brings forth two very relatable characters, Lila and Ecco. Their love for comics makes for one unique and wonderful friendship. Each year they attend the local Comicon wearing the costume of their favorite character. This year they find themselves in a workshop to learn how to create graphic novels and comics. From the moment they step into that class everything changes. Not only does Lila & Ecco's Do-It-Yourself Comics Club create a charming plot, young readers will learn how to create their own adventure story through a comic. Readers will be able to illustrate suspense and motion, create a variety of word balloons to compliment the plot, build characters and dialogue that are believable, and so much more. The Further Reading section at the back lists additional sources for the comic enthusiast and the Glossary assists in reading comprehension. The author has created a book that promotes creativity and confidence in both writing and drawing. Reviewer: Lisette Baez
School Library Journal
Gr 5–8—This graphic-novel guide to creating comics will make a useful addition to any collection. The information presented is in-depth and spot-on. Lila and Ecco head to a local comic convention every year, but this time is different. They stumble upon a seminar on creating comics and are inspired to craft their own. Over the course of a day, the friends work through every step of the process, from brainstorming to penciling and inking to finished product. As they talk about aspects of graphic storytelling, Dawson cleverly incorporates them into the comic itself, playing with word bubbles, panels, perspective, and layout—the amount of detail is impressive. The stark black-and-white illustrations can take some getting used to, but serve the text well. Topics are clearly laid out in the table of contents. While a bit too expository to have huge pleasure-reading appeal, the book succeeds in what it sets out to do. Pair it with Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics (HarperCollins, 1994) to inspire a crop of amateur graphic novelists.—Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI
