We know there are many kinds of books. We know there are many genres of books, too. Some people like to read non-fiction, and some like to read fiction. Some people like mystery books, and some like funny books. Some people like chapter books, and some like picture books. Some people like manga, comics, or graphic novels.
Comics are short stories made using panels of pictures and words. A graphic novel is a longer story using panels with pictures and words. Manga are comics or graphic novels from Japan. These books have exciting stories and are quick to read. They are popular for kids, teens, and adults. Some graphic novels have been made into TV shows or movies. Have you read a graphic novel?
In a graphic novel, the writer draws pictures of characters. The writer tells you what the characters are saying by using speech bubbles. There are sometimes captions on a page. This caption tells you about the scene or what is happening. It is usually the voice of the narrator you see in a caption. Captions help us understand the scene better.
Each page in a graphic novel can have a few or many panels. Each tier, or line of panels, can have one or many panels. Some pages only have one big panel. This page often has a big detailed image. The artist adds lots of details on these big images. They are always amazing to look at.
Each panel can have a picture, or word, or both. Most panels have a space around them called the gutter. The gutter can be big or small. It helps the reader when they are looking at the page. If the gutter is too small the page can be difficult to read. If the gutter is too big the page looks empty.
Making a graphic novel sounds difficult. Would you like to make your own comic or graphic novel? How about writing your own comic strip?
Comic strips are very short stories told with panels of pictures and words. Comic strips used to be popular in magazines and newspapers. Many newspapers published dailies. These were comic strips that had a new story each day. Each daily was only a few panels long, and they were usually funny. My grandpa loved reading the dailies. He used to cut out his favourite comic strips and keep them.
Comics, manga, and graphic novels are awesome to read. They tell us stories in an exciting way. It is like reading a short movie.