Blog
Category: Picture Books
Intern Insights: A Raincoast Wishlist
by Janet
Picture Books + Travel + Vancouver + YA Fiction / December 13, 2011
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I hope you have all been enjoying Egg Nog Hot Chocolates (Crystal's creation) and gingerbread cheesecakes! My favourite things this season include lighting the Christmas tree, watching old holiday classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Elf etc.) and enjoying cheery tunes that bring back many memories.
It's easy to forget how to enjoy the season with holiday shopping and wallet stress but I've narrowed down ten of my favourite things with Raincoast to give you some ideas - whether it's a gift for someone else or for YOU!
Here's my “little” wish list:
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Moleskine:
Who doesn’t love the feel of a new notebook waiting for your pen to scribble ideas and thoughts down? One of my top wishes from Moleskine, other than their pens, sketchbooks and new bag line, is their Passions Journal line. There’s one for everyone: the cinephile, the bookworm, the traveler etc.
I definitely want the Book Journal, here’s a great YouTube trailer:
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Zombie Lovers!
First it was vampires, then werewolves and now everyone's current obsession is ZOMBIES!
Raincoast offers two great books for anyone who is a zombie fanatic. First, is the humorous “Dead Inside” which is like PostSecret mixed with the Zombie Apocalypse.
Then there's The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, a back story graphic novel which explores one of the series' most sinister characters. (The Walking Dead is currently an acclaimed TV Series airing on AMC.)
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Ivy & Bean Paper Doll Play Set: Some great gift ideas for any Ivy and Bean fan!
There's the Paper Doll Play Set where you can play out your own Ivy and Bean scenarios or the Mini Notes set which combines creative stationary with your two favourite trouble makers!
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Grandpa Green:
What is greater than the gift of a good story and beautiful illustrations? Grandpa Green is a heartwarming book that you can give to anyone at any age. I am a personal fan of this book and think it would make a great gift for any loved one!
The book trailer:
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The Cheesemongers Kitchen:
For any foodie or cheese fan is a fantastic cookbook with creative recipes for everyone's favourite dairy product: CHEESE!
Recipes include delicacies like Foccacia with Venetian Black Truffle and Squash Tuscan Devil's Pecorino with honey.
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Your Playlist Can Change Your Life: For anyone looking for some inspiration or going through any life changing events I would recommend this lovely little book that states simply, music can change your life.
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The Art of Pixar: I don't know a single person who has not loved at least one Pixar movie. As storytellers they have transcended animation from being just for kids or families to anyone. They have rooted their characters, their art and their stories deeply in our hearts. I love this large book that shows you the making of their films:
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Darker Still:
Some good YA Fiction coming your way, this is a great read for anyone who enjoys sinister magic and fantastic situations. Imaginative and with an original concept this is a great stocking stuffer!
"Many teens will be reeled in by the romance, but will also be left thinking about how different things were for women a century ago, trapped by gender and birthright. This smart novel will have wide appeal." (Shelf Awareness)
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Animals With Hangovers:
A great and humorous photobook of animals with HANGOVERS! Share this with the animal lover in your life, you know the one – they always forward you cute animals on YouTube or are constantly posting funny cat photos on Facebook.
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Lonely Planet's Best of Travel 2012:
Travel junkies will enjoy this book with its great tips and beautiful photography! The book includes:
- Lonely Planet ranks the top 10 countries, regions and cities to visit in 2012.
- The best travel experiences for the year ahead, from feeling the football fever in Ukraine to awaiting the Apocalypse on the Ruta Maya.
- Over 35 events mapped out month by month in the 2012 travel planner.
Happy Holidays!
Selective Learning and Goodbyes
by Brian
Board Books + Fiction + Graphica + Humour + Kids + Parenting + Picture Books + Vancouver / August 09, 2011
Sad news everyone — it's my last day at Raincoast (cue crying and wailing of Raincoast staff here) and I'm still having trouble coming to grips with having to leave all this behind. But mostly I'm having trouble leaving...
- My Star Wars themed desk
- Our warehouse full of books
- And getting to flip through all the awesome ARCs and Samples
Oh, and the people — they were great too.
Seeing as how this is my last day, I think it'll be a good idea to take a moment and reflect on all that I've learned here at Raincoast.
(I've also been watching a lot of late night talk shows)
The 10 Most Important Things I’ve Learned at Raincoast Books
#10 - You can put Zombies in anything
#9 - "Baby Rage” is real. And IS frightening.
#8 - Women really DO want to trade husbands for housekeepers
#7 – Taco in a Bag is delicious
#6 – "Moleskine" isn’t the same as “Vole Skin”
#5- Vegetables are the “New Meat”
#4- Hand puppets and books DO go hand-in-hand
#3- There’s no such thing as “too much Darcy.”
#2- It takes 1 determined intern, 2 weeks and 3 americanos a day to input sales data for 800 titles into an e-catalogue.
#1 Googling The Naked Roommate at work does not produce the best results.
*I had a great time and learned a lot this past year. Thanks for reading about all the quirky things that happen at Raincoast Books through the eyes of a 20-something and I hope you continue to read about all the awesome people here and their love for books.
Cheers,
Brian
Favourite Books 2010: Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit, YoYoMama
by Dan
Kids + News + Picture Books / December 28, 2010
Play All Day
Taro Gomi
Chronicle Books ISBN 9780811871211
$22.99
Trust Taro Gomi to take it to the next level. While everyone else is now doing doodle books he’s moved on to playing. Play All Day is filled with things to punch out and make from games to toys to finger puppets. It’s literally hours of engaging entertainment and would be great for holiday travel with kids.
Shadow
Suzy Lee
Chronicle Books ISBN 9780811872805
$17.99
Shadow, a two-word, two colour book about a dark attic, a light bulb and an imaginative little girl can be “read” right side up or upside down as one side shows what’s really in the attic while the other shows how the shadows of ordinary household items like a vacuum cleaner and a ladder morph into a tropical jungle complete with exotic animals, rampant vegetation and just a hint of danger. Kids of all ages are entranced by the shadow world and Lee's lovely art.
Ivy + Bean What's the Big Idea
Annie Barrows
Chronicle Books ISBN 9780811866927
$16.99
I've enjoyed reading this whole series with my now seven-year-old and the latest book in the series. The adventures of this unlikely BFF duo are everyday in a lovely way that kids can relate to and parents will appreciate. With nary a licensed character in sight, Ivy and Bean's shenanigans are based on imaginary play and they're just "naughty" enough that kids will thrill to it but parents won't be dismayed. Plus I was thrilled to be able to meet Annie Barrows when she came to town this fall, my kids thought I was a rock star!
Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit founded yoyomama, a free daily e-newsletter for mums in Vancouver (and now Toronto), in 2007 when she couldn’t easily find local info on products and services for mums and their babies. As a mother-of-two girls and busy entrepreneur, she taps into her own front-line experiences to provide readers relevant, useful information that will (hopefully) make their life less harried.