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The Legends Behind the Comic Books

Comic-Con may be over, but … Batman! Spider-Man! Captain America! LIVE ON!

The greatest super heroes of all time — and for the first time, the true stories behind the creators of these comics and many more will be revealed as illustration gallery Every Picture Tells A Story Gallery on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica presents an amazing evening of art, books, and movies dedicated to comic books and their artists and writers.

WHEN: On Wednesday, July 29, Every Picture Tells A Story Gallery, in association with the American Cinematheque, presents two exciting debuts, at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Every Picture Tells A Story Gallery introduces, for the first time ever, MARVEL ARTWORKS — an exclusive, brand new, limited edition series of fine art prints from the Marvel Comics archives, including works by classic and contemporary comic illustrators like Jack Kirby, Alex Ross, Jim Lee and many others. Along with the exhibit, the gallery will host a book signing and reception with very special guests including MICHAEL USLAN (Producer, THE DARK KNIGHT, BATMAN BEGINS, BATMAN FOREVER, CON AIR, NATIONAL TREASURE, and more), MARK EVANIER (author of Kirby: King of the Comics), MICHAEL MALLORY (author of X-Men: The Characters and Their Universe) and DC and Marvel artist GLEN ORBIK.

WHEN: At 7:30 p.m., the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre presents the West Coast debut of THE LEGENDS BEHIND THE COMICS, a new documentary film, produced by Michael Uslan. The film, a behind-the-scenes look at the origins of the most popular heroes of our time, features comic creators Jerry Robinson, Stan Lee, Joe Kubert and many of the Golden Age innovators.

Following the screening, the Aero will host a panel featuring MICHAEL USLAN, MARK EVANIER, MICHAEL MALLORY, GLEN ORBIK — moderated by Every Picture Tells A Story’s LEE COHEN. After the panel, the acclaimed animated feature, BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM, will be screened.

The events at Every Picture Tells A Story Gallery are free and open to the public. Tickets for the Aero Theatre screenings will be available at their boxoffice.
Every Picture Tells A Story… is located at 1311 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. The American Cinematheque is at 1328 Montana, Santa Monica.

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Topol in Fiddler On The Roof

It seems a lifetime ago that, as a young single working girl, I first saw the film, Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol. How fitting that I, now married with children, should have the pleasure and privilege of seeing the inimitable talent that is Topol perform live in the stage production’s Farewell Tour at The Pantages last week. The show runs through August 9th and tickets can be purchased online at www.BroadwayLA.org or by phone at 1-800-982-ARTS (2787). Tickets can also be bought in person at The Pantages Box (opens daily 10a.m.) and all Ticketmaster ticket outlets.

In my twenties I watched the show and related to the five daughters of Topol’s character, Tevye. This time around, I saw the performance through the eyes of a wife and mother, and like a good, aged wine, I drank it up. That’s why I say to all who read this, don’t see Fiddler On The Roof just once, but twice in your lifetime, at least!

For those of you not familiar with the storyline: Topol plays Tevye, a poor, but honest milkman trying to eke out a living in the small Russian village of Anatevka around the time of the Tsar. Life is changing, becoming more modern, and many of the traditions his family and the Jewish culture has known are being challenged by the younger generation. In the course of the show his three oldest daughters fall in love with suitors who are not necessarily what he would have chosen. This drama mixed with humor (the hilarious dream sequence is just one example) plays out against the backdrop of the Tsarist Pogram, when riots and anti-Jewish sentiment forced Jewish villagers off their land to relocate, many moving to the States as my great-grandfather did at the time.

Topol, the star of the original motion picture, who is already in his 70s, brings new life to this staging. The rest of the cast, including Susan Cella as Tevye’s tough, but loving wife Golde, are incomparable and the sets, so evocative of the early 1900s Russian countryside. No doubt you’ll recognize some of the hit songs from the brilliant score:
Tradition, If I Were a Rich Man, Sunrise, Sunset and Matchmaker, Matchmaker. What you may not know is that Fiddler on the Roof is based on stories by famed author Sholem Aleichem. All this, plus the show’s dance scenes, courtesy of Jerome Robbin’s original choreography, make this Farewell Tour a must-see in every way!

