The Spotlight
February 2008 - Immedium
1. News
2. Reviews
3. Events
1. NEWS
A. Happy New Year of the Ralph!
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We'll, we promised we'd get out this month's newsletter before February 7th. Whew! Now we can officially say "Gung Hay Fat Choy" and welcome The Year of the Rat!
Already our hero Ralph has been busy greeting fans across the country, as writer Oliver Chin, illustrator Jeremiah Alcorn, and graphic designer Elaine Chu are reading from California to Alabama. (Not quite a Super Tuesday travel schedule, but pretty close!)
Ralph joins Patty the Pig and Daniel the Dog in our popular annual series Tales from the Chinese Zodiac.
"Chin's story brings the Year of the Rat to life with his endearing characters and an amusing storyline. The cartoon-like drawings by Miah Alcorn, who has partnered with Chin for all three Tales from the Chinese Zodiac books, bring enthusiasm and added energy to Chin's tale and characters. Though recommended for elementary students, The Year of the Rat is steeped in Asian culture and will appeal to readers of all ages. And even if readers cannot engage personally with the traits of the Rat, they will certainly be able to identify with Ralph's feats and struggles."
- Paper Tigers
Enjoy a storytime at a school, library, or museum near you. Feel free to request a visit and we'll try to oblige!
B. WonderBaby is a Cool Mom Pick!
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Meanwhile new readers continue to discover the joyous exploits of the infant hero of our first children's book. The popular web site CoolMomPicks got a glimpse of WonderBaby and went ga-ga!
"Not Your Ordinary Mortal Alphabet Book"
"Each letter of the alphabet is pegged to a Wonder-character-trait and accompanied by a cool baby-cum-creature graphic: Munches like a monkey! Stinks like a skunk! Vanishes like a viper! (Note: nothing precious or twee here. It's all wild animals, being wild. National Geographic style, if National Geographic followed babies in the wild, which they totally should.)
"I received this as a gift, but within fifteen minutes of it arriving, I got online and ordered more copies. Because Wonderbaby is going to tear through these in no time, and I need at least one to whip out at her wedding."
- Cool Mom Picks
C. Immedium featured in the Nichibei Times
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The Nichibei Times is Northern California's oldest and most honored Japanese American newspaper. Founded in 1946 to get the Japanese American community "reconnected" after their wartime incarceration in American concentration camps, the Nichibei Times continues a legacy of community leadership and linking cultures together.
Their new year's 2008 edition profiled Immedium and praised the new breed of books we are publishing:
"Immedium creates books about arts and culture and Asian America, but the bulk is children's books, often with an Asian American twist. Which comes as a breath of fresh air considering the dearth of Asian American images in the media...Immedium tries to reach adults and children as an audience in the same book, with stories that carry interest and art that makes the pages flippable."
- April Elkjer, Nichibei Times
2. REVIEWS
Julie Black Belt (ISBN: 1-59702-009-5, $15.95)
"Finding a female Asian heroine in a children's book is a pleasant surprise…Parents struggling to instill values in their children will appreciate the persevering young heroine who forgets external rewards while focusing on internal goals. The illustrations, reminiscent of The Incredibles animated film, are bright and crisp. Take a look at this book. You might even see yourself in Julie."
- The Nichibei Times
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The Octonauts and the Sea of Shade
(ISBN: 978-1-59702-010-7, $15.95)
"The second book in The Octonauts series is once again full of bright and colourful illustrations. Each of the Octonauts has its own unique visual personality. The characters display characteristics to which young children can relate - seeking adventure, seeing the value in ordinary life, using technology, and appreciating one's friends. An important lesson is taught about not taking important things for granted. Are we taking important things for granted in our world such as our environment? Although the book appeals to young children, it has a wry sense of humour which will also appeal to adult readers…All in all, the book provides a feast for the eyes!"
- CM Magazine
3. EVENTS
FEBRUARY
- 2/2: OC: YOR: San Francisco Botanical Garden, 10:30 am.
- 2/2: OC: YOR: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Family Art Encounter, 1 pm.
- 2/2: OC: YOR: Golden Gate Conservancy: Crissy Field Warming Hut, San Francisco, CA, 3 pm.
- 2/2: Jeremiah Alcorn: Birmingham Chinese New Year Festival, Alabama.
- 2/3: OC: YOR: Books, Inc., 1344 Park Street, Alameda, CA, 510-522-2226, 11 am.
- 2/3: OC: YOR: Oakland Museum: 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA, 510-238-2200, 1 pm.
- 2/4: OC: YOR: San Pablo Public Library, 2300 El Portal Dr. Suite D, CA, 510-374-3998, 7 pm.
- 2/5: OC: YOR: San Mateo Public Library, 1100 Park Place San Mateo, CA, 3:30 pm.
- 2/5: Elaine Chu: YOR: Kensington Public Library, 61 Arlington Ave, CA, (510) 524-3043, 7 pm.
