Basa Kain Tulog: November 2017

The Scarecrow Princess

AUTHOR: Federico Rossi Edrig
PUBLISHER: Lion Forge
PUBLICATION DATE: October 24, 2017
PAGES: 160
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:
Morrigan Moore has always been moody, but her new home is the worst. Her novelist mother has dragged her to the countryside, drawn by the lost myth of the King of Crows, a dark figure of theft and deceit, and the Scarecrow Prince, the only one who can stand against him. When Morrigan finds herself swept up in the legend, she'll have no choice but to take on the Scarecrow Prince's mantel, and to stand and fight. For her town, her family, and her own future. This lushly drawn graphic novel will pull you into its sinister secrets and not let go till the final page. For fans of Coraline and Over the Garden Wall.

MY RATING:
After reading this graphic novel, I was thinking on what does the author, Federico Rossi Edrig, wants to convey or what lesson does he wants to impart to the readers. I was contemplating what message does he really wants to tell us because there's no precise one.

I have several guess such as maybe not to give our trust especially to those who we're not quite familiar with, because they might just use this to their own advantage. I even thought that perhaps not being judgmental, be content with what you have, and being open-minded could be the message this book wants to pass to us. There's no definite moral lesson that will leave its mark to the readers; so it's just up to our own interpretation on what it could be.

Moreover, there are some scenes that are not appropriate for middle grades and below, especially the part where Morrigan was having self-stimulating sexual gratification, and where she and the King of the Crows were both nude near the end of the story. On the other hand, the illustrations, may not that marvelous, are still satisfying to look into. Some parts are quite dragging, however the revelation in the climax part made up for that.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

Dalston Monsterzz

AUTHOR: Dilraj Mann
PUBLISHER: Nobrow Press
PUBLICATION DATE: March 27, 2018
PAGES: 80
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

In Dilraj Mann's long awaited graphic novel debut, all eyes turn to East London, where freakish monsters and megalomanical property developers are competing to see who can destroy it first. The only thing that stands in the way of the apocalypse?

Hipsters, hotties, and nerds. It's time to throw down--and look sharp as hell while doing so.

MY RATING:
While reading, I can't help but think that the people in this graphic novel also looks like monster. Or maybe they are just ugly looking that's why they are like that. (hahaha) Anyhow, I like how unique the story is and the twist in the ending is quite surprising also.

[gallery ids="1289,1290,1291" type="slideshow"]

Thank you to Nobrow Press for the Advance Reading Copy of this comic book.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

All Aboard The Discovery Express: Open the Flaps and Solve the Mysteries

AUTHOR: Emily Hawkins
ILLUSTRATOR: Tom Clohosy Cole
PUBLISHER: Wide Eyed Editions
PUBLICATION DATE: September 7, 2017
PAGES: 32

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:
Welcome on board the Discovery Express! The year is 1937 and a conundrum is afoot: a professor on the verge of a brilliant discovery has disappeared. Can you help to solve the clues on this time-traveling adventure and track down the missing scientist? On your voyage, you'll travel the world, see some of the most important moments in the history of transport, meet the most brilliant engineers of all time, and ultimately unveil the design of the world’s first jet engine! With clues to solve on every page, this interactive lift-flap adventure is sure to spark the imaginations of aspiring scientists and engineers everywhere, as you travel back in time to discover the history of transport.

MY RATING: ★★★★★

The Discovery Express is one brilliant book, that kids from ages 12 and below, will definitely enjoy.

71q5mqlgusl

Most probably, boys would appreciate this book more than girls because of the concept of mystery and sleuthing; and the history of the invention of the wheel was also incorporated to the story that makes it more suitable for boys. In addition, there are a lot of facts and figures that kids will be delighted to devour.

81oomli-brl

The final print of the book has dimensions of 10 x 12 inches, and I'm not sure if the texts in the published version are readable enough because some italicized fonts and typeface in the digital format provided by the publisher is not readable. Nonetheless, the construction of this book is well developed and thoroughly researched, that's why the end-product is undeniably magnificent.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

Leave This Song Behind: Teen Poetry At Its Best

AUTHOR: John Meyer, Stephenie Meyer, Adam Halwitz, Cindy Spertner
PUBLISHER: HCI
PUBLICATION DATE: April 26, 2016
PAGES: 216
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

It's been 10 years since the last book in the Teen Ink series Written in the Dirt was published. Now, a whole new batch of teen writers has emerged with their own unique voices. Leave This Song Behind features the best poetry submitted by those writers to Teen Ink over the last five years. The pieces in this book were chosen because they were so powerful that they stood out from the rest. Teen Ink editors took a deep look into each poem's strengths then divided Leave This Song Behind into seven sections based on the poetic techniques or qualities that moved them most. Vivid sensory details made some poems shine; others caught their attention with simple, sparse language. Still others were chosen because of their thoughtful use of form; compelling stories; strong figurative language; unexpected connections and wit; and fresh writing about familiar topics.
Dig in and let these brave young voices capture your heart and mind with their passion, their pain, and their amazing poetry!

