And to Think We Started as a Book Club . . .

by Tom Toro

What can Leonardo DiCaprio, Bernie Sanders, Greta Thunberg, and Elon Musk all agree on? That Tom Toro's cartoons belong in their social media feeds. Now, with this debut collection by one of  The New Yorker's  contemporary stars, everybody can enjoy the timeless witticism and thigh-slapping wisecracks of Toro's cartoons without needing to go online.

In Tom Toro's hilarious world, the Grim Reaper binges television while Superman shops for health insurance. The collection features original chapter art that sets the perfect tone for these brilliant cartoons and what they reveal about the absurdity of modern life, all drawn in the author's wry and winsome style

Showcasing hundreds of Toro's greatest hits from his fifteen-year career at the New Yorker, as well as previously unpublished cartoons that we shouldn't shy from calling "undiscovered masterpieces," this book is sure to delight readers—if not outright corrupt them.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Humor, Fiction, Comics, Cartoon, Graphic Novels Comics

Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2025

About the author

Tom Toro is a New Yorker cartoonist and author/illustrator. His cartoons have been a popular feature of the New Yorker since 2010. His books include HOW TO POTTY TRAIN YOUR PORCUPINE (Little, Brown 2020), A USER'S GUIDE TO DEMOCRACY (Celadon Books, 2020), I'M TERRIFIED OF BATH TIME (Little, Brown 2022) and BACK TO SCHOOL, BACKPACK! (Little, Brown 2023) in collaboration with Simon Rich, and TINY HANDS (Dock Street Press, 2017). Tom was a finalist for the 2019 National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award for gag cartoonist of the year. He contributed a dozen essays to the New Yorker Cartoon Encyclopedia, and his literary fiction has been shortlisted for the Disquiet International Literary Prize. Tom was an inaugural fellow at the Orchard Project Episodic Lab in screenwriting, and he was awarded a playwriting residency at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre Ground Floor. Through his speaker's bureau Tom gives presentations on cartooning internationally, including at Columbia University, the Kansas City Art Institute, Litquake San Francisco, and Day of Knowledge in Mexico City. Tom attended NYU graduate film school, where he co-created films that played at Sundance, Tribeca and Cannes. He graduated cum laude from Yale, receiving the Betts Prize for his literary work while also serving as captain of the national-champion lightweight rowing team and cartoon editor for the Yale Herald. Tom grew up in El Cerrito, California, where he was valedictorian of the local public high school. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, kid and cat.

Reviews

[Cookie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these cartoons are laugh-out-loud funny. For me. But I am pretty weird.

Ah, go ahead. Try them.

[Madison Whitlock · Rating 3 out of 5]

a fun and silly book

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

And to Think We Started as a Book Club is a collection of Tom Toro cartoons that captures everything people either love or find baffling about New Yorker-style humor. The jokes are wry, dry, observant. Some cartoons land instantly. Others require a second look. Or a third. Or a tenth. And sometimes you still don’t get it—but maybe you need to be a literal New Yorker to fully appreciate that one. Fortunately, there are nearly 200 more pages waiting for you.

Toro’s artwork is especially appealing. His illustrations are lush yet light—an unlikely combination that somehow works. The scenes feel rich and detailed without ever becoming cluttered, inviting you to linger long enough to discover the joke hiding in plain sight.

Whether every cartoon lands will depend on your sense of humor, but no doubt it’s a smart, charming browse for anyone who enjoys humor with a little sophistication and a lot of observational wit.

[Emilou · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were about a dozen pages that were good enough that I chuckled or thought of as clever, but all-in-all, the book was pretty "meh". There were several jokes that I had seen before on Facebook, made by other people and better than this book.

[Trevor ComicFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

79

Some pretty good ones, but mostly small chuckles.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rec. by: Roberta, and Toro's appearances in The Funny Times, to which I've been subscribed since its very beginning...
Rec. for: People who would very much like to get the joke...

If you've chuckled softly at anything in these pages, I can die happy.
—Acknowledgements, p.203

I will admit, I didn't just chuckle—I laughed out loud at the cartoon on p.160, with the ordinary middle-aged guy in the middle seat of a middle row on an ordinary jet airplane, thinking, "Sweet mother of God... so that's how you buckle a seat belt!"

