By Kyle Pinion
I love Matt Fraction, David Aja and Annie Wu’s Hawkeye. It’s by far my favorite monthly (which I realize is a stretch to still call it that at this point) comic coming from the Big Two. Its mixture of high impact super-heroics, indie sensibilities, film influences, and raw emotion have paved its own niche in the crowded world of cape comics. With its rampant critical success and sales that aren’t anything to sneeze at, Hawkeye (along with Mark Waid’s wonderful Daredevil) sent Marvel into a more idiosyncratic direction that spawned a number of titles that could be noted as “auteur-driven”.
One of the more unique trends I’d seen regarding the series was how it had served as a form of gateway comic for a number of new readers. In my travels at various convention settings, I’ve learned that a lot of these (often-times younger) readers aren’t quite sure where to head next in their comics reading, or whence to dig further into the various references and influences of Fraction, Aja, and Wu that have informed or been worked into the title.
With that said, here’s my take on a “Hawkguy” shopping guide..
Where to go if you’re looking for more Clint and Kate
Secret Avengers and Young Avengers – The obvious place to jump off point if you’re a fan of a series that dictates itself as “What Hawkeye does when he’s not being an Avenger…” is to read about what he’s up to when he is. With Ales Kot’s and Michael Walsh’s work on Secret Avengers and Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s Young Avengers, you can do just that for both Clint and Kate respectively. While other Avengers books, including the previous Nick Spencer-written run on Secret Avengers, also feature Hawkeye at times, Kot and Walsh’s Secret Avengers comes the closest to Fraction’s work in overall tone and feels somewhat of a piece with the sort of “knowing” vibe found in the series. It’s also absolutely bonkers and worthy of attention on its own merits. Young Avengers is, conversely, like all Gillen-McKelvie collaborations, a tonal pop record of a comic. It gives you another look at Kate, with a great focus on her romantic entanglement with Marvel Boy, while also featuring an incredibly diverse cast. Also, both books are colored by the incredible Matt Wilson, Bonus!
Films and Television that inspired the series
Hawkeye is, as previously mentioned, inspired by visual media, with both subtle tonal similarities, and much more overt homages. Here are a few worth noting…
The Long Goodbye – Remember Harold from Kate’s adventure in LA? The cat food buying freelance writer that Kate would encounter in the grocery store and would inspire her to become a “hero for hire”? While the character was created for Tomb of Dracula by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, Matt Fraction and Annie Wu basically transformed him into a pastiche of the hero of Robert Altman’s hazy LA noir classic The Long Goodbye. Recently released on Blu-ray this week, treat yourself to one of the best films of a film-making master.
Rio Bravo – What this John Wayne Western classic, that also stars Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson, actually has to do with the finale of Hawkeye is still to be determined. But, the solicit of Hawkeye #21, the first of the upcoming two-part finale, explicitly references it. While it still remains to be seen how much the tale of a small-town sherriff and his unlikely band of allies keeping a murderer behind bars from the attempts of a brother trying to set him free will actually play into the finale…we’ll play it safe and say its a big influence.
Hot Fuzz – In interviews, Annie Wu has specifically cited Edgar Wright as a major inspiration for her work, particularly in her tendency to have disembodied hands pop up into close-ups to deliver notes or a phone. A slighter inspiration for sure, but well worth viewing for those unfamiliar with his work. Given the subject matter at hand, Hot Fuzz, one of Wright’s more under-appreciated films and one based more on a (very!) heightened version of reality than the sci-fi or horror outings that surround it, is probably the way to go.
Enter the Dragon – So much of Hawkeye, especially in its earlier issues, is indebted to 70’s action films. Really, you could find any suitable choice to fill in this slot, from the Steve McQueen starring Bullitt or the Gene Hackman fronted masterpiece The French Connection; but given that Fraction was recently interviewed by NPR about his love of Enter the Dragon, the titular Bruce Lee tour de force, we’ll go with that. You can’t go wrong with the Hackman vehicle either!
