Birding Is My Favorite Video Game: Cartoons about the Natural World from Bird and Moon (Updated Edition)

Here's another book I was able to get this book on Amazon, and while not compensated by the company except for getting it for free, I did post this review on their listing for the book. Rest assured, this is my honest opinion and rating of the book.

Survival of the Fittest: Who's Got The Best Medicine? (Family Comic Friday)

I haven't done a Family Comic Friday in a while. I haven't given up on the project. Far from it. It's just that I've not really had much time to head to my local library. Plus, for the kids section of graphic novels, they got rid of the ' New Arrivals' section, making it a bit harder to find newer stuff to review. That being said, I did find something recently new at my branch. So let's take a look at Survival of the Fittest: Who's Got The Best Medicine?

Who knew that the animal kingdom had their own version of Shark Tank? Survival of the Fittest is an invention competition where creatures create amazing new products for humans based on the special properties of their very own bodies. Judging the competition as usual are Hammerhead Shark, Cookiecutter Shark and Tiger Shark. Today's episode, hosted by Hermit Crab, the trio of predators will be shown several potential lifesaving medical marvels. 

There's the extremely sharp teeth of the sea urchin that never gets dull as a potential new type of surgical scalpel. Mosquito shares a new form of syringe that is based on the bug's proboscis and is supposedly painless. And much more innovations based on the animals in the sea, land and air are in store!

And don't think that the sharks don't get in on the act too! Great White Shark has an idea to eliminate post-operative infections by having all of the equipment in the operating room textured like the sandpaper skin of those predators of the deep.

I loved the idea behind this book. There's a design segment at the end of the book that explains how such animal based technologies are in the planning stages at current time; along with hyperlinks to help young readers learn more about these amazing inventions. (You'll have to type those out as this is not a digital book that I reviewed.)

I only wish that I could have understood what was going on between the host, Hermit Crab and contestant Octopus. Was the 8-armed invertebrate flirting with the crab as he kept changing shells during every commercial break? Was the Octopus just being friendly? Was there mischief afoot? I really couldn't tell. Those interludes were pantomimed and I really could have used some words, or narrator descriptions to fully follow along with that part of the story.

I also felt that another contestant should have won, having a much better invention than the winner. But that's more of a matter of personal preference and nothing against the quality of this entertaining and educational graphic novel.

There's at least 1 other book so far in the series. 'Who Will Come Out on Top?' is about engineering innovations . If you have a young reader in your life who loves science, especially when animals are involved, this is a series that needs to be introduced to them! The vocabulary and some of the concepts are a bit advanced. I'm thinking that without a trusted adult to read along with, this is a book suited for 4th graders through 6th. 

With the inclusion of the shark tank of judges, this series makes a great summer read!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Goat on the Go: Scout's Muddy Day

This is 100% true. I know Scout. Scout is a real goat. He lives on the same farm my goats Brickey and Moppet are housed at. One of Brickey's oldest and best friends, my family and I have had our share of adventures with Scout. When Scout's mom, author Natalie Horseman recounts how Scout escapes from his pen one day for a glorious adventure exploring his home farm, I can attest with my own eyes seeing Scout escape his pen on a number of occasions!

It's hard to believe Scout was ever so little! A Nigerian Dwarf goat, he ironically dwarves the other adult goats at the farm, being almost double fellow ND Brickey's size! To this day, Scout still thinks of himself as a little goatie and like in this adventure, it gets him into mischief!

It was great getting to see many of Scout's friends in this book. Everyone who visits the farm knows Ms. Luna. She's a silkie black pup that makes sure that all the farm goats stay in line and in their pens. Although, in this book, in order for her face and body to stand out more, artist Cosette Alcade adds some gray and white to Luna's coat. It's amazing to see Luna in action and how just the sight of her will make other goats immediately run to enclose themselves in the nearest pen! In this book, there's also a highland cow, some piggies, a few guineas and lots of goats that despite name changes, I recognized immediately from my nearly 3 years of weekly (or more) check-ins with my herd.

I cannot wait to share this book with all the little ones in my life. Scout's adventure is heartwarming and fun. Plus, if those kiddos ever come to the farm with my wife and I for a visit, it will make that experience that much more fun getting to meet the real life Scout!

