Lila & Ecco's Do-It-Yourself Comics Club

Gr 5—8—This graphic-novel guide to creating comics will make a useful addition to any collection. The information presented is in-depth and spot-on. Lila and Ecco head to a local comic convention every year, but this time is different. They stumble upon a seminar on creating comics and are inspired to craft their own. Over the course of a day, the friends work through every step of the process, from brainstorming to penciling and inking to finished product. As they talk about aspects of graphic storytelling, Dawson cleverly incorporates them into the comic itself, playing with word bubbles, panels, perspective, and layout—the amount of detail is impressive. The stark black-and-white illustrations can take some getting used to, but serve the text well. Topics are clearly laid out in the table of contents. While a bit too expository to have huge pleasure-reading appeal, the book succeeds in what it sets out to do. Pair it with Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics (HarperCollins, 1994) to inspire a crop of amateur graphic novelists.—Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI