Mucumber McGee and the Lunch Lady’s Liver by Patrick Loehr

Patrick Loehr was at this year’s Denver ComicFest. A really nice guy even asked about our Edible Raven T-shirts. My sister got a book of his illustrations and I got his children’s book, Mucumber McGee and the Lunch Lady’s Liver. I will confess I got it because of the back cover design with the upside down black umbrellas and the raven perched in the tree. The story is about Mucumber McGee arriving late for lunch and the only thing left is the mysterious lunch lady’s liver dish. It’s a very cute tale with great illustrations.

A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Ninth, The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket

I saw a write-up on Lemony Snicket that likened him to Edward Gorey, my all-time favorite author, so I decided to check out one of Mr. Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events.

**Spoiler Alert**

I feel I must first point out where there were a series of unfortunate events in this story; there were no unfortunate demises of children unlike the 26 in The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey. However, even though I did not find Mr. Snicket’s style at all like Edward Gorey’s, I still highly enjoyed his book and sense of humor.

Of course when starting a series it makes sense to start with Book 1, but as we know, I rarely make sense, thus I started with Book 9, The Carnivorous Carnival. The serious of unfortunate events are those experienced by the Baudelaire orphans told by Lemony Snicket who has been researching and recording their ill-fated and disastrous lives. This particular archive of the children’s saga finds them at a run down carnival trying to keep hidden from their arch enemy Count Olaf and his misfit troupe while trying to find out the secrets of Madame Lulu’s crystal ball while also trying to avoid a pit of annoyed and starving lions.

I’m hooked. But, I would though recommend starting with book 1. Obviously I was able to follow along with no problem as Mr. Snicket does an excellent job with getting you up to speed with the unfortunate events to this point, but in doing so, I know the suspense won’t be quite as great when I go back and read the previous 8 books. Oh, and if you don’t like books that end on a HUGE cliff hanger, then this one might not be the one for you.

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

I am not that familiar with Norse mythology but got interested after reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. This book is a far less intense adventure with the gods along with a boy named Odd and Frost Giants. Though I suppose Frost Giants can be somewhat intense. I stumbled upon an article in the School Library Journal where Neil Gaiman talks about writing Odd and the Frost Giants for World Book Day if any one else is interested:

http://tinyurl.com/yac93th

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I will confess, I read this because of the upcoming Tim Burton’s presentation of Alice in Wonderland that should be hitting theaters next month (can’t wait!!). I am very curious to see his interpretation because where the Mad Hatter is only in one chapter plus a few pages in the book, considering who is playing him in the movie, I can’t help but think the Mad Hat will be playing a much bigger role.

Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman

Okay I now have a new favorite book by Neil Gaiman. I absolutely adore Crazy Hair! It is an amusing rhyming tale about all that goes on up in his crazy hair.





In my hair Gorillas leap,
Tigers stalk,
And ground sloths sleep.
Prides of lions
Make their lair
Somewhere
in my crazy hair.

The artwork of Dave McKean is just as fun. I love his hairy illustrations. They are tangled with lots of vivid nuances. In other words, great eye candy.

And though I am not one to usually place a dare...
I would challenge him on who has the craziest hair.

The Swamps of Sleethe by Jack Prelutsky

The Swamps of Sleethe by Jack Prelutsky was the book I got at the Tattered Cover’s Book Lover’s Day celebration on 4/23. It caught my eye on their National Poetry Month display. My favorite book by Jack Prelutsky is The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight: More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep, but this one may be a close 2nd. The Swamps of Sleethe take you on a poetic journey through a galaxy far from our own and one that you will soon find that you need to stay far away from.

On sweltering Sleethe, in swamps aseethe,
Malignant beings thrive,
Abhorrent things that need not breathe,
and yet are quite alive .
Within a foul and festering broth,
These mucid horrors ooze.
As gluey fluids fume and froth,
They hold their rendezvous.

I also loved the vibrant alien illustrations of Jimmy Pickering. As an added bonus some of the planet names in the poems are anagrams for you to unscramble (and I thought a couple of them were a bit tricky).

Great inspiration for those poetic souls who like to rhyme.

Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman

I first heard of the Blueberry Girl when attending Neil Gaiman’s book tour of The Graveyard Book (Newbery Winner) in Boulder. At the end of the program he treated us to a reading of the Blueberry Girl. He said that when Tori Amos was expecting her little girl she called him up and asked if he would write a prayer for her. Tori would call her baby bump a blueberry and from that Neil wrote this beautiful poem for girls (actually for women of all ages). Later he paired with illustrator Charles Vess to create this delightful and inspirational picture book.

