Graphics Books

This book was informative, insightful and a quick read. A must have for both students and designers alike!

Insights into how world-famous graphic designers come up with winning designs make for an outstanding collection of lively interviews revealing best thought and practice in the world of design. Over twenty designers reveal their designs, outlining how a love of design developed, influenced their lives, and how it translated into a passion for producing better graphic design results. Any library covering graphic design simply must have this, whether it be at the college arts level or the general-interest lending library.

I can't believe only 6 people rated this book. This is such a great book and I had so much fun reading it. I lent it to my program coordinator and it became one of our program's textbooks(graphic design). I totally recommend this to any one interested in design, art or in general, LIFE!
worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY!

This book is a must read if only to get a glimpse on how real these great graphic designers are. I enjoyed reading milton glaser's not because he's a favorite but because I found his insights humble and encouraging for the not so great graphic designer like myself. I was also bowled over to find a designer from my country and from my college included here, Lucille Tenazas! Great book!

It's always refreshing to learn something new about the creative people that you idolize. This is a great book that will not only inspire you but also answer questions about design that are not quite so easy to articulate. You will read every page without any regret.

I've bought a copy of the translation of this book to Hebrew, which covers Hebrew contents in HTML pages, and it's my favourite and recommended HTML book.

Actually, I have two copies - one is always loaned to a family member or co-worker who wants to study HTML quickly and easily, and I'm surprised this book is out of print without a newer edition (e.g. HTML 4.0) coming out.

This small book covers everything about HTML in a concise manner. For someone who knows the very basics of HTML, every chapter is stand alone - no need to read half a book to get a specific topic.

The coverage is very good. e.g. many CGI manuals assume the reader knows the HTML side of forms and continue straight to code, even though most people want to learn both subjects together (how much can you do with a form that has no script begind it ?) - this book covers the HTML side of forms clearly, complementing those manuals.

Though a few of the chapters that dont deal directly with HTML (e.g. finding a home to your pages) are a bit weak, those dont make the core of the book.

I hope a new edition of this book comes out covering HTML 4.0 and fixing the weak chapters (e.g. giving URLs to sites such as geocities and giving a short hands-on manual on uploading pages).

If you use HTML or any related technology (JavaScript, CGI, etc), I recommend you put your hands on a copy of this book and stick to it.

I hope this book is reprinted. It is the single source book of code that I keep on my desk. I have recommended it everyone who asks and I am sorry to see it is gone!!

This book is probably the best and easiest-to-use HTML books out there. It's a little out of date now, since browsers have been updated, but I still use it and recommend it for quick reference.

I also use this book as a text, even though it is a bit dated compared to Castro's Visual Quickstart Guide (which I also use). The layout of the book is the reason it remains of value, and will so for years. For someone learning the basics of HTML, each two-page spread covers an HTML tag. The lefthand page describes the tag and dissects it, describing all attributes and values they can take. The right side shows an example of the code and how it looks in a browser. There is no clearer way to explain HTML for beginners than this. One caveat, though ... the appendix with the numeric codes for special and reserved characters is seriously flawed. If there is an edition for HTML4.x, the editor of that book had best make sure the errors in that table are corrected.

I've really enjoyed this book very much. This book provides a disection of each tag and a picture of the source code and the outcome. As a reference it's helpful, because it provides a clear and consise format. Plus, it'a a great size to carry around. Can't wait for the next edition!

Must have for reference. Great shop manual. I hope author keeps writing good Illustrator manuals. Well done.

For some reason, books on Adobe Illustrator are always terrible: they either pander to new users, recycle out-of-date content, or rehash the same boring techniques as every other book. Steve Kurth's Illustrator 10 Shop Manual puts the competition to shame, digging deeper in a single page than the other hacks do in a whole chapter.

Kurth has actually documented EVERY LAST feature in the program, down to the tiniest checkmark in each dialog box. He understands how I need to use the software, and offers the most specific and helpful advice I've ever seen.