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Woof! It’s a Cool New Back To School Marley & Me Contest

GET READY FOR A DOUBLE DOSE OF THIS ADORABLE DOG! I’M GIVING AWAY 5 MARLEY & ME DVDS ALONG WITH 5 MARLEY GOES TO SCHOOL BOOKS TO 5 LUCKY WINNERS SO ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN NOW.

Following up Bad Dog, Marley and A Very Marley Christmas is Marley Goes to School (HarperCollins Children’s Books, $17.99; ages 3-8) by John Grogan. Cassie’s all set for going back to school and so is Marley, but “School’s for kids, not dogs,” says Cassie. How will Marley handle his best friend going off without him? After tunneling his way out of the back yard, Marley makes haste to the school in search of his beloved Cassie. Wreaking havoc wherever he goes, whether in the copy room or cafeteria, in the gymnasium or on the playground, good-hearted Marley has one goal in mind. watch out!

After reading the book, no doubt you’ll be eager to watch the original exploits of this popular pooch. The DVD of Marley & Me, a family favorite, is about a young couple (both journalists) who raise a dog called Marley and children while the dad, author John Grogan, documents daily life with the growing dog and family Marley & Me managed to move me and make me laugh at the same time, but I do recommend one tissue box for those sentimentalists out there! A must have for your home DVD collection.

Click here for your chance to win these fun prizes by August 3, 2009, and remember to include your mailing address and write Marley & Me contest as subject.

Click here for rules.

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A Different Kind of Dust Bunny

Courtney is an energetic 5 year-old. She loves animals, play-dates, gymnastics, and ballet. She will be entering Kindergarten in the fall.
The book Courtney read (with help from her Dad, Jim) was rhyming dust bunnies by jan thomas. To quote Courtney’s father, “My daughter doesn’t capitalize her title or name, why should I?”

Summing up the book in a nutshell, Courtney said, “It’s funny. Bob is really funny.”

Rhyming Dust Bunnies is the mesmerizing tale of four ill fated dust bunnies and their attempt to escape capture. The story teaches rhyme in an entertaining and approachable manner for the 3 to 5 year-old age bracket. It is Hilarious to the same age group.
It is best read in multiple voices—very loud.
The book also does a very good job of demonstrating rhyme and situational urgency. It reminds us that dust bunnies just want to have fun, but Bob is there as a grounding force to observe and report to us the world we live in.

Have fun with this book as we did. You can use various voices for the different characters as you read. The story is engaging, and encourages multiple readings. Word choice and subject matter are also appropriate for ages 4 and up. Courtney was pointing out words and “reading” along.

If you couldn’t guess, we STRONGLY recommend rhyming dust bunnies!

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I Made This For You

Guest reviewer Erin is a wife, a third grade teacher
as well as the the mother of two sons, ages 10 and
13 years old. Reading, and creating fun,
learning experiences based on books are her passions.
She also enjoys running, baking, the beach and hiking in local mountains.

Looking for a fun way to entertain your children on your summer road trip, and create holiday presents at the same time? It couldn’t get better for the busy mom. I Made This For You! The Incredible Draw-a-Picture, Write-A-Message Gift that kids can make themselves, published by Chronicle Books, is the answer. This adorable stand up flip book will easily fit in your purse to keep active children busy while running errands, at restaurants or on those long summer drives. Each page has a pre-printed title, a framed box for your child to draw in and lines below for a brief caption. Titles include everything from, “I made this picture of me for you!” to “I made this ice cream sundae for you!”

Don’t limit yourself to drawings. If you have a precious picture of your darling eating that ice cream sundae, attach the picture inside the frame instead of a drawing on that page. On the “I made this sand castle for you!” page, put a picture of your child playing at the beach. The end of the book has empty titles to create your own pages. Carry it around all summer and you not only have creatively occupied your children but also completed a wonderful holiday present for the grandparents. It is the must have book of the summer for all moms.

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Yes Day is The Best Day of The Year!

Yes Day!, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld from Harper Collins Publishers, is reviewed by Trevor, age 6. Trevor is entering 1st grade in Long Beach.

Everyone loves getting the answer yes to his or her requests. Yes Day! is about a boy who gets an entire day to celebrate this answer. The boy, who is the main character, gets to ask his parents all kinds of fun requests: pizza for breakfast, inventing games, choosing items at the grocery. My favorite part of the book is when the boy gets to invite his friend, Mario, for dinner. The pictures were really funny and made me laugh. I would definitely read more books by this author. I keep asking my daddy and papa if we can have a ‘Yes Day,’ but I think it will be “We’ve discussed it, considered all the factors, and decided Absolutely Not Day!!”