MY RATING:Leave This Song Behind is a collection of poems that depicts different life situations teens experiences: such as depression, problems with parents, sexuality and love issues, to name a few. Teen poetry but a young adult, such as I, still can relate to some of the poems in this book.

Several of these poems that I associate myself into are: Write What You Know by Mandy Seiner; Charcoal Boat by Callie Zimmerman; A Letter to the Past, Present, and Future Selves by Sofia Wesley; and Chinese Politics (over dim sum) - Eda Tse. There are other poems that are quite remarkable, e.g., Don't Fall In Love by Claire Podges; and The Sistine Closet by Hannah Livernois.

The selection of poems in this outstanding book will leave readers ponder whether they have experienced the same situation or currently in that state, which was described in each poem. If you are into poetry, having a copy of this impressive book should not be missed.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy of this.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

Alters Vol. 1

AUTHOR: Paul Jenkins
ILLUSTRATOR: Leila Leiz
PUBLISHER: Aftershock
PUBLICATION DATE: May, 2017
PAGES: 144
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

As the world struggles to accept the emergence of a new kind of human species known as alterations, or “Alters,” a young woman must navigate the path to becoming her true self, while struggling with the complications of her civilian life and the responsibilities of her newfound power.
This groundbreaking series--years in the making--begins the saga of a young woman who can only really be herself…whenever she is not herself.

MY RATING:
I gave this graphic novel a high rating because of how I like original the story is. Chalice, the protagonist, is a trans-woman and possessed extraordinary powers just like the other Alters or superheroes. It is unknown what is the cause of their abilities as it was not reveal in this volume.

I might check the development on the succeeding issue because I'm curious if it would get better. I liked this, but not to the extent that I would consider following the comic series.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

Streak of Chalk

AUTHOR: Miguelanxo Prado
ILLUSTRATOR: Gabriel Guzman, Java Tartaglia
PUBLISHER: NBM Graphics
PUBLICATION DATE: October 1, 2017 (first published January 1st 1994)
PAGES: 106
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

n the occasion of NBM’s 40th anniversary, a classic is brought back in print! A small streak of an island in the Atlantic. On no map. In heavy summer heat. One general store with a woman and her taciturn boy. A lighthouse with no light. Memories and messages graffitied on the pier wall. A chance encounter with a beautiful elusive woman. A Murder. Or was it? Nothing seems completely real. Only the graffitied memories are constant. A mysterious multifaceted novel steeped in magical realism that can be read a number of ways, Streak of Chalk is one of Spain’s best comics authors’ magnum opus, and one of the greatest, most pioneering graphic novels NBM ever published.

MY RATING:The Streak of Chalk is considered as Miguelanxo Prado's magnum opus. It was first published on 1994 and was already translated to different languages, such as German, Dutch, Croatian, Serbian, Portuguese, Valencian, Catalan and English. Moreover, it also won the Best Foreign Comic on 1994 at Angoulême International Comics Festival; Best Work by Saló del Còmic of Barcelona on 1994; Prize of Honor at Amadora Festival on 1994; Best Book of the Year at Hyères Festival on 1993; and nominations at Eisner Award for Best Painter, and Harvey Award for Best Foreign Comics.

What drawn me into this award winning graphic novel is the stunning illustrations and the intriguing story of that mysterious island somewhere in the Atlantic. The picturesque sketches of Miguelanxo Prado, for this graphic novel, were very impressive; and I reckon that these might not be computer-generated or were edited by using a computer graphic software. As this was published on 1994, the used of software to alter images or illustrations were still not prevalent then, so I believe that these are unadulterated work of art of Prado.

I really admired the illustrations that's why I took a lot of time to checked each comic panel as I was reading the dialogues. The story is quite engrossing and the finale gave me chills. Those who love graphic novels and those who are into mystery novels/stories would enjoy this magnificent piece of fiction by Miguelanxo Prado.
If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

Coyotes #1

AUTHOR: Sean Lewis
ILLUSTRATOR: Caitlin Yarsky
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PUBLICATION DATE: November 8 2017
PAGES: 30
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Underworld meets Sicario in this new series from SEAN LEWIS (SAINTS, THE FEW) and amazing new artist CAITLIN YARSKY. Hunted by a legion of wolves that roam the border, women are disappearing. The survivors band together to wage war. Detective Frank Coffey is trying to understand this mythic-level bloodbath when he comes across Red, a little girl with a secret and a sword. Ultra-violent and smart as hell, COYOTES transforms the everyday into a myth we can rally behind.

MY RATING:
The City of Lost Girls and the intriguing mystery behind this place will definitely arouse anyone's interest. Coyotes were hunting and attacking the people of this city and the Victorias, which was govern by the Duchess, were the ones who tries to killed these vicious hunters. Analia is already an orphan, thus the Duchess recruited her to be one of the Victorias; as her rite of passage, she must kill a coyote and get its head.

This is only the first issue of this new comic series, therefore expect that the information about what these coyotes really are will be revealed in the upcoming installments.

