Bone: Out From Boneville

Smith, Jeff. 1992. BONE: OUT FORM BONEVILLE. Columbus, Ohio: Cartoon Books.

In the action-packed graphic novel BONE: OUT FROM BONEVILLE, Fone Bone and Smiley Bone help their “shady” cousin escape from Boneville, only to get lost and then separated in an unknown desert. The three cousins experience many mishaps and encounter various enchanting and strange creatures as they try to reunite and return to Boneville. The simple sketch illustrations are rich in details that capture the emotions of the characters and easily holding the reader’s attention as the story unfolds. Humor and suspense are created by both the illustrations and the dialog between the Bone cousins and the various forest creatures that they encounter, such as when Fone Bone is going to do the “manly job” and chop the firewood, only to do chin-ups on the large, heavy ax. With references to remembering to pack reading material such as Moby Dick and comic books before running out of town, Fone Bone exemplifies the idea that not only is reading important, but all forms of literature are acceptable reading materials. Many panels contain no text, however the reader can clearly tell the meaning of the illustrations and how the story advances from one panel to the next.