The Discovery of Ramen on Kickstarter

Greetings! Today we launched a Kickstarter campaign for our new book idea The Discovery of Ramen.

Hopefully this will be the first adventure in an ongoing series called The Asian Hall of Fame.

The kids Emma and Ethan see something that piques their curiosity. Lucky for them...POOF! Out of a cloud of smoke comes a cute red panda! Dao can show them how that cool thing was invented in Asia. Dao can guide them back into time and place and bring them to where it all began.

The first journey is about ramen!

There has never been a U.S. children's book about ramen.

We intend to remedy that oversight. Ramen is more popular than ever and millions of people love eating it around the world.

So we hope those ramen lovers will learn about our book idea and support it on Kickstarter.

The tale of ramen starts in Japan in the 1800s. From there, Dao leads Emma and Ethan across the country to explore how these noodles became special. Together they visit restaurants, factories, and museums.

Then they zip through the decades, into outer space and back to America, where ramen mania has gripped the West!

Co-authors Phil Amara (The Treehouse Heroes) and Oliver Chin (Julie Black Belt) unite with artist Juan Calle (Good Dream, Bad Dream) to create a journey that blends travel, history, culture, food, and fun!

We have a special combo of rewards for our Kickstarter backers. So check out our project and we appreciate your support.  With your help, we'll all enjoy fantastic storybook which can be a great gift to give for the upcoming holiday season.

The rooster has landed

Just in time for the holidays, our new adventure The Year of the Rooster has arrived!

This is the 12th and final adventure in our annual series Tales from the Chinese Zodiac.

Ray is a young chick who has a bundle of energy! He and his friend, the girl Ying, embark on an incredible journey to find a mysterious and magical creature. But can Ray discover his own calling along the way?

The fantastic art is by Juan Calle, who created our recent superhero story Good Dream, Bad Dream.

The Rooster, like 2016's The Year of the Monkey, features a bilingual translation in simplified Chinese.

Good news! Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide will sell The Year of the Rooster in their Chinese New Year displays in their children's sections in January 2017.

Also select Costco and Hallmark stores will carry our book to the delight of lucky shoppers.

Ray looks forward to flying into your hearts!

The prequel to Jurassic Park

Before the famous reptiles Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops existed, there was the Permian Era. In this span from 299-250 million BC, the terrible lizards were technically not considered "dinosaurs". But that doesn't mean they weren't always hungry!

So starts Dave Derrick's fourth storybook Play with your Food. Now an animator at Disney, Dave has created yet another fun, fascinating, and fully immersive adventure that kids and adults can both enjoy.

True to his track record of depicting charismatic animals (Sid the Squid; Animals Don't, So I Won't!; and I'm the Scariest Thing in the Jungle!), Dave populates this lost world with a rainbow of swimming, crawling, and flying beasts. But two in particular stand out...

The first is a little lizard called a coelurosauravus. Unfortunately it's timing is off, as it lands on the menu of a larger predator - the dimetrodon. Can the small fry convince the big cheese that it is better to play with your food? Remember that the law of the jungle is that it is the survival of the funnest!

Check out Dave's animated trailer and discover how these two cutups could teach Miss Manners what proper and practical etiquette really was...prehistorically! 

New book: I'm the Scariest Thing in the Jungle!

David Derrick (www.davederrick.com) is a veritable creative font. A story artist at DreamWorks Feature Animation by day, he has contributed to the movies Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon, and Megamind. But at the same time, he has been imagining new stories chock full of animals that have the same bubbly enthusiasm and curiosity that kids have.

In 2010, Immedium published Dave's debut storybook Sid the Squid and the Search for the Perfect Job, which recently got a glowing endorsement from the Picture Book Review.

In 2010, we produced Dave's 2nd tale Animals Don't, So I Won't!, which is now sold at venues such at the Los Angeles Zoo and Hogle's Zoo in Utah.

This year, we complete the hat trick with Dave's newest romp I'm the Scariest Thing in the Jungle! In the wilds of India, the Bengal tiger is the king of the land but the saltwater crocodile is the master of the water. What will happen when the kids of these two fearsome beasts meet? Well, this will make the UFC look like kindergarten playtime...let's get ready to ruuuuuuumble!

Earlier in September, we displayed our sample copy at the annual convention of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Kansas City, MO. As expected, it was a big hit among these professional animal lovers and we took a bunch of pre-orders! Now you too can get your own copy - this time autographed by Dave himself with a unique animal sketch and free postcard!