I mean, how did he get that far without knowing that? How does anyone? Why do airlines even feel the need to make some poor flight attendant demonstrate a seat belt to us every damn time?

Tom Toro's observational humor reminded me, a little bit, of George Carlin's man who'd never farted—when he finally did, and exclaimed in fear, "All the air's comin' outta me!"

And to Think We Started as a Book Club... is a short and chonky compilation of one-panel cartoons by fellow Portlander Tom Toro, although—as the front cover of this book and pretty much every other indicator within it will tell you—Toro's a New Yorker cartoonist, and yep, that tracks. These cartoons often have some bite to them—they're not just gentle digs at the airline industry and its sometimes fossilized rituals. The one that appears on the back cover of this volume, for example, is a concise indictment of capitalism, depicting a man in a tattered suit lecturing a group of children around a campfire in a desolate wilderness, who says "Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders."

I chuckled a lot—softly, yes, but also ruefully—at the wit on these pages.

And if you're of a certain inclination... perhaps you will, too.

[Ami Gillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first (and best) experience with cartoon collections! Felt extra special because I got to listen to the author at a talk before reading the book. And I got it signed!

Many of Toro's cartoons are genuinely hilarious. Or provocative. Or both. And hearing him discuss his journey, the 700+ cartoons he submitted to The New Yorker over years before one was accepted and he was finally able to get his foot in the door, along with boatloads of great advice, really contributed to a wonderful experience.

The cartoons about history, procrastination, the hourglass of time, parenting, and the auto-reply funeral email are among my favorites. And that umbrella one is dark.

Highly recommend Toro's collection if you love satire, commentary, art, or anything in between!

[Aubrey Bass · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library on a whim thinking it would appeal to my comic-loving teenagers. But I found myself hooked when I was flipping through it and then read the whole thing when I got home. I've always been a fan of The Far Side and this was akin to that kind of humor and style. I loved it and I laughed out loud multiple times. What a great way to get some laughs in for the day!

[Zhuo Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

After attending the author's new book event in Princeton Public Library, I read the book in one sitting. The author has shared a couple of the pictures during the event, and I was already cracked up by those. The book will definitely bring you chuckle and delight, thus a GREAT gift during this holiday season.

[Chris Barsanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

We know what we’re in for with New Yorker cartoons...

Full review is at the Minnesota Star Tribune.

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost any cartoon collection from a regular contributor from The New Yorker is going to be worth your time. Tom Toro is a favorite, frequently scoring with laugh out loud material. This is a fun book to have on hand for a quick dip into the absurdity of modern life.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another borrow from the Southbury Public Library for the passport to libraries event. This had some interesting comics, but it was not amazing. Sometimes clever, but not consistently so. Still entertaining though.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed these. A very quick read as they are single panel comics. But they are quite witty and funny. Laughed out loud at several of them. I read them, then my husband, then my daughter. Then we talked about our favorites.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sequel!!!!!

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wry and fun if a bit anxiety-inducing when the comics reflect real-world issues. I confess my favorite is the one on the cover.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and clever, this is a quick lighthearted read to thumb through.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clever and pointed pieces by a talented New Yorker cartoonist!

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One panel comic collection
A good chuckle
Written for grown-ups

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Dave Emrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every cartoon in this is simultaneously hilarious, adorable, and poignant. Tom Toro rules.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/3.6 stars

[Katra · Rating 4 out of 5]

p-n s-n v-n a-n

[Trike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly cartoons, perfect for a pick-me-up.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found most of these one-page comics very chuckle-worthy. Being in a book club, I especially liked the cover comic.

[Julie Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chuckled softly. A little too softly.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Single panel comics. A couple of cute ones and a few chuckles.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eisner nominated collection of Tom Toro's New Yorker cartoons, some of which were laugh out loud funny to me.

[Ronda Canary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6

[The_J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun deviant takes, presented with simple drawings.

[Jake Stamey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun read.