A perfect example: a designer in my company needed to convert all the shapes of an expanded gradient from CMYK values to a single spot ink. If you think you know the answer, guess again -- it's not as easy as it sounds, and I've used Illustrator professionally for 8 years. The Shop Manual gave me an answer in less than five minutes.

And that's the key -- notice how I said "it gave me the answer," and not "I found the answer." No book could ever predict the above scenario and give clear-cut steps to the reader -- and that's why the others fail. Because it covers so much so well, the Shop Manual actually LEADS you to the connections you need, using Kurth's experience and a surprisingly intelligent layout.

I bought two copies: one for work, and one for home.

There's not much to say: I picked it up off the shelf, everything I needed to know is in there and it's easy to use. Simple praise, but rare praise indeed for today's often obtuse computer manuals.

This book is very good. I read it and learned a lot about the program. No nonsense. Later, I ask him questoin from his web site and he knew the answer right away. I look forward to other books by the author

I find these shop manual books amongst the most useful in my bookshelf. For an experinced user most often all that you need is to quickly look up the features and settings of a particuliar tool or dialog box.
This is a complete reference manual to the whole package, forgotten how to do something it will be in here somewhere. There is also a useful how-to section at the back covering common techniques.
These books make a designers life soo much easier.

This book served as a guide to go from not knowing anything about iMovie to being able to create a large slideshow project. I ordered another guide first and couldn't get off square one. This guide allowed me from starting at no knowledge to understanding well enough to get my job done. The iMovie icon sat on my desktop for years before this book opened it's utility. A small and worthwhile investment to get the most out of this software. It has even given me the bug to get a camcorder and move from photography to videography.

I love this book. Its so easy to read and informative that it'll suit any age! Its an easy way to get the know-how on Imovie and Idvd and also helps seasoned ammatures (like myself) brush up on the commands and answers any questions you might have.

As digital video cameras spawn in the hands of you, me, parents and tourists like cockroaches in my kitchen we find ourselves needing the kind of technical and aesthetic help not really seen since the advent of `desktop publishing'. Once again a `Missing Manual' has come to my help. `iMovie 3 & iDVD: The Missing Manual' is an excellent book.

I previously reviewed iPhoto2: The Missing Manual and said "The target audience for this book would probably be a little less technical than myself, however when I find myself in a field I don't understand well I don't mind a little stuff for the absolute newbie" -- and once again this is true. iMovie 3 & iDVD: The Missing Manual finds me in an area where I am technically inferior. Once again I truly appreciated this book and its style.

The book is broken up into four sections, one devoted to video cameras and shooting a movie, a large one on editing in iMovie 3, and smaller sections on exporting out of iMovie 3 and on using iDVD. At the end are two useful appendices: the first is a menu-by-menu look at iMovie 3, and the second is an iMovie 3 troubleshooting guide. The latter is often needed and always useful -- iMovie 3 still has more than one bug.

The first section gives a great deal of incredibly useful information about video cameras and how to use them, including hints on various types of shooting such as sporting events, interviews and weddings. The technical information on cameras is perfect if you have yet to buy a camera, including a guide to which features are essential and which unnecessary as you can do the same thing (only better) in iMovie 3. When it goes on to the `how to shoot' section, you get pretty much the same advice you'll get anywhere, but since we didn't really read all of from the last book on video we read (and forgot half the bits we did read) it's nice to have it there again.

The second section does a good job of explaining the details of iMovie 3, even down to some of its shortcomings and bugs. I also appreciated the way it spent as much time on improving the quality of the finished film as it did telling me how to use the various parts of the software. It follows a logical sequence through the movie-making process, giving good details on how iMovie does the job, how to get the best result and what sort of things to avoid -- particularly useful for things like transitions and effects when less is best.