The Rockford Files - Even in the promotion of the first issue, Fraction was drawing parallels between Clint Barton and Jim Rockford, the hero of the unusual for its day 70’s detective series The Rockford Files. When you break it down, the similarities are definitely there: a private detective taking on cases of the lost and the dispossessed while living in a trailer off the coast of Malibu, with his life in some state of financial disarray, resorting to humor over violence. While his original James Bond-esque take on the character appears in the two-part Javier Pulido drawn “The Tape” story-line, James Garner’s atypical gumshoe informed a great majority of Fraction’s scripts surrounding it.
Comics at the root of Hawkeye
The comic book inspirations that drive Matt Fraction and David Aja are wide-ranging and could fill up an entire post by itself, but for a wide overview its impossible to overstate the influence of Los Bros Hernandez, Warren Ellis and Howard Chaykin on Fraction, while David Aja is clearly indebted to the work of illustrative wizard David Mazzucchelli. I’ve cited three key works from the first three creators that Fraction himself has signaled out that are must reads, and for Mazzucchelli, while his superhero career was sadly all too short, his revolutionary take on Daredevil with Frank Miller is fitting given that we’re talking about another Marvel character.
Maggie the Mechanic – The first chapter in Jaime Hernandez’s decades-spanning LOCAS story in the legendary Love & Rockets. While both Hernandez brothers were/are equally influential in Fraction’s formative story-telling growth, its the punk rock aesthetic and energy of Jaime that rings closer to the tone of Hawkeye. This is a journey worth taking from the beginning.
Daredevil: Born Again – For my money, maybe the best thing to ever host the Marvel logo. Buy it, if you haven’t already.
Planetary – What The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is to Victorian Literature, Planetary is to Pulp and Comic Books. Everything critics were praising in Ellis’ short run on Moon Knight had its start here. Ellis has worked many comic book wonders, but Planetary is his best, at least for those with a predilection towards superheros and their archetypes.
American Flagg – When it comes to the 80’s works that revolutionized comics everyone talks about Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, and Maus. Yet had American Flagg ever stayed in print regularly, there’s no doubt that Howard Chaykin’s opus would be in that conversation as well. Sleek, sexy, whip-smart, and colored like an EGA computer game, American Flagg‘s first 12 issues are must reads for anyone wanting to get a masterclass in great comics.
If anyone has a great suggestion for influences on Annie Wu’s art, please toss them at me in the comments! My knowledge only goes so far.
Music to play in the background while you’re reading all those new comics
Pet Sounds – Not only because its an unimpeachably great album, but a Brian Wilson-esque character plays a big role in another one of Annie Wu’s LA based issues. More than 50 years later and this is still the sound of Southern California to my ears.
Or you could check out the various songs and pieces that David Aja listed in the back of a number of the earliest issues of the series, of which someone was kind enough to post up a good deal of on Youtube. I’ll never turn down free Miles Davis.
If you can’t get enough Fraction in your life
Though, if you’re into Hawkeye, you may just want to chase down more Fraction books, and who can blame you? Chances are, you’ve probably already heard about or read Sex Criminals, his very popular Image Comic with artist Chip Zdarsky. It’s great of course, as is his team-up with Howard Chaykin, the 50’s television mystery Satellite Sam (which, like Hawkeye, is going to have its own peek into New York and LA) but I might also recommend the following specifically…
The Immortal Iron Fist – Fraction and Aja’s other team-up on a blonde Marvel hero. This is where the Enter the Dragon inspiration really comes to the fore, especially in the masterful tournament storyline “The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven”. Its also a series that was for a time, co-written by Ed Brubaker.
Casanova – Though my pick for favorite Fraction book is the multi-dimensional spy saga Casanova. One part Pynchon, one part Morrison’s The Invisibles, and a whole lot of great Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba art. This is a writer completely unfiltered and is the kind of series I find myself reading at least once a year, where I discover something new every time. Image has just started to release brand new hardcovers as well, so there’s never been a better time to introduce yourself to Casanova Quinn.
Fun Hawkeye swag
Hawkeye Messenger bag – From the fine folks at WeLoveFine, I got this at San Diego Comic Con this year and I love it.
Pizza Dog shirt – Also for you Pizza Dog lovers, there’s now a shirt!
