John Lechner

There was once a stick who liked to solve complicated mathematical problems, compose poetry, and observe the natural world. "Ever since he had fallen off the tree, he had been sharp." But for all his smarts, the stick did not know how to communicate with others, and seemed doomed to remain alone. Until he realized that there was a way to make himself heard after all...

With simple but expressive ink and watercolor illustrations, John Lechner's The Clever Stick is a parable about the need for show more community. It is also a thoughtful exploration of the ways in which we communicate with others, how our individual modes of expression are often a reflection of who we are. Recommended especially for young children who are struggling to find their voice. show less

I loved this story! The illustrations were both adorable and entertaining, and the storyline was very fun. I wish there was a sequel! What was most interesting about the design was the way the narrator would stop the action every few pages to give comments about one of the characters or explain something about the plants and animals of Burrwood Forest. These asides added interest and helped the story feel more realistic. Also, the design varied greatly throughout the story regarding the size show more and shape of pictures on each page, as well as the location of the text and narration. It was also interesting the way that some of the pictures were separated by diagonal lines between them instead of straight lines. In addition, the story had a cute prologue and epilogue where some of the burrs made comments about the story in character and voiced their desire to be included more in the story. At the very end of the book, an issue of The Burrwood Gazette adds more realism, as if telling us that this is a real newspaper from Burrwood Forest with information about upcoming burr events. The author even includes the actual musical notes for the song that Sticky Burr sings during the story. Obviously the author had a lot of creative ideas for expanding this story, and I hope there will be future adventures in Burrwood Forest. This graphic novel has a lot of appeal for younger readers (and apparently me). show less

A great graphic novel for younger kids, with an action filled plot. My daughter immediately asked if I could find more in a series.

I enjoy how this book is in a comic book form. This is important for young readers because they need to have something to keep them entertained. This is a book that has a hero named Sticky Burr, there was many funny parts with this main character and his friends. The illustrations are very well done for children. I would use this in my classroom to show a different way of reading in the comic format.