The third section, titled "Finding Your Audience," is a bit more of a problem. It really has nothing to do with finding an audience and a lot more to do with QuickTime. The section first spends ten pages telling us how to get our edited film back onto the camcorder or onto a VCR, then it spends a lot of time dealing with exporting to QuickTime, including posting movies to the web and some info on using the QuickTime player, including some "tricks" with QuickTime Player Pro.

The attention to the finished product in the second section carries through to the fourth section on iDVD, though the writing here is not quite as good. It is incredibly informative, however. I learned a great deal about putting together all sorts of iDVD projects, including ways of customizing almost every aspect of the finished product.

O'Reilly have the usual marketing stuff on their website while Pogue Press have the handy little Missing CD section with links to all the free and shareware software mentioned in the book. Neither has a sample chapter or the table of contents.

One of the drawbacks of getting free software is that we don't get good free documentation. One of the benefits of free software is that we can choose which `documentation' to buy. Some people might prefer the style of the `Dummies' books, others the style of Peachpit's Visual Quickstart Guide. I've had a look at all three and like the balance of depth and explanation that Pogue has in his `Missing Manual' series. I once again find myself recommending a `Missing Manual' to everyone. While catering to the beginner, this book goes deep enough that all but the most long-term user of these two pieces of software will find something to learn in this volume.

Yup. This book really made using iMovie for the first time a walk in the park.
Wiht absolutely no prior experience in this sort of stuff (the closest I've come is Photoshop Elements), I was able to, on the first try, make a music video of my son's first christmas.
I was then able to convert an old videotape from the late 70's into a gleaming, groovy DVD.
The book is well laid out, easy to navigate and above all, usable.
It's a five-star manual, no doubt about it.

I bought this book as an afterthought when I started using I-Movie. At first, like most of us, I thought--hey, I can use I-movie intuitively without a manual...but after my Imovie 3.0 crashed and corrupted the movie I'd been working on for 100+ hours, I was eternally grateful to have it nearby. This manual is wonderfully organized, very easy-to-understand, and answers virtually every question you could have about I-Movie and I-DVD. It walks you through everything from how to shoot footage that is eye-appealing...to editing it to a work-of-art in I-movie...to converting it to a Quicktime video and/or burning it to DVD. It is honestly one of the best manuals I've ever used for anything---clear, concise, yet comprehensive. Thanksfully, you don't need to read the whole book in order to "get started" with I-movie; rather, it's a great tool to pick up on an "as needed" basis while you're editing. This book is definitely worth the small investment. It truly is "the missing manual" for I-movie. O'Reilley has done it again...great job!

Some of the most creative rabbit-monsters I have ever seen. Im even thinking about getting a couple tattoos of them.

I LOVE portrayals of monster rabbits because I have one myself--I took him in when I found him hopping down the street one week after Easter--yup, he was one of those poor abandoned Easter rabbits. He repays me by acting the savage beast. It is hilarious to be attacked by such an adorable creature, and his is SO WELL represented in this book!

GET THIS BOOK! This is fun to look at! What an imagination! Fluid and Beautiful designs make these drawings irresistable to stare at for hours. The artist is as imaginative as he is a talented.artist.

What delightful book. Gagne in color is even twice the power of his other popular offerings. I think he has really matured into a fine author and every new book is a joy. All I can say to Twisted Rabbits is bravo. What great designer.

Anyone who loves Monty Python, or who is a fan of Anya understands that rabbits are really voracious, man-eating creatures that hunt the night (or Knight) looking for the unsuspecting. And yet we continue to expose out children to them, believing that appearances could never be that deceiving. Finally, Michel Gagne has decides to take the lid of this secret scandal and reveal to the world the real horror that lurks between those sad brown eyes and cutesy tails.

Gagne was an illustrator in the well-known Don Bluth Studios until they closed in 1992. during that period he and another artist, Dave Kupczyk had a one-on-one competition about who could draw the evilest rabbit. While we won't know the real winner until Kupczyk publishes his own book, Gagne's rabbits are a delightfully evil and twisted as they come. The stuff of fluffy nightmares.