This is a prayer for a blueberry girl...

Words can be worrisome, people complex, motives and manners unclear,
Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right, free from unkindness and fear.

Not only does this book make a wonderful present for an expecting mother of a little girl or the newborn herself, but I think it would also make a great gift to girls graduating from high school or college or even for a new bride.

Here is a video from Neil Gaiman reading Blueberry Girl, you can also visit his web site, Mouse Circus, where he explains what type of book this is.

An Evening with Neil Gaiman

Though I hate to admit it, I am a bit of a homebody. In the evening I just like to settle in on our comfy couch with a good book and a calico snuggled on the lap. It has to be a pretty rare and special occasion to convince myself to break this routine. Yesterday was one of those rare and special occasions. Yes, I got off the couch (to the calico’s dismay) and spent a wonderful evening in Boulder with Neil Gaiman. Okay, it was actually me and 299 other people who went to see Mr. Gaiman read from his latest book, The Graveyard Book. He was outstanding, though I may be prejudice because he is my all time favorite author, no, I don’t think I am, he was outstanding.

He read the last half of chapter 7 which I won’t go into any details since that chapter gives a lot of the book’s mysteries away. He said the original plan was to read a chapter a stop, which worked out perfectly until he got to chapter 7 which is twice as long as any other chapter in the book. Thus he read the first half in Los Angeles Monday night and the 2nd half last night to us. He received a huge “NO!” when he stopped reading in LA because it just so happens the first part of chapter 7 ends on a rather steep cliffhanger.

Of course he has that lovely British brogue, but he added a Scottish accent for one of the characters that I quite enjoyed. Needless to say he has a wonderful reading voice and had the crowd laughing or at the edge of their seats waiting for the next passage. He said that on this book tour he took along Mr. Prosperity, who he then pointed out the gentlemen filming the reading, and said that the videos were being posted on his blog. Thus if you would like, you can also hear and see Neil read The Grave Yard Book.

After the reading we got a special treat and got to see behind the scene’s footage for the upcoming movie based on his book Coraline, where he magically grows a beard on the set or at least that is what he told us. Henry Selick, who was also the director of Nightmare Before Christmas, directs the movie. Neil said when Nightmare Before Christmas came out he left the theater going “why aren’t there more movies like this.” I totally agree, but sounds like we will get our wish come February 2009 when Coraline the movie hits the theaters.

Before his reading they had note cards out where you could write down a question for him to answer. After getting to see clips from Coraline, he came back on stage with the stack of note cards. He said that we had excellent questions, but horrible handwriting. The previous night in Los Angeles, he thought the questions were on the dull side, but the handwriting was beautifully legible. My husband was tickled because his was the 2nd question that Neil answered on where the inspiration came from for his movie MirrorMask. He said the inspiration and imagery was all Dave McKean, but then followed that up with an amusing story on them creating the movie and Terry Gilliam coming over for tea.

Then he had the usual questions on does he have an audience in mind when he starts a story. He says he writes for him and then let’s the publishers figure out the audience. He followed that up by saying a writer’s job is to explode, and then the publishers come in and pick up the shrapnel, bits and pieces and see if they can make a book out of it. He has no set writing routine, though wishes he did. He did mention that he tries to write where there is no internet because once he goes searching on something, 3 hours later... He broke his finger while coming down a mountain in China, which he thought if you had to break a finger, that was the way to do it because it was such a great story vs. breaking one by slamming it in a door. When asked what his to-read stacks of books were at home, he replied “a wall.” Then his all-time favorite breakfast is a cheese omelet.

He ended the evening reading us a poem he wrote for Tori Amos’s little girl, which is going to be published as a picture book coming out April 2009 called the Blueberry Girl. Beautiful poem for girls, and like Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You'll Go, I have a feeling it will be enjoyed more by us older kids than little ones.

Besides an imaginative and creative storyteller, he is an amusing speaker and I do not regret leaving the safe compounds of my home and comfy couch to spend the evening with him. Despite the protest from the calico.

Mouse Guard Fall 1152

The Mouse Guard Fall 1152, an Eisner and Foreword Award Winner, written and illustrated by David Petersen, is a collection of the Series 1 Mouse Guard comic books. This graphic novel was written for children but also entertaining for adults. The Mouse Guard was formed to protect the mice against the world’s harsh conditions and predators, but who knew their greatest enemy would be from within. A traitor mouse threatens to bring down their villages and the Guard itself. The illustrations are bold and detailed giving life to the majestic territories of the mice. Though the premise of little warrior mice may seem cute, these mice are fierce fighters and their battles are intense. I found the book an entertaining adventure and quick read. I am looking forward to the sequel, The Mouse Guard Winter 1152, due out at the end of this year.

