Tumgik
#dan santat
just-just-gyllenhaal · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
BRAND NEW PICS...
The Secret Society Of Aunts And Uncles -Jake Gyllenhaal Greta Caruso And Dan Santat In Conversation(2023) pics...
7 notes · View notes
Text
Two Awesome Picture Books Rather Different in Nature
Tumblr media
Another terrific title I could not resist when circulating books today: Dan Santat's The Adventures of Beekle, the Unimaginary Friend. The story opens on the Island of Imaginary Friends (not to be confused with the Island of Misfit Toys!), and this grabbed me immediately - what a lovely idea! Plus - "Beekle". What a perfect name for an imaginary friend. The story is otherwise fairly predictable, the illustrations pleasant, but in a few places, like the whale-filled ocean over which Beekle sails to find the real world, the dazzling sea monster and the glorious tree he eventually climbs to look for "his" friend, the art is dazzling. Likewise, the text is somewhat uneven. Beekle and his friend Alice get to know one another through a series of funny, awkward and creative moments, yet Santat also employs sentences like "He sailed through unknown waters and faced many scary things.". Ugh. Lazy writing frustrates the heck out of me as a teacher of literature. "Many scary things" just begs for elaboration. No decent editor just lets such a sentence sit there, and no harm would have come to the story in a few more pages! Beekle himself reminds me of an adipose - a creature from the "Partners in Crime" episode of Doctor Who - sweet face, the body of a soft rubber squeaky toy, waddling movements. I would choose this book for shyer kids, especially if they already have imaginary friends, because it endorses proactive behavior: if there's something you want, don't wait for it to come to you - go get it!
Tumblr media
Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal's book The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk takes the familiar song "The Wheels on the Bus" and adapts it for India (though it could be almost anywhere in the developing world - most of them have tuk-tuks of some sort). The fun in this book is the details of the adapted song, though I enjoyed the art as well. But lines like "People on the street jump on and off", "Tuk tuk walla says squish in together" and "Tuk tuk walla sips-sips chai" just created a happy feeling, reminding me of all the tuk tuks I've jumped on and off of. Even if this book is alien to your own (American) culture, the song is practically an earworm, and songs are a terrific way to teach anything, including the details of another culture.
Tumblr media
There's one other book I'm going to comment on today: Bettina Love's Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal. I haven't read an education book for a while because it seems fruitless and painful to fill my head with ideas (which is what happens when I read books on education) of how to improve my teaching when I'll never see the inside of a classroom again. However, since I agree with the premise, I snatched the book. Since probably the majority of school reform ideas come out of the heads of white, reasonably well- or over-educated politicians, they very often don't take into account variables well-known to the teachers of underprivileged, black, brown or simply poor rural white students. This mismatch leads to thousands of misspent dollars and hours on ideas that had no hope of affecting the students they (possibly) intend to help. I'm looking forward to Love's new ideas, even if I can't implement any of them myself.
2 notes · View notes
adarkrainbow · 6 months
Text
As I was looking around at the "A Tale Dark and Grimm" edition with a cover from Dan Santat - I wanted to know if Dan Santat did just the cover, or had some illustrations inside the book too, and couldn't find any answer - here is the cover in question by the way (in full art):
Tumblr media
Well as I was looking around I randomly stumbled upon this lovely little article where Adam Gidwitz explains his love for the art of his book, both old and new:
4 notes · View notes
darkliterata · 10 months
Text
Tumblr media
Lovely haul for the New Books shelf!
2 notes · View notes
sigmastolen · 2 years
Text
wtf dan santat you really decided to start your middle grade graphic novel by making us watch a guy drown ??????
2 notes · View notes
mehetibel · 3 months
Text
A First Time for Everything
Caldecott winner writes/draws his coming of age and wins a National Book Award? And maybe IN THEORY I am predisposed to the struggles of middle-school boys navigating a Hobbesian universe, or predisposed to Gen X guys having existential crises and committing to authentic living? 5 stars, possibly the best graphic novel I read this year. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60316970-a-first-time-for-everything
1 note · View note
graphicpolicy · 5 months
Text
Dan Santat's A First Time For Everything wins the National Book Award
Dan Santat's A First Time For Everything wins the National Book Award #comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel
This year’s winners of the National Book Award have been announced and Dan Santat‘s graphic novel, A First Time For Everything has won for “Young People’s Literature.” Finalists in the category included Gather by Kenneth M. Cadew, The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh, Big by Vashti Harrison and Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy. A First Time For Everything tells the story of Santat’s experience traveling…
Tumblr media
View On WordPress
0 notes
vulpixbookpix · 7 months
Text
Tumblr media
4 out of 5 stars
This is a graphic novel memoir by the author, Dan Santat, about his study abroad when he was coming out of middle school. While in middle school, Dan tried to stay invisible to avoid bullying. However, it didn't exactly work out in his favor, so he just sort of stayed home and didn't really go places because he could avoid bullying even more that way. Also, he and his parents rarely went on vacations after his mother was diagnosed with Lupus, so he definitely lived a life that hardly had any influences outside of his small town.