Enjoy the trailer which features Dave's expressive character designs and beautiful watercolors:

Meet Dave as he reads at stores and museums throughout Southern California in October and Utah in November.

Happy Asian American Month

As you may know, May is America's annual month to commemorate the heritage and contributions of Asians and Pacific Islanders.

We at Immedium are happy to do so, since one of our publishing missions is to create more stories with Asian American themes and characters.

On tap is our upcoming September sequel in our series Julie Black Belt. The first story, The Kung Fu Chronicles launched in 2007 and readers have been asking for a follow up ever since. We are finally pleased to oblige them!

Julie is a girl that kids relate to - like any child, she wants to do well and learn new things but discovers that life is full of experiments, trials, and errors. Ultimately Julie understands that challenges require her to open her mind, revise her expectations, and grow with her body.

The notion of kung fu centers around practicing a discipline and honing one's skill. Though it normally is discussed in relation to sports and physical activity, kung fu really is about any endeavor one would want to improve in. Seeing themselves walking in Julie's shoes, youngsters understand what she is going through and, by extension, reframe their own experiences.

Now in The Belt of Fire, Julie is gunning to earn her next belt - orange! She continues to admire her movie idol Brandy Wu, a martial arts superstar. Julie starts watching Brandy Wu's latest adventure on DVD, but soon observes her heroine's success getting stifled by a mysterious stranger. But life starts to imitate art, as Julie discovers that a new kid in town has enrolled in her kung fu class. And her teacher Mr. Fong (aka "Sifu") may think he is better than her!

The amazing illustrator Charlene Chua has returned to draw Julie. We look forward to entertaining young and older martial artists with Julie's continuing adventures!

new story: The Treehouse Heroes

Our third tale for the fall season is about a realm both far away and yet familiar.
 
The Treehouse Heroes & the Forgotten Beast is the first children's book by writer Phil Amara and artist Alina Chau. Phil was a comics editor at Dark Horse Comics (Star Wars, Predator, Terminator, and many other titles) and Kitchen Sink Press, and is now an elementary school teacher for Boston Public. Alina is a professional animator and now a 3D artist at LucasArts, working on the popular animated TV series on the Cartoon Network Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Together they've created a brave new world, where fantasic scenery and characters are beautifully rendered in flowing watercolors.

Situated high in an ancient forest, five young teens have banded together under the tutelage of a wise teacher. They live in a land of noble traditions which are suddenly under siege by an increasingly rapacious civilization. A case in point is how mystical creatures are becoming rarer, such as the red-coated Zez whose reputed powers are now highly sought after by the power hungry General Moon.

Luckily for the Zez, it befriends the Treehouse Heroes, each of whom also possess special abilities. Cha is super strong. Klee can shape-shift. Gru is a speedster. Flo can teleport. Bri's breath is like the wind. But together can they save the Zez and the vanishing world it represents?

Sunil Thankamushy from DEEPBLUE Worlds called this a "A beautifully illustrated mythical adventure filled with fun and magic for young kids. The vibrant characters and creatures pop out of the pages and fill your imaginations. My kids loved it!" Discover this unique blend of picture book and graphic novel storytelling for yourself :)

New 2012 book catalog

We've added 4 upcoming titles for your viewing pleasure!

Three are scheduled for publication in Fall 2012:

1. Justin Time: The Pancake Express by Brandon Scott (September).

This is a new series, adapted from episodes from the TV show of the same name, which began airing in the USA on PBS Sprout in April, and will broadcast on the Disney Channel in Canada in September. Watch a clip at www.justintime.net.

2. Animal's Don't, So I Won't by David Derrick (September).

This is Dave's 2nd story. His debut storybook was the humorous Sid the Squid and the Search for the Perfect Job.

3. The Treehouse Heroes, written by Phil Amara and illustrated by Alina Chau (October).

This original adventure is like an Asian version of The Teen Titans :) - penned by a veteran comics scribe and brought to colorful life by a popular professional animator.

Then the fourth will ring in the new year 2013:

4. The Year of the Snake, 8th in the Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series, written by Oliver Chin and illustrated by Jennifer Wood.

Peruse our catalog on the comfort of your own computer screen and download the Acrobat PDF.
http://www.immedium.com/products/immedium2012catalog.pdf