Sipping Spiders Through a Straw

If you are going camping this summer or on a road trip, I highly recommend Sipping Spiders Through a Straw Campfire Songs for Monsters by Kelly Dipucchio and illustrated by Gris Grimly. On the other hand, if you plan on spending your entire summer inside on the couch watching TV, I still recommend Sipping Spiders Through Straws. Your family will enjoy nothing more than you belting out a few spine-chilling tunes during commercials.

Some of my favorites were Home of the Strange, 99 Bottles of Blood on the Wall, If You’re Scary and You Know it, Clap Your Paws, My Body Lies Over the Ocean and Take Me Out to the Grave Yard. I will admit there a couple of the 18 songs that I was not familiar with the tune but enjoyed the lyrics anyway. Gris Grimly’s illustrations were absolutely sinister through out the book. Over all I found the book eerily entertaining and frightfully fun.

Manga The Nightmare Before Christmas

One of my all time favorite movies is Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. When I found the Manga version on the 50% off rack at Bookies, I could not resist. The book reads from back to front and the pages read from right to left. This is how it was originally printed in Japan and not why it was on the 50% off rack. I can’t imagine that any one has not seen The Nightmare Before Christmas, but if you haven’t you need to go out and get the DVD right now! Have you got it yet? No, I am serious, hop on over to Amazon and you can have it shipped to you tomorrow. You MUST see the movie.

Okay, I may have gotten a little off track there, but If you haven’t seen it (hard to believe), it is about Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, who has grown tired and bored of his hometown holiday, Halloween. He yearns for something more, and soon stumbles upon the glorious magic of Christmas Town. Jack decides to bring this joyful holiday back to Halloween Town and take over for Santa. And really, what could go wrong with the Pumpkin King of Halloween taking over Christmas? What indeed?

Unfortunately this is one of those rare cases where I feel the movie is much better than the book. I did not think the book in its Manga style was able to capture the essence of the story or maybe it was I just missed the Oogie Boogie man singing.

Children of the Night Tide

Children of the Night Tide is a graphic novel from Fantagraphic Books. It is two short stories of fantasy by Jan Strnad. The Sea Dragon, illustrated by Dennis Fujitake, is about a young dragon that is not content staying in a cave with his mother guarding their treasure. Despite her warnings he slips out of the cave at night into his ocean playground sinking ships and terrorizing pirates. The Goblin Child illustrated by Tim Solliday, is a classic tale of the changeling, where a human child is replaced by a goblin. When the father refuses to kill the goblin, it promises him and the mother it will help them rescue their real son.

Though written in 1980’s, both stories seem from the 1880’s, and like fairytales of the past, they are not necessarily happily ever after tales, but magically written and illustrated.

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe

Let me just say up front I cannot give an objective review on this book. As you may have gathered from Trixi Thursdays, I am a cat person.

Bunnicula is a story about a family with two boys, Pete and Toby, a dog named Harold and a cat named Chester. Life is good at the Monroe household until one stormy night a stray rabbit is found and becomes the new family pet. This tale is told from the dog’s point of view. Right there I think you see my problem, what cat is going to let a dog tell their story? Of course Chester sees right away that this fluffy little being is no more than a vegetable sucker of the night. However, in his efforts to save his family from this bunny terror, he ends up suffering the brunt of several miscalculated hare ridding plans. I think us cat people know, fangs or no fangs, who would really win a feline vs. bunny battle, or just be disgusted and ignore the whole situation; really the family is on their own.

Other than that small issue, it is a quick read and a cute story, though more in a Tom & Jerry sort of way than a frightening one. Actually, it wasn’t scary at all, which since I tend to go to the dark side rather quickly, I was also little disappointed in that fact. However if you are a dog or bunny person, and looking more for amusement than the scare factor, you should enjoy this book.

The Dangerous Alphabet

The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Gris Grimly is a curious poetic journey through an alphabet with unsavory characters and letters of mischief. Two brave children and their courageous gazelle embark on an adventure where they encounter pirates, creatures of all sorts, and a not-to-be trusted alphabet.

“E’s for the Evil that lures and entices;
F is for Fear and its many devices...”

Needless to say, if you have been to my blog before, I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan. When I found out he was working with one of my other favorites, Gris Grimly, I knew I would have another treasure for my collection, and I was not disappointed. The rhyming couplets had a slight Edward Gorey feel to them (who I also love), and every time I read through the book I see another devious nuance in the monstrous illustrations.

