Boom!

I Like to Read Comics

by Paul Meisel

BOOM! A funny story about a panicky dog, a nonchalant cat, and a loud thunderstorm.

This early graphic novel from two-time Theodor Seuss Geisel Honoree Paul Meisel is perfect for first graders learning to read on their own.

Dog and Cat are sleeping peacefully when–BOOM! A thunderstorm comes. While Cat is happy to spend the noisy night playing with toys, Dog frantically tries find the just the right hiding spot.

Easy-to-read text and energetic, cartoon-style artwork make for an accessible story filled with personality and visual humor. The recipient of two Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Books, Paul Mesiel brings young readers on a silly, nighttime adventure.

Comics-lovers can now share the fun with their kids, students, siblings, and younger friends who are learning to read!

I Like to Read® Comics are perfect for kids who are challenged by or unengaged in reading, kids who love art, and the growing number of young comics fans. Filled with eye-catching art, humor, and terrific stories these comics provide unique reading experiences for growing minds.

I Like to Read® Comics, like their award-winning I Like to Read® counterpart, are created by celebrated artists and support reading comprehension to transform children into lifelong readers.

We hope that all new readers will say, “I like to read comics!”

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Genres: Graphic Novels, Childrens, Dogs, Picture Books, Cats, Comics, Humor

40 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2023

About the author

I See A Cat and See Me Run, two books written and illustrated by Paul Meisel, received the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award from the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association.
Potty training can be a challenge. YOU POOP HERE by Paul Meisel can help lessen a child's fear of using a potty: Elephants poop in the grass. Fish and alligator poop in the water. Where do you poop (and pee)? In the potty of course. In a starred review SLJ said about You Poop Here: "An excellent first purchase for anyone looking to expand their potty learning collection, and an ideal complement to Taro Gomi’s classic Everyone Poops."
Paul Meisel is also the author/illustrator of My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis (Holiday House Publishers) which was named by the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prizes as a 2018 finalist for best books of the year in the Children's Science Picture Books category. My Happy Year by E. Bluebird (about Eastern Bluebirds) and My Stinky Summer by S. Bug (about brown marmorated stink bugs) are two other books in this Nature Diary series.
Other books that Paul Meisel wrote and illustrated are: See Me Dig, See Me Play, Anna And Samia, and Good Night, Bat! Good Morning, Squirrel!

Reviews

[Leslie McKiever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of BOOM! Paul Meisel, Author, and Illustrator. A hardcover picture book published by Holiday House (June 6, 2023.)
You had me at. . . . . (long, meaningful pause) THE COVER! A bubbling cumulonimbus cloud, a lightning bolt, an explosive BOOM!, a terrified pooch suspended in midair, and one, very superior, very smug, know-it-all cat, create a cover that stokes the curiosity and fires the imagination. In this case, judge the book by the cover. BOOM! created and illustrated by Paul Meisel, recipient of two Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Awards, is a comic book-styled picture book or a little brother to the graphic novel. BOOM!, published by Holiday House, is one of the latest book releases in a planned twenty-book special collection, "I Like to Read Comics." Each book is a stand-alone comic.
The day started with puffs of little white clouds wandering around the blue sunny sky. In a house somewhere a cat naps and a dog dozes. One cloud continues to grow into a big, ugly, nasty, black storm cloud – it stretches, and groans, "Rumble, Rumble."
The dog is immediately alert and nervous, "What is that?"
"The cat opens one eye and mutters, "nothing.' With simple, but effective dialogue, two panels, and a splash page, Paul Meisel sets the stage for his comical story of a nervous, neurotic dog and an indifferent, egocentric cat experiencing a thunderstorm.
The dog and cat amble back to look out of the glass door as the cloud produces a loud BOOM! The pooch panics and crawls under the table, "I am safe now."
The cat, rolling around on his back, ignores him and the noise; he comments nonchalantly, “My mouse toy is fun.”
Silence - the dog crawls out by the glass door and he snoozes again. The cat toys with his mouse. "Rumble Rumble," storm clouds are everywhere. The dog hides under a chair, and the cat discovers a ball of yarn for his amusement.
A huge "Rumble Rumble," comes from outside. Day has turned into night - a giant bolt of lightning splits the sky as cat and dog watch. "BOOM, BOOM!"A double-page spread chronicles the climax of the storm.
Poor dog loses it; "RUN!"
Smarmy cat says, "It's only lightning and thunder. Silly dog."
The dog, scared witless, shouts, "HIDE! HIDE!" The dog jumps under a couch cushion, and the cat persists in annoying him. The cat climbs on the cushion with his toys. BOOM! The dog jumps, throwing the insufferable cat high into the air.
Terrified beyond all reason and thought, the dog scurries and shouts until the poor pooch finds refuge in the back of a dark closet. Hiding under the hanging clothes, the dog finally feels safe and sleeps. The dog slumbers on.
As the dog snoozes, he travels to the magical sleep land where the impossible becomes possible – he is transformed into Superdog, the coolest super hero dog since Underdog spoke in rhyming couplets, "There's no need to fear— Underdog is here!"
Superdog flies at the speed of less than sound through the driving rain. Stronger than the mighty Thor, he catches 5 lightning bolts in a single hand. The BOOM! dissipates into the Boom! In a single breath, he blows the black storm cloud into another comic.
The condescending cat finds the dog in the closet and informs him the storm is over. The dog bounds to the glass door and looks outside as he marvels, "I made that storm go away."
The silly cat rolls on the floor with his mouse. What a dog –what a SUPERDOG!
Five superstars for the Superdog! Boom! is a marvelous book with a simple repetitive text for beginning readers (pre-school through First Grade,) and strikingly rendered illustrations that will fire up their imaginations. The quality of Paul Meisel’s art will provide plenty of entertainment for older readers as well. This book is recommended for home libraries, school classrooms, school libraries, and public libraries. Comics have universal appeal and. . . comics are cool!