This is one of those books that is reserved for gag gifts for rabbit enthusiasts and excesses of cute, but it is fun for anyone that discovers it. Even as we speak, my cats are checking it out and whispering tales about that famous serial killer, Jack the Rabbit. You can't help but like this thin volume. Recommended for the light of heart.

Inuyasha is the bet manga i have ever read!! Inuyasha is a hanyou or an half-demon. This manga is about a girl from present times that falls into a well and get transported to the past, her name is Kagome. Kagome is the reincarnation of a dread priestess named Kikyou. Personally i think Kikyou is the best female character and Inuyasha is of course the best male character! I' won't give too much away or i'll spoil the WHOLE story...hehe...INUAYSHA IS THE BEST!!!!!! ^.^

Inuyasha is wonderful manga,if you saw the series on Adult Swim on Cartoonnetwork, then you should really get the Manga, its really good. It is about a demon Naraku who is is trying to gather all the shards of 'Jewel of the Four Souls' and Inuyasha and his 'gang' is trying to stop Naraku from doing so, and just about everyone in Inuyasha 'gang' has some sort of grude against Naraku, espeacilly Inuyasha. Also part of Inuyasha's 'gang' is a character named Kagome, she's from the future, and is the reincartion of a powerful preistess name Kikyou, and is the only person that can sense Jewels' shards and is a vital character. This manga is full of lies, decit, action, humor, some romance, and many other things, and its set in Feudal Japan. Its a must read, if you are interested in fantasy.

We all know of the Half-demon Inu-Yasha, the girl from the futrue, Kagome, The Monk, Miroku, And the cute little fox-demon, Shippo. Well, Inu-Yasha severed his half brother's, Sheshomaru's, arm. He has been looking for a new limb sence. Naraku shows up and the trouble begins. An over-all great read!! INU-YASHA, RAH RAH RAH!!!

I like Ms. Takahashi's works, mostly because they keep you busy for about an hour or two, the pictures are pretty, and the jokes are funny. In fact, I liked Inu Yasha even better than I liked Rumic World or Ranma 1/2. Buuuuut, I didn't like the parts when the bad demons come out to play. I'm not a big fan of blood and guts, you see. And Inu Yasha has more of that than Ranma ever did. MUUUUCH more. At least there's hardly any nudity :) Keep an eye out for Shippou-chan, he's my favorite character ever!

The Mermaid series was good, Ranma was better, Maison Ikkoku was great, and now we have come to Inu-Yasha. I'll tell you, I've read many a manga, but this series is by far my favorite. I'll admit to you I don't know any more of the story besides what happens in the first nine volumes, but as more keeps coming my love of them only grows. out of all of these books, though, only two I can call my favorites: seven and eight. If you haven't read the books I highly recomend you start with one,(no really), but if you're having second thoughts about buying this, STOP. Buy it, and buy it now. I assure you it's worth having.

Have you ever felt like you stood out from the crowd? Like you were so strange and different, that people couldn't help but stare? Lately, Aimee's been getting that feeling all the time. Yes, she's a fangirl from California who has the ability to detect all things cute. She loves dolls, drawing, manga, and video games. In her spare time, Aimee and her friends like to cosplay, which is making costumes and dressing up as your favorite anime or video game character. But none of these things are the reason that Aimee stands out like a sore thumb. Aimee's 6' tall and, while that's not such a big deal in California, when you're visiting Japan, you might as well be Godzilla.

When you're 6' tall and in Japan, you tower over almost everyone else. People might mistake you for a monster out of a Godzilla movie. You don't always fit in every bathroom stall. Losing your luggage on the flight is a big deal, because finding cloths your height is almost impossible. People are scared to share a hot springs pool with you. And dressing up as a geisha means you need two people and a chair just to put on a wig.

