TOON Books [Book]

3x4

Fun by the dozen! Annemarie and her clever classmates have to draw sets of twelve and use their imagination to come up with creative solutions. Young readers will delight in the counting game while learning the basics of multiplication. Star cartoonist Ivan Brunetti’s ingenious and fun-to-read comic turns everyone into a math whiz!

★★★ "So exemplary an execution of a simple concept that it can be read multiple ways—as multiplication, counting, sorting—without sacrificing fun."
     --Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW

★★★ "Brunetti’s second volume is a lovely graphic story that teaches a simple concept in a most engaging way and will be snapped up by fans and newcomers alike. VERDICT: Another winner for beginning readers."
     --School Library Journal STARRED REVIEW

★★★ "As the characters work through the multiplication concept on their own terms, readers are sure to arrive at a clearer understanding."
     --Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW

"The premise may seem simple, but Brunetti gives it plenty of depth. This entertaining, playful concept book teems with charm."
     --Booklist

Click here for CCSS-aligned Guided Reading Lesson Plan

Q&A with Ivan Brunetti

Shapes and Shapes

Circles, triangles, and squares: the game is on!
Respected art professor IVAN BRUNETTI still remembers the fun he had playing with shapes as a kid. In the hands of the author/artist of Wordplay, 3x4, and Comics: Easy as ABC, shapes explode, divide, and multiply, offering young readers a basic yet exciting art and math lesson. Kids will laugh as they learn—and will also see the world in a new way. Brunetti deftly highlights the nature and logic of shapes, laying a foundation for geometry and illustration for readers of all ages!

★★★ "If the Platonic ideal of the young children's comic both helps them interpret their world and introduces new ideas for them to explore and expand on, then Brunetti has brought that conceptual model into actual existence." – Booklist STARRED REVIEW
​
"A strong introduction to graphic novels . . . . Will have readers eagerly pointing out the shapes around them." — Kirkus Reviews

"Captures the fun of a bunch of kids getting their creativity into tip-top shape."​— Publishers Weekly

Click here for CCSS-aligned Guided Reading Lesson Plan

Wordplay

Calling all bookworms! Go “outside,” “elsewhere,” and down the “rabbit hole” with this hilarious introduction to compound words. Young readers will fall in love with the English language as they watch star cartoonist Ivan Brunetti put his sly spin on vocabulary. The lesson here? Even “homework” is fun when you let yourself play with the words.

Indiana's Young Hoosier Book Award Top 20 List

Might a funny and thoughtful interview between Alex Dueben and Ivan Brunetti tickle your fancy?  Click here to read "Ivan Brunetti Returns to Comics with His First Graphic Novel for Kids" on Comic Book Resources >>

★★★ "Throughout, humorous digitally colored cartoon illustrations provide context clues for readers decoding the compound-word-rich text. The use of panels in the well-designed spreads makes it easy to follow the engaging, sequential illustrations. Praiseworthy!"
     --Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW

★★★ "An amusing language arts lesson in a comic book format, perfect for individual or small group sharing. What's not to love?"
     --School Library Journal STARRED REVIEW

Click here for CCSS-aligned Guided Reading Lesson Plan