We just love Tucson author & illustrator Chris Gall! His books are awesome, his art is amazing, and he’s a funny guy. His new book, Dinotrux, is due out in June 2009 and the rights have been acquired by Dreamworks for a full-length, 3-D animated feature. Yeah Chris! Check out his blog for an animated trailer of the book, which will, of course, confirm your suspicions – that prehistoric trucks once roamed the earth! Posted by CoriRead More →
Tales from Outer Suburbia is a collection of short stories, in which we meet an exchange student who’s really an alien, a secret room that becomes the perfect place for a quick escape, a typical tale of grandfatherly exaggeration that is actually even more bizarre than he says – it’s an assortment of the odd and magical details that are brought to life in mesmerizing and fantastic illustrations. Combining the amazing drawing style from his bestseller, The Arrival,with eloquent prose, Shaun Tan weaves a scrapbook tapestry of our modern world that is at times both strangely familiar and unbelievable. My favorite story is “The Nameless Holiday” whereRead More →
This book is a gold mine for parents or teachers working with children! I love the word play and the great life lessons in Zen Ties, including helping others and respecting elders. It would be interesting to discuss the relationship between the children and the elderly neighbor, and how they can apply those lessons to their own friendships. I would also use this book to “tie” into lessons on haiku poetry and spelling practice. It would be fun to give out plastic cups to children so that they will also have a special cup, just like Koo. Posted by MichelleRead More →
Phoenix Book Company was excited to be able to premier Chris Gall’s newest book, There’s Nothing to Do on Mars, at the AzLA conference in November 2007. We received 50 books in advance of the February 1, 2008 release date to support Chris’ program at the conference. 50 lucky AzLA attendees were able to get this book, signed by the author/illustrator, before anyone else in the US! Thanks to Chris and his publisher, Little, Brown for making this possible. Posted by CoriRead More →
The Arrival, the newest book by Shaun Tan, tells the the familiar story of an immigrant in an intriguing new way. Conveyed entirely in detailed drawings which look like sepia-toned, worn photographs, this book feels like paging through an old photo album without the aid of captions or notes. We follow the immigrant as he packs a small bag, says a heartbreaking goodbye to his wife and small daughter, and boards a steamer ship along with hundreds of others to reach a new land. The new city is at once recognizable and surreal and recalls the halls and images of Ellis Island and New York City.Read More →