At the behest of his mother, he signed up to go on a trip across the ocean to Europe before he started high school. Dan was extremely hesitant to do so, but, eventually agreed to it. It was there, in those foreign countries where there were people speaking languages he didn't know, that Dan found where he belonged. Not in those European countries, but just where he belonged in his friend group, in his personality, in his hobbies of drawing. The trip was a journey helped him find his confidence and, also, his first kiss and first heartbreak.
Throughout the work, we see glimpses that Dan is a really nice person and some of the people like him, though he never really knew it because he tried to avoid interacting with everyone in school.
I think this could be a great book for a shy child, or one that is nervous about what high school may bring. It can show that taking a few risks could lead to an amazing time.
0 notes
Text
Tumblr media
Middle School Monday: A First Time for Everything: A True Story by Dan Santat 
Dan’s experience of starting middle school was pretty miserable. He was teased, bullied, and singled out, and he just wanted to be left alone. When his parents and his teacher encouraged him to take a school trip to Europe, he never imagined that the experience would change his life and start to bring him out of his shell.
This graphic-format memoir tells Dan’s story of a middle school trip in which he tries Fanta soda for the first time (and decides to try as many flavors as possible), spends time around people from different backgrounds who speak different languages, falls in love with a girl from another school, and celebrates his love of watching John McEnroe play tennis. 
Most people today know Dan Santat as an award-winning author and illustrator (if you’ve seen the Ricky Ricotta book series, you’ve seen his work), so this is a great opportunity to take a look at the early life of someone who grew up to become a creative powerhouse. Give this book to older kids and younger teens who enjoy books about art, artists, overcoming odds, and self-discovery. 
0 notes
smashpages · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media
Out this week: A First Time for Everything (First Second, $14.99):
Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat tells the story of his awkward middle school years in this new graphic novel about a class trip to Europe where he experiences many “firsts,” including his first love. 
See what else is coming to your friendly neighborhood comic book store this week.
0 notes
Text
“Life begins when you get back up.”
“Life begins when you get back up.”
Tumblr media
View On WordPress
0 notes
just-just-gyllenhaal · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
BRAND NEW PICS...
The Secret Society Of Aunts And Uncles -Jake Gyllenhaal And Greta Caruso And Dan Santat In Conversation(2023) pics...
8 notes · View notes
redgoldsparks · 10 months
Text
Tumblr media
June Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe
I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.
A First Time For Everything by Dan Santat 
A beautifully illustrated memoir of a shy, Asian American thirteen year old's first trip to Europe, in 1989. Dan is a painfully self-conscious kid, bullied at school despite his best efforts to slip invisibly through the school halls. But on a three week summer trips with a dozen other kids his age, some from his school and some from other states, he begins to find himself. This story is framed through a series of "firsts"- first time traveling without his parents, first time tasting Fanta, first cigarette, first alcoholic drink, first time navigating a city alone, first kiss, first time sharing his art with someone. The main narrative of the trip is woven through with flashbacks to particularly emotional past moments- asking a girl out, being romantically rejected, rejecting someone else, helping a girl out who had gotten her period unexpectedly. It captures the wretchedness of junior high, and the way traveling can teach people both about the world and themselves.
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong
An impactful series of essays that circles around the meaning of "Asian American" sometimes in very broad strokes, sometimes narrowing to the author's specific experience as a bilingual Korean American writer who grew up in the Los Angeles area in the 80s and 90s. I really appreciated the mix of memoir and history, research and cultural critique. Topics range from therapy, the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, racism in academia, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, stand up comedy, the 1992 LA riots, the way childhood is not allowed equally to white and POC kids, the film Moonrise Kingdom and the 1965 Civil Rights movement, shame, deconstructing the English language in poetry, the 2012 documentary Wildness about a trans bar scene in LA, intense female friendships in art school, the poet Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's life and death, activist Yuri Kochiyama, and what debt, if any, an Asian American writer and thinker owes to America. This is a book I can see myself re-reading in a couple years, and getting more from it on a second read; it's rich with quotes and references to other writers, artists and thinkers who have informed Hong's thoughts. Definitely recommend.
