Emily Dove

Fantastic portfolio of illustration & pattern work by Emily Dove (and I can't wait to add Wendelle the Narwhale to my library!)

'Little Paper Daydream' by Andrea Kang and Nathan Nathan Jurevicius

Andrea Kang and Nathan Nathan Jurevicius make up the wonderful Harley + Boss design duo, and I am super excited about their adorable new book, 'Little Paper Daydream' which is now available (you can even grab it from Amazon!) Check out the amazing artwork!

The Year of the Rabbit published by Immedium

I love rabbits, obviously, so 'The Year of the Rabbit' a sweet story about Rosie, a rabbit with extra-long ears, was right up my alley. Written by Oliver Chin with fantastic illustrations by Justin Roth, this book is another great Immedium release. A tale of friendship, bravery, and why sometimes its good to be just a little different, Rosie will hop her way right into your heart.

"The life of Mr Mustache"

Camilla Engman and Elisabeth Dunker create lovely illustrations and products together as Studio Violet. I'm smitten with their new book...

"The life of Mr Mustache" is a book about the Studio Violet character Mr Mustache who worries for nothing and can't sleep. What is bothering him? When he finds out, things start to feel better. Written in rhyme.

DGPH's 'Space Cadet Topo' from Immedium

Immedium is really on a roll. They keep puttin' out books by some of my favorite artists! The newest addition to their lineup is by the awesome Argentinian design duo DGPH. DGPH's Space Cadet Topo is an adventure story filled with super cute illustrations and my favorite little Mole, Topo.

From the press release:
What would you do if the sun went out? Space Cadet Topo is ready to help! His mission is travel to the last planet in the galaxy and find the Galactic Torch. But can this clever astronaut retrieve this legendary match and relight the sun's flame before everything freezes forever? DGPH's popular Topo makes readers smile in his first exciting sci-fi adventure.

The books that Immedium publishes are my favorite - they perfectly pair great stories with art by some of the world's best illustrators. The books appeal to kids, parents, and collectors alike!

There's even some BONUS COLORING PAGES!

Fat Rabbit Farm: Babee and the Valley of the Hungry Ninjas

Fat Rabbit Farm's super-cute character Babee is starring in an awesome new storybook filled with ninjas, cupcakes and fun! This book will be a delight for any age as Babee's story unfolds with the help of some really adorable illustration work! Babee and the Valley of the Hungry Ninjas is available now through an exclusive pre-order that includes a signed copy of the book plus a tee!


From the press release:
In their first shared adventure, Babee and Blanket discover a
hidden treasure map leading to the Legendary Golden Cupcake, which is known to be heavily guarded by a group of fierce and dreadful guardians called the Hungry Ninjas!

Can Babee and her friends brave through what lies ahead of them and safely cross the Valley of the Hungry Ninjas?

Will Babee finally get her furry little paws on this mysterious Golden Cupcake?

Pre-order yours here!

Chaff n' Skaffs 'Mai and the lost Moskivvy'

Immedium Publishers keep putting out great books by some of my favorite artists. Their newest book, set for release in May 2009, is Luke Feldman's Chaff n' Skaffs 'Mai and the lost Moskivvy'.

I first became a fan of Feldman's illustration when I saw his Pop Cling wall vinyls and then his toy prototypes at Comic Con. This book presents a whole new depth to his wonderful bold illustrations. Not only am I loving the main characters in the book- especially the super cute Chaff (check out that top hat!)- but the lush scenery and creatures in the backgrounds make the illustrations come to life.

The story is one of compassion, courage and adventure, as a lost mosquito, Moskivvy, is helped back home with the help of his two new friends, Chaff and Mai.

See more wonderful preview images from the book after the jump.

Chaff n' Skaffs 'Mai and the lost Moskivvy'

Junko Mizuno : Flare

Treville publishers have released a new book of Junko Mizuno's work, entitled Flare. The book will be released at the end of March, and if you buy it through the publisher it looks like it will be signed as well. Junko's work has really evolved in the last few years and I am excited to see it all put together in this format. Her Hell Babies book will always be one of my favorites though!

Mr. Clement's "When we Fall"

I love the simple graphic novels by Mr. Clement. Yeah Kou Phobia is definitely one of my favorite toys, although he fell in the last LA earthquake and currently has two broken legs...
Anyway, Mr. Clement has released a brand spanking new graphic novel entitled "When we Fall". This April, the jet-pack bunnyhero of the story will be released as a new toy!

Here's a sweet little animation of the novel:

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The Garden of Eye Candy

I've had to curb my art-book buying habit (several moves and flights of stairs have given my collection a residence in my studio rather than my house) but I am very tempted by 'The Garden of Eye Candy' by Ginko Press. Featuring the work of some of my favorite artists including Amy Sol, Candybird, Lisa Petrucci, Noferin, Kukula, and more, the book is 180 pages of pure beauty.

It's available through Ginko Press, or Amazon.

The Year of the Ox

Immedium publishers have sent me a preview of their newest release, "The Year of the Ox," written by Oliver Chin and illustrated (very adorably) by Miah Alcorn.

