The True West, an illustrated reference book on unsung old west heroes

Another great title to The True West would be The Forgotten West, but that one has more letters and it wouldn’t have been as succinct. Its brevity is one reason why students will be attracted to the book. The cover to The True West really invites people to discover some of the forgotten, rarely mentioned or unsung folks who tamed that era of history. Also, the manner in which the cover for The True West is laid out gives the book an adventure-waiting-to-happens vibe. It shows Annie Oakley, Bill Pickett, and Deadwood Dick, three old-west icons that most people know, but who share a characteristic that some might not have realized or thought about.

The True West is an approachable reference book that tells tales of the old west that elementary kids only think that they know.
Non-fiction that kids will find fascinating

Episode 30: My Dog, Hen is a very clever and timeless illustrated book

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My Dog, Hen is an illustrated book whose illustrations and clever text combine to make it smart and refreshing for those early elementary ages who want to read about dogs…..which is pretty much every kid that age. 

My Dog, Hen is a very clever and timeless illustrated book

Illustrated books can be fun, moreover, they should be fun, because the actual point of the book is for children to enjoy them. All too often we’ll run across books that didn’t get the memo on that point. They do have a point, but their message is too in your face and simply forgets that kids won’t read it if it’s not fun. My Dog, Hen got the memo on that. There’s no message, no ulterior motive and it ends so quickly that you’ll double-check to see if the final two pages are glued together. As a result, its stark graphics will pull you in and the story of a boy, his family, and their dog is just the sort of feel-good read that kids will always enjoy.

My Dog, Hen is an illustrated book whose illustrations and clever text combine to make it smart and refreshing for those early elementary ages who want to read about dogs.
Keeping it simple, slightly weird and very fun

The Man Who Leapt Through Film, an illustrated look at Mamoru Hosoda and his films.

You don’t need to enjoy anime to appreciate its art or entertainment value. For example, I’ve only seen a dozen or so anime films, but have enjoyed each one of them for different reasons. Those film fans who don’t know anime at all still enjoy the work of Mamoru Hosoda. The Man Who Leapt Through Film is a coffee table-style book for movie fans, anime people, Japanohpiles, as well as animation fans who are curious about the creative process. It’s also a clever head nod to one of Hosoda’s most popular films, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

The Man Who Leapt Through Film: The Art of Mamoru Hosoda, a very thorough look at one of anime’s top directors, the art and how they’re made.
This is the love letter to anime and film production that you’re looking for
Continue reading The Man Who Leapt Through Film, an illustrated look at Mamoru Hosoda and his films.

The 35th Anniversary of JapanFest Atlanta is September 17-18

Readers of the site may know that I lived in Japan for a few years. Thus, it would stand to reason that we really enjoy going to JapanFest each year. It’s being held September 17 and 18 at Gas South Convention Center in Duluth, Georgia. We were thinking the other day about people who don’t have an affinity for Japanese culture. Why would they want to come to JapanFest? What could they possibly get out of it?

The 35th Anniversary of JapanFest Atlanta is September 17-18 at Gas South Convention Center, it’s family friendly fun with great food, music and arts.
Family friendly, international flair fun kids will dig

Ride, Roll, Run Time For Fun!, big, geometric kids playing in the city

We recently got back from a weekend trip to the city. It felt odd simply calling it, ‘the city’ because there are thousands of cities and to give it such a distinctive article makes it seem like it’s special simply by its size. These are some of the random things that puddle through my mind. Ride, Roll, Run-Time for Fun! is a picture book that features bold, geometric shapes and a group of kids playing in a big city. This is rhyming picture book fun that’s going to hammer down enjoyment to pre-k kids through kindergarten.

Ride, Roll, Run Time For Fun!, a picture book for pre-k kids on action and movement, with a potentially mixed message.
Body positivity on kids movement with happy rhyming text

The Ultimate Biography of Earth is smarter than most who won’t read it

That’s a bold claim, isn’t it? Actually, any book that has ‘ultimate’ in its title is aiming high or asking for trouble. The Ultimate Biography of Earth is a graphic novel that meets that metric, as long as you’re willing to walk down a certain STEM path. And that path is 100% STEM, The Ultimate Biography of Earth is by Nick Lund with illustrations by Jason Ford and is solidly aimed at those middle elementary through middle-middle school students who want to make the history of Earth fun.

The Ultimate Biography of Earth is a STEM graphic novel that’s very smart and will satiate those ages 9 and up that want entertainment with their education.
It’s not a dare…unless you think that it is…..

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