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howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)
If you're a follower of Owlturd Comix, you've probably already read some (or maybe all) of these like I have, but don't let that stop you, because Andrew's comics are totally worth rereading, and having them all in a collection like this is lovely. If you're new to his comics, they're all basically about life and how difficult it can be, especially when you have anxiety! I relate so much to practically every single comic in this book, honestly, and sometimes, you just need someone who gets it to playfully poke fun at the messy parts of your brain.
Oh, and, uh... end morning culture.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Oh, and, uh... end morning culture.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The pros:
- a lot of information (some of it was new to me, too—especially segments that debunked some information from media depictions of dinosaurs)
- the physical version comes with a 3D t. rex puzzle for kids to put together
The cons:
- similar to another similar release from this publisher, Monster Sharks, the CGI artwork is mostly average with some of it actually being pretty poorly done
- the focus is so heavy on the t. rex and how other dinosaurs relate to it, but I would have liked to focus less on the comparisons and more on the information specific to those other dinosaurs
Would I add it to my son's library? Maybe
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
- a lot of information (some of it was new to me, too—especially segments that debunked some information from media depictions of dinosaurs)
- the physical version comes with a 3D t. rex puzzle for kids to put together
The cons:
- similar to another similar release from this publisher, Monster Sharks, the CGI artwork is mostly average with some of it actually being pretty poorly done
- the focus is so heavy on the t. rex and how other dinosaurs relate to it, but I would have liked to focus less on the comparisons and more on the information specific to those other dinosaurs
Would I add it to my son's library? Maybe
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This little graphic novel is absolutely PHENOMENAL and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It covers eight stories of important black historical figures, and makes them perfectly readable for any age range. There is some creative censoring in place for young readers whose parents might not be comfortable with them seeing slurs in print, as well as older readers who don't want to be reminded of those hurtful phrases, but the point is never glossed over. That said, these stories do not focus on black pain—they focus on black pride and the amazing things these individuals have done.
The individuals highlighted in the collection are Jourdon Anderson, Stagecoach Mary Fields, Willie Kennard, Cathay Williams, Blind Tom Wiggins, Millie and Christine McCoy, Victor Green, and Eugene Bullard. All of the stories take place during the 1820s-1960s. While I was familiar with almost all of the stories, this collection made me realize I'd been fed whitewashed versions of many of them, so I'm very grateful to the author for putting together this work and showing me what really happened. It was eye-opening in a sense as it made me realize that I need to do better about ensuring that the historical information I'm reading is the truth and not yet another contribution to the systemic oppression and erasure of black history and culture.
Of course, this collection of stories would be a perfect one to recommend for Black History Month, but I want to echo what the author stated at the end of the collection: "28 days are not enough when it comes to Black History." Don't wait until BHM—pick this one up immediately, and you won't regret it!
Thank you so much to Fulcrum Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The individuals highlighted in the collection are Jourdon Anderson, Stagecoach Mary Fields, Willie Kennard, Cathay Williams, Blind Tom Wiggins, Millie and Christine McCoy, Victor Green, and Eugene Bullard. All of the stories take place during the 1820s-1960s. While I was familiar with almost all of the stories, this collection made me realize I'd been fed whitewashed versions of many of them, so I'm very grateful to the author for putting together this work and showing me what really happened. It was eye-opening in a sense as it made me realize that I need to do better about ensuring that the historical information I'm reading is the truth and not yet another contribution to the systemic oppression and erasure of black history and culture.
Of course, this collection of stories would be a perfect one to recommend for Black History Month, but I want to echo what the author stated at the end of the collection: "28 days are not enough when it comes to Black History." Don't wait until BHM—pick this one up immediately, and you won't regret it!
Thank you so much to Fulcrum Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The pros:
- a lot of information (some of it was even new to me)
- a cool variety of animals depicted
- the physical version comes with a 3D megalodon puzzle for kids to put together!