Goat on the Go: Scout's Muddy Day is currently available on Kindle and in paperback.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

John Carpenter Presents Storm Kids: The Yard Gang Halloween Special (Family Comic Friday)

After a week off due to a very long and busy period at work, Family Comic Friday is back. We kick off Halloween a little bit early with a release that I never in a million years would have expected to review for young readers and their families. Legendary horror director John Carpenter and acclaimed horror comics writer Steve Niles working together on a comic book for kids? C'mon, is this a dream?

Storm Kids is the all ages imprint to John Carpenter (the Halloween film franchise) and wife Sandy King's comic book publisher Storm King. The idea is to open young readers up to age appropriate horror and thriller stories illustrated and written by some of the top talent in the comic book industry. 

30 Days of Night's Steve Niles and wife Monica Richards work together to bring families this adorable story of a family of house pets as they prepare for All Hallow's Eve. 

Lucy the kitten is the biggest fan of Halloween. This year's festivities take place during a full moon. But instead of bad luck, the full moon provides Lucy the chance to make one wish come true before the clock strikes Midnight. Will the precocious feline wish for it to be Halloween every night? Or maybe more wishes? One thing is for sure: whatever Lucy decides, it will change her eclectic family furever!

I absolutely loved this Halloween special. I thought that the way all of the animals spoke was perfect. I always make my fur babies talk and they don't quite get all the concepts right. And that's sometimes how Lucy and her siblings talk. I also loved the expressions of the animals. Artist Kelly Williams (Metaphase) creates some really adorable looking characters. 

Though I did think that the sizes of some of the characters were a bit off. For instance, Lucy and her brother Yob are able to ride on the back of their hound dog brother, Oliver. Now my Harley is tiny. But I don't think there's any way in the world she'd be able to ride atop the back of a full grown canine.

The Yard Gang was a great way to kick off my 2022 Halloween reads. It was adorable, a pinch bittersweet (which I'll not spoil why) and above all- magical. I really hope that co-creators John Carpenter and Sandy King along with co-writers Steve Niles and Monica Richards have more adventures of these cute little guys in store for years to come!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Dog & Hat and the Lost Polka (Family Comic Friday)

I'm pleased to introduce an adorable new series from Chronicle Books called Dog & Hat. Dog and his favorite hat, Hat embark on the adventure of a lifetime when an accident with a bottle of spot remover causes all of the polka dots on Dog's favorite shirt to disappear into the city sewer! Armed with a map, Dog & Hat seek to recover all of the lost dots before they get missing forever. But this unlikely duo had batter watch out. There are alligators in the sewer. Hungry Alligators!

I was totally drawn in by the cover of this book! With its fanciful animals, and wild color palette, book 1 of Dog & Hat's new series reminded me of the Sweet Pickles books from the late 70s and early 80s. Plus, as you can see in the corner of the cover, there's a friendly little ant. He's hiding all throughout the book. That reminded me so much of Richard Scarry's Cars, Trucks and Things That Go! In that amazing book, you were tasked with finding the tiny Goldbug who was hiding in every scene.

This book is recommended for readers in grades 1-3. I think that's a fair recommended age range as there's at least 1 scene involving one of those pesky sewer alligators that might be a tad too intense for younger readers. 

There are also a few panels where Dog & Hat are in the sewer without a flashlight. Those scenes have the lettering in dark black letters over navy blue talk bubbles. While I understand that creator Darin Shuler is trying to capture the feeling of one exploring a dark mysterious lair; those panels were kinda hard to read. 

Despite my difficulty scanning some of the pages, I love Shuler's approach to have his artwork fill the entire page. I love graphic novels that bleed over instead of using panels like a traditional comic book. This sort of art technique really helps to create an intimate environment. With lots of great Easter eggs and creative paneling methods throughout this book, I felt that Darin Shuler went the George Lucas route and created not just a story but an entire community that I would love to visit again and again. 

Dog & Hat and the Lost Polka Dots has got to be one of the most immersive reads I have come across in a very long time. There's so much going on that I feel like young readers will find something new every time they re-read this book. Like Lady Olio's store in which Dog & Hat shop, this book has everything!