Can Mario come over for dinner?

Parent Note: The book has a nice theme and great illustrations. Inside the front and back book covers is a really funny calendar of “No Days” that lead-up to “Yes Day!” Trevor thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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To The Moon!

I’ve put together a Moon book roundup online in honor of Apollo 11’s landing on the Moon and Neil Armstrong’s first steps. Here’s a brief sampling of what you’ll see:

Back when you could get six postcards for a quarter, Miroslav Sasek wrote and illustrated what is now the classic, This Is The Way To The Moon (Universe Publishing, www.rizzoliusa.com, $17.95; ages 8-80). Originally published in 1963 as This Is Cape Canaveral and then re-released as This Is Cape Kennedy in 1964, Sasek’s whimsical words and illustrations recall a bygone era when nothing related to interplanetary traveled was viewed as commonplace. Hotels and businesses near the famous Cocoa Beach and Cape Kennedy captured the spirit of outer space with names like Astrocraft Motel and Missile Taxi, and Alan Shepard, Jr. became the first man in space. Filled with fascinating facts, the book is an inimitable introduction to the rise of the American space program, combining lots of details with Sasek’s subtle humor. One interesting thing (amongst many others) I learned was that back in 1973 residents successfully petitioned to have Cape Kennedy once again called Cape Canaveral.

Visit our website now at: http://losangeles.parenthood.com/moonbooks.php

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THE ENEMY: A BOOK ABOUT PEACE

Guest Reviewer Debbie Glade is the author, illustrator and voice talent of the award-winning children’s picture book The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica, published by Smart Poodle Publishing. She visits South Florida schools with her reading, writing and geography programs. For years, Debbie was a travel writer for luxury cruise lines. She writes parenting articles for various websites and is the Geography Awareness Editor for WanderingEducators.com. She blogs daily at smartpoodlepublishing.com. Today she enlightens us about The Enemy: A Book About Peace by Davide Cali.

If I had met author Davide Cali on a plane flying to Italy (that’s where he lives) and he said to me, “I am writing a children’s picture book about war, enemies and killing,” I would have wished him luck and feigned sleep for the remainder of the trip.

I would have thought, “That’s obviously not a good subject for a children’s picture book, is it? No one would want to read that to their kids!” To say the least, I would have been wrong. Dead wrong. The Enemy: A Book About Peace is so brilliantly done and offers such a powerful message about conflict and misunderstanding, that everyone – young and old – should read it. And yes, the point of this tale is all about peace.

The simple, adorable illustrations by Serge Bloch perfectly complement this sophisticated, yet simple story. The story is told in first person, in a most captivating manner, by one of two enemy soldiers. Each soldier sits in his foxhole waiting for a chance to shoot at the other soldier. The enemies never actually see each other, but know the other is there waiting to kill. They grow lonely, weary and hungry from waiting. The storytelling soldier even wonders if his enemy is looking up at the same stars every night. He wonders if that enemy thinks war is pointless too. And he really hates when it rains and soaks him as he waits for the enemy to attack. He wonders when this war will end. Out of desperation one day, he crawls out of his foxhole covered with leaves to disguise himself. This way, he can go over to the enemy’s hole and surprise him and shoot first.

What that soldier finds in the enemy’s foxhole changes his opinion about everything he had been told about war and the “enemy.” What happens after that, I cannot tell you. You’ll have to read this book yourself to see.

What I can tell you is that the message in this clever book is very poignant. The Enemy: A Book About Peace will really make you think deeply about everything from actual wars between countries, to conflicts between family members. In fact, if there is someone in your life you struggle to get along with, this book would be a perfect gift. While recommended for children ages 4 to 8, kids older than 6 will be better able to understand the concept of the story.

Buy it. And read it often. You don’t have to have a child or be a child to benefit from reading this book. It will be a worthwhile use of your time.

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Be Careful What You Wish For!

Wishworks Inc. by Stephanie Folan, from Arthur A. Levine Books was reviewed by Derek, 8 years old (7 at the time he read it).

