POETRY + COMICS = A FUN, NEW UNION

Whether you prefer the term graphic novel, sequential art, or comics, books written in this style have exploded in popularity this century. The first graphic novel that I read was Raina Telgemeier's SMILE, a memoir about the author navigating school while dealing with the repercussions of a mouth injury. Published in 2010, it led a surge of fans to graphic novels. Since 2010, the sales of books in comic/graphic format have soared to nearly $2 billion in sales, according to Publishing Perspectives.

This popularity has led to an expansion of topics tackled in this style, encompassing both fiction and nonfiction, and targeting ages 4-8 to adult. It was only a matter of time before poetry and the graphic format would join forces in the children's book market.

The two books we'll look at today are collections of poems by author-illustrators who have illustrated them in a comic style: 

BEWARE THE DRAGON AND THE NOZZLEWOCK by Vikram Madan (WordSong, ©2024), is a collection of 25 poems about a variety of zany, imaginary creatures and people.

Some of Madan's poems definitely have a flavor of Dr Seuss, while others remind me of Jack Prelutsky. A parody of Robert Frost's "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" takes a fun, spooky turn. "A Hatful of Imps" embraces wordplay, using words beginning with the prefix imp- to convey the naughtiness going on. One poem is a tongue-twister; another is a concrete poem. Loads of fun dialogue and onomatopoeia throughout. Poems may be contained in one spread or stretch over many pages. The words and comic artwork blend seamlessly.

POETRY COMICS by Grant Snider (Chronicle Books, ©2025) has a completely different feel. The 69 poems are simpler and the artwork more orderly. The collection is divided into the four seasons, with poems often set in nature, as cued by the cover illustration:

One of the author's aims is to inspire young writers to pen their own poems, by exploring common experiences of children -- from losing a balloon to riding a roller coaster to picking a pumpkin. Also included are four "How to Write a Poem" poems, as well as a concluding poem about making poetry comics. Like Madan, author Snider includes different poetry forms like haiku, ode, and opposite poem. The neat layout of comic boxes and line drawings complement the simplicity of the poems.

Both of these books have been well-received. Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock earned starred reviews from Kirkus and Horn Book, and was a "Best Book of the Year" in the Boston Globe and Kirkus Reviews roundups. Poetry Comics also earned starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

I'm excited to see that poetry collections are now joining the popular comic format! I believe it will attract a larger audience to poetry by appealing to graphic novel lovers. I encourage you to give these two books a read.

​~Patricia Toht