Junior graphic novels to keep children engaged
There's so many wonderful illustrated novels for children right now. With longstanding bestsellers like The Bad Guys, Real Pigeons and Dog Man having become household names over the last ten years, it's no wonder there's now a cornucopia of choice for young readers when it comes to illustrated works. Below, we're recommending graphic novels that we love to share with emerging readers. These volumes are packed with silliness, sensitivity and adventure.
A Friend for Dragon by Dav Pilkey
Lonely Dragon has made a friend and he loves spending time with his new buddy! He enjoys telling scary stories, cracking funny jokes, and fixing a midnight snack for them to share. But when his friend appears to be ill, Dragon demonstrates what it means to be a true friend.
In this warmhearted friendship story of love and loss, Dav Pilkey has created a lovable hero that everyone will cheer for!
Jurassic Jeff: Space Invader (Jurassic Jeff Book 1) by Royden Lepp
Dinosaurs, aliens, and world domination?! Introducing a new graphic series about what it means to be a friend (and how to take over the world!).
Jeff has one mission and one mission only: to take over the world … too bad he crash lands on planet Earth a few million years too early. Dinosaur friends Carl, Hungry, and Spike find Jeff and get roped into his mission to take over their favorite (and only) planet. But when Jeff’s search for the leader brings big surprises, will this alien be able to complete his invasion? This action-packed adventure is filled with hijinks, talking fish, and the best thing ever: friendship!
Jawsome (Jawsome, Book 1) by R.J. Timmis
Something FISHY is going on in Chumville.
By day, Finley and his mates are ordinary shark kids. But by night, they are secretly the super-famous rock band JAWSOME! But not everything is cruisy. Can JAWSOME get to the bottom of an ocean of shady shark-nanigans while keeping their secret identities watertight?
With fabulous illustrations on every page, non-stop adventure and lots of laughs, Jawsome is perfect for emerging readers (and shark enthusiasts of all ages)!
The Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella by Sabrina Moyle & Eunice Moyle
Meet Astrid and Stella! These best friends are ready to fire up the turbo blasters and take off into the stratosphere! They’ll just need a few things before it’s time to go: their special space suits, lots and lots of snacks, and their trusty robot Bobo. When things go sideways, Astrid and Stella always rely on their go-to mottos to get them out of sticky situations: We can do hard things! and Progress not perfection!
In their very first adventure, Astrid and Stella will discover the cute and cuddly planet Caturn and the beach-covered planet Bloop. At each stop, they’ll meet new pals, solve friendship conundrums, and stop one evil tyrant – with lots of dance breaks and snack attacks along the way.
Rainbow the Koala: Surviving the Wild 1 by Remy Lai
Hi! I’m Rainbow and I’m a koala. My mum says it’s time for me to go out and find a new home to call my own. But life in the bush can be scary! It’s hard to find the perfect tree. A kookaburra keeps laughing at me. It’s hot and I’m thirsty and … do I smell smoke?
From the creator of Pawcasso comes an inspiring graphic novel series for young readers, the perfect introduction to the wonders and perils of the natural world – and how we can all do our part to protect it.
Ratbags 1: Naughty for Good by Tim Harris
Let's face it – rats are mischief. Rats are rule-breakers. Rats are ratbags. They're all the same. All, that is, except one.
When Jigsaw runs into two of the most ratbaggy Ratbags known to rats, his orderly world is turned upside down and he pulls off one of the best pizza heists EVER! Will his newfound pizza obsession make Jigsaw the naughtiest Ratbag yet? Or will Jigsaw figure out how to be naughty – for good?! Brace yourself for a rip-roaring ride into the world of the Ratbags. These are the Ratbags. They have pizza, and they are NOT afraid to use it.
The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac Barnett, Shawn Harris (illus.)
Something terrible is happening in the skies! Rats are eating the Moon! There’s only one hero for the job, a bold and fearsome beast bio-engineered in a secret lab to be the moon’s saviour and Earth’s last hope! And that hero is ... a cat. A cat who will be blasted into space!
Accompanied by the imperious Moon Queen and LOZ 4000, a toenail clipping robot, the First Cat in Space journeys across a fantastic lunar landscape in a quest to save the world. Will these unlikely heroes save the moon in time? Can a toenail-clipping robot find its purpose in the vast universe? And will the First Cat in Space ever eat some pizza?
Pablo and Splash (Pablo and Splash, Book 1) by Sheena Dempsey
Join time-travelling penguins Pablo and Splash on an unexpected adventure to the time of the dinosaurs in this brilliantly funny full-colour graphic novel.
Antarctic penguins Pablo and Splash are polar opposites and besties for life. Pablo is a home-bird and a careful planner. Splash is easily bored and hungry for adventure. Sick to her flippers of the harsh, freezing weather, Splash persuades Pablo to go on a holiday with her. But far from the luxury beach destination that Splash has in mind, the pair end up in a time-travel machine that takes them back to the age of the dinosaurs! Suddenly their icy homeland doesn't seem so dull.
Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renee Treml
Hi there, I’m Sherlock Bones. Who is Sherlock Bones, you ask? Well, I don’t like to brag, but my trusty side-kick Watts says I’m the greatest detective in our whole museum. Don’t you, Watts? Watts … ? You might not be able to hear Watts, because he’s technically a stuffed parrot, but I always know what he’s thinking.
And right now he’s thinking: Can we solve the mystery of the missing Blue Diamond and save the Museum of Natural History, before it’s too late?
The Odds by Matt Stanton
Kip is a quiet kid in a loud city. She's easy to miss and that's the way she likes it. Then, one day, Kip's quiet life is suddenly interrupted. Ten of her favourite characters have stepped out of their worlds and into hers. But what happens when a dragon-hunting rabbit leaves his comic strip? When an old man leaves his picture book? When a ninja leaves her TV show, a race-car driver leaves their video game, and a dinosaur turns up from Kip's nightmares? Meet the Odds ... because fitting in is overrated.
The start of a hilarious and heart-filled graphic novel series about identity, imagination and discovering who you are.