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 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! 

Julie is back in Black!

As we mentioned back in May, the sequel of Julie Black Belt was a long time coming...and has finally arrived!

Julie is a young girl who likes the martial arts dynamo Brandy Wu. So Julie has embarked on her own adventure...to learn how to practice kung-fu... and in more dimensions that she previously thought!

Now will Julie succeed in her quest to get The Belt of Fire?

Sampan review the original story The Kung Fu Chronicles: "As society progresses away from gender stereotypes, it is nice to see children’s literature doing the same. Growing up in the ’90s, I spent my childhood wondering why all the heroes were male and females characters who needed saving. Julie Black Belt is a shining example of how things have changed for the better."

In the intervening years since the publication of the first Julie Black Belt story, Kung Fu Panda and mixed martial arts (MMA) have pushed the popularity of martial arts in two directions: comedy on one hand and violence in the other.

However, we still wanted to chart our compass to the true north. We wanted to create a new chapter for families that was substantive. Julie should continue to plumb the depths of emotions that kids actually grapple with, and discover practical lessons that youngsters could also learn from their own experiences.

CM magazine praised the sequel:
"The character of Julie continues to give young girls a strong female protagonist with which to identify. This is further enhanced this time around with the introduction of Master Zhou. When Julie first learns that the Kung fu master is coming for a visit, she automatically assumes it will be a male teacher. It's a nice surprise to learn that the master who taught Sifu everything he knows is actually a woman. The character of Master Zhou serves to both further explore aspects of Kung fu and to provide young girls with yet another role model."

Artist Charlene Chua returns to bring Julie and a diverse cast of characters to life with vibrant colors and eye-catching motion.

Author Oliver Chin read it for the first time to kids at Miraloma Elementary School in San Francisco this week, and will autograph copies tomorrow (Friday, 1 pm) at the NCIBA annual book show at the South San Francisco convention center.

Get free coloring pages at www.julieblackbelt.com.

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.

Justin Time: The Big Pet Story

The second adventure in our Justin Time book series is now out!

The Big Pet Story has Justin and his pals traveling all the way to India!

Like most kids, Justin really wants a pet...and the bigger the better. In no time flat, he and his buddy Squidgy find themselves on the Asian subcontinent. There their friend Olive is a royal pet keeper...and Justin is a rajah - an Indian prince!

Monarchy has its benefits as Justin discovers he does have a pet - an elephant aptly named Tiny. Now everyone discovers that caring for a pet takes a little bit more effort than they had imagined!

These official adaptations of Justin Time episodes are available at bookstores nationwide, including Barnes & Noble.

The TV series is gaining fans across the globe, including Netflix. The licensing of the property will debut at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas on June 18th.

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

August means Attaboy!

Yes, we try to blog every month that begins with "A". No, seriously folks, we have a brand spanking new book out...so here goes.

This picture is worth at least 100 words. The other 900 and change you can find inside the covers of You Might be a Monster and Other Stories I Made Up. Attaboy surely has made more than his fair share of tales which collectively break the expectations of what a kids book is.

For one thing, when have you read a book with a couch of contents?

Secondly, name a children's adventure that had at least a dozen monsters you hadn't seen before?

Thirdly, when have you seen a dustjacket that can wrap around from the inside out?

Don't get me started buddy. You get the idea. Anyhoo, you'd definitely get more than your nickel's worth as you confront a riot of color, characters, and poems, chock full of brio and moxie from a certifiably wild brain.

Attaboy is definitely a rule bender, as you can tell from his recent author photo. As you may know, he co-founded Hi-Fructose magazine with his partner Annie Owens. This pop "cult" periodical showcases like-minded artists who push buttons and envelopes and other drawing implements around to create genre-bending and innovative art. Their latest issue #20 has instantly sold out.

Recently Atta kicked off San Diego Comic Con with his new book and now is slinging couplets at lucky readers up on down the California coast. Catch him in the coming weeks at:

August 5th at Dragatomi, Sacramento, CA

August 6th at The Escapist, Berkeley, CA

August 7th at SF MOMA, San Francisco, CA

August 11th at Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA

August 12th at Sweet Breams, San Mateo, CA

August 13th at Books Inc., Alameda, CA

Atta will even give away a rare "heat-seeking" glow-in-the-dark ASTRX at the SF MOMA!

This will undoubtedly make more monsters out there, hungry for more offbeat humor and off-the-wall illustrations. As Publishers Weekly recently reviewed:

"Artist and toy designer Attaboy pairs flippant humor with page-popping digital cartoons in this collection of monster-themed poems....Readers should be drawn toward the subversive, macabre tone and lurid, Cartoon-Network-on-acid illustrations..."