Aimee's determined to have a good time while she's visiting Japan. It's her dream to see Kyoto, home of traditional Japanese culture, and Tokyo, a city that's all about the future. Along the way, she and her friends, A.J. and Judy, visit temples, watch musicals, get lost on the trains, cosplay in Harajuka, and adopt a doll. Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan is Aimee's sketchbook journal of the entire trip.

Cute. Simple. A lovely guide book to one girl's adventures in Japan. So don't look for millions of pages of details. This is about her and her two friends and their journey to the VOLKS store in Tokyo by way of Kyoto. The cartoonist happens to also be six feet tall. It is a sketchbook and guide to many of Japan's little delights and, sometimes, tiny problems. It has a glossary and a appendix of websites of hotels, food places, stores and so on.

Seriously love this book. It's a fun account of Ms. Major Steinberger's travels in Japan. Not only are you taken through her own experiences as a foreigner, but you're also given little cultural tidbits that are just as interesting. Plus, the illustrations are fabulous. I look forward to more from Aimee in the future.

I purchased this book because I had heard of it in a chat forum and was already familiar with the author/artist. Most books don't keep my interest long enough to get through the book in a day or two, but this was impossible to put down. Aimee's lovely sketches and playful comments kept me laughing at the turn of every page. Her useful information will fuel anyone dreaming of a trip to Japan into setting the date after reading this book. I am excited to visit the places she mentions and share in the wonderful experiences she wrote about.
What a brilliantly lighthearted way to address the ups and downs of tourism.

A+

I picked up Japan Ai not really expecting much. I thought it'd be a cute read, but not something I'd really read twice, let alone buy. I was pleasantly surprised when I flipped through the pages. Steinberger's eye for details is amazing when it comes to describing her travels through Japan. Some people may be decieved by the seemingly simplistic artwork on the cover that the storytelling is just as simplistic, but they'd be amazed. The author's passion for travel, anime/manga, & hobbies comes through on every page. Fans of anime, manga, & cosplay will get into the journal because of the detailed information about those interests, but the average person will get drawn into the journal for the attention to details. It is easily accessible to most people. I would consider it a good guide to read before going overseas so one can plan out where to go, as well as knowing what to expect if you are a english speaking traveller.

Just like the title that I gave above this book is a pictorial treasure. It offers beautiful b/w and color photographs mostly of Jim and some with the band. This book containes some of the best Morrison pictures of any other book I've seen. As a HUGE fan of The Doors and Jim Morrison being one of my heros, I will say that you will definitely enjoy this book to its maximum potential. A truly work of art as far as rock n' roll photography is concern. Magnificent! I hope that a second volume of beautiful and pristine photographs like this one of The Doors and especially of Jim will surface very soon.

This is a gorgeous "coffee table" type book, perfect for Doors fans. No info, just full of rare, lovely photos. Mostly of Jim, some of the band, several ultra-rare sweet pix of Jim and Pam Morrison. A real treat for die-hard Doors fans only.

You won't be disappointed...a wonderful visual testament to the best band, THE DOORS!

WOW, this book is not only the best Doors book ever published but it is also a great coffee table book for all to read...well, there isn't that much to read but...who said looking isn't a way of reading!!Obsesively exhausting, this book trully follows Jim Morrison through photography. His life and what a life he had is reason enough to interest the non-believer...First Rock singer to get arrested on stage. First Rock singer to use profanity on record.. move over Axl Rose and Luther Campbell. His myth stay intact before and after viewing.

This book is absolutely marvelous. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and that makes this book priceless. This book is a must have for any Doors/Jim Morrison fan. There is an old belief that photography 'stole' someone's soul. This book does just the opposite. It does nothing but 'give.' It shows the artist, the poet. It is virtually all photos. Not opinions or someone elses slant on things that Jim can't respond to or defend himself from. This is exactly the type of book I feel that Jim would want out. It encourages you to think, learn, grow, live and transcend life on your own terms. Exactly what Jim would want for people to do. This book and it author are pure genius.

