Since I was a child I’ve loved comedy. Whether it’s Daffy Duck, the Pink Panther movies, or a Carl Hiaasen novel, I like to laugh and make people laugh. I grew up drawing cartoons, and as a Disney animator I learned the importance of creating characters that audiences could believe and empathize with. Humor has no geographic, religious, or racial boundaries – the human condition is universal, and humor speaks to us all, regardless of language. I strive to write and draw characters that connect with readers and then put them in silly, odd but believable situations to extract the maximum entertainment.
I love this concept of a boy turning a saccharine, boring picture book called Birthday Bunny into Battle Bunny. A pencil his weapon of choice, he attacks the book, driven by his creativity, and turns it into a book he actually wantsto read. A daring idea from the author, this hilarious and engaging book is something any young boy can relate to.
Encourage creativity with this wildly entertaining picture book mash-up from the minds of Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett.
Alex has been given a saccharine, sappy, silly-sweet picture book about Birthday Bunny that his grandma found at a garage sale. Alex isn’t interested—until he decides to make the book something he’d actually like to read. So he takes out his pencil, sharpens his creativity, and totally transforms the story!
Birthday Bunny becomes Battle Bunny, and the rabbit’s innocent journey through the forest morphs into a supersecret mission to unleash an evil plan—a plan that only Alex can stop.
Another irreverent picture book, Jon Scieszka tells the well-known tale from the long-suffering wolf’s point of view, ultimately taking the story into a wild, out-of-this-world realm. Smith’s vibrant, graphic images perfectly suit the story, and Scieszka’s text is witty as the book challenges the reader, as well as the concepts of picture books themselves.
Nine Stories Told Completely in Dialogue is a unique collection of narratives, each unfolding entirely through conversations between its characters. The book opens with "God on a Budget," a tale of a man's surreal nighttime visitation that offers a blend of the mundane and the mystical. In "Doctor in the…
Charming artwork, with a touch of the silly, like all of Catrow’s books. Catrow gets into the head of his adorable mutt main character as he searches the house and backyard, coming up with all sorts of household and garden items that have no remote connection to dinosaurs. Undaunted, our hero continues his search, interpreting tools and toys for dino body parts, until miraculously his creature comes to life!
This is a wonderful study into the self-centered, alternately angry/happy mind of children. Boldly illustrated with a touch of whimsy and great ambiance, and Berger’s simple, clever text with a sweet ending, it’s spot-on for kids to relate to, and for parents trying to understand their kids.
He may look like any ordinary boy, but when faced with a rainy day, a melting popsicle, or an early bedtime, one little boy transforms into a mumbling, grumbling Crankenstein! When Crankenstein meets his match in a fellow Crankenstein, the results could be catastrophic-or they could be just what he needs to brighten his day! As evidenced by the success of books like Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, the popularity of thematic mash-ups in picture books is on the rise. Crankenstein's combination of emotion and monster themes has certain kid and parent-appeal and plenty of promotional opportunities, come Halloween and throughout…
Because Bill Watterson is a master. Creative kids, so often misunderstood, as Calvin is by his parents, (often understandably) there are no bad guys in this comic strip, aside from the imagined creations running amuck in Calvin’s wonderfully weird brain. The drawings are superb, a great mix of flat graphics and Disney dimensionality, and the writing a great insight into lone kids’ behavior. Watterson created a timeless masterpiece that influenced many comics that followed.
The award-winning cartoonist details the further adventures of Calvin, a mischievous young boy with boundless energy and imagination, and his lovable stuffed tiger.
Fat, flaccid, and totally spoiled by his family, feline Fuddles lives a life of eating, sleeping, and the occasional litter-box trip. When he finally opts for adventure, Fuddles discovers he’s not allowed outside. Obsessed with going out and fighting the foes he knows await, Fuddles initiates a “strict exercise regime.” Spying an open front door, he darts outside and loses no time leaping after birds and chasing squirrels. Weighed down by his tubbiness, scared and lonely, and missing his family, Fuddles learns the hard way there’s no place like home.
The colorful comical illustrations trace Fuddles’ journey. Indolent, irascible, and utterly irresistible, Fuddles is the undisputed focus of every scene in this hilarious reminder to stick with a good thing when you’ve got it.
None of them knew what was coming, and none of them will ever be the same again...
Detective Jelani is a tough, veteran cop. His younger partner, Detective Madigan, is brash and confident. But they were not prepared to become embroiled in a series of cosmic events they could never…
Cleo Cooper, a cross-cultural psychology professor, is living the dream on the Big Island of Hawaii. With ocean-dipping weekends, she enjoys her dog, her job, and her boyfriend Ben - until the day she’s on a research vessel and a dead body is caught in the dragline.
