Bone, Vol. 1: Out From Boneville [Paperback]

Jeff Smith (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 6 and up

The cornerstone of GRAPHIX, our new graphic novel imprint, BONE is the incredible comic book saga of the unwitting hero who must save an idyllic valley from the forces of evil.

The BONE adventures tell the story of a young bone boy, Fone Bone, and his two cousins, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, who are banned from their homeland of Boneville. When the cousins find themselves mysteriously trapped in a wonderful but often terrifying land filled with secrets and danger - and special new friendships - they are soon caught up in adventures beyond their wildest dreams.

In OUT FROM BONEVILLE, the three Bone cousins are separated and lost in a vast uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley where they come face to face with...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The nine-volume Bone graphic novel series was the toast of the comics world when it was published by Smith's own Cartoon Books beginning in the early 1990s; in this first volume of Scholastic's new edition, the original b&w art has been beautifully converted into color. Smith's epic concerns three blobby creatures who have stumbled into a valley full of monsters, magic, farmers, an exiled princess and a huge, cynical dragon. The story is something like a Chuck Jones version of The Lord of the Rings: hilarious and action-packed, but rarely losing track of its darker subtext about power and evil. This volume is the most lighthearted of the bunch, though, featuring some of the wittiest writing of any children's literature in recent memory--a few of Smith's gags are so delicious that he repeated them for the rest of the series. It also introduces the Bone cast's unforgettable supporting characters: the leathery, tough-as-nails, racing-cow-breeding Gran'ma Ben; the carnivorous but quiche-loving "rat creatures"; a spunky trio of baby opossums; and Ted the Bug, whose minimalist appearance (a tiny semicircle) exemplifies Smith's gift for less-is-more cartooning. The way his clear-lined, exaggerated characters contrast with their subtle, detailed backgrounds is a product of his background in animation, and so is his mastery of camera angles and choreography. This is first-class kid lit: exciting, funny, scary and resonant enough that it will stick with readers for a long time. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up–A whimsical journey, cunningly told. It combines fable with American legend in a tale of greed, friendship, and struggle. The story follows three cousins who have been thrown out of their town for cheating the citizens. Shortly thereafter, they are separated. Each Bone stumbles into a mysterious valley full of odd creatures that reveal strange happenings. The story is well paced with smooth transitions. It is dark, witty, mysterious, and exciting. The full-color art reflects that of classic comic books; one glance at the comic cels and one is reminded of old Disney and "Peanuts" cartoons. However, the animation and fresh story line put Smith in a league of his own.–Scott La Counte, Anaheim Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439706408
• ISBN-13: 978-0439706407
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Children's Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Comics & Graphic Novels

More About the Author

After four years of drawing comic strips for Ohio State University's student newspaper, Jeff Smith launched the comic book Bone in 1991. Between Bone and his other comic book projects, he now spends much of his time on the international guest circuit, promoting comics and the art of graphic novels.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent work by Jeff Smith, February 23, 2005

By 

Roger A. Mccoy (Stockton, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bone Volume 1: Out From Boneville (Hardcover)

If you haven't read the work of Jeff Smith, you are missing out on not only one of the greatest series of comics in recent memory, but what may be the greatest fantasy epic since the work of J.R.R. Tolkien. I highly recommend picking up Bone in any of its editions, although I lean toward "The Complete Bone" myself. However, there is one significant advantage of the edition listed here that none of the reviewers have mentioned yet (that I've spotted, anyway): This is the first release of Bone in full colour, as opposed to the black-and-white art contained in the previous tomes of the Bone series (with the exception of Rose). This series is so excellent that I'm tempted to get this edition despite already owning the complete black-and-white edition, and I cannot think of higher praise than that.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Epic For All Ages. The Wonder of Jeff Smith's BONE., June 1, 2005

By 

Michael F. Hopkins "A Deeper Groove" (Buffalo, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bone Volume 1: Out From Boneville (Hardcover)

For those who find the arena known as Comics to be a
field of endless narrative possibilities, Jeff Smith's
BONE is a wonderful adventure. Filled with sobering
peril and merciless laughter, the saga of three cousins
lost in a strange land offers rich characterization
and many an ethical turn with each page. For those
who still regard Comics as a hopelessly unworthy
field, fit only to encourage ignorance and delinquency,
I submit that one good read of this first chapter,
OUT FROM BONEVILLE, will alter your perceptions on
this matter, forever.
Since its debut in 1991, Smith's saga of camaraderie,
hi-jinks, and deeper responsibility has set high marks
for Fantasy literature, and stunned the world of the
Sequential Arts. A prodigious epic which spans nine
volumes (and an illustrious prequel, ROSE), BONE is
a captivating read; alluring in its charm and immediacy,
and warming in its ability to be genuinely cute without
succumbing to the artifice of cutesiness.
That Smith achieves this in a tale of dragons, lost
princesses, sibling rivalry and prickly innocence
marks BONE as an exceptional masterpiece for all
ages to enjoy.

With the time-honored Scholastic Press currently
issuing the 9-volume saga in color, the tale now
becomes available to a whole new audience. With
direct distribution into schools and libraries,
as well as other institutions which an independent
press (such as Smith's own Cartoon Books) might be
harder-pressed to reach, the opportunities for
BONE are more auspicious than ever before.

Those familiar with the Sequential field, as well
as those older newspaper strip readers, will see
Smith's immense mastery of the idiom. BONE's
blend of ticklish escapades and tense relationships
will call to mind both the cunning wit of Walt
Kelly's POGO and the flesh-n-blood nobility of
Harold Foster' PRINCE VALIANT.
Others who love the bright pugnacity of POPEYE's
E. C. Segar will delight in the rolling action
which frequently takes place here. Lovers of
J.R.R. Tolkien and Michael Moorcock will be
enthralled by Smith's thought-provoking forays
into the issues of Balance and Excess, and
how each character comes face-to-face with
the choices to be made.

Bottom line, however, is that Smith is very
much his own man, and BONE is very much his
hallmark upon the annals of great literature.
As humble in its presentation as it is majestic
in its unfurling, the tale of Fone Bone and
Thorn is a story which packs one thrilling,
thematic wallop.
Count on Jeff Smith's BONE to keep you
enthusiastically involved with each turn
of every page, from start to finish
throughout this volume, as well
as throughout the many chapters
to come......

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you for giving us this wonderful treat, March 27, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Bone, Vol. 1: Out From Boneville (Paperback)

This is one of the best comic books of all time. Read it and you will be undoubtably amazed by this funny and unforgetable tale of the three bone cousins. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and buy it.