Comics for Kids: Easy Reader Comics

Waffle and Pancake are going to Space Cat Camp! While Waffle is a little worried about being away from Mom-Cat and Dad-Cat, Pancake is super excited to learn all about being a CatStronaut at Space Cat Camp. Waffle makes a new friend who is also a little apprehensive about staying overnight at camp and they quickly become BFFs (Best Feline Friends). Pancake is worried that this means that he and Waffle are no longer BFFs. Will Pancake find a friend of his own at camp? Will he learn that there's always room for more BFFs?

Early readers who have enjoyed the CatStronauts books together with a grown-up will love these stories they can enjoy on their own.

Tayla Cardillo

Duck and Moose represent the classic odd couple trope for easy readers with an added dimension of social-emotional learning and exuberant imagination. Young readers ready to move on from Elephant and Piggie will be happy to be introduced to stubborn Moose and exuberant Duck in this brand-new series.

Intermediate readers. A little more reading ability is needed for this new series, since the graphics, especially in the second title, are more complicated with different speech bubbles and an imaginary plot line, but young readers who have already been introduced to the format will love this funny series.

Jennifer Wharton

Salina Yoon's bold, blocky art and simple but humorous text introduces three quirky friends in a series of short stories. Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine enjoy their adventures together and always figure out a way to have fun in the end.
This trilogy is old enough to be considered a classic in the easy reader comic genre and has the merit of bridging the gap between picture book read-alouds and easy readers since young readers will recognize Yoon's art from some of their favorite picture book series and the books work equally well as a read-aloud as they do as independent readers.

Beginning and intermediate readers and fans of Elephant and Piggie will enjoy these titles. They are a good choice for young children reluctant to try reading on their own, especially if they have previously listened to a lot of Yoon's picture books or board books, and are familiar with her art and gentle humor.

Jennifer Wharton

The easy reader genre is full of odd couples, but Gnome and Rat are so charming and funny that they rise above the field. Add in Lauren Stohler's colorful art and quirky humor and this new series is a must-have for libraries building collections of graphic novels for their youngest readers.

Fans of Elephant and Piggie who are ready to move on to more challenging titles will love these. They're also great compromises for parents and teachers who don't want to give up the classic easy readers, like Frog and Toad, of their childhood and kids who want something more contemporary and colorful.

Jennifer Wharton

In one of the first series to be published in Scholastic's Acorn line, Fenske brings a minor character from previous picture books to the forefront. Crabby is, well, crabby. His firm resistance to giving Pushy Plankton a smile will make kids giggle all through the silly stories as well as sympathize with what it's like to be bothered when you're having a grouchy day!

Intermediate readers who aren't ready for chapter books are the target audience for Acorn titles. Kids love funny stories and this series has universal appeal, especially to those who have read some of Fenske's other comic picture books and easy reader series.

Jennifer Wharton

Ethan Long is an experienced creator of comic-style picture books and easy readers, and his contribution to Holiday House's I Like to Read Comics line is perfection. Silly, simple pictures, a storyline incorporating sports (and a lesson on good sportsmanship) and bold, basic text make this accessible to a wide range of readers.

Beginning readers, including those who have enjoyed Ethan Long's other titles and the classic Elephant and Piggie books, will like this duo of sports-themed easy readers.

Jennifer Wharton

It's dark and stormy outside and the lights have gone out, but Archie and Reddie are prepared with their flashlights and they are ready for anything. When Archie hears a growl in the middle of the night, he knows a scary monster is in the house somewhere. With Reddie's help, they search the house with their flashlights and find that there is nothing to fear in the house at night. But if there is no monster, where is the growl coming from?

Fans of "What About Worms!?" will enjoy this story about overcoming your fears.

Tayla Cardillo

In the latest volume detailing the adventures of Narwhal and Jelly, Narwhal has a tusk ache and doesn't know why. His friend Jelly thinks using his tusk as a "snack saver' for all his favorite sugary treats might be part of the problem. Can Jelly and Shark help Narwhal get his dental hygiene in tip-top shape? Can Narwhal's friend help him learn that even the happiest folks have bad days?

Folks looking for themes of friendship will enjoy this series featuring silly sea creatures.

Tayla Cardillo

Pizza and Taco are best friends, but who is the best? Pizza and Taco set out to find out in the first book in this graphic novel series for young readers.

