Every book aimed at elementary school-aged youth has its core audience. There is also the unknown crowd whom parents and educators hope find the book. Trial and Error is a graphic novel whose Venn Diagram bleeds into many fields. As an educator, you hope the longest leg option takes root but know that this avenue usually has the smallest entrance. However, you’re thankful for clever, unique books that speak to niche audiences, even though you want them to be more successful than they are.
Hang on there, we are not declaring Trial and Error an albatross on the neck of elementary-aged readers. This is a graphic novel that grades 2-5 will grin at and inadvertently learn from. Those with the big brains have surmised that Trial and Error (Sawyer, the Critter Lawyer) is a graphic novel about being a lawyer. Moreover, it’s about the basics that an ant, Sawyer who is a lawyer, does with a couple of her cases.
Getting kids to read can be challenging. Getting kids to read about jobs or employment can be even more challenging. A lawyer is a needed and well-paid profession, but it doesn’t bring up compelling images that young audiences need in their books. This is where the prospect of an ant lawyer could have legs when the story is fleshed out.
Trial and Error lets audiences know one day Sawyer discovered that rules exist for a reason. She goes on a ride at the fair and nearly slips out because o the rules too. At a very basic level, that definition is what a lawyer does, isn’t it?
The news of Sawyer’s law degree spreads quickly amongst the animal community. A snail receives a speeding ticket. A pair of squirrels argue over who has ownership of the acorn. There is a hog on the farm who accuses one of his pen mates of stealing dirt. The farm also has a chicken or two and when of them crosses the road and gets a ticket its actions beget an age old question.
Wait, Trial and Error is legal-based puns with insects, birds and farm animals as the main characters? Let me guess, when the action switches to the courtroom, they’ll have an owl officiating things because they’re the wisest? Now you’re getting into the spirit of Trial and Error. It has many of the attributes of the oft-forgotten television show of the same name. It’s important to point out that both of these are funnier than the movie of the same name, even though we do love some Jeff Daniel doing comedy and most things Rip Torn.
Rip Torn, there’s a great pun of a stage name. Trial and Error knows its puns. There are loads of animal puns that young audiences won’t get, some simple ones they will get and lots of sight gags. This makes law, and the much more subtle nuances of following rules, more enjoyable. There are some nice critical thinking elements in Trial and Error, and it’s much more fun than a ‘book about the law’, should be for young audiences.
Trial and Error is by Robin Newman with illustrations by Deborah Zemke and is available on Creston Books.
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