Toon Books for September: 3×4, We Are All Me

Ivan Brunetti’s Wordplay was a cute exploration of language; his followup counting book, 3×4, plays with numbers.

The teacher asks the class to draw 12 things in sets, so the kids think about groups of cars, shapes, food, and other objects. It’s creative and playful, with plenty of detail to look at and count, making for fun reading and re-reading. There are so many different ways to make a dozen, and so many interests these kids have! A wonderful book to get kids interested in both math and art.

The second Fall Toon Books release is We Are All Me by Jordan Crane. It’s the opposite of the above, a philosophical meandering through the interconnected universe. Simple drawings illustrate how water causes seeds to grow as part of the food chain. Life includes cells and atoms as part of existence.

I found it a little woo-woo, too touchy-feely. It’s a nice sentiment, and the colorful pages sometimes resemble a mandala, but the bird eating worms and the neon pink heart and blood vessels were off-putting. Perhaps bohemian parents will better appreciate the sentiment for their children. Or I may have liked it better without the fluorescent color palette.

Both these books are Level 1, which makes them suitable for grades K-1. 3×4 is due out September 4. It can be preordered now from your local comic shop with Diamond code JUL18 2237. We Are All Me is also due out September 4. It can be preordered now from your local comic shop with Diamond code JUL18 2238.

Also out on September 4 are two paperback editions of previous Toon Books releases. Nina in That Makes Me Mad!, by Steven Kroll and Hilary Knight, can be preordered from your local comic shop with Diamond code JUL18 2239. Otto’s Backwards Day, by Jay Lynch and Frank Cammuso, can be preordered with Diamond code JUL18 2240. (The publisher provided review copies.)