In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee 
I'm not going to give this book a star rating, because it deals with some extremely heavy topics I have no experience with (multiple suicide attempts, physical abuse of a child by a parent). This memoir covers four years of the main character's life, all of high school. Korean American Jung Jin, who goes by Deborah or Deb at school, made most of her friends in orchestra in junior high. But in high school she falls out of love with violin and quits music to focus more time and energy into drawing. She floats through school, feeling disconnected from peers and family, especially her mother, who swings from supportive to volatile. Another main theme is friendship- a solid, long-term friendship which Deb neglects, and a shorter, intense friendship that consumes Deb's emotional world until it falls apart. This is a story of quiet survival, of incremental steps towards healing, balance, and self actualization. Like life, it is somewhat loose in structure, but the illustrations are stunning.
The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings read by Angel Pean
Set in a world similar to but one step sideways from our current world, this story follows Jo, a creative, biracial, bisexual woman trapped by the restrictions of her society. In this US, women are under constant suspicion of witchcraft, a crime that can still be punish by public burnings. Women who aren't married by 30 are especially suspected, and have to check in with a counselor bi-weekly, and risk losing their jobs, freedom, and ability to have their own bank accounts or own property. Jo is 28, and while she is causally dating, she has no interest in marriage. She has a hard time believing that love can even exist under the pressures placed on women. It doesn't help that her mother disappeared when Jo was 14, and during the investigation, she was questioned by witch hunters. It's been 7 years and Jo's father decides it's finally time to declare Jo's mom officially dead. This ends up opening up a clause in her will that requests Jo travel to a island in the middle of one of the Great Lakes on a very specific day in autumn and collect a certain fruit that only grows there... This book is so skillfully written, for the first half I was left wondering if magic really did or did not exist; it could just be the excuse that men used to oppress women, queer people, and people of color. But then the book takes a really Kelly Link or Octavia Butler-like twist in the middle and gets weirder and wilder. Highly recommend, especially the audiobook.
How A Mountain Was Made: Stories by Greg Sarris 
A collection of short stories by long time Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Greg Sarris; a writer I've been hearing about for years and am finally sitting down to read! These stories are all set around the Sonoma Mountain and Cotati, very close to where I grew up, and I loved being able to picture the foggy mornings, the many oaks, the quail, poppies, lupine, hawks, coyotes, and creeks in these stories. The book has a frame narrative of two crow sisters, Question Woman and Answer Woman, who introduce each story and also appear as characters in one. The stories are interwoven, nearly all set in the village by Copeland Creek where Coyote lives as headman with his wife Frog, his cousin Chicken Hawk, and his many neighbors. The stories use a lot of the kind of repetitive language that lends itself to memorization; I honestly didn't feel like sitting down and reading the book cover to cover wasn't the best way to experience them. It might have been better to flip the book open to a random story and read whichever one caught my eye, especially to read it out loud, either to myself or to a young listener. Maybe I'll get an opportunity to read it that way sometime to a nibling.
The Two Doctors Gorski by Isaac Fellman read by Helen Laser
Annae is a PhD student, a brilliant researcher, and a survivor of academic abuse. She is forced to leave the US when her former mentor claims her research and ruins her name (after sleeping with her). They work in a small field, advanced magic so complex it feels almost more like science, so Annae transfers to a university in the UK to complete her degree. There she finds herself in a cohort of entirely male graduate students under a famous but cruel teacher. Her main defense mechanism and invasive habit is reading minds, a kind of compulsive act that lets her see how her peers view her, and themselves. Unsurprisingly, these insights bring her no peace; Annae tries to rebuild her research, but urge to fall into the same traps as her role models is strong. This is a novella, only about 4 hours as an audiobook, and fairly open ended but I'm still thinking about it.
The Wolf at the Door by Charlie Adhara read by Erik Bloomquist 
In this contemporary murder mystery/romance novel, werewolves exist and have always lived in small numbers around the world. A few years before this story starts werewolves outed themselves to the US government in order to better liaison with law enforcement to address werewolf-human crimes, but the general public still does not know werewolves exist. Cooper Dayton survived a werewolf attack, and is subsequently transferred from his former job at the FBI into the BSI, the Bureau of Special Investigation. When two bodies turn up in the woods in rural Maine, Agent Dayton is chosen for a trial program, and he is paired up with an agent from The Trust, the werewolf government. Dayton is attracted to his new partner, Agent Park, immediately- but when it turns out Park's family is active in the area of the murder, Dayton realizes he can't rule out the possibility that his co-worker might be actively covering for the criminal. This book starts an enjoyable paranormal romance series complete with plenty of spice but also very solid procedural mysteries. I was glad to be able to guess some parts of, but not all of, the mystery as it unfolded and I also thought the romance novel beats hit well!
