Don Wood (1) (1945–)

I sort of liked the story thanks to the expressive pantomime of the mouse. But then my wife pointed out that the narrator was a con artist using demagoguery to stoke fear in the mouse of a hypothetical enemy in order to appropriate half its food supplies after it had done all the harvesting work. That's a messed up lesson to pass on to children.

I really liked the illustrations. The story itself was very nice, especially heartwarming for the Christmas season.

However, I would really have liked to see Big Hungry Bear. The story mentions him quite a bit but we never get to see him. I wanted to see if he was really as big and hungry as they say. I'm sure he's not, but there is no confirmation. A better ending would have been for Mouse and Bear to become friends and spend Christmas TOGETHER instead of alone. =)

This is another favorite from my childhood and one that my mother and I read together frequently. A mouse has picked a nice red ripe strawberry and now has to hide it from a hungry bear who loves red ripe strawberries. The narrator tells the mouse that he could try to put a disguise on the strawberry or lock it up. But the best way to get rid of it is to cut it in two and to share half of it. The illustrations are colorful and fun; the mouse and the strawberry both wear matching Groucho Marx show more glasses. This is a must-have addition to any story time or bedtime but can also be a great tool in the classroom to teach the importance of sharing and helping those in a time of need. show less

Into the Volcano by Don Wood is a great example of the next generation of graphic novel for young people. Not intended for young children or adults, it's geared toward intermediate and middle school age students who are ready for the depth of a complex plot, but not yet ready for the mature themes of adult graphic novels. I'm not surprised by the wide range of reviews and ratings. Although the graphic novel contains some really strange characters and plot elements, the central story of show more Sumo's maturation is at the heart of the story. While some of the story's "twists and turns" were far-fetched, Wood's full-color visual elements are outstanding and his approach to storytelling is engaging. I wish he'd spent more time thinking about ways to incorporate the interesting scientific elements of the volcano eruption and less time on some of the strange side characters, but I applaud his unique perspective. I hope this book encourages others to push the boundaries of graphic novels for young people. show less