Animal Crackers Circus Mayhem #[nn]

The cover of this all-ages graphic novel from First Second says it all: a wide-eyed boy watches in alarm as a box of Animal Crackers spills open, unleashing a stampede of very real, very panicked animals — an elephant, a giraffe, a hippo, a monkey, a purple rhino, and more — straight off the yellow background and into chaos. By artist Mike Holmes, the cartoony energy is warm and wonderfully frantic, perfectly capturing the premise's delightful absurdity. Billed as the prequel to the major motion picture, this 2017 volume by Scott Christian Sava and Mike Holmes is a great entry point for younger readers and anyone who appreciates their comedy with a full menagerie attached.