Synopses & Reviews
Seven clever stories answer one simple question: whatandrsquo;s in the box?
Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvelsandmdash;or mayhemandmdash;inside. Artists include middle school favorites Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier (Smile), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), as well as Jason Caffoe, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Rad Sechrist (all contributors to the groundbreaking comics anthology series Flight), and upcoming artist Emily Carroll.
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and#160;Praise for Explorer:and#160;Mystery BoxesSTARREDand#160;REVIEWandquot;An outstanding out-of-the box anthology from renowned comics veteran Kibuishi. With eye-popping full-color art and palettes ranging from candy-colored to ethereal earth tones, this is both a visual feast for the eyes and a healthy helping of thought for the soul. Superb.andrdquo;andndash;Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewand#160;STARREDand#160;REVIEWandquot;Coherent for all its variety, there will be something here for most readers.andquot;andndash;Schooland#160;Library Journal, starred review
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Review
andquot;JP Ahonen is, flat-out, one of the best comic artists and writers working in the world today. His comics are hilarious, action-packed, and heartwarming in equal measure.andquot;
Review
STARRED REVIEW
andquot;Another worthy entry in a series of themed collections that places production and storytelling on equally high pedestals.andquot;
Review
andquot;The last three storiesandmdash;Steve Hamakerandrsquo;s rollicking and#39;Fish n Chipsand#39;; Johane Matteandrsquo;s inventive Egyptian-graverobbing story, and#39;Mastabaand#39;; and Jen Breach and Douglas Holgateandrsquo;s pun-tastic fantasy action tale and#39;When Is a Door Not a Door?and#39;andmdash;end the collection on a high note, with solid plots and gorgeous artwork. Expect followers of the popular series to snatch it up.andquot;
Review
andquot;Consider this (and previous series installments) as a necessary addition to any graphic novel collection.andquot;
Review
andldquo;A beautiful, authentic graphic novel.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Telling a story about a progressive metal band in an exclusively visual medium is no easy task, but artist JP Ahonen and writer KP Alare rise to the challenge with ease in the graphic novel Sing No Evil.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;An interesting mix of anime-inspired artwork on par with Kazu Kibuishiandrsquo;s Amulet series and a story matching the epic quality of Bryan Lee Oandrsquo;Malleyandrsquo;s Scott Pilgrim seriesandmdash;rock on!andrdquo;
Review
andquot;Colossaland#39;s full-color, cartoonish illustrations, with their heavy linework and simple figures, match the light, goofy tone of the stories.andquot;
Review
andquot;Colossal perfectly mixes action and humor...A promising first course in a series that could really take off.andquot;
Review
andldquo;A visual sonic boom.andrdquo;
Review
andquot;Rutabagaandrsquo;s culinary feats in the comic...could easily inspire young adventure chefs to make some gourmet grub of their own.andquot;
Review
andldquo;Finnish cartoonist JP Ahonen made a splash last year with his energetic graphic novel Sing No Evil.andrdquo;
Review
andquot;The graphic-novel format works well here, pairing vivid retro-toned illustrations with a mostly cheerful, bouncy narration...future chefs will be well pleased that there are a few real recipes at the end of the book.andquot;
Review
andquot;An excellent complement to his prose, Schweizerand#39;s cleanly paneled art is bright and busy, ever ready with a gag that helps blend the ghastly with the goofy, making his gangand#39;s antics reminiscent of Scooby Doo...Silly fun with a smattering of science.andquot;
Review
andquot;Schweizer has created a story with just enough icky, spooky action for middle-grade readers who want horror stories but donandrsquo;t want them too scary...The mixed-gender, multicultural team guarantees that this series opener will appeal to a broad range of readers.andquot;
Synopsis
"All the stories offer top-notch storytelling while providing readers with something more to think about." --Publishers Weekly
STARRED REVIEW *"An outstanding out-of-the box anthology from renowned comics veteran Kibuishi . . . Both a visual feast for the eyes and a healthy helping of thought for the soul. Superb." --Kirkus Reviews
Seven clever stories answer one simple question: What's in the box?
Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels--or mayhem--that is hidden inside.