Looking into the future
And lastly, you may know that Jeff Lemire and Ramon K. Perez will be taking the reins from Fraction and Aja starting in March of next year. You might be curious about what they’re bringing to the table. Rest assured, the works below, including Lemire’s first take on an archer character in his New 52 Green Arrow run, his rural Canadian hockey saga Essex County and Perez’s essaying of Jim Henson’s A Tale of Sand script should leave you feeling pretty excited about the future of your favorite purple clad hero.
Green Arrow: The Kill Machine
Essex County
Jim Henson’s A Tale of Sand
Happy Shopping!
Here are two picture books that make anything seem possible.
Little Elephants,
by Graeme Base, Abrams, $16.95, ages 4 and up, 40 pages, 2012. When locusts threaten a boy's farm, a stranger appears with a magical horn that brings a herd of tiny elephants to the rescue. In this enchanting picture book, Jim and his mother are nearly out of luck -- their harvester is broken and a swarm of locusts is headed their way. But then something incredible happens. Jim sees a mysterious vagabond wading through the wheat stalks. Though the man cannot stay to help, he tells Jim the wind will bring good luck. That afternoon, Jim discovers a bullhorn left on the gate and as he blows into it, clouds of dust waft out and set off a wondrous chain of events. First, a wild mouse that Jim had let loose the day before returns to his bedroom with a surprise: A herd of toy-sized elephants scuffling under his bed. They're frisky and mischievous, and Jim tries to hide them because his mom doesn't want animals in the house. But then the locusts descend, and the elephants break cover and come charging out. They sprout wings and with trunks swinging, launch themselves at the locusts and drive them away. At last, the wheat is safe. But how will Jim and his mother ever harvest it? Base once again dips his pen into a magical place and gives readers something to dream about.
Best parts: Nighttime scenes of the elephants racing around Jim's room on toy cars and frolicking in the yard with egg beaters and spoons -- and later, flying off with the stranger into the sunset.
The Man from the Land of Fandango,
by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Polly Dunbar, Clarion, $16.99, ages 4 and up, 32 pages, 2012. A jolly man in a tricolor jacket leaps off a painting on a magical journey into make-believe, in this sparkly treasure by the late Mahy and her long-time illustrating partner Dunbar. After a girl and boy dab the last paint onto the man's portrait, he "bingles and bangles and bounces" off the picture and takes them on a musical romp with instrument-tooting animals. By the end of the picture book, the showman has danced on ceilings and walls, and taken the children bouncing on kangaroos and sliding down a wave of dreams. Mahy's rhymes skip and somersault across the page, while Dunbar's watercolors shout with glee. Characters smile with half-moon eyes and take trampoline leaps as stars and bubbles float about them. Every character in the story looks dizzily happy and that makes readers want to feel that way too. A wonderful farewell from one of the world's most beloved writers.
Favorite part: Watching the man from Fandango leap into life and show us all that you're never too old to be playful -- "He comes in at the door like a somersault star" and dances around as merrily as chimney sweep Bert from Mary Poppins before popping back into his portrait.
Give the gift that gives all year. An enchanting read-aloud, an illustrated moment in history, a story about a teacher who changed a child's world.
Here are six ideas -- for more gift ideas and close-ups of these covers, scroll down for a slide show or click here.
Watership Down, by Richard Adams, illustrated by Aldo Galli,
Atheneum, $29.99, ages 10 and up, 496 pages. A band of rabbits flees its comfy warren to live in the Berkshire Downs after a psychic buck named Fiver predicts danger, in this first-ever illustrated version of the 1972 classic. Luminous pictures capture the magic of Adam's heroic tale -- originally told to his children over a long car journey.
Because Your Are My Teacher, by Sherry North, illustrated by Marcellus Hall,
Abrams, $16.95, ages 4 and up, 32 pages. A teacher takes her class on an imaginary journey to seven continents (by schooner, camels, helicopter and skis), in this beautiful, rhyming picture book by the creators of
Because You Are My Baby. "If we had a schooner, we would have our class at sea / And study the Atlantic, where the great blue whales roam free," the book begins.
