Wordplay

Ivan Brunetti lives and works in Chicago as a teacher, illustrator, and cartoonist, usually in that order. He is the author of Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice and Aesthetics: A Memoir, as well as the editor of both volumes of An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories. His most recent books are Wordplay, 3X4, and Comics: Easy as ABC!. His drawings have appeared in the New Yorker and New York Times, among other publications.

★ "Throughout, humorous digitally colored cartoon illustrations provide context clues for readers decoding the compound-word-rich text. The use of panels in the well-designed spreads makes it easy to follow the engaging, sequential illustrations. Praiseworthy!"—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review★ "An amusing language arts lesson in a comic book format, perfect for individual or small group sharing. What's not to love?"—School Library Journal, Starred Review"Brunetti’s use of simple, sequential cartoons turns this basic exercise into a brief, but delightful story."—The New York Times"Spacious graphic-novel panels invite readers to spend time with each of Brunetti’s humorous illustrations."—Horn Book Magazine"Brunetti buoyantly conveys the joy of diving into newly acquired knowledge and the idea that learning and play aren’t mutually exclusive."—Publishers Weekly"This playful graphic novel for early readers offers an entertaining lesson in some quirks of the English language."—Booklist"A Sly Spin on Vocabulary. Have you ever seen a home work? A dog with a watch? You will with this funny introduction to compound words."—Learning Magazine"The grammar lesson takes full advantage of the illustrated format by showing, for example, what a kid might imagine when hearing 'housework', with a house dusting. As the students think of more compound words, we’re shown multiple levels of language meaning. That also explains the terrific title."—Comics Worth Reading"[Our five-year-old] loves the goofy illustrations of a bed with legs walking (sleepwalk), but the payoff comes when we ask him to expound on some examples. He’ll rattle off a series of other compound words that are not featured in the book...The illustrations by Ivan Brunetti also make the book very enjoyable for young readers. It’s retro, but has an entirely modern feel that children will identify with and want to read over and over."—Daddy Mojo"It is a hilarious and playful exploration into vocabulary."—Diamond Bookshelf"This book is a welcome and entertaining addition to the usual dry readers on compound words."—Youth Services Book Review"This is a clever and humorous way to introduce a rich vocabulary of compound words to young readers."—Mile High Books"Brunetti humorously encourages kindergarten and first-grade readers to see the meanings behind more complex words that they are just learning." —AmoXcalli: Fred Patten Reviews​