I think the story is good because Max thought fast, not hard and strong, so he didn’t always get what he wanted, and it would make a huge disaster. Like when he wished for a real dog he got a real dog, just a crazy one. But when he wished for it to go away, he made his mom and sister so unhappy they wanted to cry. When he wished for a nice real dog, he found his dog again and this time around she wasn’t so crazy (or as ugly as he thought the first time). That made Max happy and his mom and sister were happy, too!

I found the story interesting because of the fun use of the boy’s imagination. Some words were hard and some were easy. There were hundreds of paragraphs. But I liked it a lot.

From a parent’s perspective, the book is good because it is challenging, and it has a good moral: be careful (and specific about) what you wish for! Our son is an advanced reader for his age and he finished the book within about a week.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Life is unsettling for young Max. His parents have divorced, he’s moved to a new part of town and is often bullied at school. As an escape from the chaos he feels at home or simply to leave boredom behind, Max uses his Adventure Time (daydreaming) to have all sorts of exciting escapades with a dog named King. Somehow though, Max does not end up with King, but with a very different dog whose devotion to her adoptive family is eclipsed by their love for her.

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From Mousehole to Grand Hotel

Pip in The Grand Hotel by Johannes Hucke and illustrated by Daniel Muller is reviewed by Julia Claire. She’s a soon-to-be 3rd grader from the San Gabriel Valley of California who especially loves reading about animals because she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.

I really think this is a good book because it left you thinking “Okay, what will Pip do next?” Also, the illustrations were AWESOME! I think the illustrator put good detail in all of the pictures and the author did a great job of describing Pip (who is a pet mouse that escapes his owner, Mary, and travels all around a big hotel). You could probably tell that he was trying to say that Pip was a good fella, but he was also pretty sneaky. Oh, and he could easily win a game of hide-n-seek. However, I would have preferred a different title than Pip in the Grand Hotel because to me the author mostly described Pip’s adventures like he was in a food court. I did learn all about the places in a hotel, though. All that food just made me hungry! Other than that it was a good book and if I could give it a grade it would be a B+.

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The Benefits of Bath Time

Fairly new father, Sean Burgess, shares his impressions of some bath time products for us:

When I was handed Simms Taback’s Bath Time Gift Set I first thought,”books in the bathtub?” Traditionally, when I think of bath toys, I think rubber ducky, spongy type letters, maybe even bath crayons. Definitely not books. After closer review and a test run at bath time, I found a lot of color, personality and especially movement brought to our bath time fun.

Simms Taback’s Bath Time Gift Set brings distinctive, joyful animal illustrations to the bath! Kids are invited to swish like a fish, bark like a seal, smile like a porpoise, and wriggle like an eel. The book comes packaged with a plastic crocodile puppet, and a “baby” finger puppet for the child to use. Teagan insists on having this set as part of her bathing ritual. A little more water ends up outside the tub every time she swims like a fish. But the extra cleanup is worth it knowing how much more fun and interaction is included at bath time.

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When The Library Lights Go Out

Three library story time puppets feature in When The Library Lights Go Out by best-selling author Megan McDonald with warm, detailed illustrations from Katherine Tillotson from Aladdin Paperbacks.

Meet Rabbit, Lion and Hermit Crab. Lion snores while Rabbit, who cannot fall asleep, seeks the help of Hermit Crab, with a few minor distractions along the way. But Hermit Crab is nowhere to be found. Join these two friends on their first time out of their storage boxes at night as they explore the deep dark recesses of the library in search of their pal. Have you ever wondered what it was like inside the library when the lights go out?

Will their efforts be thwarted by a giant? Will they get home safely? Will there be time for a picnic since adventures can make puppets very hungry? Broken down into kid-friendly sections called ‘Giants,’ ‘Map,’ and ‘Lost and Found,’ the book is perfect for anytime of day since parents can read the book all at once or in brief bedtime-sized bits. A truly magical read that is guaranteed to enchant.

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Colorful, incredible Costa Rica

If you know a family heading off to Costa Rica, or even just one that loves nature and exotic travel, The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly: Costa Rica written and illustrated by Debbie Glade is certainly worth buying and bringing along.

Picture, if you will, a brightly colored mature millipede who has been bitten by the travel bug (pun intended) and you’ve got one of your main characters, Grandma Nellie O. Badilly. Nellie, along with her hubby ‘windy’ Grandpa Willie Z. (my 8 year old son Coleman’s fave) and talented Granddaughter Lilly live in teeny, tiny hole in Concourse A at the Miami International Airport. Soon they are stowaways inside a business man’s briefcase on a flight to Costa Rica despite Lilly’s tremendous fear of ‘millipede-chomping spiders.”