The Art of Miss Chew, by Patrician Polacco,
Putnam, $17.99, ages 5 and up, 32 pages, 2012. A much-loved author and illustrator recalls her struggle with a reading disability and the teacher who stood up for her when she couldn't keep up. In this inspiring, autobiographical picture book, "Trisha" Polacco pays tribute to MIss Chew, a high school art teacher who refused to let a substitute teacher pull her out of art class.
Mr. Terupt Falls Again, by Rob Buyea,
Delacorte, $16.99, ages 9 and up, 368 pages, 2012. Back on his feet after a coma, beloved teacher Mr. Terupt gets to spend one more year with his seven students before they graduate from elementary school. With energy and understanding, he helps them be their best as they try to pull off an extra-credit project. A heart-warming companion to
the 2010 gem
Because of Mr. Terupt.
I Have a Dream (Book & CD), by Martin Luther King Jr., illustrated by Kadir Nelson,
Schwartz & Wade, $18.99, ages 5 and up, 40 pages. A gorgeous, intimate picture book of Martin Luther King's world-changing speech, "I Have a Dream." Up-close head shots of King speaking and a united crowd watching are paired with the last third of the speech. Nelson's paintings make King look as big as his message. A phenomenal series of paintings, which when paired with the entire speech on CD, take your breath away.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, by William Joyce, illustrated by Joyce and Joe Bluhm,
Atheneum, $17.99, ages 4 and up, 56 pages, 2012. When a hurricane blows away all of the books in his house, a wayward bibliophile moves into a magical library where books nest, chatter, fly and whisper invitations to adventure. Based on the 2011 Academy Award-winning short film by the same name, this stunning picture book was inspired by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton,
The Wizard of Oz and the curative power of books. Watch the trailer below! For more about this magical book, visit
morrislessmore.com.
Books that are small enough to slip into stockings and charming enough to belong there! (See Note for Santa at the end of each review.)
Bear Despair (Stories Without Words), by Gaetan Doremus,
Enchanted Lion, $14.95, ages 4 and up, 32 pages, 2012. Never play keep-away from a bear. But if you dare, just beware. He has a big belly and he might stuff you in there -- until he's good and ready to let you out. In this hilarious sixth title in the wordless series, a bear chases down animals who've taken his teddy bear, then swallow them whole when they decide to be mean and toss the toy away.
One night, Bear wakes up to find that Wolf has snatched Teddy right from under his arm. In despair, Bear gives chase, but just as he catches up to Wolf, Wolf snickers and flings poor Teddy up and over the trees. Bear is furious, goes in for a tackle and stuffs Wolf into his mouth. As Wolf howls from inside Bear's belly, Bear races off to find Teddy. There! Teddy's on the ground. Up ahead! But why is Lion grabbing him? Jeering at Bear? Holding Teddy out his reach? Now Lion is running away and Bear is after him. But as Lion reaches a cliff, he hurls Teddy into the air. Bear can't believe his eyes and in a rage, gobbles down Lion. Now, Wolf and Lion are hunkered in Bear's belly, heads in hands, bored stiff.
And Bear? Well, he's spotted Teddy again -- this time, in a mountain-top nest. Hey, what's Bird doing flying away with Teddy? Bear's heart feels like it'll explode and with a roar, he gets back at Bird and swallows her eggs. But revenge isn't sweet for long and with heavy paws, Bear trudges up a hill, plunks down under a rain cloud, and lets out a mournful roar. It helps, though, to vent and soon Bear has perked up, and with arms swaying, resumes his search. As you might guess, Bear doesn't like what he finds: this time it's Elephant who has absconded with Teddy. As Bear tries to tug Teddy free of Elephant's trunk, Elephant growls and tosses Teddy up once more. So of course, Bear eats Elephant. And since he has, Bear's body stretches into an enormous pear shape. But now, Wolf, Lion and Elephant have had time to think and, as it so happens, learn about loving something: As Wolf and Lion kneel on Elephant's back (it's pretty crowded inside Bear's belly), they watch two little birds hatch from the eggs and begin to coo. But will Bear ever recover Teddy? And if he does, will these silly animals ever be free again? A delight from start to finish. Doremus' premise is hysterical and his cross hatch-style illustrations are so expressive, readers may forget there aren't words to go with them. A gem for any a child whose ever loved a stuffed toy.
