alwroteabook's review
5.0
I'm not going to say much about this, but it's another great graphic novel by Doug TenNapel. His messages are great, his characters are well-drawn and, just as importantly, the stories are creative and fun. A terrific read for any age.
capturethemoon's review
5.0
The best graphic novel that I've read from Doug TenNapel so far! It's full of humor and funny dialogue, and has a fast-paced plot. I'm pretty excited that it's been optioned for a film.
itsmytuberculosis's review
4.0
This graphic novel was on vine level on managing to convey so much story in such a short amount of pages. We open with a father unable to purchase nothing but cardboard for his sons birthday. They built a prize champion boxer Bill who soon comes to life and amazes them all. The antagonist of the story Marcus turned from a snot nosed jerk into a great villain into a better ally and friend. I was really impressed with the amount of character development that was able to take place in such small amount of pages.
_leejohnston's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Aw heck yeah childhood nostalgia
heatherbermingham's review
3.0
Picked this up at a recent Scholastic sale and wanted to read it as potential material for summer school. Creative and engaging if not exactly subtle in its themes and message. Maybe not for advanced readers but probably good for reluctant/struggling readers. And some cool creative assignments that could be tied into it.
cacia's review
2.0
It started out interesting, but then it plunged into the bizarre and never really surfaced again. The narrative did keep me turning pages, and I did appreciate some of the themes, but I didn't like the story.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
oneangrylibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Doug TenNapel has been on of my favorites for a long time and I loved this graphic. It is funny, touching, and a creative wild ride. I am excited to have this book in my school library.
bookishlizz's review
4.0
Book review for the library's webpage::
Cardboard by Doug TenNapal
New Graphic Novel!
Cam is a really awesome kid whose Dad wants to get him something fantastic for his birthday. Unfortunately, his Dad only has some spare change and comes home with a simple cardboard box (that came with a really strange warning) to make something with. Being an awesome kid, Cam makes the best of it and his Dad plays along, helping to make a cardboard man – Bill, the Boxer. During the night the cardboard man comes alive … nothing could possibly go wrong now, right? Check out Cardboard today and find out how a simple cardboard box nearly destroys Cam's whole block.
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My own thoughts::
I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels, typically. I feel they (often) rely on the pictures to deepen the storyline instead of putting forth an effort in the text. This is probably because I'm a writer, not an artist and this is only an opinion, I understand many readers are highly devoted to them. However, since I am a librarian and part of my job is to build a strong graphic novel collection, I thought I should spend some time reading and understanding their charm. I started with a Babymouse, moved on to The Lunch Lady, and then this one came in. The first two were okay. They were stories I knew readers would enjoy ... this book was much different, much better. The art reflected different parts of the story, making it darker or more lighthearted depending on the scene. I could have read the story without the pictures and still understood what was going on. Instead of the story relying on the art, the art, quite simply, made the book like an onion with many layers to be pulled back and enjoyed. I'll label this as the best graphic novel I've ever read simply because my experience with them is so limited. However, with this one I look forward to others! I've just added The Secret of Stone Frog and look forward to reading it!
Book Review http://lizzthelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/05/new-graphic-novels.html
Cardboard by Doug TenNapal
New Graphic Novel!
Cam is a really awesome kid whose Dad wants to get him something fantastic for his birthday. Unfortunately, his Dad only has some spare change and comes home with a simple cardboard box (that came with a really strange warning) to make something with. Being an awesome kid, Cam makes the best of it and his Dad plays along, helping to make a cardboard man – Bill, the Boxer. During the night the cardboard man comes alive … nothing could possibly go wrong now, right? Check out Cardboard today and find out how a simple cardboard box nearly destroys Cam's whole block.
-----
My own thoughts::
I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels, typically. I feel they (often) rely on the pictures to deepen the storyline instead of putting forth an effort in the text. This is probably because I'm a writer, not an artist and this is only an opinion, I understand many readers are highly devoted to them. However, since I am a librarian and part of my job is to build a strong graphic novel collection, I thought I should spend some time reading and understanding their charm. I started with a Babymouse, moved on to The Lunch Lady, and then this one came in. The first two were okay. They were stories I knew readers would enjoy ... this book was much different, much better. The art reflected different parts of the story, making it darker or more lighthearted depending on the scene. I could have read the story without the pictures and still understood what was going on. Instead of the story relying on the art, the art, quite simply, made the book like an onion with many layers to be pulled back and enjoyed. I'll label this as the best graphic novel I've ever read simply because my experience with them is so limited. However, with this one I look forward to others! I've just added The Secret of Stone Frog and look forward to reading it!
Book Review http://lizzthelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/05/new-graphic-novels.html