Bone 1: Out From Boneville

Bone 1: Out From Boneville (2005) by Jeff Smith. 138 pages.
ISBN: 0-439-70640-8

Fone, Phoney and Smiley Bone have been run out of Boneville for some bad business deals by Phoney. Lost, thirsty and not knowing where they are, a swarm of locusts separates them.

First we follow Fone as he wanders and searches for his cousins. He finds Smily's cigar butts, but not Smiley. Along his search, Fone comes across creatures, some scary and others friendly - leafs, rat creatures, and a dragon. He's warned that he needs to get out the valley before winter comes, but finds himself caught in the snow. At a hot spring, Fone meets Thorn. She takes him home where she lives with Gran'ma Ben, a woman who races cows.


Returning home from a cow race, Gran'ma Ben runs into feisty Phoney and brings him to her home. Hearing that there's money to be made in Barrelhaven, Phoney goes to the town. Rat creatures attack Gran'ma Ben, Thorn and Fone, but they eventually make it to Barrelhaven where all the cousins are reunited. The grim reaper lurks nearby.

Very quirky story; funny and a bit scary. Graphics are formatted in panels with cartoon characters against detailed backgrounds . Entertaining read for 10 to 13 year olds.

More on Jeff Smith and Boneville.