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What is the benefit of reading comics in English
Firstly, comics hold a child's attention well because of the pictures.
Secondly, it is easier for a young reader to understand them. Usually there are not many words in comics, and the vocabulary is designed for a certain age and vocabulary. Also, every phrase is illustrated.
Thirdly, comics develop a reading habit. If you want to raise a book lover, start with comics.
Five comics that can help with learning English
Toon Books
A series of books not united by any plot. Toon Books pay a lot of attention to the illustrations. A wide variety of artists gathered here. Some of them, for example, Lilly Carré and Renee French, made a name for themselves in cartoons. Most of the stories are instructive, about cute humanoid animals. We will single out the release from Eleanor Davis called Stinky - about a monster that loves possums and dirt, but is afraid of people. Then he meets one and realizes that people are not so scary.
The series began to be published in 2008 by the editor of "The New Yorker" Françoise Mouly and the creator of the cult comic book "Mouse" Art Spiegelman. From the beginning, they took their audience very seriously and divided the comics into age groups. There are for three-year-old readers; for those whose level is slightly higher; for 5-6 year olds with appropriate vocabulary. All you have to do is choose the level and enjoy the story.
Nursery Rhyme Comics / Fairy Tale Comics
A collection of fairy tales and stories for the night, drawn by the most talented artists. These bright comics chose fairy-tale plots and transformed them into graphic stories. Many fairy tales are well known to children and parents, others are rather Western classics, for example, the story of Humpty Dumpty. But all of them are designed for young readers and are definitely not scarier than the children's versions of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. In their version, the artists added several unexpected situations, so even adults will not be bored.
Nursery Rhyme comics are designed for a younger reader, Fairy Tale Comics - for those who are already interested in the plot, but in general the vocabulary is the same. Comics are drawn with imagination and effort, so you can not only read them, but also discuss the illustrations with the child. While reading, the child can remember these stories and fairy tales in Russian, if he is familiar with them - then the books will be even easier to comprehend.
Ordinary People Can Change the World
Stories of ordinary people who changed the world. There are biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart and other historical figures. Of course, from the point of view of historical accuracy, there are a couple of questions for biographers, but in order to introduce children to historical figures and talk about abstract concepts, such as "science", "politics" and "sport", the series is perfect. The creators of this comic book are not the first to tackle children's stories, and the illustrations are charming. You will feel emotional even seeing Einstein!
Sometimes reading turns out to be voluminous - there is a lot of text here. But the entire comic is written in easy language, designed for young readers. An additional advantage: this series will help to interest the child in historical events. Just don't take all the books in a row - there are quite a few biographies among them, which are unlikely to be of interest to Russian children (most likely, they won't learn about Lincoln or King until high school).
Scooby Doo Team-Up
This is probably the most similar to a classic comic in both plot and presentation. The story revolves around Scooby-Doo and his team of paranormal investigators. In each series, the boys meet original characters from DC comics or classic American cartoons, such as The Flintstones. So, for those parents who are fans of comics themselves, "Scooby Doo Team-Up" will be a good way to introduce the child to Superman, Batman and other heroes who are very amicable. And it will be more fun to read it yourself.
As in adult comics, the balloons are filled with text. They're usually pretty simple phrases with easy vocabulary, plus there's some specific vocabulary that the Scooby-Gang always uses. It is quickly learned (every story contains the word haunted or ghost), but still, the comic is better read with older children.
Abigail and the Snowman
Abigail and the Snowman is a full-fledged comic intended for schoolchildren. The main character's name is Abigail, she is 9 years old. Together with her father, they move to a new city, and Abigail has problems making friends. And then the girl meets a yeti named Claude, who escaped from a secret government laboratory. For some reason, only Abigail and her classmates can see the Snowman. Of course, together they try to save Claude from government agents. This story is so funny and exciting that not only children will be delighted.
Often, Abigail and Claude discuss everyday situations with appropriate vocabulary. So after reading, the child will know exactly how to say in English that they like to read comics, or that their shoelace is untied, or that they are tired and want to sleep. And maybe they would want to be an invisible yeti. But this is a completely different story.
So don't neglect comics, they will not only help the child in learning English, but are a good motivator for reading and developing imagination.