The story follows the adventures of Olivia, a baby ox, and her best friend, the farmer's daughter Mei. As Olivia grows, she struggles to find her place on the farm, and it's through her special bond with Mei that she ultimately finds her sense of self importance. The book has adorable illustrations and the storyline is a great lesson that any small person might not feel very mighty in the beginning, but if they wait long enough, their purpose will soon come clear.
Stories like this always made me hopeful as a kid, and I think it's important that all children feel that they can make a difference, despite their age and size. I'm happy to see fresh illustrative style be mixed with an important, timeless message. Immedium has, once again, put out a book that is both great to look at, and important to share.

New Meomi Stuff

I ventured over to Meomi after seeing their adorable redo of the SuperBuzzy site, and I found some news about new Meomi products!
Their new book, Color Cloud Seeding looks SO amazingly beautiful- I am really wanting to add this to my collection. The Octonaut books are some of my favorites, but this book has more of a portfolio feeling to it, and the work looks absolutely stunning! Also, a NEW Octonauts book- The Octonauts and the Frown Fish- is coming out soon!






New Meomi products by Dark Horse are coming out soon too, including this super cute journal. You can pre-order it now on Amazon.

The Woolyhoodwinks vs. The Dark Patch

San Francisco based publishers Immedium have put out some really amazing books, including the Meomi Octonauts series. (book three is on it's way, hooray!)


Their newest title features the Woolyhoodwinks, the super cute handmade (in the USA!) plush toys. Written by Jeff Root and Scott Runcorn, the story follows the Wollyhoodwinks as they try to get rid of a mysterious dark patch that has appeared in their forest.


With a mix of fabric applique and illustration, The Wollyhoodwinks vs. The Dark Patch is fun and original, and would be a great read to accompany a snuggle with your favorite Woolyhoodwinks character.

New Treeson stuff!

Aside from the articulated 8" Treeson that is being released (see that post, here), Bubi Au Yeung has been hard at work on all kinds of wonderful new Treeson items!


The Treeson mimobot (designer USB Flash drive) is for sale now- it was even featured on the Wired Magazine blog. I haven't been tempted by Mimobots in the past(kinda pricey!), but I may have to snatch this one up.





There's also a new boxed set, complete with a story book (I bet the illustrations in the book are all super cute, just like all of Bubi's stuff) and it comes with a mini treeson with swirly eyes behind his glasses. Of course I'll have to get this set, because the mini treeson with glasses that I have doesn't have the swirly eyes.


Bubi is making my quest to acquire all things Treeson a little expensive!

Dave Eggers : Lots of Things Like This

Oh, Dave Eggers- you never cease to amaze me. I have just finished You Shall Know Our Velocity, and last night I took turns between the Best American Non-Required Reading 2007, and re-reading the 145 Stories in a Small Box series. I just cannot seem to get enough of this man. His writing is always so wonferfully addictive- it always happens this way, I go from novel to short stories to the non-required series and back again.


I was delighted to see the Josh Spear post about Eggers' latest adventure- an art show in collaboration with Apex Art. I can't tell you the wonderful idea behind the show any better than Egger's himself, so here is an excerpt from the press release:


This show, titled Lots of Things Like This, came about when apexart asked for an idea for a show. The first thought that occurred to us was an exhibit that would highlight work that included these three elements:

1. An image
2. Some words (usually referring to the image)
3. A sense of humor

The show never got much more complicated than that. We started with the artists we knew we had to include: Raymond Pettibon, Tucker Nichols, Maira Kalman and David Shrigley. All four of them had found a place in the fine art world, even though in many cases their work was both narrative and funny, a combination that’s historically been rare in galleries and museums. For the most part, artists who use text in their work don’t write punchlines – the text is usually abstract or oblique, open to interpretation. But the rise of comics-based art, and of Pettibon in particular, had opened the doors to new hybrids of words and images, thank god.


To read the rest of the clever press release, go here.

The show will run April 2nd - May 10th at Apex Art in New York

145 Stories in a Small Box

I am a huge McSweeney's fan, and I love everything they publish. I just finished the first two books of the three included in One Hundred Forty-Five Stories in a Small Box. The authors include Deb Olin Unferth, Sarah Manguso, and Dave Eggers. I saved the Eggers book for last. :)

Here's a little bit about the set, which I recommend reading while curled up at night drinking hot chocolate with bouncy marshmallows.


In the grand tradition of Neapolitan ice cream, ZZ Top, and Cerberus, the tri-headed guardian of Hades, this set brings together individual short-fiction collections by three talented practitioners of the short-short form: Sarah Manguso, Dave Eggers, and Deb Olin Unferth. Manguso’s Hard to Admit and Harder to Escape offers up crystalline recollections of childhood flashpoints; Eggers’s How the Water Feels to the Fishes brings a deadpan absurdism to the intimacy and vision of his earlier work; and Unferth’s rollicking Minor Robberies unleashes a horde of off-kilter characters and indelible misadventures. Each author’s work comes in its own hardcover foil-stamped volume, and the three volumes are housed in an elegant slipcase decorated with bears and golden smoke.

The Octonauts and the Sea of Shade

Meomi has done it again! This wonderful new Octonauts book is entitled "The Octonauts and the Sea of Shade". Catch up with Captain Barnacle, Peso Penguin, Kwazii Kitten, Professor Inkling and the rest of the crew as they travel on their newest adventure.



All the shadows have gone missing, and the Octonauts must travel through the Sea of Shade to try and get them back!



This book would make an excellent gift! In fact, I think I am adding it to my Holiday wish list :)
It's available through Immedium Publishers... and you can even pick up a signed copy, here!