Best Part: A drawing of Bear pull out all of the animal from his stomach, with each linked to the others by tails, arms or a trunk.
Note for Santa: This book measures 10 1/4 inches by 6 1/8 inches. Pair it with a little purple teddy bear.
Twelve Kinds of Ice, by Ellen Bryan Obed, illustrations by Barbara McClintock,
Houghton Mifflin, $16.99, ages 7 and up, 64 pages. As the air grows crisp and hats and mittens go on, a girl savors each stage of ice that comes to her family's farm and the promise it brings, in this toasty, magical tale. With spare, sweet prose, Obed reminisces about playing on ice as a child and dreaming of it when it was gone.
Obed, who grew up on a six-acre farm in Maine, goes chapter by chapter through each phase of ice that she and her brothers and sister would watch for and describes each of them so tenderly that readers will wish for those memories too. Every stage of ice feels more grand than the last and ultimately leads Obed's family to transform their vegetable garden (with "boards and snow, a garden hose, and hours of work") into a neighborhood skating rink. The book begins with the children watching ice thicken in pails -- from "a skim of ice so thin that it broke when we touched it" to an unbreakable ice that brought them what they were waiting for -- an ice hard enough to skate on. Their first skating ice was always field ice, a short-lived strip of frozen water in a hay field. Then came stream ice, a frozen meander of ice "where the stream smalled to a brook of bent alders." After that was black ice, when their pond was "shocked still by the cold" and for a brief time, the children skated to the middle of it, carved out circles and listened to ice "cracking and groaning as it stretched itself in the cold." Then, it was time to prepare their rink for ice, a cozy family affair of nailing in boards, packing in snow with feet, skis and a toboggan, then spraying the snow with layers of water. When they were done, word would spread through the neighborhood that "Bryan Gardens" was open and boys would leap onto the ice "like steers out of a pen" and girls would glide out and carve figure eights.
But of course, ice doesn't last forever, and as the weather slowly warms, Obed also describes the phases of thawing and how even after winter was gone, she'd continue to skate (in her dreams). Obed's memories are idyllic and contagious in nostalgic way. They have a comforting familiarity, even if readers have never put on skates, made all he richer by McClintock's pen-and-ink drawings. Readers will want to linger on the words and pictures, and may even feel tempted, as I did, to carry the book around with them, as if it were a pocket book of poems.
Note for Santa: This book measures 5 1/2 inches wide by 7 inches long. Pair it with an ice skating ornament made of felt or one made to look like a little winter coat.
The Game Of board book series, by Herve Tullet,
Phaidon, $9.95-$12.95, ages 2 and up, 14 pages, 2012. Known in his native France as the "Prince of Pre-School Books," author-illustrator Tullet is acclaimed for many books that children touch and explore, including last year's gem
Press Here. Here are three of his latest game books:
The Game of Red, Yellow and Blue: Little shapes of blended color go searching for their mums and dads, in this joyful exploration of the color wheel. First, a small purple square calls out to three big squares (Red, Yellow and Blue) and asks which of them are his mother and father. Red and Blue reply, "Red and Blue are the Only Parents for You!," then stretch over the fold and overlap onto the little square as if in a hug. Next it's Green Circle's turn, then Orange Triangle's. Finally, all three complementary colors know where they belong. Now it's time to swirl together and create new (tertiary) colors. It's a rainbow carnival and every color is invited. A charming introduction to color that could also be used to celebrate diversity.
The Game in the Dark: Turn out the lights and follow a rocket ship as it journeys through a glow-in-the-dark galaxy on its way to the moon. For this charming wordless adventure, readers hold their book up to a light to charge up greenish white paint on the cover and pages, then slip into a dark room (or closet) and watch a rocket soar and swerve through space. Little fingers can trace's the rocket's path (a dotted line of paint) around planets, through concentric circles of orbiting satellites, past a five-pointed star, and over a giant planet before its makes a lunar landing. A perfect way to help little ones sleep without a light.