However, readers beware! You may find yourself so entranced with Gaiman’s rhythmic verses and Grimly’s esoteric visions that you may not realize just how dangerous the Alphabet really is in this story.

Indie Excellence 2008 Finalist Book Award

Willow May goes to the Midnight Carnival was named a Finalist in the Indie Excellence 2008 Book Awards. When I told the cast the news, to say they were excited would be an understatement. They threw a huge party to celebrate with cupcakes, music, and dancing. The Raven, who played the ringmaster, gave a humorous yet riveting speech giving a special thanks to the illustrator, Pamela McCarville, who did a fabulous job on his costume and the over all setting of the book. The Werewolf Band, who are true musicians outside the book, played all night long including a crowd favorite, Werewolves of London. Evelynn, the vampire who played the high wire performer, also thanked the illustrator for making her beautiful. She then thanked the production staff for accommodating her working hours and special dietary needs. The Zombies were ecstatic with the recognition of their acrobatic maneuvers and did want it known that they did their own stunts in the book, no stunt zombies were used.

Gabrielle, Luna, and Vivian, the dancing witches who played themselves in the book, were quite humbled by the award and apologized to management for the week delay in production when they turned the odd little fellow into a toad (a contractual misunderstanding). The tiny fellow thought the witches should personally apologize to him for the incident, but the dancing skeleton and his brother told him to leave well enough alone and gave him a cupcake, which was then stolen by his armadillo.

Unfortunately, Willow May, the star of the book was unable to attend the party. She is busy being written for the sequel, Willow May Goes to the Midnight Zoo. However, via satellite feed from the pages of her new book, she apologized for not being able to be there in person, but said she was there in spirit and thanked them all.

I too want to thank the characters of the book in addition to all those involved in this project, especially the illustrator, Pamela McCarville, and the Publisher, All Us All the Time Publishing, for making this dream come alive. Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement, and thank you National Indie Excellence Book Awards for this honor and supporting small independent publishers and authors.

Mad Creator Productions New Book

Besides the The Dangerous Alphabet book with Neil Gaiman, Gris Grimly has another book with Kelly Dipucchio coming out in May, Sipping Spiders Through A Straw Campfire Songs for Monsters:

"In this howlishly fun collection of campfire songs, little monsters everywhere will love singing along to their favorite campfire tunes which have been altered for optimal gross-out effect by the ghoulish Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by the Master of Creep, Gris Grimly. Disgusting highlights include "If You're Scary and You Know It," "99 Bottles of Blood on the Wall," and the classic in the making, "Do Your Guts Hang Low?" Gather your creepy, crawly friends and get ready to slither and slink and howl and stink!"

For those of you in LA and going to the LA Times Festival of Books, Gris Grisly will be there signing books on Saturday, April 26th at the A Whale of a Tale booth from 11-12pm. He warns that this is in the children's area so beware of ragamuffins. On Sunday he will be signing his Wicked Nursery Rhymes 1 at the Baby Tattoo Books booth from 2-3pm. However, you can also catch him from 2-4pm on Saturday and 5-7pm Sunday at the Mad Creator Productions booth at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors.

Neil Gaiman Books, Graphic Novels, and Movies

My sister turned me on to Neil Gaiman about a year ago and I am now a fanatic fan even though I have only read an nth of what he has written. So far, I have read his books Anansi Boys, Wolves in the Walls, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, Smoke & Mirrors, M is for Magic, and then my two favorite, Neverwhere and Coraline. For my birthday my sister gave me Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett, which I can't wait to start reading, but currently I have immersed myself in his graphic novels.

Just finished The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch, illustrated by Dave McKean, and working my way through the Sandman graphic novels. The Sandman series center around Dream along with his sisters and brothers, Despair, Delirium, Destiny, Desire, Destruction and Death, of the Endless family. They are not gods and goddesses, because god and goddesses die, and they are endless. If I was a hat wearing person, and sadly with my hair I just can't pull that off, I would take my hat off to Mr. Gaiman on this incredible world he created by giving life to our inner psychic. I have read the volumes, The Doll's House (2), Preludes & Nocturnes (1), Season's of the Mist (4), and I just started Fables & Reflections (6). I thought not only would it be fun to read this series, but also to read them totally out of order. Okay, actually, I have not been able to find a bookstore that carries the complete volume set, thus I have been picking up what I can here and there.

I have only seen his MirrorMask movie, which I highly recommend. The main character and her family own a circus, which is reason enough to watch it, but the girl enters into the fantasy world of her drawings where she encounters flying books and square-headed cats...do I need to go on? I still need to catch Stardust (as well as read the book) and Beowulf. Then I can hardly wait for the 3-D animated movie, Coraline. I read that there will be a limited release this December and then the national release in February'09. Do you think Denver will get it in December? It would be so cool if we did.

