"Bone: Out From Boneville" was a quick and easy read that had an amusing plot line and great graphics.
This series is extremely popular with my elementary aged students, especially G. 2-7 boys, some girls are also interested in the series. Its popularity stands next to the Amulet series, which has more female followers.
I liked all the characters, especially the moral "Fone Bone", who is the main character. He plays foil to his friends Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone, who are often up to no good.
What is he? That was also a question I had in mind. Jeff Smith originally drew his characters with a telephone receiver as reference. These eventually developed into the
"bones" we see today. Though exactly what they are is not really relevant.
"bones" we see today. Though exactly what they are is not really relevant.
My main hesitation with the story is Fone Bone's romantic interest in Thorn, a human girl. There are several showy images of her legs, and one a slight show of her breasts, as her clothes are titillatingly ripped off by rat creatures. At another moment, she invites Fone Bone to go bathing with her and it's implied that she is naked, but he willingly jumps into the pond with her and swallows the soap. It's a little bit weird, but it's meant to come off as funny because he is well, a small strange creature, and she is a regular human being. There is one image that is too showy, though, in my opinion, and it almost makes me hesitate to recommend the book to young boys because of the focus on Thorn's body.
The evil rat creatures are frightening looking, but their funny dialogue off-sets their grotesque appearance, making them seem mostly ridiculous.
All in all, I enjoyed it. It's unfortunate for the one image, or else I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