Thank you to Image Comics for the ARC of this comic issue.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

Echoes

AUTHOR: Mike Richardson
ILLUSTRATOR: Gabriel Guzman, Java Tartaglia
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Books
PUBLICATION DATE: December 6, 2016
PAGES: 104
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

To prevent a murder, would we become a murderer? Troubled charter pilot Fred Martin is caught in a bizarre and violent storm and loses control of his aircraft. Martin later awakens unharmed only to discover that he is thirty years in the past with the impossible opportunity to right the terrible wrong that ruined his future.
Written by Mike Richardson, creator of The Mask and TimeCop, and illustrated by Gabriel Guzman (Star Wars, Lady Death), Echoes is fantasy drama on a human scale, a provocative journey into how the past is always present."

MY RATING:I had read a similar plot of the story in this graphic novel before. In spite of that, I found myself entertain reading this because of the artwork and of the dialogues. I'll recommend this to those who enjoys reading comic or graphic novels, and to those who like a light-read but still has a good plot.

Thank you to Dark Horse Books for a reading copy of this graphic novel.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

If You Give a Man a Cookie: A Parody

AUTHOR: Laura Joffe Numeroff
PUBLISHER: Andrews McMeel Publishing
PUBLICATION DATE: October 10, 2017
PAGES: 32
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Laura Numeroff, author of the hugely popular children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, offers this hilarious parody of her own book for the man in your life.

If you give a man a cookie...he's going to want milk to go with it...God forbid he should get it himself.

If You Give a Man a Cookie is a woman’s commentary about her helpless man and the chain of events that leads him on a journey from the bed to the bathroom to the couch and back to bed at nightfall.

MY RATING:If You Give a Man a Cookie is a 32-pages pure comic entertainment. Wives would be able to relate to the funny and — more often than not — annoying behaviors of their husbands that were narrated in this graphic novel.

This comics made me realize that (a lot of) women are indeed mature in thinking than men. Thus, we usually clean up their mess, both literally and figuratively, and take care of their needs as they behave like a child sometimes. Ending is both funny and it's like that the author was trying to convey a message: that women should not always try to pamper their partners.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

Flowers For Algernon

AUTHOR: Joseph Wurtenbaugh
PUBLISHER: Mariner Books
PUBLICATION DATE: May 1, 2005 (first published 1966)
PAGES: 311
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:
The story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?

MY RATING:

Flowers For Algernon is undeniably one of the saddest or heart-wrenching novel I've read so far. There are numerous times that some parts of this book that made me teary eyed, especially on how Charlie was maltreated by his own mother and younger sister, and by his colleagues in the bakery.

This novel was first published on the late 50's, thus the people narrated during that time treated people with down syndrome differently. I cannot say that those who had this genetic disorder nowadays no longer experienced discrimination or maltreatment, but perhaps people are more considerate and open-minded now because of the massive information that we can access regarding this.

If you're not into reading sad novels, then you should skip this one. However, don't fail to read this if you can handle distressing stories such as this.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

365 Classic Bedtime Bible Stories: Inspired by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut'sStory of the Bible

AUTHOR: Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
ILLUSTRATOR: Alessia Girasole
PUBLISHER: Shiloh Kidz
PAGES: 384

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Story Time--The Most Important 10 Minutes in a Child's Day!
Your children or grandchildren will delight in this fully-illustrated storybook that brings 365 read-aloud classic Bible stories to life for impressionable young hearts.
Beginning with the creation story, "God Creates the Earth," and ending with "In Eternity with God,” your children will develop faith in an almighty God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, while journeying alongside Bible characters like Samuel, Jonah, Esther, David, John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, and many more.
365 Classic Bedtime Bible Stories promises to make bedtime reading a delightful learning and faith-building experience for your kids 3 and up.

MY RATING:
I've already seen a similar theme of 365 bible stories whenever I check the children's book section in the bookstore. The huge difference is that this version by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut is much better compared to those I've seen before. Some of the differences I can cite are: each story is printed per page, the font is bigger that's why it is readable, and that the illustrations drawn by Alessia Girasole are full page. Therefore, this book is much appealing and pleasant to read than the currently available versions in the market.

Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC of this book.

If you are interested in this book, you may buy it from Amazon:

A World Full of Animal Stories: 50 favourite animal folk tales, mythsand legends

AUTHOR: Angela McAllister
ILLUSTRATOR: Aitch
PUBLISHER: Frances Lincoln Children's Bks
PUBLICATION DATE: October 5, 2017
PAGES: 128

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Discover a menagerie of animals with this book that brings together 50 best-loved tales from all around the world!Meet the Big Bad Wolf, the Ugly Duckling, and many other favorite characters from classic stories, myths, and legends in these fresh and vibrant re-tellings. Perfect for reading aloud!

MY RATING:
The publisher sent a sample of this book which includes three stories: two from Europe, and one from North America. The illustrations done by Aitch are beautifully drawn and the young readers would absolutely love them.

When I'd read the title of this book, some of the Philippine fables crossed my mind. One particular animal fable that is really popular here in our country is the story of The Turtle and The Monkey. Hence, I was really expecting that story, which was popularized by our national hero Dr. José Rizal, will be included in this book. I'm a little disappointed that it is not; nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading the ARC/sample copy that the publisher provided.