Both my husband and I brought different books into our marriage. I had a ton of John Grisham and Stephen King novels, and Brian had a ton of Spiderman graphic novels and Calvin and Hobbes comic books. A match made in heaven! Ha! The comic books were mostly left in a box or on a shelf until my eldest was was old enough that I knew he wouldn’t rip the pages out. He started asking me to read them to him around age 3 or 4 and I found myself explaining what sarcasm meant. He’d fake laugh and I’d shake my head as I laughed with him. He really enjoyed looking at the pictures and just knowing that Calvin’s tiger was speaking to his boy.
What a way to really get kids to delve into their imagination!
As my son grew, I caught him reading the comic books on his own. Randomly he’d tell me about silly comic strips on our way to school. He’d sit and read them to my other kids. He’d start to create his own comic books. It opened a world for him that I didn’t completely appreciate before as I did not grow up reading Calvin and Hobbes.
Then, one day, he totally narrated the situation we were in and gave it a Calvin and Hobbes twist–it made me laugh out loud!!! If you know me, then you know that I love to laugh and totally value a great sense of humor!! I already appreciated that he was coming to understand jokes and pretend more because of it, but I saw how it truly influenced his take on the world. It helped him spin everyday scenarios into funny comments and lighten the situation. My other kids really have come to enjoy them too! It is not uncommon for one of them to come running in from another room to share a bit of Calvin and Hobbes with the rest of us, or suddenly exclaim something that Calvin said when the mood suits them.
Graphic novels like Calvin and Hobbes, give a break to kids that still enjoy seeing a picture in their books, but have outgrown the desire to read only picture books. They encourage kids to not take things too seriously, alleviate stress, and, in our case, has given my people a strong desire to share what they’re reading!
So if you need a new avenue for adventure, go grab a comic book and let the laughs begin!!
Kayleen
