Brunetti, Ivan. Shapes and Shapes with Annemarie: a Toon Book. Ivan Brunetti, Illus. Toon Into Reading, Level 1. Toon, 10/2023. 32pp. Reader. Trade $13.99. 978-1-6626-6517-2. Paper $7.99. 978-1-6626-6518-9. GRADES Kindergarten–2. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
The teacher shows Annemarie and her classmates the various shapes that make up many things, from houses to the Solar System. Along with the standard squares and triangles, she includes hexagons, octagons, stars, and semicircles. Part of the Toon Into Reading series of beginning reader graphic novels, this is labeled as “Level 1: First Comics for Brand-new Readers.” The unique illustration style shows the brown-skinned teacher and ethnically diverse students with large round heads and skinny arms and legs. The book design uses dialogue balloons and paneled artwork like regular comics, and a pastel color palette. This could inspire activities using cut paper shapes to make collages depicting items such as cars, trains, animals, or other things, similar to tangrams.
Penny Peck—SJSU iSchool