Bone adventures

Adding to the Bone universe, Smith offers two short comics stories bursting with personality. The first, "Finders Keepers," features the three Bone boys daydreaming on a curb. Responsible Fone Bone dreams of an apple, sly Phoney Bone fantasizes of riches, and lanky Smiley Bone craves an ice cream cone. When Smiley spots a shiny gold coin on the ground, Phoney nabs it first, causing a humorous, lesson-laden struggle that leaves all three without. In the second story, "Smiley's Dream Book," a dopey Smiley flies joyfully through the air counting colorful avian friends, some in hats and scarves, until a menacing bird of prey threatens. Warning off the unwelcome intruder, Smiley firmly stands up for his new friends. Smith's art style features bold, curving lines; vivid colors; and emotive characters, which, paired with the large panels and minimal use of text, makes this an ideal pick for burgeoning readers and those just discovering graphic novels. Ages 3--5. (May)

Two whimsical adventures in the Bone universe are scaled for newcomers in this picture book with a graphic-novel feel. In Smith's newest addition to his ever expanding oeuvre, the adorable Bone boys are back for two new escapades. The first, "Finders Keepers," features the tall and goofy Smiley Bone, sly and suspendered Phoney Bone, and earnest Fone Bone as they debate how to spend an unexpected windfall. Phoney and Smiley want to spend the money frivolously while Fone Bone presents a more sensible option. When they cannot come to a consensus, the trio finds themselves with nothing to show, gently emphasizing the importance of teamwork and cooperation. In the second tale, "Smiley's Dream Book" (originally published as a stand-alone in 2018), Smiley has a wondrous reverie, counting birds with bespoke hats and scarves, until a fierce hawk threatens the fun. Fear not, Smiley will save the day, and his bravery is sure to elicit giggles from even the most stoic reader. Each full-color page (tints courtesy of Gaadt) is laid out as one framed panel with large, bright artwork, largely wordless action sequences, and easy-to-read, economically worded speech balloons. With its emphasis on sharing and counting, this is certainly slanted toward emerging readers, but older readers already familiar with the Bones should enjoy spending time with well-loved characters. All three characters present as male. An addition to the Bone corpus sure to delight fans new and old. (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.