If that isn't enough, Neil Gaiman has at least three new books coming out this year. The Dangerous Alphabet illustrated by Gris Grimly is coming out the end of April, Odd and the Frost Giants, which doesn't come out until the end of October in the states but I think may already be released in the UK, and then The Graveyard Book is coming at the end of September. However, I think one of the short stories in the M is for Magic book is a teaser for The Graveyard Book, and if not, it is still a great story of a little boy being raised by ghosts in a cemetery.













The cover for The Graveyard Book is the adult cover of the Subterranean Press edition and according to Neil Gaiman's blog will probably also be the Bloomsbury adult edition, but there will be a different cover for the children's edition.

Willow May Book Review by SFC

I wanted to share the awesome book review for Willow May Goes to the Midnight Carnival by Stories for Children Magazine Editor VS Grenier. The Stories for Children Magazine is a fantastic site for to find great children's stories and a writer's inspirational treasure trove. Their free monthly Ezine in the is full of imaginative and fun stories for children ages 3 to 12 years old. You will also find articles, puzzles, games, children's book reviews (Willow May will be in the March edition), crafts and poems. Not only can adults submit stories for the SFC Magazine but they also publish stories written and illustrated by children and teens. For you writers out there, you can also sign up for the free SFC Newsletter for Writers that has a wealth of information, resources and tips on writing. If you want to read imaginative stories, meet and learn more about an author, check out book reviews, or pick up great writing tips, visit the Stories for Children Magazine site.

Here is the review:

Willow May Goes to the Midnight Carnival
By: Icats Nitram
Illustrated by: Pamela McCarville
Published by: All Us All the Time Publishing, 2008
ISBN: 9780979728501
Ages: 4 to 8
Reviewed by: Stories for Children Magazine editor, VS Grenier

What child doesn't like going to the carnival? But what about a Midnight Carnival? And what would be at a Midnight Carnival anyway, if you could stay up late?

Willow May does get to go to a Midnight Carnival and it's nothing like the carnivals you might see during the day.

The Midnight Carnival stirs your imagination with colorful illustrations depicting a colorful Mardi Gras wonder of events. Willow May and her dolly Jane enter into a world of wonder as they stumble across some of the performers at this Midnight Carnival. She sees clowns with one eye juggling black rats, a raven as ringmaster, blindfolded swordsmen, and a vampire who walks the tightrope. But the excitement doesn't stop there. Soon skeletons take the stage performing magic tricks and dancing, until one loses his footing and falls. Only to be swept away in a basket.

The fun and thrill of the Midnight Carnival leaves children and adults waiting for the night in this unexpectedly delightful picture book with a surprise twist at the end.

More from the Mysterious Willow May Book Party

I want to send a huge thank you to all of those who took time from their busy schedules, some even traveling from far distances, to come celebrate with us the release of our first children's picture book, Willow May Goes to the Midnight Carnival. Your friendship, support and encouragement is more than any writer and illustrator could wish for, and if you will allow me to use an adverb here, you are a fantastically incredible group of people.

Here are a few more photos from the Saturday Book Party, Victor Grimsby's Carnival of Curious Delights, and speaking of delights, there are photos of the cakes in yesterday's post...the cakes were stunning. The first time I literally did not want to cut into a cake because they looked too amazing, and I LOVE cake, so that is saying quite a bit.

Again, thanks to all who came, and where I know we have really just begun the journey with Willow May, I can't help but be anxious for the next story to come.

Beautiful flowers bestowed upon the writer and illustrator.

"My, what a wonderful book."

"Oh no, the skeleton lost his footing!"

"I can't wait to see how this is going to end."

"What a marvelous book, darlings."

"I loved the illustrations, could I commission the artist for work of my own?"

"Mom, you have got to get one of these!"

"I must have one of your cat designs, they are my favorite."

"Really should have stopped him after just one glass of apple cider."

Willow May Book Party

At the end of the block where balloons swayed from a tree,
there was a house full of music, food, books and glee.

At the Willow May book party there was cake,

and more cake,

there were pumpkin, black cat, and polka-dotted bat cookies,

circus peanuts too,

there were ravens lurking everywhere,

there were tarot cards for fortunes to tell,

or look into Madame Pamela's crystal ball,

there were books to be signed,

and there were werewolves.

Werewolves?!?

Oh yes, there were werewolves!

There were many more surprises at the mysterious Willow May book party, come back tomorrow and see more of the fun.