-
Movie Art of Syd Mead: Visual Futurist
Syd Mead is one of the most accomplished and widely respected artists and industrial designers alive today. His career boasts an incredible array of projects from designing cars to drafting architectural renderings, but he is most famous for his work as a concept artist on some of the most visually arresting films in the history of cinema. Since working on Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1978 as a production illustrator Syd Mead has always aimed to render "reality ahead of schedule," creating evocative designs that marry believable content with a neofuturistic form. It is this ability to predict technological potential that has helped Mead create such a distinctive and influential aesthetic. From his work with Ridley Scott on Blade Runner, to his striking designs for the light cycles in Tron, to his imposing concept art for the U.S.S. Sulaco in James Cameron's Aliens, Syd Mead has played a pivotal role in shaping cinema's vision of the future. The Movie Art of Syd Mead: Visual Futurist represents the most extensive collection of Mead's visionary work ever printed, compiling hundreds of images, sketches and concept arts from a career spanning almost 40 years, many of which have never been seen in print before. Each entry provides a unique insight into the processes involved in Mead's practice as well as illuminating the behind-the-scenes work involved in creating a fully realized, cinematic depiction of the future. With such a plethora of images from the many genre-defining films Mead has worked on, this is essential reading for film fans, artists and futurologists alike. -
Sold outSold out -
Fuzzy Duckling
In this Little Golden baby book, learn counting and explore a farm with the Fuzzy Duckling!
Early one morning, a small fuzzy duckling goes for a walk around the farm. Who will he meet along the way? Two frisky colts, three baby calves. . . . Little readers everywhere will love following the duckling and counting his new animal friends. Simple words and adorable, classic illustations from the legendary Alice and Martin Provensen make this book as perfect a gift today as it was when it was first published in 1949. -
Sold outCousins in the Time of Magic
Three cousins get transported back to 1862 to play an important role in the Battle of Puebla, the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo today, in this "spellbinding" (School Library Journal, starred review) middle grade fantasy adventure. History is alive with magic. That's what zany Tía Xia is always telling cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy. Daredevil Jorge couldn't be more different than his cousins: Camila is a dreamer who adores animals and Siggy is an aspiring influencer who always has an exclusive party to attend. And their aunt has many secrets, including a mysterious diamond-encrusted sword that Jorge definitely wasn't supposed to see. But when the three stumble upon a time portal in their aunt's yard, they are transported back to 1862, a past filled with wonders--and dangers. To return to the present, they must race to deliver the sword to General Ignacio Zaragoza in time for the historic Battle of Puebla in Mexico: the foundation of the holiday Cinco de Mayo. As their journey to Mexico takes them through the Civil War-era United States, the cousins see just how much US history has been shaped by Latin communities. They must find the power within themselves to make sure things happen as they're supposed to, without altering the past.Sold out -
Sold outScamp
This playful story about a little girl and her best cat friend is a unique exploration of the changes children go through as they grow from toddler to big kid--for fans of Truman and Big Cat, Little Cat. Scamp believes there are two cats in her house--one pink (Scamp herself) and one black (Hector)--until her growing body begins behaving in not-so-catlike ways. She suddenly finds herself standing on two feet...eating with a spoon...even enjoying the bath. What is happening to her? But when Hector needs help, Scamp must choose between acting like a cat and taking a big-girl stand to rescue her friend. This sweet and poignant picture book, with inviting watercolor art by a debut talent, perfectly captures the moment when a little girl realizes she is becoming a big girl, and the universal bittersweet beauty of change.Sold out -
Sold outMaya Angelou Finds Her Voice
Inspired by a true story from Maya Angelou's childhood, this expertly researched and luminously illustrated picture book explores how a beloved mentor helped young Maya rediscover the poetry of self-expression and the power of her voice. Maya Angelou loves words. She whispers, "caterpillar green," just to paint the color in her mind. Her tongue played with "pandemonium" to enjoy its rhythm. She sings the Negro national anthem and recites the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Words whirl and stories spin in Maya's head and off her lips, helping her escape her troubled, segregated world and soothe her soul. Then, suddenly, eight-year-old Maya stops talking. She believes her words hurt somebody and now only deems them safe to share with her brother. Her family does what they can even as they get worried and frustrated, but it isn't until years later that someone opens Maya back up. Mrs. Bertha Flowers, one of the most important citizens of Stamps, Arkansas, invites Maya to her home and talks to her about language and communication and reads to her from Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. Maya is transported by the power and singularity of Mrs. Flower's voice...and finally moved to inspire the world with her own.Sold out -
