SUMMER READING: What's in YOUR beach bag? Picture Books Edition

(read/sing to Summer Lovin' from GREASE)

Summer readin' had me a blast!

Summer readin' pages go FAST!

Made some friends BOOK crazy like me!

Created to read lists...no less than three!

Summer days driftin' away, but OH...

THOSE BOOKISH NIGHTS!

That's right!

It's that time of year again.

Time to put away the pencils and textbooks, in exchange for late movie nights, long days in the sun, and reading JUST FOR FUN!  Who's with me?  ^-^  But, wonder of wonders...how to decide just WHAT to read?

 No worries! I'm here to help along with a plethora of amazing author talent and publishing house know how to bringing to the spotlight a few titles that just might be your best friend for a few days, or few hours this season.  So grab your beach towel, some sunscreen, and pull up a chair, it's time to dive into a pool of bookish fun!  Today's category is...

PICTURE BOOKS!

Ah yes, one of my favorite ways to add some bookish fun to my day.  Even when I'm stressed out beyond belief with nary a moment to spare, I can almost always work one these beauties into my busy day and escape to a land of childish wonder, if only for the moment.  If you're beyond the targeted age range and have no kiddos of your own, no worries!  These are for anyone and everyone with an imagination, love for simple but meaningful passages, and gorgeous illustrations to tie it all together.  So, make room in your beach bag, here come a few titles from the Picture Book arena that are destined to own a few moments of your day this summer!

Nobody Likes a Goblin

by

Ben Hatke

9781626720817

First Second Books

This is the story of one little goblin who's determination to save his unconventional friend could have led to his ruin, but instead showed him that many in fact DO like goblins...given the right audience and/or circumstances.  For older readers, you'll recognize bits and pieces of several famous fantasy stories you may have read (or watched) throughout the years...there's certainly a healthy dose of LOTR for starters...but that just serves to broaden the enjoyment for all ages.  I mean, it's not like you NEED another reason to read this story since you've seen the cover and if you're like me at all, you'd have no choice but to indulge in a looksee at the very least, but trust me when I say, that while the tale is fun and adventure filled, those illustrations go a long way in making this the "complete package". 

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Hensel and Gretel:  Ninja Chicks

by

Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez

Illustrated by

Dan Santat

9780399176265

G.P. Putnam's Sons

Who said chickens had to be helpless and foxes the only cunning creatures in the bunch?  Not THIS story, that's for certain!  Here we have a rooster-napping most fowl...I mean, foul, and two sister hens that aren't about to take it sitting down.  If you thought Kung Pao Shrimp was spicy, just wait until you get a "taste" of what these ladies have in store for the fox that dared take their dear Papa!  A fun new vision of the classic diabetes inducing story (hey, there's a lot of sugar in a gingerbread house!) that will have readers young and young at heart practicing their HI-YA's with the best of them.  It reminds us that anything is possible if only we put our hearts and minds to it, with a bit of Kung Fu style to spare.

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Roy's House

by

Susan Goldman Rubin

Art by

Roy Lichtenstein

9781452111858

Chronicle Books

A great introduction for readers of all ages to the artwork of Roy Lichtenstein.  His iconic works have been seen and shown the world over.  Their bright robust colors and simple lines appeal to a wide range of art lovers, from those just learning to crawl to those rolling through the hills.  He took the everyday and gave it flair with images ranges from the average living room to what you might be having for lunch.  It reminds us that the value of art is not only what the artist gives to it, but what we take from it, while stoking the creative fires of the next generation.

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The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer...

by

Davide Cali

Illustrated by

Benjamin Chaud

9781452144832

Chronicle Books

AVAILABLE AFTER 07/05/16

A story about one boy's unbelievable summer as told by him to his new teacher.  Funny thing is as far out as it sounds...she tends to believe him.  (Hmm...)  This is a great adventure about what could, should, and might happen when one embarks on a summer vacation.  I mean, who's to say that you WON'T get a message in a bottle, escape the mundane on a pirate ship only to escape FROM the pirate ship into the clutches of a giant sea creature who...yeah.  It could happen, right?  Follow our young narrator's journey from shore to sea to school as he narrowly escapes one potential catastrophe for another and another until...well, summer vacation comes to an end, but the memories made are here to stay, as is the person behind it all.  (So clever!)

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Special thanks to Gina (First Second Books), Brittany (Penguin Young Readers), and Lara (Chronicle Books) for the copies for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on any titles we featured today, the authors, illustrators, or publishers, feel free to click through the links provided above.  All books listed are available now or about to be (the ...Unbelievable Summer...title hits shelves this July!), so be on the lookout for them on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!



Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: The Sculptor by Scott McCloud

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're welcoming in a new month (it's March already?  Whoa!) and exploring a genre rarely (if ever) seen on the blog.  It's scarcity is no coincidence either; it's simply I'm not a huge fan of the works it encompasses.  Now don't get me wrong, they are by talented people and more than likely contain stories of merit...it's just not my chosen reading format. 

If you haven't guessed it yet, the genre is GRAPHIC NOVELS.  That's right!  Those books that are filled to the brim with illustrations telling a story through their images and the thought bubbles contained within.  Color me surprised when an ARC of one landed on my doorstep courtesy of First Second Books.  We're not even talking a shorter book say around 100-200 pages.  Oh no....we're talking a 496 page chunkster.  Good thing I'm not afraid of big books...and that the synopsis on the back intrigued me.  So, without further ado, I give you today's book of choice...

The Sculptor

by

Scott McCloud

9781596435735

First Second Books

About the book....

David Smith is giving his life for his art—literally. Thanks to a deal with Death, the young sculptor gets his childhood wish: to sculpt anything he can imagine with his bare hands. But now that he only has 200 days to live, deciding what to create is harder than he thought, and discovering the love of his life at the 11th hour isn't making it any easier! 

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It starts out with a deal of a lifetime being made.

David gets to do the exact thing he has always wanted to but with more power than he has ever dreamed.  In exchange for all of this at his fingertips, a lifetime is taken and in its place remain 200 days.  One would think a swap of this magnitude would ensure smooth sailing for those limited days.  Here?  Not so much.  Talk about getting the short end of the bargain.  *uses big blue genie voice*  Phenomenal cosmic powers...no living space, family, friends, or additional notice to be had; in fact, far less actually.  Huh.  Bummer....or at least it is until an earthly "angel" helps him find his footing again.  He may not achieve the dream he wished so fervently for but his life is not without merit in the end.

Now, let's talk story since that's what I'm all about.

This was a hard one to swallow.  At first, I was betting on his Uncle being the devil himself (or at least inhabited by), especially with the whole angel interlude that occurs.  A little further in we are introduced properly and know him for what he is....Death.  Creepy right?  Yeah...it gave me a shiver when reading as well.  How does he appear as whom he is?  It's all explained in the pages so I'll leave you to unravel that mystery for yourself.  Moving forward.  As a whole, I found myself compelled to read on.  I simply had to know just what David would accomplish or in this case NOT accomplish in his final days.  Would he see his art's popularity soar?  Would he find love at long last despite the clock winding down?  Would he come to realize the journey he was on before all this started WAS the good life?  Would he regret his decision?  What would his final hours be like?  So many questions kept gnawing at me that despite any trepidation I may have had about the medium chosen, I had to read on.  By book's end, I was both satisfied and a tad perplexed (the latter due to my liking of tidy endings) but genuinely felt my time was well spent.

Now, let's chat about the chosen method through which the story was conveyed; the graphic novel.  I'm not discounting the talent that was needed to create the panels that grace each page.  I'm certainly not balking at the skill utilized to allow readers a glimpse of the emotional roller coaster that every character goes through as the story unfolds.  What I am saying is that this particular genre is not for me.  If consolidated into simply a written novel, the actual story would have been a mere fraction of the books current length and could have still been effective in communicating everything necessary for readers to enjoy the tale. I appreciate illustrations as much as the next person but this much, for me at least, is too much.  Also, I could have done without the sans clothes panels and while we're on that topic, why is it okay to depict women topless yet preserve men's privacy?  No, I'm not saying I want all THAT illustrated...I'm merely making a point.  "Privates" are private; there shouldn't be a double standard between the sexes.  Anywho...

To summarize my far-too-lengthy commentary here...

...the story was worth the time.

... the artwork held merit.

...the combination for this reader was too much, but fans of the genre will flock to it like birds to a wire.

  

Recommended read for older teens or adult readers for concepts covered, and several moments between the sheets (well, mostly without sheets).

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About the author...

Photo by Lori Matsumoto

Scott McCloud is the award-winning author of Understanding Comics, Making Comics, Zot!, The Sculptor, and many other fiction and non-fiction comics spanning 30 years. An internationally-recognized authority on comics and visual communication, technology, and the power of storytelling, McCloud has lectured at Google, Pixar, Sony, and the Smithsonian Institution.

SITE   |   FACEBOOK   |   TWITTER

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Special thanks to Gina at First Second Books for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  To find out more about this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title hit store shelves 02/03/15 via First Second Books, an imprint of MacMillan Publishers, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!