The Game of Sculpture: In this tactile delight, readers unfold accordian-like pages, and use notches, slots, holes and shapes to reconstruct a book into 3-D art. Every page is an art panel, and has unique, ready-made slits (at the top, middle and sides of the page) and holes, and is perforated with assorted shapes for readers to punch out. As readers position the pages in different ways, they insert the triangles, ovals or rectangles into slots to hold the sculpture in place and build their designs. Readers are also encouraged to paint their own shapes (such as an empty toilet paper roll) and work them into their design. Every page is painted in shades of a single pigment and looks as if it were glazed with finger paints. The book unfolds into 16 panels (eight on each side), and has seven parallel folds. An exciting way to encourage creativity.
Note for Santa: Each book measures 5 3/4 inches by 8 1/4 inches. Pair these games with tickets to an art museum.
3D Keepsake Cityscapes and Expanding Pocket Guides (
London, New York, Paris, Washington, D.C., and
The Metropolitan Museum of Art), by Sarah McMenemy,
Candlewick, $8.99, ages 5 and up, 30 pages, 2012. Readers go sight seeing right in the palm of their hands, in these charming little guides to the world's greatest cities and museums. McMenemy's innovative guides are about the size of coasters and open like accordions to reveal about a dozen sights.
The first fold-out gives an overview of the place they're visiting, either a city or museum, while the rest of them feature famous landmarks or exhibits they would see there. Many of these places are architectural -- towers, churches, bridges or sculptures -- and are depicted in water colors in 3-D. Beside each landmark or exhibit is a short description of the sight and the experience of being there: for instance, in the Paris guide, readers are told they ascend the Eiffel Tower through a glass elevator and see a glorious panorama. When guides are stretched to their maximum size, five feet, readers flip them over and continue the tour on the opposite side, with the last two pages reserved for a map of all the places they saw.
Then when not in use, the book is folded up and stored in an illustrated cardboard sleeve. The books have the feel of miniature maps, but are much easier to fold and far more charming. Diminutive, painterly scenes and hand-lettering make them feel artsy and handmade, and give readers a lovely taste for what the world has to offer. Learn more about McMenemy
here.
Note for Santa: Each measures almost 4 inches by 4 inches. Pair a guide with a favorite children's novel set in the same location for a fun gift.
A trio of picture books about feisty gals who aren't afraid to get their slippers wet.
Princess in Training,
by Tammi Sauer, pictures by Joe Berger, Harcourt, 2012, $16.99, ages 4-8, 32 pages. Princess Viola throws herself into life like a comic book hero. But is that any way for a princess to behave? Her parents, the king and queen, think not and send her off to princess camp to make her prim and proper. But poor Viola only wants to run and leap. Rather than master waving at the wrist, she karate chops the air -- and soon she's dived into a moat in her taffeta gown and skateboarded up a drawbridge. By the end of the day, Viola feels like a total flop. But hey, what's a giant, fire-breathing creature doing at the princess dance? Could all of Viola's wild moves come in handy after all? Sauer's story shouts girl power, while Berger's art bursts on the page. Lichtenstein-style explosions (vibrant colors and Ben-day dots) and bold, superhero sound words (Hi-Ya! and Zip! Zup! Zoom!) convey Viola's unstoppable spirit.
Best part: The energy -- it's hypnotic. Words and pictures are equally charged and together, deliver a one-two punch.
The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas,
by Tony Wilson, pictures by Sue deGennaro, Peachtree, 2012, $16.95, ages 4-8, 32 pages. In this adorable twist on the
Princess and the Pea, a woodsy prince finds true love by challenging his best friend to rough it. Prince Henrik could have any gal. Every time he leaves the castle, girls scream, toss him tulips and wilt, "Oh my goodness, it's him!" But how does a prince like Henrik find a real princess? A girl with a nice smile? Who loves camping and playing hockey? Henrik's brother Hans thinks Henrik should use the old pea-in-a-mattress trick. But that's if Henrik wants a wife like Hans's -- one that's fussy and demanding. What Henrik wants is a girl who can take what she gets. So, he comes up with special bed to weed out sensitive gals: an old sleeping bag over a thin camping mattress atop a bag of frozen peas. Though many girls visit his palace, none of them appreciate the accommodations. In fact, most wake up bent out shape and toss frozen peas in his face. Then one day, Henrik's old friend Pippa comes for a stay and after a rough-and-tumble day of play, he's smitten. So he sets her up in the guest room and waits for morning. But why would any girl want to sleep with a freezing bag of vegetables in her bed? Wilson's wry humor makes this a delight, while deGennaro's delicate drawings make it playful.
