Flat Stanley: The Graphic Novel

Gr 1-4–The lore of Stanley Lambchop and his adventures as a flattened boy have captivated generations of young readers since the story was first published by Brown in 1964. For the first time, Flat Stanley’s origin story makes the leap from early chapter book format to full-color graphic novel and introduces today’s readers to Stanley’s unconventional adventures. When Stanley is flattened in bed by a falling bulletin board, his parents and brother are understandably alarmed. But as it turns out, being flat has its advantages for travel, recreation, and fighting crime. Stanley’s adventures continue to provide a reliable springboard for early elementary classroom projects, but the dialogue, character development, and story arc of this graphic novel feel a little antiquated for today’s readers, whose worldviews are shaped by advancing technology. In its fidelity to Flat Stanley’s original story, the graphic novel adaptation misses a critical opportunity to reimagine Stanley’s character and experience in a more relevant way for new generations of readers. Egbert’s illustrations are a fitting realization of Flat Stanley’s world.