RESOURCE: Toon Books are just amazing!!

[Kelly Farrow]

Hello!! I've got to get on my soapbox for a minute. :)  There are lots of discussions on this Ning about Toon Books, but I just have to add one more! Last year I did a comics unit w/ my first-grade reading group, and I have never seen the kids so engaged--even more than when we do cool stuff like plays, shadow puppets, and videos. This comics unit was one of the best ones I've ever taught, I believe.  :)  I used Toon Books primarily for my materials.

Well, that's all cool and whatnot, but now Toon Books has made their books and web site even more wicked awesome!! For example, this year's Monarch Award book (for IL people), Little Mouse Gets Ready, can now be easily shared w/ a whole class right on their site and read by the author and another reader at http://www.professorgarfield.org/toon_book_reader/toon_book_little_... . Just click on "Read to Me" on each page (I didn't see a way to get it to just read straight through) and you'll hear the audio. I was already thinking I might not be able to share Little Mouse w/ a class b/c it's tough to share comics w/ large groups, but it's Toon to the rescue!!

Get lesson plans for almost all their books at http://toon-books.com/lp_booklet.php , or go to their home page and select an individual book to get a lesson plan for. See which other ones they have to read aloud online at http://toon-books.com/rdr_two.php#bptoy , plus tell your ELL teachers b/c they can be read in a variety of other languages as well!

See what I mean?? Aren't Toon Books the bomb?!?! I hope you can use these w/ your kids.

[Susan Stephenson, the Book Chook]

Hey Kelly, I agree! I love that kids can use the art work to make their own cartoons too. I wrote about it at The Book Chook in case anyone wants to check out the process.