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children's graphic novel, beginning reader level. There has been a recent boom (pun intended) in graphic novels written for the early reader. To me it's a natural pairing, as beginning readers need picture support and graphic novels certainly offer that. This story is a simple one, but still a good one. Meisel manages to show two very different pet personalities during one thunderstorm. The cat is playful, blissfully undisturbed by all the commotion. The dog is terrified, unsure of what's going on and hiding as far from the noise as possible. The contrast is where the humor comes in, especially when dog hides under the couch cushions and cat sits on top with two toys, just licking the paws clean. A high interest topic (pets!) in a true early reader graphic novel.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a storm outside causes loud sounds, the dog is scared, the cat is not.

Paul Meisel must have both a cat and a dog of his own because he nailed their personalities. I loved this cute story, and the illustrations were great! The expressions on the dog's face, and the way the cat holds its toys were spot on. The cat was also not helpful or comforting.

Cross-posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous early reader graphic novel with simple text and accompanying pictures that create a lot of character, especially for kids who have pets. The goofy, frightened dog and the sly, calm cat are tropes for a reason, they really work. Paul Meisel knows his audience well and creates another winning beginning reader.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

During a thunderstorm, Dog hides while Cat keeps playing with all its toys. This cat is way more active than mine. I'm surprised the Cat didn't sleep at any point during the storm. Most of the text is pretty simple, except for Cat explaining the noise to Dog. I don't know if there needed to be any other text besides speech bubbles in this story.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beginning reader/graphic novel for lower elementary level readers.
Cat is fearless but the storm scares Dog. We see how Dog tries to hide in a variety of places until they fall asleep. In their dreams, they defeat the storm. Cat, on the other hand, finds all sorts of toys to play with and carries on with life.
Humorous tale

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dog and a cat react differently to a big thunderstorm. The illustrations are cute, and are easy for beginning readers to follow. This book will no doubt inspire some stories about family pets, and perhaps some homemade comic adventures about them, as well!

[Kelly]

I think adult readers will appreciate the difference between cat and dog. At this level I'm not sure kids will just because they're working more on decoding. The ending is cute, though.

[Sarah S. Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animal lovers will enjoy this short graphic novel that tells the tale of a cat, a dog, and a big storm. Not a huge amount of depth there, but a fun, quick read.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, beginner graphic novel. Simple words and easy to understand pictures make it a good pick for those just starting to read. I also loved the story of the cat and dog!

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog is afraid of the thunder. Cat is not. Dog falls asleep and believes he made the storm go away. Maybe more of a 3.5, should appeal to children.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A scared dog believes it has made a thunderstorm go away.
Yawn.
Didn't like the art either.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6 year old daughter read this all by herself!

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

this one has been beloved to my 5 year old since she was 3.