Best part: DeGennaro's depiction of Henrik's groupies: girls with paper-thin bodies and legs jointed like jumping jacks'.
Olivia and the Fairy Princess,
by Ian Falconer, Atheneum, 2012, $17.99, ages 3-7, 32 pages. Olivia the pig is in a tizzy over what she should be some day. Her father says she'll always be his little princess -- but come on. A princess? That's what every other girl (and some boys) want to be. And if there's one thing Olivia is, it's authentic, beyond compare -- and befuddling. In this funny sequel to the Olivia books, Olivia spends an entire day getting worked up over why anyone would want to be a princess. She reminds her mother of how bravely she resists the pressures to wear pink and act dainty. When other girls dress in ruffly skirts, Olivia wears a snappy sailor shirt. When other girls twirl like ballerinas, she makes dramatic poses in a black fabric tube (an avant-garde number without sleeves). By the end of the day, Olivia's so fired up that she's indignant. Her mother begins a bedtime story in which a beautiful maiden is rescued by a prince and Olivia can't believe where it's headed. Not another prince making a girl his princess! Her mother swiftly ditches the book and opens
The Little Match Girl instead. But being a freezing little match girl doesn't sound like fun either. As Olivia tries to settle down for the night, she imagines doing something valiant with her life… Or should she just find a nice pedestal to put herself on? Witty as ever, Falconer writes to all those girls who'd rather go on an adventure than be rescued.
Best part: Olivia's inspiration to ditch the tutu -- a photo over her bed from Martha Graham's "Lamentation."
Tomorrow is Valentines Day and we still have to go pick up my daughters valentines and supplies for her classroom party. I meant to go all last week and it seems like life just kept getting in the way.
If you are like me and need some last minute Valentines gifts, check out your local Hallmark Gold Crown store. Besides a huge selection of cards, Hallmark has great Valentines Gifts.
Two of my very favorite products are there Blooming Expressions and
Recordable Storybooks.
Every night before Kik goes to bed, she puts her arms around me and locks me in her "gate". To get out I have to repeat the code word. She switches it up every once in a while, but usually it's either "I love you to the moon and back." Or I Love You Forever, I Like You For Always, Always and Forever My Baby You'll Be."
When I saw that Hallmark had recordable storybooks for both of these books, I knew I had found the perfect Valentines Day present for her. She can listen to me read her a bedtime story as many times as she needs to without having me physically be in her room.
With the recordable storybooks all you have to do is unscrew the cover, and flip the switch to record. Then you read every page and it records your voice. You can listen to the recording to make sure it sounds exactly like you want it to, and rerecord if needed. When you are done you flip the switch back to normal and screw the cover back on. And you're done!
The recordable storybooks retail for $29.99, and make a great gift.
Another Valentines Day product I love is Hallmark's Blooming Expressions. Basically it's a rose that opens and closes by the push of a button, with a secret message inside.
Here's a video I took to show you how it works.
My girls love to push the button and watch it open and close!
To Buy - The Blooming Expressions are only available at your
local Hallmark Gold Crown stores and select Hallmark retailers.
To Win -
For us, Christmas doesn't end on Christmas day. We have family parties and gift exchanges up through New Years. For these types of gifts and parties, my husband and I like to find usual and unique gifts to give our family members. A great place to shop for these types of gifts is Zazzle.com.
Zazzle has a huge selection of customizable and create your own products. They carry shirts, necklaces, shoes, skateboards, binders, and more.
When I was shopping at Zazzle.com I decided to search for fun variations to classic gifts, and see what I could find. Because a tie is a classic dad gift I spent quite awhile searching through the tie section. They have everything from classic styles to hairy chest ties. It truly disturbs me, but I can't look away.