With plenty of banter and silly antics, kids who like goofy friendships will want to pick up Pizza and Taco. Pizza and Taco has a more traditional comics format, but the art is not too busy, making this series a solid starting point for grade school kids who are moving to more advanced reading material

Megan Rupe

Norma and Belly and two squirrels who love food and frequently get into trouble trying to get their hands on human food. In this volume, they are on a quest to get pizza from a no-contact pizza place that serves their pizza via a vending machine. When Norma gets stuck in a pizza box on its way out of the pizza shop for delivery, Belly has to contend with the neighborhood meany cat to try to get her out.

Fans of the food-related hijinks of Pizza and Taco will love these two determined squirrels.

Tayla Cardillo

See the Cat’s narrator keeps saying Max is a cat, but Max is a dog! And that’s just the beginning of Max’s trials!

With delightful illustrations capturing the action and Max's reactions, the back and forth between Max and the narrator will be sure to entertain readers. The text and artwork are the main focus on each page, making it easy to follow the story. The more challenging words have a clear image to illustrate them. All of this makes See the Cat a great read for beginning readers!

Megan Rupe

Kitana the whale shark is the first shark princess. Her friend Mack wants to be a princess too but fears she isn’t cut out for it. Can Kitana convince her friend she can also be a princess?

What starts as a simple story about a shark wanting to play princess turns out to be a story about self-confidence and perspective. Chanani's artwork is colorful and adorable, and readers who want a cute animal friendship story will want to pick this up.

Megan Rupe

One of the first titles in Scholastic's Acorn series, Unicorn and Yeti has quickly become a staple of easy reader and beginning chapter collections. In their first series of adventures, the two very different creatures meet unexpectedly, and over the course of the books, they discover things they have in common as well as how to share different interests with each other. Sparkly, pastel illustrations lean heavily into the fantasy aspect while the simple text adds a humorous aspect to the stories.

Intermediate to fluent beginning readers will be able to read these with a little practice. The progression from panel to panel is clear and the speech bubbles are color-coded to make it easy to figure out which character is speaking. This series will especially interest unicorn fans who can't handle the longer unicorn stories available, but with a little coaxing even kids who are not interested in all things cute and sparkly may be persuaded to give this odd couple a place in their hearts.

Jennifer Wharton

It's hard to fit a lot of story into an easy reader, but Jay Cooper makes it work with two quirky pets, kind but grouchy witches, and some light wordplay. Styx and Scones' antics with a "stick" that turns out to be a wand will make young readers giggle and go hunting for the two pets' next misadventure.

Intermediate readers are the key audience for this story since the more complex vocabulary and wordplay will be beyond a true beginning reader. Fans of Fly Guy should be able to make their way through the story with the helpful guide provided by the publisher for reading graphic novels.

Jennifer Wharton

Tiny Tales was one of the first easy reader comics to be produced by HarperCollins and while most of this line is now media tie-ins like Curious George, this sweet little series continues to chug along, attracting new readers. This first adventure takes on classic tropes of identity as Slug tries to find a shell to make herself acceptable to the other snails, only to find that not only will a true friend accept her just as she is, there's a whole welcoming world waiting for her.

Beginning readers, with the help of the guide to visual literacy at the beginning of the book, will have no problem working their way through the simple panels and speech bubbles. This will appeal to readers who like Elephant and Piggie and similar stories with gentle humor and comforting endings.

Jennifer Wharton

Worm and Caterpillar take readers through the changes of metamorphoses and friendship with kindness and gentle humor. Windness' unique art and quirky story combined with simple panels and speech balloons to welcome new readers into the world of comics and the classic easy-reader themes of friendship and light humor make this a strong addition to any easy-reader collection.

Beginning to intermediate readers, especially those who enjoy classic easy reader authors like Cynthia Rylant or Arnold Lobel.

Jennifer Wharton

Join Zooni the pup on their adventures in this charming graphic novel! From recovering their missing shoe to rescuing friends from various situations, Zooni solves their problems with brains and teamwork.

Told with playful rhymes, Zooni Tales is perfect for readers who like silly, smart characters. It would also be enjoyable for readers who liked the humor in See the Cat but are ready for a more traditional comic format.

Megan Rupe