Filled with laughs, this is sure to be a series that families will want to return to time and time again!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Four-Fisted Tales

I'm a real big fan of the classic EC Comics from the 1950s. The long-defunct publisher was known for its horror and crime titles. Yes, one series that really stole my heart was Two-Fisted Tales. The creation of the great Harvey Kurtzman, the series showed the guts and no glory side of combat with a message of 'War is Hell'. Equally legendary artists Jack Davis, John Severin, Wally Wood, Alex Toth and DC's King of War Comics, Joe Kubert contributed to the series which lasted 24 issues. Though that might be a small run compared to G.I. Combat or Sgt. Rock, the legacy of Two-Fisted Tales has endured for decades.

So imagine my excitement last year when I read about this really cool graphic novel from Ben Towle (Amelia Earhart: The Broad Ocean.) Even though Four-Fisted Tales isn't related to those beloved EC Comics, the influence is clearly there. The cover, which shows an array of animals trudging behind a soldier reminds me of the Severin covers when the series shifted focus more on swashbuckling tales of action and adventure. There's that signature colored bar the runs vertically on the left-hand side. And the title with the hyphenated words larger than life. Believe me, when I saw this book being advertised in the trades, I thought I had been transported back to a newsstand in 1953!

Four-Fisted Tales explores the impact animals of various species and sizes have made on warfare- both ancient and modern. There's Hannibal's use of elephants to transverse the Alps. The long-standing tradition of cats being made crew members on naval ships. The importance of carrier pigeons on the western front of World War I to coordinate attacks, retreats and rescues. Towle's collection also features loyal dogs, the game-changing horse, even a bear as important tools in assisting in the war effort. Though not every animal is on the side of the good guys, their importance and assistance in never in doubt. 

There's even a little bit of that Harvey Kurtzman anti-war message in this book. Which if keeping with the spirit of the original series, I completely understand. But it also makes for the epilogue to have this fun and educational graphic novel to end on a low note. I acknowledge; war isn't pretty. But with some of the more light-hearted and heart-warming stories that fill this book, I didn't expect it to end on such a bummer.

I'm hoping there will be a volume 2. I feel like there are so many more stories out there to be told of how the animal kingdom has been used to expand and conquer the kingdoms of human history. 

Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Tis The Ugly Sweater Season! Advent 2021: Day 6

 Happy Day 6 of the 2021 Advent. Todays look at ugly holiday sweaters are for the birds and dogs and bears and all other assortment of animals! 

Have a look at this menagerie of zoo worthy ridiculous rompers!

A Fancy French Poodle for the Holidays! Oooh-La-La!

Such a beautiful sweater.

I couldn't resist this sweater of a chicken wearing an ugly sweater. 

You didn't think I was going to do a look at animal themed sweaters without including 1 cat did you?

This year stores like Chewy and Petsmart are selling ugly sweaters for your hamsters, guinea pigs and even lizards!

I hope you enjoyed this look at yule tide sweaters featuring the animal kingdom. But the fun's not over just yet. Here's a look at some adorable animals getting into some holiday hi-jinx. 

Enjoy!

The Blade: Shellville High School Yearbook by Don Novello

This is exactly what the title says it is. It's a high school yearbook for the small Midwestern town of Shellville. Only all of the faculty, staff, and students are sheep and goats!

From the warped mind of Don Novello (The Lazlo Letters, and SNL's Father Guido Sarducci) comes the weirdest book I have ever come across. Novello is a weirdo genius. Who else looks at a high school yearbook and decides that they'll make it better with sheep!?

I imagine that this book was murder to make. The old adage 'Never work with kids or animals' comes to mind here. How difficult must it have been to have all that livestock posing together in pictures. Plus Novello crafted a full lineup of characters here and to keep the sheep separate and distinct throughout the book takes a maddening amount of organizational skills. 

From 1984, this book has a very strange cult following. While no longer in print, used copies can be found on Amazon and other online sites for upwards of $40 and more. That's a mark-up of over 100% of the original cover price. But it's rare and highly sought after.

Worth Consuming!- if only for the sheer level of oddness.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- day 140

       It's the final curtain tonight for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. So for today's A Madman Turns 40 let's look at what this piece of Americana looked like the year I was born...
  