Sold outSold out -
Sold outChest Full of Words
In this picture book packed with playful vocabulary, a young boy finds new words and discovers how to use them to change the world around him. Oscar discovers a magnificent treasure chest. When he opens it, he is disappointed at what's inside: nothing but words. What type of treasure is that?! But when he tosses fluorescent into the bushes, a bright yellow hedgehog runs by! Soon Oscar has created a featherlight backhoe, a docile crocodile, and a monstrous--oops!--adorable beetle. Using new words is fun! Before long Oscar has emptied the chest and is left wordless. He doesn't know where to find more words, until his neighbor Louise gives him some guidance: you can find words anytime and anywhere. Oscar begins a new hunt for words and learns all sorts of inventive ways to describe the world around him. An enthralling, phenomenal, adventuresome, imaginative, endearing, ear-catching and joyful book about language that's sure to make kids laugh-and learn!Sold out -
Sold outSold out -
Sold outLondon Calling
In this sixth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies stages a rescue in Rome in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Charlie Thorne. Cairo, the newest member of the City Spies, takes the lead when his sister disappears in Istanbul. Determined to save the family of one of their own, the team risks discovery as their search leads them to Rome. Meanwhile, there's been intel that seems to threaten the royal wedding about to take place in Westminster, bringing the team back to the UK on an official case for MI6. With so much security all over the city, it's harder than ever for the City Spies to go unnoticed. Will their skills be up to the task?Sold out -
Sold outSold out -
Whispers in the Tall Grass
The previously unpublished second volume of Nick Brokhausen's vivid and riveting memoir of his experiences in MACV-SOG in Vietnam.
"This battle-scarred memoir is an excellent tribute to the generation that fought, laughed, and died in Southeast Asia." -New York Journal of Books
Whispers in the Tall Grass is the second volume of Nick Brokhausen's riveting memoir of his time serving in Recon Teams Habu and Crusader, CNN, part of MACV-SOG. These small recon teams, comprising Americans and indigenous Montagnards, conducted some of the most dangerous missions of the war, infiltrating areas controlled by the North Vietnamese in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Picking up where We Few left off, Whispers in the Tall Grass opens as the war moves into a new phase. The enemy are using special formations to hunt recon teams and missions are now rarely accomplished without heavy contact. Despite the teams' careful prep, losses are mounting. More and more missions are extracted by Bright Lights until eventually classic recon missions are almost impossible, and the teams briefly trial HALO insertion. Finally, as the US prepares to withdraw, the teams undertake back-to-back missions directing air strikes and disrupting supply lines to ease the pressure on the ARVN. Broken by the pace, but desperate not to leave the Yards, Brokhausen is ordered to out-process, his request for extension denied, and is forced to leave his friends--his brothers--behind.
Written in the same vivid, immediate style that made We Few a cult classic, Whispers in the Tall Grass follows Habu, Crusader and other teams as they undertake missions in this new, deadlier phase of the war. The narrative veers from hair-raising to tragic and back as the teams insert into hot targets, act as Bright Light for stricken teams, and play hard in between missions to diffuse the ever-rising tension.
Brokhausen's account brings home the reality and the detail of operating for days within mere meters of the enemy, and movingly convey the bonds that war creates between soldiers. -
Sold outSmiling Eyes
ALA NOTABLE BOOK
From Newbery Medalist and bestselling author Linda Sue Park comes a joyous and inclusive celebration of eyes--showcasing the variety of Asian eye shapes and hues--in lively rhyming text ideal for sharing with any child.For an enthusiastic little boy, an ordinary day is filled with the joys and surprises of seeing and being seen. All around him, people are using their eyes: big eyes, small eyes, eyes that are open wide, or shut tight, or even winking! With irresistible rhymes and warm, inviting art, this ode to eyes by Linda Sue Park and Lenny Wen will delight the youngest of readers.
Sold out -
Mission Moon: An Illustrated Guide to Space Exploration
In anticipation of the upcoming Artemis moon landings, launch into this gorgeously illustrated exploration of space--and discover the incredible feats of technology and imagination that got us to the lunar surface. With glow-in-the-dark UV coating on cover.
For almost all of time, the moon lay untouched. Then the race into space brought human visitors, spacecraft and a new age of exploration. Mission Moon engages young readers by telling this ongoing adventure with particular emphasis on the moon.
Author and illustrator Sarah Mühlebach details the many endeavors to reach the moon--from ancient dreamers to daring astronauts from countries around the globe. In cooperation with the lab run by former NASA administrator Thomas Zurbuchen, Mission Moon spans from the earliest satellites to the 1960s Space Race to life aboard the International Space Station. Plus it looks to the future by examining the new for-profit space race, international moon rover expeditions, and the upcoming Artemis missions, which plan to put humans on the moon again as early as 2026.