BONE: OUT FROM BONEVILLE by Jeff Smith

Fone Bone and his two cousins, Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone, have been run out of Boneville. Phony, always plotting some less than honest money-making scheme, has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Fone Bone, Bone to his friends, has again used his quick wits to save Phoney from an angry mob; Smiley is just along for the ride. Unfortunately, they have run so fast and so far, they are now lost and find themselves in a strange land populated by dragons, suspicious townsfolk, a beautiful mysterious girl, and giant killer rats who have an unexplained interest in Phoney Bone. Is Bone, though he is small, bald, and bears an uncanny resemblance to Casper the Friendly Ghost, the hero he seems to be? Can he save the townsfolk from a war with the rats; a war they are almost sure to lose? Can he and his cousins find their way safely back to Boneville?

Jeff Smith's graphic novel epic is told in a total of nine books. Bone: Out From Boneville, the first in the series, introduces us to Bone, our hero, his cousins Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone, the beautiful and mysterious Thorn, who Bone loves even though she is a human and he is, well, a Bone, and all the strange, magical creatures who inhabit Bone's world. Smith's black and white drawings and true-to-life dialog will make you laugh, cry, and whisper for your mommy. Kids 10 to 100 will love Bone. I could not stop until I had finished the entire series. I hope Jeff Smith writes more about the adventures of Bone.

Review excerpt from School Library Journal: "A whimsical journey, cunningly told. It combines fable with American legend in a tale of greed, friendship, and struggle. The story follows three cousins who have been thrown out of their town for cheating the citizens. Shortly thereafter, they are separated. Each Bone stumbles into a mysterious valley full of odd creatures that reveal strange happenings. The story is well paced with smooth transitions. It is dark, witty, mysterious, and exciting. The full-color art reflects that of classic comic books; one glance at the comic cells and one is reminded of old Disney and "Peanuts" cartoons. However, the animation and fresh story line put Smith in a league of his own."
Scott La Counte, Anaheim Public Library, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Smith, Jeff. Bone: Out From Boneville. Columbus: Cartoon Books, 2003.