The Wolf at Bay by Charlie Adhara read by Erik Bloomquist 
At the start of this second installment in my new favorite paranormal romance/murder mystery series, Agent Cooper Dayton and Agent Oliver Park of the Bureau of Special Investigations have been sleeping together for 4 months but still have not defined their relationship. Some of their miscommunications stem from cultural misunderstandings, but more of it comes from them both being too gun shy to be the first one to say "I love you." Meanwhile, Cooper takes Oliver to meet his family in the small town of coastal Maryland where he grew up- introducing Oliver only as his partner at work, because Cooper's family don't know he is gay and also don't know werewolves exist. Then a 25 year old skeleton is uncovered on the Dayton family property, and Cooper and Oliver have to set aside their other issues to solve the cold case, which might implicate one or both of Cooper's parents. A very enjoyable second book which manages to avoid a lot of the things that often bug me in romance novels and develops the relationship in satisfying ways.
The Mermaid, The Witch and The Sea by Megan Tokuda-Hall 
Evelyn, the closeted lesbian teen daughter of nobles in an oppressive and strict empire, sets to sea aboard the Dove on a six month voyage to meet the husband her parents have chosen for her. On the Dove she meets Florian, a sailor her own age she who she befriends despite his lack of education and rough manners. But what Evelyn doesn't know is that Florian is also Flora, an orphan who joined the crew out of desperation and killed a man in cold blood to earn her place. And also- the ship is crewed by pirates, who plan to take all of the passengers as slaves. They have also committed a crime against the very sea itself: the capture of a mermaid with intent to sell it's blood, which men drink to forget. This is a dangerous and violent world, but the connection between Evelyn, Florian/Flora and the mermaid might be enough to save them all, with the help of some cleverness, bravery, magic, and love. This book had some tonal shifts that I struggled with, but I deeply appreciated the multifaceted queer rep.
Thrown to The Wolves by Charlie Adhara read by Erik Bloomquist 
The third book in the werewolf/detective romance series I've been wolfing down on audiobook. In this installment, Cooper Dayton, human BSI agent, is still heaving from the wounds of his previous case when Oliver Park, werewolf BSI agent, learns that his grandfather and head of the pack he abandoned several years ago died. Oliver asks Cooper to come with him to the funeral, and Cooper agrees, having no idea what he's getting into. The couple narrowly avoids a deadly car-crash on the way up to the family mansion in Canada, where Cooper learns that even though Oliver's family is fine with him being gay they are not really fine with him dating a human. Several of Oliver's relatives very explicitly try to scare Cooper off, then he's shot with a tranquilizer in what may or may not be an accident, then it turns out that Oliver's grandfather might not have died of natural causes. Amongst all this chaos, will Cooper decide the wolf world is just too much and that he needs to back away from it? Or will be just dive in even deeper? Even though I could easily guess the answer, I am still very hooked and will definitely read more!
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 
Seraphina is the assistant composer to the royal family of Goredd, which means she lives in the castle and spends her days auditioning new musicians, leading rehearsals, performing at state functions and giving the vivacious, whip smart, slightly spoiled princess her weekly harpsichord lessons. In two weeks, the most important dragon general will be visiting the capital city to celebrate the 40 year anniversary of the peace treaty between humans and dragons which he negotiated with the current human queen. But then one of the members of the royal family is killed, and some people start pointing the finger at dragons; tensions begin to rise in the city as anti-dragon mobs attack a young dragon traveling the city in his human form. Amidst this tension, Seraphina is even more desperate to keep her longest and darkest secret: that she is half dragon, and carries hidden scales, maternal dragon memories, and a mental link with other powerful beings. This was such an original take on a dragon fantasy, with a rich and complex world, characters that I immediately cared for and rooted for. I'm definitely going to keep reading this series!
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Charlie Adhara read by Erik Bloomquist 
Human boyfriend Cooper Dayton and his werewolf boyfriend Oliver Park are trying to buy a house together; but their aesthetic sense of what makes an inviting home is vastly different, and neither of them are communicating their needs well to the other. How convenient that their next case for The Trust, the werewolf government, involves them going undercover to a couple's retreat where they will investigate a missing person report while also doing bonding exercises and couple's therapy. Will Cooper finally acknowledge that he was PTSD? Will Park admit their massive family wealth disparity could be a source of tension between them? Will they manage to figure out the link between a threatening park ranger, a local lumber mill owner who wants to buy the land the wolf retreat is built on, not one but two missing employees, the mysterious research of a wolf scientist (who may have experimented on his own children), a wolf pack leader showing up at the retreat unexpectedly? This installment continues the development of the central relationship while also fleshing out the lore and intricacies of the wolf world.
