I'm wishing . . .

“You want thingamabobs? I’ve got twenty. But who cares? No big deal. I want more . . .” – Disney’s The Little Mermaid

What sort of themes would I like to see more of on the Easy Reader shelves? Other than more diverse human characters like those mentioned in our ongoing WNDB series?

How about fantasy characters other than fairies? Like . . .

Mermaids. Perhaps Julián – of Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love – or someone quite like him. After all, who wouldn’t like to see more of Julián, his abuela, and their gorgeously painted community? This picture book does so much with a sparse amount of text that I suspect the author is well qualified for the challenge that is writing an effective easy reader. Or perhaps Molly Idle could be convinced to show us more of the engaging Pearl, welcoming a beginning reader audience into her ethereal world?

Spread from Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Elves, goblins, orcs, trolls . . . I’m inspired here by Ben Hatke’s Nobody Likes a Goblin, with lines like “He lit the torches. He fed the rats.” Let’s have some fantasy adventure stories for beginning readers, for kids growing up with family members who play D&D, or Skyrim. For kids who already love adventure stories, why make them wait?

Cover of Nobody Likes a Goblin

Tea Dragons. Okay, wishful thinking this. But The Tea Dragon Society is an utterly charming graphic novel, and I’d love to see more Tea Dragon stories – and aren’t we always discussing how useful the graphic novel format can be for our beginning readers? So while I’m dreaming, a series of beginning reader titles featuring a different Tea Dragon in each would be delightful. There's already a card game, so creator Katie O'Neill is open to seeing her characters in multiple formats . . .Please, Oni Press?

Tea Dragons, just waiting for an beginning reader debut . . . (Image from The Tea Dragon Society)

What characters, real or fantastic, would you like to see more of on your beginning reader shelves?