The Official 1977 Tour Book.
My Aunt Cindy had a copy of this when I was little.
I spent hours reading it...

       One of my cousins was a member of the circus. This is the 1976-1977 line-up (BELOW.) I'm not sure if he was a part of the group at this time or not. But it's a pretty cool picture. 

       In my opinion, the removal of the elephants from the circus was Ringling Bros. final nail in the coffin. America has had such a fascination with the giant beasts. Not having them play a part of it I think cause circus goers to lose interest. 

A trio of friends sharing a cold beverage.

The Legendary animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams with a big cat buddy. I got to see him a couple of times before he retired in 1990.

Animal trainer Meryl Meister and her dancing poodles,
backstage at Madison Square Garden.

Monkeying around...
These guys were still around when I would go to the circus as a kid...

Well, that's a brief look at the Big Top during my birth year. Sadly, it's now the end of an era. Until next time...

Silly Willy Winston in the Adventures of Pirate Snout (A Family Comic Friday Extra)

  I won a free copy of this children's book on Goodreads recently. It seems like the only thing I win on that sight but hey- I love to win free books. So who's complaining?!

   This book is about a loveable basset hound named Winston and his best friend, a boy named Aiden. Together the pair goes on a series of fun adventures with Winston taking on a secret persona each time to go with his super powered ears and even more spectacular nose. During these moments of exploration, Winston can become the canine hero Super Snout, or trek through the jungle as Explorer Snout. In this book, the hound dog dons a tri-cornered hat and becomes Pirate Snout, leading Aiden on a quest to discover hidden treasure below the ocean and maybe even a shipwreck in a secluded desert! Plus, there are tons of cool sea creatures to discover on this voyage across the seven seas.

   This was an interesting book. There were lots of neat facts and historical information that had me going 'Huh!' I was thoroughly entertained and I was a little bit jealous that I didn't have kids books like these when I was a kid. 

   The combination of humor, action, and learning reminded me of the Magic School Bus books I used to read to my kid sister when she was in kindergarten. Books like Silly Willy Winston make learning fun and I think that is a lesson that is sorely missing in most of the media outlets devoted to kids. Keep up the good work, Winston!

   Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the art. There is a wide variety of different techniques that made this seem like I was peering into a magical textbook on archeology and pirate lore. The renderings of both Aiden and Winston are really good. But whereas Aiden looks airbrushed and rounded, Winston looks pixelated like maybe he was drawn using MS Paint. Again, neither look is bad but I would've liked to have seen both characters on the same page drawn in the same style. That sort of consistency just would've have made the artwork pop that much more.

   Kudos to series creator Donna Maguire. She took her beloved pet Winston and turned him into a children's book superstar. Right now there are 5 books about Silly Willy Winston and they can be found on Amazon or even iTunes! Check them out and open your child up to a world of adventures and silliness.

   Recommended for readers 7-8 but those younger than 7 can enjoy this too if a family member or friend will help out with the big words.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Animal Parade: A Puzzle Book

   This adorable picture book hides a surprise. The main image of each page pulls apart to become a 2-sided puzzle. At only 6 panels, this is a puzzle that the youngest of readers can enjoy by themselves or with an older sibling or mom & dad. 

   I saw three different versions being  given away on Goodreads and I entered to win all three. How excited I was to win one! It's going to be a great gift to my wife's cousin's baby girl. 

   The author/ artist, Aino-Maija Metsola is a Finnish freelance designer. Her style is renown for being so simple and yet visually stunning. Plus, the wild color palette used seems to me to be in that special style that people say is perfect for a child's development. 

  Plus, I know the author is Finnish, but this book has a visual appeal that looks right at home at that Swedish superstore IKEA!

  There is one thing that I would change about this book and it's actually a smart idea. See, when I got this book, the pages have a plastic sleeve around them to keep the puzzle pieces from falling out. That's great to keep everything inside while at the store, but the plastic poses a choking hazard for little ones and should be discarded before use. So, I purpose that they attach some sort of velcro strap attached to the book that can be used to keep the book shut tight and pieces from falling out (and getting lost) when not it use.

   Maybe that can be done with the second print of what is sure to become the next picture book classic!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.