Tag Archives: comics

Dinosaur Therapy

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img_1448Book: Dinosaur Therapy by James Stewart; Illustrated by K Roméy

Date Read: October 3 to 4, 2021

Rating: 5 (of 5) stars

Here I go again: one more online comic turned book to add to my shelves! These fun dinosaur comics started on Instagram sometime in 2020, and I started following not long after. I admit that it seems a little off to describe a comic about anxious, depressed dinosaurs as “fun,” but I really do think that it fits—the more serious content paired with the colorful, cute cartoon dinosaurs creates something that is both sadly relatable and comedic.

We can laugh because we can see the truth in it, but it also opens the door to a more accessible discussion of mental health. It also fits with one of my personal theories—that memes are the primary millennial coping mechanism. While the online comic is not strictly focused on mental health, I think those that follow in that theme resonate the most. It was definitely the perfect theme to focus on for this collection in book form.

Followers of the original comic account will be happy to see many of their favorites in the book, along with some new content. I thought inclusion of both was well balanced. There are also some updates in style that add a little extra to the book edition—when the comic first began, the frames were a bit simpler and did not include much in the way of background. All comics in the book have the newer detailed background style, and some of that art is really beautiful. Overall, really happy with this book and glad I decided to add it to my shelves!

Minka’s Thoughts: “It is small and cute like me. Approved! 4 paws.”

The World According to Cats

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img_7670Book: The World According to Cats by Susie Yi (Cat and Cat Comics)

It is the fifth Wednesday of the month, which usually means that I would be sharing something bookish, but not necessarily my usual book review. Since I shared a children’s novel last week instead of my usual monthly picture book, I thought this extra week would be a good time to share something else a little different. (I also could not wait any longer to put this out there, since I was very excited to receive it back in February!)

The World According to Cats is a collection of comics from Susie Yi, the creator of Cat and Cat Comics. I discovered Cat and Cat Comics several years ago. I believe it was a “suggested for you” type post on Instagram, and I was intrigued because I felt like the main character, Mickey, looked a bit like Boris. I started following then, and have been along for quite the journey! I have watched the style of the comics evolve over time, including the addition of some mini-series style comics along with the original short panels. There is also now a full cast of characters, including Yi’s real life pets Mickey, Minnie, and Momo, along with some of their fictional friends.

The book is a collection of comics, with a cat-centric view on topics like love, wisdom, physics, and, of course, judgment. It included a good mix of old and new comics—as a long time reader, I saw some remakes of older comics, a few more recent, and plenty of new material. Yi’s style is fun and cute, with generally positive content to put a smile on your face. While some of the humor is more aimed toward an older audience, everything is family-friendly and can be appreciated by all ages.

Boris’s Thoughts: “The cover says all you need to know: The world revolves around me. 4 paws.”

Curious for more? You can find Cat and Cat Comics free on Instagram, Webtoons, and Tapas!

Christmas Cheer and Disney Cinestory Comics

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My family’s Christmas gathering is a pretty big deal for us: although each family has always spent Christmas day on their own, we kick off the holiday with a Christmas Eve gathering of around 35 to 40 people spanning four generations. We have dinner, share drinks, exchange gifts, and always have a visit from Santa, who pulls out a guitar and leads a few Christmas carols. There are usually a few games of euchre, and the night often ends with a Christmas movie on as people begin to go their separate ways. As the family has grown, we have had some evolving rules around gift giving. Adults have always drawn names to exchange, and with a growing number of young kids there is a newer tradition of kids drawing names and buying for each other. Some of the adults—those without young kids of their own—still opt to buy for all the young ones. Several years ago, I started the tradition of buying books.

One of my favorite things leading up to the holidays is picking out books for each kid. When they were younger, it was easy to find fun picture books. Now, with a few getting older and becoming readers in their own right, I have tried to get a little creative. Being in schools, I do read a fair amount of children’s and young adult literature, but it’s not always easy to find the perfect match for each kid. I usually end up with a mix of new books and ones that I have read. Although I know my Christmas is going to look different this year, I still picked out books for all the kids, and decided to use the blog to share some of my finds.

img_6658Book: Cinestory Comics by Disney

Pictured: Big Hero 6, Coco, Inside Out

My first discovery of the holiday season was these Disney graphic novels. Disney has always been popular in my family, so these caught my attention right away. I found these in a box set for a pretty reasonable price considering it comes with four books. There were a few options of sets available, including princesses and blockbusters—I liked the variety in this particular set and thought it was a good fit for some of the older kids (around age 9).

Since the kids all read a fair amount, I am always trying to find the balance between something popular that will interest them, but not something so popular they will likely have already read or seen it through school. Graphic novels have been gaining popularity for some time, and I thought these were a fun addition in that format. These are especially cool because they are not simply comics telling the story of the movie—the comics are created from still shots from the movies. I am especially excited about the Big Hero 6 book, which I think is going to be perfect for my cousin’s son who can be picky about his reading, and tends to be more into video games lately.

Minka’s Thoughts: “Does being in my bed make these bedtime stories?”