Early Readers: Clark the Shark and the school sing by Bruce Hale, illustrated by Guy Francis

Although there have been comics for early readers available for some years, this year has seen a positive explosion of this format and several of the publishers who traditionally dominate the early reader market have expanded into this area, including I Can Read!, which has debuted several series in their I Can Read! Comics line.

Some of these titles are original, or new series from I Can Read! authors but some are also familiar characters. Clark the Shark has been an I Can Read! character for some years and models social-emotional learning and school behaviors for young children. In his debut comic, Clark is excited by the teacher's announcement that they'll be having a school singing show and he even handles it well when the teacher says they'll be singing a different song than his choice, "If you're happy and you know it."

However, Clark just can't get the trick of dancing and singing at the same time, despite the friendly help of his classmates and teacher. On the night of the big show, will Clark finally manage it or will the show be spoiled?

I never cared for the Clark the Shark early readers to start with, so I wasn't predisposed to be really enthusiastic about the comic. This is a level 1, which is leveled at I for those who use Fountas and Pinnell. There is an introduction to cartooning basics at the beginning and the simple dialogue throughout is in a clear, bold font. However, the comic guide is much too complex for the book's targeted readers - it appears to be directed at caregivers. The art is very detailed and the backgrounds full of moving fish and undersea scenes, which will be frustrating for kids who are learning to read, both textually and visually.

The story itself flows oddly - there is an abrupt resolution where Clark suddenly saves the day, leading all the fish in singing and dancing. Except it's not the dance they practiced and Clark says the secret is to "stop thinking so hard and start having fun" an unhelpful suggestion for children who are not coordinated or struggle with spatial awareness.

Verdict: If you have the previous Clark the Shark books and an audience for them, kids will probably welcome this new format. However, if you are trying to expand your early reader collection with easy to read comics, I wouldn't choose this series.

ISBN: 9780062912572; Published June 2021 by Harper Alley; Borrowed from another library in my consortium