37 notes · View notes
the-forest-library · 2 days
Text
March 2024 Reads
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
The Mystery Guest - Nita Prose
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde - Tia Williams
This is How You Fall in Love - Anika Hussain
The Getaway List - Emma Lord
Cancelled - Farrah Penn
Friends Don't Fall in Love - Erin Hahn
The Someday Daughter - Ellen O'Clover
We Got the Beat - Jenna Miller
This Day Changes Everything - Edward Underhill
A Tale of Two Princes - Eric Geron
Once a Queen - Sarah Arthur
The Magicians of Caprona - Dianna Wynne Jones
The Wicker King - K. Antrum
The Eyes and the Impossible - Dave Eggers
A First Time for Everything - Dan Santat
60 Songs That Explain the 90s - Rob Harvilla
Welcome to the O.C. - Alan Sepinwall
Mother Hunger - Kelly McDaniel
All in Her Head - Elizabeth Come
How to Be the Love You Seek - Nicole LaPera
Your Pocket Therapist - Annie Zimmerman
And How Does That Make You Feel? - Joshua Fletcher
How to ADHD - Jessica McCabe
This Book May Save Your Life - Karan Rajan
Women Food and Hormones - Sara Gottfried
Practical Optimism - Sue Varma
Languishing - Corey Keyes
Private Equity - Carrie Sun
The World Deserves My Children - Natasha Leggero
Big Bites - Kat Ashmore
Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope
Thoughts: 
The Eyes and the Impossible was, by far, the standout of the month. Told from the point of view of Johannes, a free dog living in an urban park (a thinly veiled Golden Gate Park in San Fransisco), who keeps the other animals in the park updated on the ongoings in the park. Featuring birds, and woodland creatures, and bison, and goats, and humans who change everything.
Dave Eggers wrote one of my all-time favorite books, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and I have avoided reading any of his subsequent works for fear that they would be disappointing. I took a chance on this one since it's middle grade and quite a departure from his other works, and I'm so glad I did.
Goodreads Goal: 108/200
2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads | 
2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads
11 notes · View notes
librarycomic · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
A First Time For Everything by Dan Santat. First Second, 2023. 9781626724150. 309pp plus an author's note, a note on recreating old memories for the book, and many photos of Santat's actual trip! And even the acknowledgments at the end are worth a read. http://www.powells.com/book/-9781626724150?partnerid=34778&p_bt
Santat's graphic memoir opens with a scene of ultimate horror for any middle school student, and he captures it perfectly. It's a brutal, embarrassing scene. It's not gross, but he says it made him want to throw up and, I have to tell you, it made me want to throw up, too. The less you know about it going in the better. Forget I said anything.
The bulk of the book is about the three weeks Santat spent traveling in Europe with a few other students from school, none of whom is really his friend, and some other kids he doesn't know. It's an amazing story full of awkward moments I don't want to be specific about, plus there's a mutual crush and lots of friendship. It's also just a great travel story and an ode to Fanta.
This is Santat's third graphic novel and my personal favorite so far, though Sidekicks and The Aquanaut are both great, too.
17 notes · View notes
figmentrinzler · 25 days
Note
Meow there :3
Omg big ask game :3 😸😸
Have some asks :3
4/5/10/12/14/21/27/34/46
Have a nice day and quick the questions you wanna answer the most 💛💛💛💛💛
I'll answer em. Thanks friend.
4) Do you seep on your back, stomach or side?
Side.
5) Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Not usually, but I have lately for reasons.
10) How tall are you?
Last I checked 5'5"
12) Who are five or more people you want to hug right now?
My parents, Luke, you my friend!, and Alessa of course 🖤.
14) What's your favorite color?
Red
21) How was your day today?
Busy and cold. Busy at work and cold now cause we have no heat until the guys come to fix our furnace on Friday.
27) What's your favorite book?
I don't have a favorite, but I've read "A First Time For Everything" By Dan Santat a few times. He's my fave illustrator. I would die if he visited my school.
34) What's your favorite flower?
Daisies. And ironically, I got some today because since today's the last time before Saturday that everyone was on campus, my team got together to celebrate my birthday.
46) What do you need when you're sad?
A hug. I'm a hug person.
2 notes · View notes