Holy Snokes! New York Times best-selling author Ian Doescher has crafted a new book of poems based on his love of Star Wars. I Wish I Had A Wookiee And Other Poems For Our Galaxy has over 75 adorable and kid friendly poems. Most of those poems also feature delightful drawings by illustrator Tim Budgen.
Many will recognize the name Ian Doescher. Ian Doescher is a Portland, Oregon based author known for his witty William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Trilogy, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Prequel Series, and William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Sequel Series. To say that he knows a thing or two about Star Wars would be putting it mildly.
I Wish I Had A Wookie is a bit of a departure from his other books. Instead of writing his usual approachable Shakespearean inspired fan fiction, this book is designed to be pure Star Wars themed poetry. I Wish I Had A Wookie is for the Star Wars fan who is young or young at heart.
For many of us it's been a stinging and painful winter. Swipe away those winter blues with the 3D Bee Air Freshener from the NeatoShop.
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There may be a Harry Potter fan, or five, in my household. I don’t know if that makes me biased in a good way or a bad way against all things Harry Potter. Let’s just say that my expectations are high when it comes to this extraordinary world created by the legendary J.K. Rowling.
Moreover, I also might have a warped sense of what makes for a good pop-up book. You see, I actually inherited a vast collection of pop-up style books. Some are actually done in collaboration with paper engineer Matthew Reinhart. Those books now sit in a beautifully color coordinated row on my bookshelf thanks to a certain show that I binge watched at the end of summer. Some of those pop-up books are exceedingly complex. Some of the books in my collection are more simple, but feature beautiful illustrations. All of these pop-up books hold a special place in my heart for the varying ways that they are engineered to deliver information.
Given my inherent leanings and predispositions I promise to “try” to still give my fair assessment of Harry Potter A Pop-Up Guide to Diagon Alley and Beyond by the incredibly talented Matthew Reinhart. I will also try to keep my Harry Potter fan-girling to a minimum.
Harry Potter A Pop-Up Guide to Diagon Alley and Beyond definitely makes an extraordinary first impression. The book is large and weighty. It is probably one of the bigger pop-up books I have seen. The front, back, and spine of the book are covered with gorgeous illustrations. The title of the book and a few other details are printed in metallic gold which provides a bewitching contrast to the more muted and earthy colors of the illustrations.
When you first open the book the amount of detail is almost overwhelming. You are immediately transported to Diagon Alley. There you will find Flourish & Blotts and Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. Here I counted no less than 5 pull tabs. Each tab opens up to expose elements and images from the Harry Potter films. As you pull the tabs you really need to make sure the book is fully opened as many of these hidden images and dimensional effects need room to emerge.
As you continue on through the book you will find Gringotts and The Vaults. The Gringotts Bank actually opens vertically to reveal the vault. The page extends well above, and slightly below,the confines of the book. The image pop-up engineering here is quite impressive. The only slight downside being that it is hard to close. I definitely struggled to get everything back into place and worried that I would rip something in the process. Pop-up books as most everyone knows are notoriously delicate.
In the book you will also find pages dedicated to Knockturn Alley and Ollivanders, Hogwarts Express and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and The Ministry of Magic. All are equally stunning. All the pages feature hidden surprises, hauntingly beautiful imagery, and lovely sections of text.
What’s most impressive about this pop-up book, however, is that the entire book is designed to unfold out into a table top pop-up diorama that is approximately 48” x 21.” Thankfully instructions are provided for this process. I only wish, however, that more instructions were provided for the Gingotts Bank and Vault section of the book. I really struggled with putting that section back together.
The book is illustrated by the marvelous Kevin M. Wilson. Likely you have seen his work before, but just don’t know it. Kevin Wilson has done work for Universal Studios, Disney, Paramount Pictures, Marvel, and more. Kevin Wilson does not disappoint. His illustrations here are hauntingly beautiful and really transport you to all these locations.
I don’t think that any Harry Potter fan or pop-up book collector would be disappointed to add Harry Potter A Pop-Up Guide to Diagon Alley And Beyond to their collection. The book's unique ability to turn into a 4ft long 3D model with additional paper characters makes the book truly one of a kind. I think it’s fair to say that this would be a treasured, albeit delicate, gift for those who love the Harry Potter film franchise or pop-up books.
Halloween is almost here. Now is the perfect time to freshen up your car, cave, or belfry with the 3D Bat Air Freshener from the NeatoShop. This frightfully fun, and practical item, comes in a lovely blood orange scent. It is a wonderful way to make your spirits take flight.
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Don't forget to stop by the shop to see our huge collection of customizable apparel. We carry baby 6 months all the way to 10 XL shirts. We know that fun, fabulous, and Halloween loving people come in every size.
At Neatorama, a lot of interesting books cross our desks. We like to think publishers send specific books to us to review because they think those books are neat. Clearly they know that we know a thing or two about neato things. At least, we at Neatorama, like to think we know a thing or two about neato things.
Recently we were sent a copy of Cursed Object by J.W. Ocker. J.W. Ocker is an award winning travel writer, novelist, and blogger. While we don’t know J.W. personally, we hope that he is also a nice guy. What we can, however, confirm is that he wrote a rather captivating book about cursed objects. You know what I am talking about. I am referring to those things that people think are inherently evil or that were made evil by a hex or a spell.
The Cursed Objects book is broken into 7 bite-sized, and fun to read, sections. The sections are essentially based on where those cursed objects are found. For example, in section III you will find cursed objects that were found in attics. These are the seemingly great garage sale finds that later turn out to be evil. Later sections of the book delve into cursed objects that are actually found in larger cursed object collections of paranormal or occult museums and displayed for a paying audience.