Because my husband is a bit nerdy I did want to get him something fun. I love this multi colored tie because it looks like a fun pattern but is actually
dancing robots.
I've looked at quite a few create your own websites, but Zazzle is the only one I've seen that carries shoes. And since Kik loves shoes I decided to see if I could find some that would be perfect for her. I didn't find one, I found tons! I was surprised at how many different styles of unicorn shoes they had. I let her look and pick her absolute favorites and she showed me these - the
unicorn paradise kids shoes.
She thinks the unicorn is beautiful and loves the hot pink.
Since Kik was looking at the site with me, she really wanted to look at the unicorn necklaces. She found the perfect thing to wear with those beautiful shoes - the
Unicorn Dark Necklace.
The necklace features
Full-color, full-bleed printingSterling Silver-PlateUV Resistant and Waterproof
Whether you or a loved one already uses a smart phone or iPad or will be receiving one this holiday season, a must have is a good protective case. You need look no further than the cases produced by Pong Research. They are the perfect accessory for your smart phone or iPad.
I got my iPad a few months ago and shortly thereafter found a case online. It got the job done, but it was a little bulky and definitely took away from the slim and light design of the iPad. When my wife asked if I wanted to give the Pong case a try I wondered how different it could really be. But when I tried it out I found that there is a world of difference. And the Pong case is superior in every way.
First, the Pong case is super thin and light. It barely adds any bulk and it almost feels like using the iPad without a case at all.
Next, the case is somewhat similar to other iPad cases and props the iPad in appropriate landscape positions for watching videos or typing. However, it is even more versatile because it also props the iPad in portrait mode, which is ideal for reading.
I also like that the case will put the iPad to sleep and wake it up when you open and close the case.
The best thing about the Pong cases, is that they are specially designed to reduce the amount of radiation absorbed by your body when you use your devices. This is particularly important for children, whose developing brains and bodies are more susceptible to the effects of radiation. The Pong cases have been shown to reduce cellular radiation up to 95% below FCC target levels! The radiation emitted by many electronic devices has the potential to be harmful and Pong Research is dedicated to reducing the risk as much as possible.
Pong cases are very easy to install and use. They are an excellent choice to protect not only your device, but the person using it.
To Buy - Pong products range in price depending on the price and come in a variety of colors. You can visit
www.pongresearch.com to view all available products. You can also check out Pong on
facebook for more information.
I received a product to review from the above company or their PR Agency. Opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own - I was not influenced in any way. I received no monetary compensation for this post.
For anyone with a little girl - daughter, granddaughter, niece, friend, or cousin - on their shopping list, you need to check this store out - Orb Factory!
Orb Factory is based in Halifax Nova Scotia and has a great selection of no mess crass kits for kids. Their number one line - Sticky Mosaics® allows kids to peel & stick sparkling foam and jewel tiles. They are made for kids ages 3 and up and can either be matched by shape or # (depending on product).
We tried out the
Unicorn Sparkle Ups and Kik LOVED it. At our latest holiday party she sat down with her 16 year old uncle and bedazzled some unicorns. On her 1st try she followed the number selection, but then decided to just do her own thing. Here are some of her creations.
The Sparkle Ups were super easy to use. All you had to do was peel and stick the jewel and out it on the appropriate number circle - or anywhere else Kik decided to put it. Then the Unicorns themselves were stickers that you could put on different items.
To Buy - The Unicorn Sparkle Ups retail for just $9.99 and are designed for kids age 4+. Lots of the products are glittery and sparkly but they also have some fun gladiator, knight, dragon, and other boy themed kits. Kik loved this and spent forever designing her unicorns exactly how she wanted them. I would definitely shop there again.
To Win - Orb Factory is giving away a Unicorn Sparkle Up Kit to one of you! To Enter complete Any of the Entries on the Rafflecopter form Below
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retails for around $30 and can be found online and at most major retailers.
I accidentally put my info for "Enter Another Giveaway" in the entry labeled "Add My Button to your Blog". I don't have a blog so that one should be left blank. I'm so sorry! I don't want to screw up your giveaway! Please delete the Add My Button to your Blog entry:)