Courtesy of Random House, AIPT can exclusively reveal a preview for Chris Grabenstein’s new graphic novel Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Featuring art by Douglas Holgate, the graphic novel will release in bookstores on November 7th.
“Kids always tell me I write ‘movies for the mind,’” says Grabenstein. “So it was fun to translate this story into a graphic novel. It reminded me of the storyboards we used to create when I worked in advertising. I was very fortunate to have Douglas Holgate along for the ride. His artwork brings wonderfully vivid life to all the figments of my imagination.”
The preview below features the entrance of Mr. Lemoncello, which Grabenstein told us is a big moment. “This is the big moment. The star’s entrance,” Grabenstein said. “Up to this point in the story and the illustrations, Mr. Lemoncello has been a cipher of sorts. A silhouette. A legend. Now, he steps on stage for the very first time. We wanted to give him a memorable entrance – the same kind that Broadway stars often make. So, we start with some misdirection. Dr. Zinchenko gestures to her left. But Mr. Lemoncello enters from the right. And, oh what an entrance. It’s hard to forget his burp-squeaking banana shoes, which he plays like a musical instrument, pumping out the tune to ‘Pop Goes The Weasel.’
Grabenstein added, “The illustration of the title character in the musical interlude is inspired by a line of text from the original novel: ‘Mr. Lemoncello bounced across the stage like a happy grasshopper.’ Illustrator Douglas Holgate took that description and brought it to gangly, loose-limbed life. His is the Mr Lemoncello of my imagination.”
Check out the preview below.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library invites readers to find out if game-loving Kyle Keeley can escape from what James Patterson calls “the coolest library in all the world.” In the story, Kyle learns that the world’s most famous game maker, one Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town’s new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night. And now Kyle’s determined to be there, but the tricky part isn’t getting into the library—it’s getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library: The Graphic Novel
Creator: Chris Grabenstein
Illustrator: Douglas Holgate
Release Date: November 7, 2023
For more on this title, read the press release below.
Award-winning children’s author Chris Grabenstein’s novel Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library has charmed kids, parents, teachers, and librarians alike for a decade with its colorful characters, pithy puns, and unforgettable, imagination-filled library. Now, just in time for the novel’s ten year anniversary, Grabenstein — the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mr. Lemoncello, Smartest Kid in the Universe, Dog Squad, and Welcome to Wonderland series — and Douglas Holgate — the #1 bestselling illustrator of The Last Kids on Earth graphic novels — are teaming up for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library: The Graphic Novel, a full-color, action-packed adaptation of Grabenstein’s celebrated novel.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library has been widely acclaimed. Booklist even compared Mr. Lemoncello to Willy Wonka. The novel spent over 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was nominated for 44 state awards. All told, the six books in the Lemoncello series have sold over two million copies. When he isn’t touring schools and inspiring the next generation of readers and writers, Grabenstein is currently hard at work on a seventh and final book for the series.
“Kids always tell me I write ‘movies for the mind,’” says Grabenstein. “So it was fun to translate this story into a graphic novel. It reminded me of the storyboards we used to create when I worked in advertising. I was very fortunate to have Douglas Holgate along for the ride. His artwork brings wonderfully vivid life to all the figments of my imagination.”
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library invites readers to find out if game-loving Kyle Keeley can escape from what James Patterson calls “the coolest library in all the world.” In the story, Kyle learns that the world’s most famous game maker, one Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town’s new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night. Kyle’s determined to be there, but the tricky part isn’t getting into the library—it’s getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route.
“Featuring fast pacing, lots of action, puzzles and codes the reader can solve, strong boy and girl characters, and a touch of mystery, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library is packed to the rafters with kid appeal,” said Shana Corey, Editorial Director, Random House Graphic. “It’s also perfect for librarians and teachers looking for graphic novels with positive messages and great themes for discussion.”
Working alongside colorist Marta Todeschini and designer and letterer Juliet Goodman, Grabenstein and Holgate are ready to charm a new generation. Random House Books for Young Readers will publish Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library: The Graphic Novel on November 7, 2023.
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