Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume

Smith, Jeff. Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume. Cartoon Books, 2004. ISBN-13: 978-1-888963-14-4

Plot
Fone Bone, along with his two cousins Phoney and Smiley are chased out of Boneville due to Phoney's last failed scam. The three end up losing contact while being lost in a strange valley where they run into Thorn, her Grandma Rose, strange hairy rat creatures, and silly towns people. Everything just seems a bit quirky when things start to get stranger and even dangerous. Thorn seems to be tied up in some sort of prophecy and it seems that the Bone cousins are too.

Critical Evaluation
It is a graphic novel that has everything, well developed characters, a complex plot, great art and laugh out loud moments. Readers will enjoy the honesty of the characters as well as the mystery of the fate of Thorn. This graphic novel is seriously dangerous to start, because readers will not be able to put it down.

Reader's Annotation
Fone Bone finds himself lost in a valley and runs into a beautiful Thorn. First he must find his cousins while trying to figure out why the rat creatures as well as darker characters seem to be after them.

About the Author
Jeff Smith was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He drew comic strips for the Ohio State's student newspaper for four years before he co-founded the Character Builders animation studio in 1986. He also launched his own company in 1991 called Cartoon Books which published his book Bone.

Smith's works have been translated into thirteen languages and has won numerous awards worldwide. When he is not working on graphic novels he is busy promoting art, comics and graphic novels.

Genre
Graphic Novel

Curriculum
Fiction
Fantasy

Book Talking Ideas
With the two outcast rat creatures, do you think that they are truly "bad guys"? Were there any true "bad guys" in the story?
Do you think Grandma Rose was correct in keeping information from Thorn?
What do you think of the contrast between the dramatic plot then huge humor breaks?

Reading Level/Interest Age
12+

Challenge Issues
Violence

Challenge Answer
The violence is from battles and war. There is not a lot of blood or gore.

Why Included in Selection
This is a personal favorite graphic novel. It is so funny and has a great story.