Artists include middle school favorites Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier (Smile), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), as well as Jason Caffoe, Stu Livingston, Johane Matte, Rad Sechrist (all contributors to the groundbreaking comics anthology series Flight), and Emily Carroll.
Award-winning artist Kazu Kibuishi's selection creates a mixture of laughs and creeps (with some philosophy) as well as the kind of graphical triumphs expected from Kibuishi's other collections. With gorgeously detailed full-color artwork, there is a spooky tale of a sinister doppelg nger invading a girl's life by up-and-coming comics star Emily Carroll; Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier's comedy of wizarding errors and online bidding wars; and Rad Sechrist's romp involving a teenage girl, an introduction to the basics of Shintoism, and a manic butter thief driving a grandma to the brink.
So, don't hesitate. Come and open the box. You'll be amazed. You'll be entertained. You'll be scared. And then you'll want to read each story over again
Also available:
Explorer: The Lost Islands
Explorer: The Hidden Doors
Synopsis
A bullied boy discovers a door guarded by a sly monster . . . A painting of a door opens in a forgotten Egyptian tomb . . . A portal in the park promises to turn you into a much cooler version 2.0andmdash;if you can just get the bugs out . . . Edited by New York Times bestselling comics creator Kazu Kibuishi, who is also a contributor, the third volume in this highly praised series gathers some of the foremost and fastest-rising talents in comics for kids: Jen Wang (Koko Be Good), Johane Matte (Explorer: The Mystery Boxes), Steve Hamaker (colorist of Jeff Smithandrsquo;s Bone series), Faith Erin Hicks (Friends with Boys), DougHolgate (Zack Proton series), and Jason Caffoe (Explorer: The Lost Islands and Flight). Readers maynever walk into a room the same way again.
Synopsis
Twenty-something guitarist Aksel stutters when he sings, and the latest reviews say he has the voice of a crow with throat plague. Thatandrsquo;s not a compliment, even for the avant-garde music his band Perkeros plays. Aksel is having a hard time keeping the band together, stopping his girlfriend from kicking him out, and not getting eaten by his drummer (who happens to be a cranky brown bear). There are also the rival bands that Perkeros find themselves in battle with to save the city from supernatural forces set loose by ancient music. The key to it all could be in the music Aksel hears in his dreamsandmdash;if it doesnandrsquo;t drive him mad first. With a visual soundtrack that blasts off the page,
Sing No Evil is a wild ride through otherworldly dangers and the power of pure rockandrsquo;nandrsquo;roll.
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Synopsis
In a world where there are dragons, wyverns, and haunted squash, youandrsquo;d figure someone would have recipes for them, right?
Rutabaga and his magic cooking pot, Pot, join young adventurers Winnifred, Manny, and Beef on a quest to defeat a dragon, discover new ingredients, find monsters to have for and/or to dinner, and to save the day through cooking. Rutabaga will dare any danger to uncover new tastes, and thereandrsquo;s a whole world full of food to tryandmdash;from roasted mud leech to spider soup to peanut butter on crackers. His heroic recipes combine real ingredients, fantasy ingredients, and real ingredients that sound fantastical. Rutabaga the Adventure Chef is the perfect adventure for any kid grossed out when something weird shows up on the dinner table.
Synopsis
In Pumpkins County, weird things happen every day, but nobody ever makes a fuss. Nobody, that is, except the Creeps: Carol, a big-city girl new to Pumpkins County, who finds kindred spirits in Mitchell (monster expert), Jarvis (military brat with logistics know-how), and Rosario (girly girl on the outside, muscle underneath). The Creeps are on the case to figure out the spooky mysteries and still get to class on time. Last week it was a pudding monster. This week, itandrsquo;s killer frogsandmdash;reanimated from the teamandrsquo;s biology class dissection experiment. Whoandrsquo;s behind the Frankenfrog attacks? The Creeps will track down the answers!
In this new creepy graphic novel series, Chris Schweizerandrsquo;s art is full of the visual excitement that only the best graphic novel creators can pull off.
About the Author
Kazu Kibuishi is the author of Amulet, the award-winning New York Times bestselling graphic novel series; the illustrator of the new paperback covers for J. K. Rowlingand#8217;s Harry Potter series; and the editor of eight volumes of Flight, the Eisner-nominated anthology series. He lives in Bellevue, Washington.