Knowing very little about Central America and in particular Costa Rica, I was surprised to learn courtesy of Lilly’s guidebook that there are over 800 different types of birds, hundreds of mammals and more than 35,000 different kinds of insects there. No wonder Costa Rica is experiencing a boom in eco-tourism. I had no doubt Lilly was going to encounter more than her share of scary spiders on their journey to the rain forest and Poas Volcanic National Park.

Everything seemed to be going according to plan until a storm and an injured beetle arrived on the scene. Glade weaves rhyme and humor along with fascinating facts seamlessly into this tale of an adventurous family getting themselves into a very sticky situation involving a cruel spider. Read how Lilly’s inventiveness and musical talent save the day and the vacation. You’ll laugh while you learn and will be looking forward to Glade’s second installment in Lilly’s series of travel expeditions.

Included with the book is an engaging audio CD filled with music (remember that Lilly plays the piano and loves music) and songs plus Costa Rican sound effects bringing Lilly’s adventures alive and making this a great gift for the entire family.

Readers can have FREE SHIPPING on Glade’s website. Just
enter FBS1208 (case sensitive) in the Shipping Code Box on the order page. http://www.lillybadilly.com/store.ph

Debbie Glade is the author, illustrator and voice talent of the award-winning children’s picture book The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica, published by Smart Poodle Publishing. She visits South Florida schools with her reading, writing and geography programs. For years, Debbie was a travel writer for luxury cruise lines. She writes parenting articles for various websites and is the Geography Awareness Editor for WanderingEducators.com. She blogs daily at smartpoodlepublishing.com and is running a writing contest for kids that can still be entered today. To learn more, click here.

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There’s Always Lots of Heinies at The Zoo

A Raucous Rear End Read

You may think you have seen it all when it comes
to books, but(t) think again because now there’s
Always Lots of Heinies at The Zoo. Thank you Disney-Hyperion for publishing this hysterical
picture book which is as much for adults as it is
for kids! Watch this fun video now to get you psyched
about reading this bodacious book of backsides.

Written in rhyme by Ayun Halliday with detailed, derrière oriented Disney-esque illustrations by Dan Santat, this cheeky insider’s educational tour of the zoo goes upfront, behind and very personal. Read on as a mom, dad and their young son visit the animals. There’s feathered booty, hairy haunches in the cages at the zoo, a mandrill’s fanny, a bunny’s bun, and a jellyfish whose bottom is see-through. And who is the one creature at the zoo not showing off his rear end? Why it’s me and you, but(t) of course. Bottoms up!

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Son of A Secret Agent Man

Avid reader and guest reviewer Vinny is back with his enthusiastic, glowing review of Alibi Junior High, by Greg Logsted. And to quote Vinny, “I REALLY liked it!!!”

I thought that the book Alibi Junior High, by Greg Logsted, was a fantastic book that tells of a CIA agent’s son’s experience as he tries to adapt to a life he had never known because he and his father worked undercover for an elite branch of the CIA hardly anyone had knowledge of, and he didn’t have the time to live it. This time, 13 year old Cody Saron’s father is working on a case he believes is too dangerous for his son to be involved in, so he sends Cody to live with the Aunt Jenny he never knew in the state of Connecticut. Surviving in this “normal” way of life, where kids do not partner with their fathers in the CIA, proves to be quite an interesting experience for Cody, and although he may be starting a new life, his past, such as the mysterious event at the café, will always haunt him forever more, and will become a central part of who Cody will become.

With his new friend from the army, Andy, fitting in seemed to come by a little easier, being that Andy was also doing service for the country, and all of his other friends also helped him fit in as best he could, from clothes to cool. Although life was difficult, especially at school, where he got escorted to the principal’s office many times a day, there is a sense of warmth that this new life has to offer, even if it’s in the simplest way. Could it be the way that Aunt Jenny and Cody seemed to get along well? It could also be many other things. This marvelous book offers mystery, crime, fighting, romance, suspicion, love, trust, protection, sense of instinct, and much more. Cody’s father gave him a simple instruction; to become the invisible boy. By the time they meet again, Cody could not have been more popular. Overall, I thought that this wonderful story was great, and perhaps the BEST book I have read in my own 13 years.