I am certainly pleased with my order. It arrived in timely fashion and in good shape

The strips where Dewey introduces his grandmother to the young woman who keeps trying to date Dewey are really funny. Although the strips with Dewey and his gambling-addicted grandmother are my personal favorites, I also like the color section on "Empire County Strikes Back" about the competition from the bookmobile. The whole book is entertaining. I have all four Unshelved books and keep at least two on the coffee table.

The crazy antics at the Mallville Public Library continue apace in the 3rd year of "Unshelved." The characters really continue to grow in this collection, so that the dramatic tension (such as it is in three panels) is interesting, while the workplace humor is so hauntingly familiar. I've heard librarians rave about the humor, but just like you don't need to be an engineer to like Dilbert, the weird patrons and stressed out employees are the same people you meet and interact with every day, regardless of where you work.

"Empire County Strikes Back" is a great bonus feature, a full-color mini-comic. In ways that are more reminiscent of 1984 and Dick Cheney than Star Wars, it tells the story of a super-automated bookmobile that threatens to steal all the patrons from Mallville's library. I won't give away the ending, but I will say it would fit well in another sci-fi classic--Star Trek.

Buy this book. Heck, buy all four books while these guys remain relatively undiscovered. You can impress all your friends at cocktail parties in 2010 when you say you read "Unshelved" back before they sold out.

I shared my copies of all the Unshelved collection with my 22 year old son and he enjoyed the humor as much as I do. He really liked the references to RPG and movies he likes. Please give these books a try, they are all great!

If you like books, you should make Bill Barnes & Gene Ambaum's daily comic strip Unshelved, available at [..], a must-read. When I was perusing their books at Book Expo, I asked, "But why would I need it in book format if I can read it online?" Well, I have to say, having sped through all four volumes, that while I'm now a subscriber, their books are so much fun. My favorite is Library Mascot Cage Match, mainly for the absurdity of a library even having a mascot, let alone two duking it out.

It's hard to pick who my favorite character is. They each have their often wry charm, and I might just have to say Merv, the precocious student always hanging around the very kid-like librarian Dewey. The authors manage to cover everything from reading habits to technology to relationships with spot-on, laugh-out-loud humor, and it's often just a short phrase that provides the zinger. The constant struggle between the Mallville Library staff's desire to help their customers (even the one wearing a "Say `No' To Libraries" t-shirt) and outwit them is perpetually amusing. With the addition of the full-color Empire County Strikes Back mini section, where the staff have to try to defeat a bookmobile, Barnes & Ambaum really outdo themselves. My only complaint is that this book is so fun it was over way too quickly.

This book is all about a nice but young vampire, known simply as Little Vampire. He is surrounded by a montage of ghosts who care about him, but he has fixated on the idea of going to school, as he wants to be like a regular kid. Everyone is baffled by this notion, and they all recommend that he find some other way to spend his time. But as the only child around, he is lonely and convinces them to humor him. Off he goes to school, with a pack of school supplies (including a bottle of blood to use as ink).

Unfortunately, the school is empty, and Little Vampire is still lonely. The ghosts band together and fill the school so he can pretend he's in school, with the Captain of the Dead as the instructor. Because he wanted as real an experience as possible, Little Vampire broke the rule against being noticed by mortals, and wrote in the notebook at the desk he sat at. This process was repeated for several days. It's actually pretty funny, and fun to watch his relationship with the mortal boy sharing his desk develop. Wouldn't you love it if someone came in and did your homework every night?

But eventually, this leads to a grim situation: the mortal boy must be killed, because he knows about Little Vampire and the ghosts. However, the boy--Michael--manages to innocently change the Captain of the Dead's mind, saving himself. Little Vampire and Michael become great friends, and it's a nice thing for both of them. The rest of the story goes into a small adventure they have, with Michael getting home just before he is supposed to get up.

