Tippy and the Night Parade: Toon Books Level 1
K-Gr 3—This quirky comic for early readers offers simple panels with easy-to-find details and monochromatic color schemes-orange for the day and shades of blue for the night. When Tippy wakes in the morning, her room is a mess of shells, plants, and animals that have somehow found their way into her house. Readers will be able to guess at the answer as the girl recounts what could have happened: she sleepwalks outdoors, seemingly taking a night stroll, and gathers a following of animals who watch over her throughout her nocturnal adventure. Consistent with the Toon Book line, tips for reading comics with children appear in the back matter. Carré's retro and dreamy illustrations readily lend themselves to visual literacy practices: kids can "ham it up" with sound effects (bumps, scrapes, and animal sounds), and parents and educators can let children guess about the context of the pictures.—Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library