Tonight, we are going to do something a little bit different.

We are going to talk about different categories or types of books, and I think it is a show that young readers and or young at heart readers are going to enjoy.

And in that regard, I want to fully acknowledge that the inspiration for this show is Felix, our precocious nine year old grandson in San Antonio.

When Felix and his family visited us this past Thanksgiving, he brought with him a book he had checked out of the San Antonio library.

Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld.

It was originally published in 2022.

I was so impressed with the book that I went to the Wichita Public Library to get my own copy for further review and study.

When the book was retrieved for me, I noted that it was shelved as a graphic novel.

This, in tur motivated me to spend some time with various categories of books, something I had been pondering as a topic for the show for some time.

It is now time to go inside the cover.

Let's start with some of our earliest reading experiences being read to by our parents, siblings, or the babysitter.

Golden books.

We certainly had them for our three sons, and we made it a habit to have a reading time before lights out.

One of my favorites to read was the Pokey Pony.

Next in line would be the longer storybooks such as Winnie the Pooh by A.A.

Milne and The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.

Our boys also really enjoyed the storybooks that were accompanied b delightful and amazing artwork.

So many come to mind, bu let's start with Doctor Seuss.

Theodore Seuss Geisel wrote and illustrated more than 60 children's books.

Chris Van Allsburg another family favorite, was the recipient of tw Caldecott Medals for his work.

See also.

The book The Widow's Broom, published in 1992.

Finally, see Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

Let's nex turn to longer children's books such as Kate DiCamillo and The Tale of Despereaux, which we reviewed a few years ago, and Moon Over Manifest, a 2010 book by Wichita's own Clare Vanderpool.

That book was awarded the Newbery Medal.

I would be remiss if I admitted referencing comic books, yet another type of literature that speeded many of us on to our way of being committed readers.

Now I want to segue to another literary form cartoons.

Over the years, our family had a number of favorite cartoonists.

Gary Larson's The Far Side was and remains a treasured source of humor dominated by bears, dinosaurs, and dairy cows.

This single pane cartoon ran daily in newspapers from 1980 to 1995, and in those 15 years The Far Side went from garnering controversy to becoming one of the most beloved cartoons of all time.

Bill Waterson's Calvin and Hobbes is beloved by me and our sons, and we even have a grandson named Calvin.

Turning down the homestretch.

I want to briefly discuss graphic novels, as you will recall.

It was Felixs sharing of the Revenge of th Librarians that got me started.

A graphic novel is a book length narrative told through sequential art.

Key differing features include its length, sequential art, panels, gutters, speech bubbles, and a focus on a single, often mature storyline rather than a series of episodic issues.

Three of the greatest graphic novels are: Maus A Survivors Tale by Art Spiegelman.

It was the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer.

Batman The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and Watchme by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

Finally, I want to note some significant scholarship by our professor of English son, Doctor Jackson F. Ayres.

His first book, Alan Moore: A Critical Guide, was published in 2021, and it was part o the Bloomsbury Comics Studies.

And to tie it all together.

Jack is Felix and Calvin's father.

By the way, the book is still available on Amazon.

That's our show.

We have discussed a number of different reading opportunities for you and your family.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Good night and see you next time.