The cons:
- the CGI artwork used varies from "okayish" to laughably bad—some images honestly looked like something out the late 90s, not 2018
- most of the artwork is focused so heavily on showing the dinosaurs eating other dinosaurs, complete with half-eaten carcasses floating in the water—something a lot of kids on the younger end of the target age range are going to be upset by and/or scared of
Would I add it to my son's library? Probably not.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
- a lot of information (some of it was even new to me)
- a cool variety of animals depicted
- the physical version comes with a 3D megalodon puzzle for kids to put together!
The cons:
- the CGI artwork used varies from "okayish" to laughably bad—some images honestly looked like something out the late 90s, not 2018
- most of the artwork is focused so heavily on showing the dinosaurs eating other dinosaurs, complete with half-eaten carcasses floating in the water—something a lot of kids on the younger end of the target age range are going to be upset by and/or scared of
Would I add it to my son's library? Probably not.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is intended to be a collection of dark, hilarious comics about life, and given my own tendency for gallows humor, I was pretty stoked, but, eh... for every one or two comics that registered on the funny scale at all, there are five that ranged from un-funny to downright eyeroll-inducing. I also don't think this humor is particularly dark, unless your idea of dark is just cartoon guys stabbing each other every now and then.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Simone de Beauvoir is a nonfiction story about a French philosopher and activist who was known for being one of the first in what we would consider our strides towards modern feminism. It's a fine little story with a few facts about her life—I appreciated especially the explanation that she never married or lived together with her significant other, but this didn't make their relationship any less special—there's just nothing noteworthy about the book or the artwork.
Would I add it to my son's library? No.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Would I add it to my son's library? No.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I absolutely love Chibird to begin with, so I was really excited to read this, and it is exactly what I needed today. Jacqueline Chen specializes in motivational comics, and this entire book is just full of motivation, inspiration, optimism, hope, love, warmth, positivity, and cuteness. If there has ever been a warm, cozy hug in book form, Loading Penguin Hugs is it. ♥
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
What a precious idea for a children's book! One Day, So Many Ways takes each major component of a child's average day (i.e., waking up, breakfast, lunch, playtime, etc.), and shows how it might look in a handful of different countries all over the world, complete with colorful, fun artwork. I was amazed by the variety of cultures represented here and feel like it's such a fun and exciting way for children to learn more about kids from other parts of the world.
Would I add it to my son's library? Yes!
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Would I add it to my son's library? Yes!
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is a Whoopsie! is the story of a very clumsy little moose and his feelings of general inadequacy at... moosedom? Anyways, it's really adorable, has some fun factoids for kids about moose, and offers a friendly reminder to love yourself, even if you don't fit the criteria that some people think you should. The artwork is colorful and fun, and I think this would be a really cute addition to any child's library.
Thank you so much to Lion Forge for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you so much to Lion Forge for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Like many, I grew up on The Nightmare Before Christmas, and it still holds a certain nostalgia for me, even though I feel like one of the few horror-loving people of my generation who isn't still particularly captivated by the film. That aside, I was pretty eager to check out this new Disney Manga series about my favorite character, little Zero the pup. The story follows Zero as he gets lost in the land of Christmas, and has to survive there on his own until he can make it back home to Jack.
While the artwork is adorable and I love spending time with Zero, as well as Jack and Sally, and a lovable new elf character from Christmas, there's simply not much of a story to this volume. Most of the book is just artwork depicting Zero running around getting into trouble without anything really happening, and during a pivotal scene in Halloweentown involving Lock, Shock, and Barrel, things go predictably enough that it began to feel redundant. If you're a massive fan of the film or have a young reader in your life, I'd recommend this, but if you're like me—an adult in her twenties whose love for the film has begun to fade—I'd probably leave things be on this one.
Thank you so much to TOKYOPOP for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
While the artwork is adorable and I love spending time with Zero, as well as Jack and Sally, and a lovable new elf character from Christmas, there's simply not much of a story to this volume. Most of the book is just artwork depicting Zero running around getting into trouble without anything really happening, and during a pivotal scene in Halloweentown involving Lock, Shock, and Barrel, things go predictably enough that it began to feel redundant. If you're a massive fan of the film or have a young reader in your life, I'd recommend this, but if you're like me—an adult in her twenties whose love for the film has begun to fade—I'd probably leave things be on this one.
Thank you so much to TOKYOPOP for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!