Toby Goes Bananas

Gr 2–5—Toby is an eight-year-old class clown who always gets the last word. He might not be the smartest kid in his class, but he often sprinkles grains of wisdom in among his wisecracks. This graphic novel is a look at one very busy day in Toby's life, from waking up—reluctantly—to going to bed and looking forward to his dreams. Essentially, this is a joke book, full of cute and funny vignettes ("What's the difference between broccoli and boogers?" "I never eat my broccoli!"). Most of the panels end with a one-liner or a sharp and witty quip in which Toby pokes fun at the world and the people around him. Toby is a well-known character in France (where he's known as Toto), and his stories have been delighting children there since 2002. The art style is rough and unsophisticated, with thick outlines and minimal backgrounds—in short, very childlike.