Octonauts on TV around the world

Well, shiver me timbers and blow me down. The Octonauts are now an animated TV show and it debuted this month in the United Kingdom, France, and South America!

They started in the King's English on the esteemed BBC in the UK, on the children's channel CBeebies, which also broadcasts worldwide. Though the web episode player is restricted from operating in non-sanctioned territories (i.e. the USA), you can enjoy some fun stuff.

We always imagined what Captain Barnacles would sound like if he became James Bond. Note, Sauci dog is now called "Dashi"!

Octonauts "sub" site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/octonauts/

Listen to the Theme Tune!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/octonauts/songs/octonautsthemetune/

Dance to the Creature Report

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/octonauts/watch/octonautsclips/

Play at the TV show's site

http://www.theoctonauts.com/

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On the continent, the home station in France is TF1. The title translation is very debonair, and we're confident that Dr. Shellington sounds very convincing in French.

Les Octonauts

http://videos.tf1.fr/octonauts/

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In South America, the team has found their headquarters on Discovery Kids. From the sound of it, the ocho amigos will give telenovelas on Telemundo a run for their pesos. Vegimals must be even more cute when they babble in Spanish.

Los Octonautas

http://www.tudiscoverykids.com/
http://www.discoverykidsbrasil.com/
"Os Octonautas e a Tempestade Submarina/Os Octonautas e a Lula Gigante"

All in all, many more adventures await. We're glad that the rest of the globe can learn not only how the Octonauts can be such a treat, but also help them learn more about the ocean and its creatures. Of course, there is no substitute to enjoy our original 4 missions - the Immedium books that started it all!

So turn in if you're travelling and let us know that your TV tube time was well spent!

The Kung Fu Kid showing at a bookshelf near you

Such is the fate of Generation X - to watch another wave of recycled stories from our youth. Oh, where do new stories come from? It seems the path of least resistance is clear. It is easier, cheaper, and less risky to bank on nostalgia and name recognition by redoing the Flintstones, Josie and the Pussycats, and Scooby Doo on the big screen. Yeech. What we're they drinking? Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook were better off imitating Valley Girl, which copied Pygmalion. Next up are the A-Team and The Karate Kid.

Plus it is even savvier to appeal to the world's most populous nation and biggest emerging consumer market. The NBA opened the doors to the Middle Kingdom with the Trojan Horse of Yao Ming. Kung Fu Panda won over the hearts of the Forbidden City by denaturing the ideal a revolutionary action hero into a fat furry toy. Cue Will Smith and Jada Pinkett who wish to establish gainful employment for their son Jaden. Studios want their films to be #1 for their first weekend at any cost (creative or otherwise), so I'm sure that Columbia Pictures loves it when a plans comes together.

I never equated Jackie Chan with Pat Morita. But I'm sure that Jackie would have been better off reprising the role of Arnold from Happy Days. Jackie was a great Drunken Master, but I don't think Bruce Lee would have been caught playing a shadow of his former self, while simultaneously following the footsteps of a former burger flipper. Despite his prominent turns talking pidgin-English, at least Pat Morita helped raise the profile of Asian Americans as a lonely actor among a homogeneous eggshell-tinted cast. Mr. Miyagi was authentic in his limited way. Jackie just seems caught in a cycle of diluting whatever made him notable in the first place. (What else could have been the reasons to make Rush Hour 3 and Shanghai Knights?) You can blame it on aging or economic opportunism, but whatever it is, P.T. Barnum must be laughing because of it.

Let's forget for the time being the disingenuous mis-titling of the retelling of Ralph Macchio redux - that this weekend's remake is set in China with kung fu, as opposed to Japan (or Japantown or Okinawa) with karate. Or that the original writer of the screenplay was denied a credit. Or that Jaden only got the job because of his famous parents or that he acts like a typical 12 year old (i.e. not good enough to get the job in the first place). Or that we have a new target for the whole Avatar social-political criticism (i.e. a Westerner comes to a "native" culture, and shows he's the new savior and best warrior and gets the girl). The question is why can't we have some new stories with new characters. Do we have to swallow reheated leftovers from the cinematic microwave?

