wolf in siebold's clothing

looking for a new take on the bedtime stories of your youth? check out Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf written by judy sierra.  i should preface this by saying that it is illustrated by j.otto seibold, and i will pretty much buy anything he draws.

the story opens with B.B. Wolf (the big bad wolf, if you hadn't guessed), receiving an invitation to the library's annual storybook tea.  he nervously considers attending and goes over some proper etiquette tips with his pal, crocodile.

once at the party, the story fills with cameos by all your favorite storybook characters including little red riding hood, the three pigs, and a terrified gingerbread boy.  all are on edge with the wolf's presence, but he soon impresses the librarian with his excellent manners.

kids love this one because it talks about burping (don't worry, it includes the etiquette involved after the offending eruption), and you'll love it because it has so many clever references to randoms like rumpelstiltskin and bo-peep within the amazing artwork.

xo,
jasper hearts wren

Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf
written by judy sierra
illustrated by j.otto seibold

every zombie needs love!

cover art, zombie in love

wren's latest obsession is mortimer, the zombie looking for love. he's searched everywhere and really put himself out there. he's attempted to woo the ladies he meets with a box of wormy chocolates, and real heart, and a diamond ring (detached finger included). but with cupid's ball fast approaching and no sweetheart to wine and dine, mortimer places a personal ad in the paper.  that weekend he heads to the ball and waits by the punch bowl to see if his 'tall, dead, & handsome' ad attracts just the right girl.

with the walking dead starting back up this week, mortimer is just the guy to get the kids started on their own zombie fascination.

xo + happy v-day,
jasper hearts wren

zombie in love
written by kelly dipucchio
art by scott campbell

awesome, man.

when wren was born i was able to curate her likes and dislikes with absolutely no effort.  she loved ugly dolls, dia de los muertos, zombies, and pirates. as she gets older and certainly more opinionated, i have to work a little harder to turn her likes into things i can get behind - which is of crucial importance to me, as i'm the one that will be spending endless hours bringing her birthday party visions and halloween costumes to life. so far it hasn't been too much trouble to morph her interest in princesses and pastels into a love of unicorns and rainbows, but i'm getting the picture that i'll be taking a backseat to her passions soon enough.

for this reason, when our tastes organically align, i get a little spring in my step.  at the moment, wren's favorite book is michael chabon's 'the astonishing secret of awesome man'.  this is a victory on many levels.  michael chabon is a local guy, he has written some of my favorite fiction, and also wrote 'manhood for amateurs', one of the best parenting books out there.  combine that with the outstanding vintage superhero art of jake parker, and this book is easily one of my favorites of last year.

do yourself and your little superhero a favor and check this one out!