Bone Volume 1: Out From Boneville

Bone is a dog? (I think) He and his cousins are trapped traveling through a desert and a forest to escape trouble his cousin got into. Now they are lost and trying to survive in the forest. A freak snowstorm (snow that plops out of the sky in a huge layer) causes havoc and meeting a beautiful girl named Thorn and her grandma save the day. Watch out for the giant rats! Funny, strange story.

A second-grade boy says, "Bone is the best book ever! It might have scary things, but it is fun too. It has a lot of adventures in it which makes it exciting. If you are a comic book lover, then you'll love these books."

His mother says, "This series absolutely captivated my son and was single-handedly responsible for helping him catch the reading bug. The 'to be continued' format meant that he couldn't wait to read on.
The one challenge to the fact that your child won't want to put these down is that you must have the next volume on hand, and sooner than expected.
Libraries have a very hard time keeping this series on the shelf. Learn from our experience that the suspense of waiting for the following book to be returned is simply too frustrating.
You might as well purchase the series. It will be worth it. Many friends have wanted to borrow them.
And I well imagine that my boy will want to read them all over again in the very near future, especially since the characters are fascinating on both simple and direct levels and with very complex depths.
ALERT: Parents should know that there are indeed dark plot lines and images, so the series may not be age appropriate for other 7 year olds. But, for kids such as mine, this is most appealing.
As should be clear from his critique, these do offer all the appeal of comic books. However, parents and teachers will be much happier about the literary merits in "Bone" than with the vast majority of graphic formats. "

"Out from Boneville" is the first volume of Jeff Smith's self-published comic book, "Bone." It tells the story of the Bone family, who are small white creatures that are never really explained, but interact with humans and animals. In volume 1, the protagonist of the story, Fone Bone, and his two cousins, Smiley and Phoney, find themselves run out of the town of Boneville, where they become lost in a strange valley. They soon discover the valley is filled with strange creatures (even stranger than themselves), many of which are hunting them for an unknown reason.

When I saw this in the library, it always looked like a kids' book, so I never gave it much thought until I saw it listed on one of those "Greatest Graphic Novels" lists. Smith has a very intriguing artistic style that can be simple (in the case of the bones and much of the background art), or more complex (as in the case with the character of Thorn and many of the humans). The art may be simple, but the story isn't. It can certainly be enjoyed by those of all ages. Although it contains some humor, the comic centers more on the story, which works well since it involves a fairly complex and rich story that is not overshadowed by the simplicity of the art. Volume 1 doesn't do much more than introduce the main characters and set up some of the future storylines, but it is very well conveyed and the reader gets the sense that this is much more than the traditional comic.

Although originally published in black and white, this version is in color, which I highly recommend over the black and white strip. The coloring by Steve Hamaker really adds a lot to these editions and I would strongly advise people to get these editions over the black and whites. Also, it is advised to read this comic in order, since you won't know what is going on if you start with a later volume. The volumes read very quickly however, and it only takes about an hour to read an entire volume. The rest of the series is as follows:

Bone Volume 2: The Great Cow Race
Bone Volume 3: Eyes of the Storm
Bone Volume 4: The Dragonslayer
Bone Volume 5: Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border
Bone Volume 6: Old Man's Cave
Bone Volume 7: Ghost Circles
Bone Volume 8: Treasure Hunters
Bone Volume 9 Crown of Horns (Bone Series)

Bone: One Volume Edition - If you plan on reading the whole series, get this, which has every volume listed above.

My son says, "Great adventure story." He loves the characters and plans to read all the installments in this series.

Bone Volume 1: Out From Boneville

When Jeff Smith created his "Bone" saga, he was doing something right. What is there not to like about the three charming Bone cousins - the resourceful Fone Bone, the greedy Phoney Bone, and the inscrutable Smiley Bone? And how can you not get caught up in their dramatic adventures? But Smith's Bone is more than just a cute comic strip. It shows the evolution of the graphic novel as a viable literary format, with all the hallmarks that we've come to expect from traditional fiction:

1. Characterization - the three Bone characters have endearing and memorable qualities with immediate appeal, and the other characters in their world are equally, outstanding, charming, and unique.
2. Setting - Jeff's Smith world is peopled by a variety of other fantastic creatures and characters (Thorn, Rose Gran'ma Ben, Ted the insect, the Great Red Dragon, the Possum Kids, Stupid Rat Creatures, and others). The Bone-iverse has Tolkiensque overtones, and will be an instant hit with fans of the fantasy genre.
3. Plot - after leaving Boneville and entering a fantasy world of monsters and magic, the Bone cousins quickly get caught up in a compelling and suspenseful adventure story.
4. Style - Smith is a great story-teller, and his narrative has a great deal of wit, humour and charm, although the story becomes more serious and less comic as the story progresses. But once you're hooked, you're in for the ride until the protagonists complete their adventures.

If there is a complaint, it would be that I was disappointed to see several instances where God's Name was misused. One weakness of the original black-and-white edition has been overcome, however, now the Bone adventures have been re-released by Scholastic in full colour, and this colour edition is truly impressive. Those of us who enjoy Smith's unique blend of light-hearted comic and epic fantasy will welcome this re-released colour version only too readily!

Be warned however that the complete tale isn't told in this particular edition, which is the first volume in the series and contains only the first six episodes. It ends on a suspenseful note with further action imminent. Eight volumes were to follow, although all 55 episodes are now available in a one-volume edition of nearly 1300 pages. If you make it to the last page of the first volume, you'll likely want to read them all, although be aware that in the later volumes the story becomes more serious, much like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings advanced beyond the initial charm of The Hobbit. While the later volumes deepen the literary qualities of this work, some readers will find that they lack some of the accessibility and appeal of the entry story.

A comparison with the usually incomparable Lord of the Rings might seem ridiculous, but I can appreciate why many have even dared suggest it. Smith himself credits his interest in mythology and his sense of mystery to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and George Lucas' Star Wars trilogy. Unlike these, the Bone saga is naturally much more light-hearted, at least in its inception, and won't quite attain the impact or depth of more serious graphic novels, although it shares with LOTR and Star Wars an epic scope. As a blend of light hearted comedy, slapstick humor, adventure, and epic fantasy, Bone is a comic for all ages, and for the ages. GODLY GADFLY (2007)