All about Blip!

What's that strange banging sound? Who’s that hiding in the bushes? Will the adorable robot ever find someone who understands him? In this engaging adventure by British rising star Barnaby Richardsyoung readers will want to trace a path across the enchanted landscape again and again.  Learn more about TOON's latest robot friend!

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Out-of-this-world reviews

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 “It's hard to imagine a better lesson in how to read the format. A sweet introduction to sequential art.”
     --Kirkus Reviews


"Engaging fantastical landscape and lively action."
     --Booklist


"The robot’s difficulties in connecting with the beings he encounters heightens the loneliness and strangeness of his journey, making the friendship he finally finds all the more rewarding."
     --Publishers Weekly

"Blip! is a smart book that offers an engaging story as well as amazingly detailed artwork and an assortment of visual puzzles that are fun for adults and children alike to decode."
     --School Library Journal Good Comics for Kids

"Blip! is a fantastic introduction to the sequential art of the graphic novel and it is also (as are all the books TOON publishes) a superb example of what founder Françoise Mouly started out to do in 2008 - create beginning readers with engaging illustrations and stories that are anything but boring."
     --Books 4 Your Kids


"My little guy gets a huge kick out of this one, and I can’t wait to share it with my storytime crew when I have my next Robot storytime."
     --Mom Read it

Behind the scenes Q&A with Author Barnaby Richards

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Who is Blip?

Blip is a very sensitive, inquisitive and friendly robot. His flying skills aren't great.

What do you think you would have enjoyed most about Blip! if you read it as a child?

I would have loved finding little details like the cactus creature and I would have played at re-imagining Blip's journey through the fantastic landscape.

I liked finding things - unsaid things - in books, it felt like discovering secrets and connected me to their world in a way that words alone could not. I liked books that facilitated my own playfulness.

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How did you hook up with TOON Books?

I emailed Françoise out of the blue! I had fallen in love with the format of TOON Level 1 books. Frank Viva's A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse and Lille Carré's Tippy and the Night Parade​ are absolute favorite books of mine. I knew that was the best format for me to tell Blip's story. Working with Francoise was amazing. She really helped me develop my initial idea and to fully realize its potential. I owe her lots of thanks.

Have you ever crash landed your own space ship?

Hmm, so I crashed my car 30 seconds into my first driving lesson. My first task was to take a sharp left out of the drive onto an extremely steep hill. I've yet to try again since but flying might be more my thing.

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Blip! Teacher Guide for Grades K-2

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Using a few repeating words and expressive characters, Blip! tells a story about overcoming your initial fears and finding your place. The highly detailed illustrations of unique environments and creatures in this early reader comic book story Blip! demand careful examination of each page. Any student that has had difficulty fitting in will relate to Blip’s misadventures on a new planet and enjoy the sastifying conclusion. 

Students will learn how to look closely for important details in text and images. They will learn to pronounce onomatopeia and read words with the appropriate intona- tion given context cues. 

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Download Lesson Plan

More STARS for "Ape & Armadillo" by James Sturm

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Ape and Armadillo Take Over the World

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A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD Selection

 "An excellent addition; highly recommended for fans of the genre.”

     --School Library Journal STARRED REVIEW

 "The text perfectly captures the wildly creative narrative spirit in the play of imaginative children, who are not bound by logical rules and physical limitations...should win plenty of fans.”
     --Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW

Upcoming TOON Events...

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Françoise Mouly & Anita Kunz

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October 17th at 7:30pm

The Creative Mind: An Evening of Cover Art, Illustrations and Comics

Françoise in conversation with Anita Kunz.

UC Santa Barbara, Campbell Hall


More info here>>

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November 2-5

Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Come see our newest books for K-3!

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November 17-20

Georgia World Congress Center
285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW
Atlanta, GA 30313


Come see our TOON Graphics for middle grade!

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November 18-20

Miami Dade College
300 NE 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33132


COME MEET TWO 
TOON AUTHORS TALKING ABOUT THEIR 2016 NEW RELEASES.

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Frank Viva

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Sea Change

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James Sturm

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Ape & Armadillo Take Over the World

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Birdsong: A Story in Pictures