By age
Graphic novels for 6-year-olds
11 of the series Peabody tracks fit 6-year-olds, and the place to start is The Bad Guys, Captain Underpants, Narwhal and Jelly. Each one below links to the books in order with a checklist, and says whose age it is: the publisher's, or Peabody's own estimate when no publisher page gave one.
Ages shift a year either way: a strong reader of 5 or a 7-year-old who wants something quick will find plenty here. An age on a book is about what is in it, not how hard the words are, so read a few pages together if you're not sure. Checked November 12, 2026.
Start here
The Bad Guys books in order by Aaron Blabey
Ages 6–10 · Peabody's own estimate 20 books · hybrid · ongoing. Big pictures and few words on a page, part comic and part chapter book.
Captain Underpants books in order by Dav Pilkey
Ages 6–10 · Peabody's own estimate 12 books · hybrid · finished. Short chapters with lots of cartoons and comic pages: a step up from a comic.
Narwhal and Jelly books in order by Ben Clanton
Ages 6–9 · Peabody's own estimate 10 books · comic · ongoing. Very short comics in big panels with only a line or two of text each, plus sea-creature facts at the end of some chapters.
Pizza and Taco books in order by Stephen Shaskan
Ages 5–8 · the publisher's age 11 books · comic · ongoing. Big panels with a line or two of speech in each bubble, split into short chapters.
Yotsuba&! volumes in order by Kiyohiko Azuma
Ages 6–12 · Peabody's own estimate 16 volumes · manga · ongoing. Everyday scenes with short speech bubbles.
CatStronauts books in order by Drew Brockington
Ages 6–10 · the publisher's age 8 books · comic · ongoing. Big clear panels, short bubbles and a lot of space-science words explained as the story goes.
Magic Tree House graphic novels in order by Mary Pope Osborne, adapted by Jenny Laird, art by Kelly and Nichole Matthews
Ages 6–9 · the publisher's age 8 graphic novels · comic · ongoing. Short picture-led panels that retell each chapter book with a few lines of text per frame.
Owly books in order by Andy Runton
Ages 5–8 · Peabody's own estimate 5 books · comic · ongoing. Almost wordless pictures where pictures and small symbols in the speech bubbles tell the story, so a child can read it with no words at all.
Agent Moose books in order by Mo O'Hara and Jess Bradley
Ages 6–9 · Peabody's own estimate 3 books · comic · finished. Short comic panels with big pictures and a lot of puns, so a child can follow the plot with little reading.
Pea, Bee, & Jay books in order by Brian "Smitty" Smith
Ages 6–10 · Peabody's own estimate 6 books · comic · finished. Short books of big panels with very few words in each bubble and puns on every page, made for new readers.
When they want more
Ricky Ricotta books in order by Dav Pilkey, illustrated by Dan Santat (Martin Ontiveros drew the first editions)
Ages 4–9 · the publisher's age 9 books · hybrid · finished. Short chapters of big print with a picture on most pages, and a flip-a-page comic in the middle of each book.
A bit older, for next year
Dog Man books in order by Dav Pilkey
Ages 7+ · the publisher's age 15 books · comic · ongoing. Short speech bubbles in big comic panels, with a joke on most pages.
Cat Kid Comic Club books in order by Dav Pilkey
Ages 7+ · the publisher's age 5 books · comic · ongoing. Comics inside a comic: short bubbles, and each kid's comic in the book is drawn a different way.
InvestiGators books in order by John Patrick Green
Ages 7–10 · Peabody's own estimate 9 books · comic · ongoing. Full-color comic panels with short speech bubbles and a pun or wordplay joke on nearly every page.
Babymouse books in order by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Ages 7–10 · the publisher's age 20 books · comic · finished. Comic panels with short speech bubbles and a few lines of narration.
Hilda books in order by Luke Pearson
Ages 7–11 · the publisher's age 6 books · comic · ongoing. Rich, detailed pictures with a little text on each page; the story is easy to follow and the wording is plain.
Lunch Lady books in order by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Ages 7–10 · the publisher's age 10 books · comic · finished. Short comics with a lot of white space, a few words per bubble and one joke after another.
Squish books in order by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Ages 7–10 · the publisher's age 8 books · comic · finished. Comic panels with short speech bubbles, plus a comic-within-the-comic and a few science facts.
Bird & Squirrel books in order by James Burks
Ages 7–10 · Peabody's own estimate 7 books · comic · finished. Colourful comic panels with short speech bubbles and a lot of action, so the story is easy to follow.
Max Meow graphic novels in order by John Gallagher
Ages 7–10 · the publisher's age 6 graphic novels · comic · finished. Bold comic panels with short speech bubbles, sound effects and a lot of silly action.
The Tea Dragon Society books in order by Katie O'Neill
Ages 7–11 · Peabody's own estimate 3 books · comic · finished. Soft, quiet panels with a little speech on each page, and a slow, gentle pace.
Mr. Wolf's Class books in order by Aron Nels Steinke
Ages 7+ · Peabody's own estimate 6 books · comic · ongoing. Clear comic panels with short speech bubbles and everyday school scenes, easy to follow one panel at a time.
Finished one already?
What should I read next? picks three in three taps. Or see what to read after The Bad Guys, Captain Underpants. Other ages: 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12.