Does your family enjoy reading comics and cartoons? Our family has loved to do this for years. Oftentimes, it can seem as though we have a challenging time finding comics that are wholesome, fun, and perfect for the whole family. If this sounds familiar to you, Will Robertson might have just what you are looking for! He is the creator, artist, and author of the Casey and Kyle series, which tells the continuing cartoon adventures of brothers Casey (the elder) and Kyle (the baby). The comics are set up in the format seen in newspapers, with each cartoon set up with 1-4 panels which tell a short, humorous story. Our family received Casey and Kyle: I Think We’re Gonna Need More Towels!!! as well as the Summer 2019 Casey and Kyle Magazine to read and review. Both books are softcover. The book is just over 8” x 8” and costs $10; its cover is full-color and the 96 pages have black and white cartoons. The magazine is 8 ½” x 11” and is priced at $4.99, printed full color on newsprint with 56 pages. (Schools are eligible to receive the magazine for their students free of charge if the superintendents or principals contact Will Robertson at https://caseyandkyle.com/)

The Casey and Kyle books are populated by a family; a mom, a dad, and two brothers. Casey and Kyle also have a group of neighborhood friends: Casey’s best friend, Carter; Pudding, who loves to play army; Casey’s pet fish Rock (with whom Casey has lots of interactions); and Zachary, the neighborhood bully. Oh, and there is the pretty girl who is new to the group, Emma Fitzgerald. (Pudding has a crush on her.) The pages of Casey and Kyle: I Think We’re Gonna Need More Towels!!! invite us into the characters’ lives with fun and humor that any child, or anyone who remembers childhood, will recognize and enjoy!

In this book, you’ll find comics that tenderly poke humor at the foibles of kid and family life: about sibling rivalry; unintentional messes; trick-or-treating in last-minute costumes; hatred of lima beans; Mother’s Day; football; camouflage; duct tape; and Christmas. All of these are experienced and seen through the eyes of children and sometimes, their parents. And they will make you smile and even laugh aloud, as my seventeen-year-old did when he first read the book! Will Robertson’s cartoons deserve a place alongside our family’s other favorites. They are books that will be enjoyed by kids of all ages and are even accessible (and understandable!) by early and newer readers. And, you will never be surprised or caught off-guard by unwholesome content or inappropriate humor. It truly is fun and enjoyable for all.

The Summer 2019 Casey and Kyle Magazine is a nice, full, colorful print magazine for children published four times each year. It has Casey and Kyle comics, of course, but so much more. There are original stories, articles on kids and their interests, and a bit of advertising geared toward families. The stories are illustrated with hand-drawn art, and the articles with lovely photography. The magazine is full of fun activities as well; a maze, coloring pages to make into puppets, even fan art sent in by readers. Robertson also provides several pages of summer book ideas by sponsors.

The stories and articles are geared toward children and provide interesting, sometimes humorous, and informative reading. There is one story about a young King Tut and his search for the perfect snack (that also looks like it will be a continuing saga in future issues). Another tale introduces young readers to the Karate Frogs, who experience opera, disco lights, and dance music all in the same night. Readers also meet several young dancers who are preparing different roles for “The Nutcracker.” A window into this process, including costuming, rehearsals, challenges, and live performance is opened to children, as they read about kids their own age who are committed to the rigors and joys of dance.

With the Casey and Kyle Magazine, Robertson’s goals are to provide interesting and engaging reading and exposure to fine arts and literature to young people in a world that is becoming increasingly digital. I believe he has admirably succeeded. This magazine provides visuals and writing that will appeal to young readers and keep them coming back for more. I would imagine that this magazine would be wonderfully used in any homeschool or school environment.

What are cartoon books good for? They can captivate young or reluctant readers or anyone who enjoys fun and laughter. They can also draw children and teens away from tablets or phones and into the rich and wonderful world of reading. We, personally, have always been a family who enjoys a story, including everything from board and picture books, to read-alouds, chapter books, or novels. But we have always had a special place in our hearts for good comics. We just loved the Casey and Kyle comics and magazine. And we think that any family or kid will enjoy Casey and Kyle: I Think We’re Gonna Need More Towels!!! as well!

-Product review by Melanie Reynolds, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, September 2019