Bone Volume 1: Out From Boneville (Hardcover)

by Jeff Smith (Author)

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.)
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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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439706238
• ISBN-13: 978-0439706230
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #293,601 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 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)

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.

7 of 7 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 (REAL NAME)

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......

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bones Bones Bones!, March 9, 2005

A Kid's Review

Bone, by Jeff Smith, is an adventurous book about a lost trio that got split up in a dessert. Fone Bone has to find his friends before two furry monsters eat him! If you like funny comics and strange adventures this is your book! 138 pages of eye-pulling comics are a hysterical way to start your day. If you like this book you will LOVE Jeff Smith's others. Matt Groening (The creator of the Simpsons) says Bone is a great read! Heads up Garfield, you've got a rival!