May 1, 2017 | Page 3 of 4

I Love You With All My Butt, silly, surreal statements from kids

I mentioned earlier about the metaphorical stocking that exists for Father’s Day. I Love You With All My Butt, an Illustrated Book of Big Thoughts From Little Kids is a very good fit for that and beyond.

When our 7 year old was 3 there was a knock at the door. “Who’s at the door? Is it monkeys”, he asked and then answered. Literally he asked a question and without hesitation provided us with his answer. “Well, if it’s monkey’s we’re moving”, my wife said without missing a beat.

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Dad, Hundreds of Awesome Quotes is semi-inspirational bathroom reading

If Father’s Day had a stocking then Dad, Hundreds of Awesome Quotes about the Guy Who Does It all would be in there. Of course, Father’s Day doesn’t have that, instead it has neck ties and after shave. These are both two things that most of my friends (thankfully) don’t use too much of. Think of a famous person, be them man or woman and in any field, sports, entertainment, literature, religion and even some old proverbs. This book lives up to its title and indeed has hundreds of quotes from these people about their dad.

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New all age comics for May 10, 2017

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It’s the first new comic book day after Free Comic Book Day and Star Wars Day. That’s nothing too special except for the fact that there will still be some free all age comics leftover when you visit the store this week. If you’re lucky there might be some cool posters that you can get for school or the rooms too. All of this and there are still some cool new all age comics coming out this week. Many of the classic, go-to titles are out this week, plus a great comic book and graphic novel for middle school.

Invisible Emme

Invisible Emme is an original graphic novel about two middle school girls with opposite personalities. One day a note lands in the wrong hands and throws each of their lives into chaos, the fun kind of chaos that makes for entertaining reading. This is from Terri Libenson, cartoonist of The Pajama Diaries.

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures

The final issue is this fabulous mini-series is here! This will easily be one of the best graphic novels when they’re compiled and released as a book in a couple of months. If you’re old school or simply like the feel of individual comic books check out this series. It’s funny, action packed and presents both superheroes in a way that doesn’t dilute their power, but still makes it OK for ages 5 and up.

Invader Zim #19

Invader Zim is back, he took a month or two vacation and now he’s back with a taco, camping trip and more plans to take over the planet that will probably fail. This series is funny and ages 7 and up will get the jokes and appreciate the humor.

Marvel Universe Guardians of the Galaxy

Is Guardians of the Galaxy 2 OK for kids? We covered that in a podcast/post and it’s up to you, but the language is harsh for younger ages. Marvel Universe Guardians of the Galaxy #19 though is great for any age. It’s cut from the Disney XD series and ages 5 and up will really enjoy this.

Ms. Marvel #18

Ms. Marvel is technically rated T+ from Marvel Comics. It’s not an all ages comic book per se, but ages 10 and up will enjoy it. Think of a more grounded and less surreal Squirrel Girl, with slightly more superhero action. This comic book is set in a young adult world where dating, social interaction, real world problems, as well as saving the world-or at least her corner of it happen in each issue.

The music in the podcast is from The Owl, over at Free Music Archive.

Humor

Superheroes

Action/Science-fiction

50 Wacky Things Animals Do makes kids want to learn about critters

The other week I took 50 Wacky Things Animals Do to our first graders class when I was the mystery reader. Parents, be sure to take advantage of being the mystery reader at your child’s school as often as you can. It’s one of those feelings in the whole parenting thing that really makes you realize that you’re awesome. We ask the kids to pick a number between 1 and 50; then we turn to that animal’s designation in the book.

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The all age comics that are part of Free Comic Book Day

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The other day I was the guest reader at our son’s elementary school. As usual, I brought in a couple of comic books for those kids that wanted to read on their own. Before I left the room I told the kids that this Saturday was Free Comic Book Day and that it was a chance to pick up free comic books at their local store. I blew their minds. The kids lit up like the fourth of July and I was backed up by the fact that the teacher knew where our closest comic book store was located.

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Is Guardians of the Galaxy 2 OK for kids?

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Our 7 year old asked us for a cell phone today. He said he wants it to play games. I told him that’s why he has a Nintendo 3DS. He also asked about seeing Guardians of the Galaxy 2. So, Is Guardians of the Galaxy 2 OK for kids? We saw the film and offer up a spoiler free review of it, plus dig down into how the film got its PG-13 rating.

For adult audiences, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is a whoot. It starts off with a raucous alien fights scene where the guardians have taken on a mercenary role and are protecting the power supply for another gold group of aliens. From there Rocket, Groot, Star Lord and Gamora meet up with Yondu, Nebula. They meet Ego, Matis and are sometimes are vexed by Ayesha, the High Priestess of the Sovereigns, a group of genetically created perfect beings.

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Kid Savage is middle school library mandatory graphic novel

The problem with some kidlit or graphic novels is that there isn’t enough evil. The ‘good’ elements to the story, no matter how engaging, will always be part of a lackluster story if it’s not countered with a great heel. Evil, can take many forms, it can be something that is unknown, mysterious or simply straight up bad, a la Hanibal Letcter. Kid Savage is an original graphic novel from Image Comics that will remind adults of how much fun reading can be. Bonus: Kid Savage is appropriate for ages 8 and up. It has action, mystery, great visuals, a classic soul and characters that every kid will relate to on some level. This will easily be one of the 10 best all age graphic novels of 2017.

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Me?, #ISleepTo get things done and love life #ad

I partnered with Life of Dad and Beautyrest for this campaign, but my opinions are my own. Enjoy it while you can. That’s what many people joking said about sleep before we had children. It was a glib comment for sure, but it was true and more accurate when the kids are younger. Now that our kids are marginally older (see: out of diapers and the crib) our night time sleep habits have somewhat returned to normal. That fact has been brought to the forefront since we started using the Beautyrest Sleeptracker Monitor.

To the new parents I say to them, enjoy those naps and relish that REM sleep. Rapid Eye Movement, I remember an interview from the early 80’s from Michael Stipe when he said that he knew REM made it big time when people stopped asking him what the band’s name stood for. For the first couple of years some parents might also forget what REM stands for.

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