Each section of the book is further broken down into the story of a specific object. This is where J.W. delves into the history and explores the scientific evidence of a specific object. There is something really magical about this type of book organization. It means that you can read the whole book from cover to cover. It also means, however, that you can skip through and read first about those objects that truly fascinate you. For instance, if you are really drawn to creepydoll stories you might find yourself skipping ahead to page 173 to read about Annabelle The Doll and The Warren Collection.
With Fall here and Halloween coming Cursed Objects is a great spooky fireside read. Whether you believe in cursed objects, or not, there is something fun about delving into the history of the paranormal this time of year. So grab your comfy blanket, a cup of hot cider, and a copy of Cursed Objects and get ready for a fun and slightly unsettling adventure.
Are you feeling like your life is running a-fowl? Have you been cooped up for too long? Maybe it's time to beak out the Stress Squishy Rubber Chicken from the NeatoShop. This little stress ball, shaped like a rubber chicken, is a real comedi-hen. It will be sure to have you feeling egg-cellent in no time.
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Don't forget to stop by the NeatoShop to see our large selction of customizable apparel. We specialize in curvy and Big and Tall sizes. We carry baby 6 months all the way to adult 10 XL shirts. We know that fun and fabulous people come in every size.
Do current events in your life have you feeling like you could use a little more space? Well, we have the perfect pouch for you. The Space Bag will have you feeling like a star.
The Space Bag features drawings of Cassini, Kepler, Juno, and Tess. It is a wonderful way to keep mission essentials organized.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great items. New stuff arriving all the time.
Don't forget to also stop by the shop to see our large selection of customizable apparel and accessories. We specialize in curvy and Big and Tall sizes. We carry baby 6 months all the way to 10 XL shirts. We know that fun and fabulous people come in every size.
Make this summer the greatest of all time with the Emergency Goat In Your Pocket from the NeatoShop. This pocket-size noise maker is a scream! We kid you not, we think you will find it bleating awesome!
The Emergency Goat In Your Pocket makes scream, bleat, kids, and goat sounds. It makes the perfect gift for any GOATS on your list.
Don't forget to also stop by the shop to see our large selection of customizble apparel and bags. We specialize in curvy and Big and Tall sizes. We carry baby 6 months all the way to 10 XL shirts. We know that fun and fabulous people come in every size.
Brooklyn Law School Graduate, Alexandra Lenczewski, isn't letting the pandemic get in the way of her and her classmates big law school celebration. When the law school was forced to postpone the official event, this graduate spent hours upon hours making and arranging a mini graduation in her yard.
She decided to print and cut out 300 student photos of the graduates from the school's student directory and line them up alphabetically in her backyard.
What do you get when you line a building with a wraparound LED facade and fuse that technology with art? You get a fantastic illusion titled "Wave."
Appearing for exactly one minute every hour, the simulation is so realistic it looks as if water is about to pour over the heads of people who pass through the busy commercial square.
Titled "WAVE," the project was designed by d'strict -- a firm that specializes in using immersive technology to create public art. The project took four months to execute from start to finish, including three months of digital design work to make sure it achieved the desired effect.
To achieve this fun and unusual looking Watermelon Pudding Cake they use 3 layers of Agar (a jelly-like substance). The red layer is watermelon flavored. The second layer is coconut water flavored. The third layer is pandan flavored. Pandan, in case you didn't know, is a tropical plant that grows in Southeast Asia and has a tropical flavor. The flavor is often described as grassy with hints of rose and vanilla.
Most of us, in the US, view Air Conditioner units as an eyesore. We go to great lengths to hide them, or make them blend in with the environment. Some companies in Asia, however, are suggesting a totally different approach. They are suggesting that the AC unit should be a design feature.
Companies, like Samsung, are now selling specially decorated AC units targeted to children and Frozen fans.
Samsung Electronics has adopted Elsa, the main character from Disney’s hit Frozen movies, as the exterior design of its flagship wind-free air conditioners, the company said Monday.
The “Frozen 2” edition, only for the wall-mounted type, offers two exterior panels including the one with Elsa on it and the original version, allowing customers to change the panel design as they wish.
Some might say they are venturing "into the unknown" of home decor.
Virgina Senator Mark Warner Makes a very interesting version of the Tuna Melt. It consists of tuna, lots (and we do mean lots) of mayo, bread, and cheese. Oh, and you must have a microwave. That seems to be the preferred method of heating.
The backlash has been deafening, with people from across the country weighing in, including current and former colleagues and at least one celebrity chef, Tom Colicchio of Top Chef.
This man has unified the nation in a way that no other politician seems to have been able to.
This city of Juneau, Alaska thought people could use a good laugh so they set up their own joke hotline. You call the number and you hear a joke. A new joke was released everyday.
Apparently people are really in need of a laugh, because the joke hotline stopped functioning from the high volume of users. Not to worry, their technology department is on the case. They hope to have the joke hotline back up and running soon.
As of Wednesday the morning, the joke line wasn’t functioning, and Juneau officials were trying to figure out if it had been overwhelmed Tuesday by a “very positive response” from the public.
“We are already working with our tech department and the phone company to find out. Hopefully we will have answers soon,” said recreation planner Dawn Welch.
Oh, and in case you are wondering. Yes, the jokes are supposedly clean and family friendly.
You never know what treasures or dangers lurk when when you go to clean out the garage. This is especially true when we are asked to clean out someone else's garage.
A woman in Otis, Oregon came across an interesting find while going through boxes in her late father's garage - a World War II-era hand grenade.
She called the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to report what she found, and deputies confirmed it was a real grenade.
As of the time of this posting, the sheriff's department was still trying to determine if the grenade was live.