Sure, a movie can serve a good purpose - this flick can inspire children to take a martial arts class and learn discipline, good listening and exercise habits, and piety for peers and elders. (These are all laudable goals.) Or it can exploit the actual opposite values like a wolf in sheep's clothing - promoting the sexiness of violence, instant gratification, and egotism while ostensibly upholding the values of self-defense, self-respect, and self-mastery. Let viewers be the judge, but don't settle for the concept of "voting" with your pocket book by refusing to open it. That's like trying to tell Arizona that you disapprove of their recent immigration law by saying you won't vacation there.

If a movie piques your curiosity, great! Take some time, search some more. Dig a little deeper, beyond the superficial layer of merchandising (though Toy Story 3 may be a unique case now that Pixar was assimilated by the Disney Borg).

Check out www.julieblackbelt.com - we're proud of the book and Charlene Chua's dazzling artwork - and how that is based on a real story and a real kid. Here a girl can be the heroine (and not just a prize). Here a both man and a woman, and a mother and a father, can be inspirational teachers. Here stereotypes are challenged, not pandered to. Plus there's our itty bitty You Tube trailer :)

Though Julie Black Belt was published a few years ago, it may be new to you - and still seem new after the 10th reading.

If so, that's great too.

Immedium talks about Kid Lit at Book Passage

Join Immedium as we share our children's books at the Kid Lit Salon, held at the literary landmark Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA. We present on Monday, March 22nd, from 7 - 9 pm.

Hosted by moderator extraordinaire Lissa Rovetch, The Kid Lit Salon is for both established and beginning children’s book writers, illustrators, and lovers of fun kids’ books. (New members welcome! Just $10 per meeting.) Previous guests have included Lemony Snicket, the brothers Robert San Souci and Daniel San Souci, and Ashley Wolff.

Now come socialize with like-minded, creative types for an evening of casual conversation with author Oliver Chin, soon-to-be author Attaboy, and graphic designer Stefanie Liang.

As you may know, Atta is a boffo vinyl toy creator and co-founder of the cutting-edge (increasingly popular) art magazine Hi-Fructose. Now he is concocting his first children’s picture book, You Might be a Monster: and Other Stories I Made Up!, due to be published with us in the oh so near future!

Stefanie is one of our treasured Adobe InDesign gurus, and has designed books ranging from Desert to Dream: A Decade of Burning Man Photography and Julie Black Belt to Welcome to Monster Isle and the newest Octonauts adventures.

We'll provide a colorful PowerPoint and be pleased to autograph scintillating stories and sundry swag!

Catch our Welcome to Monster Isle story time at MOCHA

If you're in Oakland, California tomorrow (Saturday, June 6th), visit the Museum of Children's Art downtown (www.mocha.org) at 1 pm and enjoy a fun story time. Author Oliver Chin will read Welcome to Monster Isle and kids will make their own monster in an arts & crafts activity afterward.

The picture on the left captures the book's artist Jeff Miracola next to his furry buddy the Yowie, who is one of the creatures featured in this wild adventure.

While you're at the MOCHA, enjoy the current gallery exhibition "Once Upon a Time: Children's Book Illustrators Then and Now." This popular annual exhibit features the current work of children’s book illustrators alongside works created by the artists when they were children! Naturally Jeff is one of the participating artists and has contributed the drawing on the right: he was 10 years-old when he created this Unicorn and Rainbow piece.

This show inspires kids to keep drawing and being creative, just like pros such as Jeff.

Writing for Kids

Often writing is the most fun when its goal is to simply entertain kids. A case in point is when a preschooler finally gets a chance to take a stuffed animal home and then has to "write" about his weekend adventures with her.

In this case Elly the Elephant was quite a trooper and willing to try most anything, just like Nemo the clown fish was in years prior. (No pachyderms were harmed in the filming.) And she still held her stitching after nearly a year of being carted around by dozens of tykes.

Ghostwriting for a three year old is pretty low pressure. On one hand, it affords the great opportunity to let one's imagination run wild. As a writer, you can take the reins of the publisher, and finally do whatever you want without any reservations or objections. But it is still a real assignment. It has a deadline. It still has to make sense. It has to be punchy and personal. After reviewing the dozens of previous reports from other classmates, you want to be original... and even a little bit better.

Yet the true smell test is when you read Elly's adventure to the kids, and see their faces light up as they recall their recent experiences, colored through someone else's rose-tinted narrative. When they smile and ask for you to read it again, then you're on to something. You've captured, however fleetingly, the magic of writing for kids. What is it? It is an alchemic mixture of humor, ridiculousness, and identification which yields a meaning that bears a joy in repeating. A valuable lesson for an adult as well as a child.