(found at the library)
I've read a little bit of the Bone series by Jeff Smith and have enjoyed it, but I haven't gotten a chance to read from the beginning. This book is not actually part of the series, and is in fact written by Tom Sniegoski (of whom I know basically nothing), illustrated by Jeff Smith, and tells the tall tale of Big Johnson Bone, the unfortunately-named predecessor to Bone (who looks something like a bald Pogo). The bit of the Bone series that I've read seems to be about Bone (and his other not-quite-sure-what-they-are characters) adventuring through forests and avoiding the Rat Creatures (large hairy not-very-bright monsters). The artwork is clean and a bit "cuter" than most, and this particular story reads as a tall tale. It's followed by a story called "Riblet," also written by Sniegoski but illustrated by Sakai, which doesn't have any Bone characters but instead focuses on a small boar named Riblet and his misadventures with the Rat Creatures. It's odd. At any rate, I enjoyed the book and it makes for an interesting introduction to Jeff Smith's world if you haven't ever seen Bone and the title doesn't scare you off.
Fed to jhliu's brain | December 22, 2002
