Lost & Found by Shaun Tan
Another amazing collection of stories by author and illustrator Shaun Tan, author and illustrator of The Arrival. Seriously, the illustrations are so phenomenal, it makes me want to cry.
Stories included are “The Red Tree”, “The Lost Thing”, and “The Rabbits.” Watch the trailer for “The Lost Thing” below.
I have noticed that there are some new sequels out there for books that I had reviewed in the past and they just may be of interest to you! So here they are:
Trail of Fate (The Youngest Templar series, Book Two) by Michael Spradlin Here is the exciting sequel to Keeper of the Grail where Tristan and his companions continue to protect the Holy Grail (and where we find out what happened to Tristan after he fell off the ship and was left swimming for his life at the end of the first book! Hope I didn’t spoil that for anyone.)
The Magic Thief: Lost by Sarah Prineas Sequel to The Magic Thief, here continues the magical adventures of Con and Nevery in the city of Wellmet.
Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale Although not exactly a sequel by definition, here is the next 
installment from Shannon and Dean Hale that takes the same setting and characters from Rapunzel’s Revenge and creates Jack’s story, a bit reminiscent of Jack and the Beanstalk, eh?
And here’s a great video by Bloomsbury Publishers where you can hear Shannon Hale tell you why she loves to rewrite fairy tales:
Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost
We just had the wonderful illustrator and new author, Anne Sibley O’Brien visit our school. She is the illustrator of many books including the Jamaica books and the author of the awesome graphic novel, Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea. She spent lots of time teaching us how to turn narrative writing into comics. Right before she left, she recommended this book, Adventures in Cartooning, as another way to learn how to draw comics.
The great thing about this book is that it teaches you how to draw comics and cartoons by weaving it into a story about a princess who can’t draw cartoons. Fabulous! As the jacket flap says, “Cartooning is what happens when you send your drawings on an adventure!”
Don’t miss this exciting story/comic/cartoon about a princess, a knight, his scared horse, a magic elf and a dragon. Great fun and you’ll be dying to start drawing your own comics!
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrated by Nathan Hale
Hold onto your hats for this one! This graphic novel Rapunzel is no damsel-in-distress. This Rapunzel is a feisty, braid-weilding, revenge-seeking outlaw. As a little girl, Rapunzel lived with her mother, Mother Gothel, in a beautiful and fancy palace. Surrounding the palace is a wall that no one can see over or get through. All her childhood, Rapunzel has wanted to know what was on the other side of that wall. When she finally disobeys Mother Gothel and sneaks outside the wall, she discovers a terrible truth. She was stolen from her real mother and father years ago when her real mother climbed inside the palace walls to steal some rapunzel (a green leafy vegetable) out of Mother Gothel’s garden. When Rapunzel discovers the truth, Mother Gothel leaves her at the very tippy top of a hollow tree in the middle of an abandoned swamp. Well, you see where this is going. There is only one thing on Rapunzel’s mind now. Escape from her imprisonment and find her real mother and father. What happens next is a wild ride.
This setting is not your typical fairy tale setting. Rapunzel travels through cities and landscapes that feel like the old west. Shannon Hale does a superb job at reinventing this fairy tale into a shoot ‘em up western. I loved this retelling of Rapunzel because Rapunzel doesn’t wait around for a prince to save her. She learns to take care of herself and, more importantly, learns how to use her long hair as a weapon (yeah, kinda cool). 
Does Rapunzel find her mother and father in the end? Does Rapunzel get the revenge she is looking for? Read Rapunzel’s Revenge to find out!
If you enjoyed reading this one, you may also enjoy some more Shannon Hale books such as The Goose Girl and the Newbery Honor winning The Princess Academy.
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
What can I say about one of the most visually stunning books I’ve ever seen? Shaun Tan has created a mesmerizing book of one man’s story of immigrating to another world. I could not take my eyes off this book. The people looked like authentic immigrants from our country’s history but the setting is purely fantastical. Because the world is nothing I have ever seen before, it made me understand what it would have felt like for an immigrant to come to our country where the culture, the people and the language is completely foreign. What is even more stunning about this book is that it is a wordless story. It is told completely in pictures as a graphic novel. It is clear that Tan did lots of research at the Ellis Island Museum but managed to create a unique book that you will find yourself wanting to look at again and again.
Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
Here is a sweet, funny and almost heart-breaking book about two friends, Dog and Robot. Because Dog is lonely, he sends away for a Make Your Own Robot kit and instantly has a new friend. On the day they go to the beach, Robot mistakenly plays in the water with Dog and begins to rust. When he can’t move by the end of the day, Dog must leave him behind. And what happens after that will bring a tear to your eye. Both dream about the other, wondering what the other is doing and missing each other. But both move on and find new ways of finding happiness. The great thing about this book is that this whole story is told without words; it’s a graphic novel. It doesn’t need words to tell the story. The illustrations are adorable and easily understood. This story of friendship is one that you can’t miss!