- 2/6: OC: YOR: Antioch Library, 501 W. 18th St., CA, (925) 757-9224, 3 pm.
- 2/7: OC: Comics Workshop: Bay Point Public Library, 205 Pacifica Avenue, CA, (925) 458-9597, 4 pm.
- 2/8: OC: YOR: South San Francisco Public Library, 840 West Orange Ave, 4 pm.
- 2/9: OC: YOR: Books, Inc., 301 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA, (650)428-1234, 11 am.
- 2/9: OC: YOR: Pinole Library: 2935 Pinole Valley Road, CA, (510) 758-2741, 3 pm.
- 2/9: OC: YOR: Marin Chinese Culture Association - New Year's Dinner, San Rafael, CA, 5:30 pm.
- 2/10: OC: YOR: Cody's, 1730 Fourth St, Berkeley, CA, (510) 559-9500, 2 pm.
- 2/10: OC: YOR: San Francisco Symphony - New Year's Performance, 5 pm.
- 2/10: Jeremiah Alcorn: FCC-Huntsville, Chinese New Year Festival, Alabama, 2 pm
- 2/11: OC: YOR: Alice Fong Yu Elementary School, 1541 12th Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 1:30 pm.
- 2/12: OC: YOR: Starr King Elementary School, San Francisco, CA, 1:15 pm.
- 2/13: OC: YOR: Spring Valley Elementary School, 1451 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA, 9 am.
- 2/14: OC: YOR: Copperfields - McNear Elementary School, Petaluma, CA, 10 am.
- 2/16: OC: YOR: Chinese Culture Center, 750 Kearny Street, 3rd Fl, San Francisco, CA, 11:30 am.
- 2/16: OC: YOR: Borders, Stonestown Galleria, San Francisco, CA, 3 pm.
- 2/16: Jeremiah Alcorn: FCC-Birmingham, Chinese New Year Festival, Alabama, 4:30 pm
- 2/17: OC: Reading the World X: University of San Francisco's School of Education, CA, 11 am.
- 2/18: OC: YOR: Bay Area Discovery Museum: 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito, CA, 415-339-3900
- 2/19: OC: YOR: Pasadena Library: Hill Avenue Branch, 55 South Hill Avenue, (626) 744-7264, 11 am.
- 2/19: OC: YOR: Pasadena Library: San Rafael Branch, 1240 Nithsdale Road, 626-744-7270, 1:30 pm.
- 2/19: OC: YOR: Bell Gardens Library: 7110 South Garfield Avenue, CA,(562) 927-1309, 4 pm.
- 2/20: OC: YOR: Vroman's Bookstore: 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 626-449-5320, 10:30 am.
- 2/20: OC: YOR: Kiwanis Club of Monterey Park, 1001 E. Garvey Ave, CA, (626)571-0888, 12:30 pm.
- 2/21: OC: YOR: Culver City Public Library, 4975 Overland Ave, CA, 10 am.
- 2/21: OC: YOR: Kiwanis Club of Pasadena: 170 S. Oakland Ave, Pasadena, CA, noon.
- 2/22: OC: YOR: Redondo Beach Public Library, CA 10:30 am.
- 2/22: OC: YOR: Lawndale Library : 14615 Burin Avenue, Lawndale, CA, 310-676-0177, 1 pm.
- 2/22: OC: YOR: Hermosa Beach Library : 550 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, CA, 310-379-8475, 3 pm.
- 2/23: OC: YOR: The Huntington Library: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA, 626-405-2100, 11 am.
- 2/23: OC: YOR: Chinese American Museum, 125 Paseo de la Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 2 pm.
- 2/23: OC: YOR: FCC - Southern California, New Year's Party, Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA, 6:30 pm.
- 2/24: OC: YOR: Kidspace Children's Museum: 480 N. Arroyo Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 1 pm.
- 2/25: OC: YOR: Chinatown Library: 639 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA, 11 am.
- 2/25: OC: YOR: Pasadena Library: Hastings Branch, 3325 East Orange Grove Boulevard, CA, 7 pm.
- 2/27: OC: YOR: Laurel Elementary School, 316-36th Avenue, San Mateo, CA, (650) 312-7555, 9 am
MARCH
- 3/1: OC: Asilomar Regional Reading Conference, Pacific Grove, CA, 3:30 pm
- 3/15: OC: Comics Workshop: Castro Valley Public Library, 20055 Redwood Rd, CA, 1 pm
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Spring forward, so says Punxsutawney Ralph!
Immedium
P.O. Box 31846
San Francisco, CA 94131
orders@immedium.com
Immedium, Inc. inspires a world of imagination, and creates entertaining books that have multi-dimensional appeal. Based in San Francisco, CA, Immedium sits on the Pacific Rim, a vibrant intersection for crossover cultural trends from Asia and America. Embracing an increasingly diverse and "multimedia" world, Immedium publishes titles ranging from eye-catching children's books and contemporary non-fiction to commentaries on art and popular culture. Visit us at www.immedium.com.