Holiday House and Pixel+Ink have released a rundown of its comics and graphic novels for kids coming out between now and the late summer of 2021.
Carlton Crumple Creature Catcher 2: Tater Invaders! by David Fremont (Pixel+Ink, for ages 8–12, on sale 2/2/2021)
Carlton is now an official Creature Catcher. While taking a snack break with his buddy and faithful assistant Lulu, one of their tater tots comes alive! Following the robot tot dude leads Carlton and Lulu to a whole underground world of evil potato creatures. Carlton will have to get to the root of the problem before everything becomes a mashed potato mess!
A Giant Mess (I Like to Read® Comics) by Jeffrey Ebbeler (Holiday House, for ages 4–8, on sale 4/6/2021)
Molly doesn’t want to clean her room; she wants to play. Before Molly can argue with her mom, they hear BOOM! BOOM! A giant toddler is on the loose and wants to play . . . with the whole town! In this easy reader comic, Jeffrey Ebbeler has created an entertaining tale about cleaning up after yourself.
Spring Cakes (I Like to Read® Comics) by Miranda Harmon (Holiday House, for ages 4–8, on sale 4/6/2021)
Mama Cat is ready to bake her famous spring cakes, enchanted cupcakes heaped with sparkling frosting. Can kittens Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Ginger find all the magical ingredients she needs? The quest begins! This imaginative and adventurous graphic reader comes from rising comics star Miranda Harmon, co-creator of Mayor Good Boy.
Black Sand Beach 2: Do You Remember the Summer Before? by Richard Fairgray (Pixel+Ink, for ages 8–12, on sale 5/4/2021)
A revelation about how Dash may or may not have spent the summer before raises the stakes even higher in the second installment of the eerie and enthralling Black Sand Beach series. Deliciously creepy and difficult to put down, Do You Remember the Summer Before? returns readers to a supernatural shore they’ll never forget. This book finds the kids in another spooky adventure that cuts back and forth between summers to find out what really happened to Dash.
The Postman from Space 2: Biker Bandits by Guillaume Perreault (Holiday House, for ages 10 and up, on sale 5/18/2021)
Join a determined postman on his route across the galaxy in this hilarious graphic novel follow-up to The Postman from Space. This time around, readers can follow Bob to several new planets (and a few old favorites) as he does his best to deliver the mail, train a new mail-carrier, and ends up facing down the infamous outer-space Biker Bandits!
Five Magic Rooms (I Like to Read® Comics) by Laura Knetzger (Holiday House, for ages 4–8, on sale 6/1/2021)
Kids are invited on a playdate to a magical house in this wildly imaginative easy reader comic. Critically acclaimed comics artist Laura Knetzger pens a sweetly inventive story that not only introduces the senses and basic sense words, but also primes children for their first visits to friends’ homes—and encourages them to appreciate differences.
The History of Western Art in Comics Part One: Prehistory to the Renaissance by Marion Augustin and Bruno Heitz (Holiday House, for ages 10 and up, on sale 7/13/2021)
What better way to learn about the history of art than through comics? In this informative—and hilarious—book, two kids join their hipster grandpa for a through Paris and listen as he points out everything art has made. Written by a tour guide for museums and historic landmarks, the text is designed to entertain (with many funny asides and jokes) as it teaches. The illustrations accurately portray the art and the artists described, with flavor and humor added to keep readers turning the page.
Mighty Reader Makes the Grade by Will Hillenbrand (Holiday House, for ages 4–8, on sale 7/13/2021)
Giant pencils, angry textbooks, and a no-good, awful test are threatening students. It’s time for super dog Mighty Reader to save the day! Lovable beagle Mighty Reader is a friend to new readers everywhere. By pairing bright, comic book-style artwork with classroom-approved reading strategies, Will Hillenbrand has created a reading superhero perfect for today’s youngsters.
Frog and Ball (I Like to Read® Comics) by Kathy Caple (Holiday House, for ages 4–8, on sale 8/10/2021)
None of the magic spells in Frog’s magic spell book will work on the deflated ball he found. Frustrated, Frog kicks the ball and watches as it flies up in the air and gets bigger and bigger and then as it comes back—uh, oh! Author-illustrator Kathy Caple has created a hilarious story for young readers filled with slapstick humor and a healthy dose of be careful what you wish for.
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, for ages 4–8, on sale 8/24/2021)
Acclaimed graphic novelist Tom Gauld has created his first book for children: a memorable contemporary bedtime story that’s part picture book, part graphic novel. For years, the king and queen tried desperately to have a baby. Their wish was twice granted when an engineer and a witch gave them a little wooden robot and an enchanted log princess. When the princess is accidentally discarded with the other pieces of wood, her brother sets off to find her and return her safely to the kingdom. In order to find their way home, the two will have to work together and face a host of adventures involving the Queen of Mushrooms, a magic pudding, a baby in a rosebush, and more!