Overall, this is an engaging and highly amusing read, whatever your age. There are several funny and memorable characters, but more importantly it is a story with substance in the form of nice life lessons about friendship and taking responsibility. And I can't forget to mention the art: it's sharp and goofy, and overall very pleasing. Note that if you are thinking of getting this for a child in your life, the topic may be a bit morbid. Ideally, try to have a look through this book (or the other Little Vampire one, Little Vampire Does Kung Fu) first.

This was a great book for my kids, who hate the fake-scary books available. This book was totally appropriate for my 7 and 9 year old but had enough creepy grossness to keep them interested. This book was bright and funny and my only complaint was the panels were often written in cursive so it made it hard for my little one to read by himself. Wonderful illustrations and the read aloud will let you try out all you goofy accents.

Little Vampire is sensitive and fun. The artwork is terrific. I will read this with my 2 year old grandson when he is a little older. I know he will enjoy the story and ask lots of questions. Even a yougster will figure out the metaphors of the characters and plot.

I really loved the artwork, it reminded me of Edward Gorey, and the way the book is written, older children will think it's cool and funny. There is a great, simple message, but it's not didactic. As a teacher, I think boys will like this book, especially older boys who like to draw strange creatures. The cartoon style makes it very readable. What I liked most about this book is the fact that it speaks to children without talking down to them. Perhaps this is partly to do with the fact that it was originally written in French...

Little Vampire lives in a great big mansion and while he has the ability to change into a rat, a wolf, or a bat, he is a sad Little Vampire. That is because even though he does not have to follow rules and does not have to do anything he does not want to do, Little Vampire wants to go to school. The ghosts are aghast at such an idea and even his mother's reminder that he has his dog, Phantomat to play with, cannot stop Little Vampire from wanting to go to school. So one night Little Vampire and Phantomat head off to the school at the edge of town. It has a playground with swings, wooden hooks in the hallway for hanging up coats, and on each desk there is a notebook with a child's name on it. But there are no students and Little Vampire's name does not appear on any of the notebooks. Little Vampire comes to the conclusion that students only go to school in broad daylight and at night there is nobody at the school.

Now, that could be a cute little story just by itself, but that is just the opening of Joann Sfar's "Little Vampire Goes to School." The Captain of the Dead decides that if Little Vampire wants to go to school he should have the opportunity. So all of the ghosts go to school each night and the Captain teaches school. This could also be a nice payoff to this story, but we are not even halfway through, because the Captain has one rule for his class. The ghosts had to bring their own school supplies so they would not write in any of the "daytime" students' notebooks. However, Little Vampire does not care and decides he is going to write in the notebook of a student named Michael who forgot to do his homework and gets quite a surprise when his teacher makes him open his notebook to read what it is he did not write.

This is a marvelous story, originally published in France as "Petit Vampire va à l'école" (and there is even a video version of the story, which makes me jealous), and translated by Mark and Alexis Siegel. My description of the book's narrative thread ends before the halfway point and there is much more of the tale to tell (such as what you have to wear when you stand in the corner because you rely on others to do your assignments for them). Sfar matches the marvelous story with delightful drawings, which is often where such stories fall short of reaching classic status. I like the simplicity of the Little Vampire's appearance along with the wonderful look of the Captain of the Dead and many of the other ghosts.

The only downside is that Sfar refuses to tell you what a hemzalleh is even though it is very yummy and you have to stop reading the book and get on line to find out what it is (I had to do it; you have to do it). But the good news is that there are more stories about the Little Vampire and I have "Little Vampire Does Kung Fu!" sitting on the shelf to be read next and find out more about our young hero and his new friend. This book had earned five stars before I got halfway through it and it just kept going. When you read "Little Vampire Goes to School" and see how right I am pass the world along, because you certainly know someone who will love this story (no, they do not have to be of school age).