Speaking Out: Storytelling and Creative Drama for Children

Book Description

In his successful Creative Storytelling, Jack Zipes showed how storytelling is a rich and powerful tool for self-expression and for building children's imaginations. In Speaking Out, this master storyteller goes further, speaking out against rote learning and testing and for the positive force within storytelling and creative drama during the K-12 years.

For the past four years, Jack Zipes has worked with the Neighborhood Bridges Program of the Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis, taking his storytelling techniques into inner-city schools. Speaking Out is in part a record of the transformations storytelling can work on the minds and lives of young people. But it is also a vivid and exhilarating demonstration of a different kind of education - one built from deep inside each child.

Speaking Out is a book for storytellers, educators, parents, and anyone who cares about helping kids find within themselves the keys to imagination.

Customer Reviews:

Stories for Teaching.......2006-07-05

Zipes' book provides a good introduction to various genres of storytelling. What is especially interesting about this book is that he provides a description of a program in which he uses storytelling as a way of teaching within Minneapolis schools. It's a fine documentation of a creative and innovative project which could be used in other educational settings. The book offers practical resources by providing texts to various stories and numerous activities for integrating storytelling into lessons on language arts and drama. These activities can be used in a range of classrooms, and they can be adapted for use in numerous settings. The book has a fine bibliography of resources for finding numerous stories for use in schools, and a good bibliography on relevant scholarship. Of particular interest is his discussion of wider implications of using this type of teaching in an educational climate that stresses standardized testing over creative teaching, and some of the ideas could be useful to counteract these stiffling trends in education. One limitation with this book, however, is its limited treatment of ways to integrate storytelling into curricula as educators will need to be convinced that this type of teaching is relevant and useful to their current situations.

Book Description

Adobe Photoshop for VFX Artists is an in-depth guide to using Photoshop to achieve a specific goal. It is not meant to serve as a general bible or litney of functions. By incorporating a straight-forward, visual approach to Adobe's best selling software, this book will provide you with everything you need to use Photoshop within your own specific context. Although there are many Photoshop books on the market, there are very few that are targeted specifically to the 3D artist, and even fewer that are written by a movie industry professional. Adobe Photoshop for VFX Artists adheres to the high standards of the VFX world, but is designed to still be clearly understandable to the intermediate hobbyist.

Customer Reviews:

Worth Checking Out........2007-04-03

This is by far a very informative in-depth guide to advance on the subject of or brush up on Photoshop and VFX skills even for the amateur "that's me" and there's an ample amount of books out there to choose from. I would say that this is worth checking out.

Starting to show its age.......2006-01-29

As of the copy I bought this book is no longer really up to date with the latest techniques and the latest version of PS - CS2.
As a senior Vfx artists there was some stuff of interest but it would be much better for a student than a practicing VFX artist.

It is not a waste of time but it would be nice to see more on newer things like Smart objects, HDR, layer groups and alike. It would be worth checking out if there is a new edition.

good, and useful .......2005-09-23

You will make nothing cool in this book as far as examples, tutorials go, but what it will do is concentrate on solid methods you can use to get the most out of photoshop. Most content is geared toward small tweaks, processes you can use to add quality to your work. For example, most people use the unsharp mask or sharpen tools to crispen images, in addition to this, she will show you some lesser-known features such as high-pass, which may give better sharpening results in many situations. This whole book is based on stuff like that. So if you are interested in exploring lesser-known ways of going about things, then you should get it. My guess is that intermediate artists would benefit the most from this. Even beginners will get something out of it. All in all this is a good title.

the first and only Photoshop book for vfx artists.......2005-06-16

there are hundreds of books on Photoshop but none that have been made specifically for VFX Artists. Except this one.
VFX Artists means those that create the materials and do the mapping for 3D objects as well as Matte Painters.
Although targeted for the intermediate to advanced user you don't have to know much about photoshop to read this book. Lopsie invests the first 92 pages to explain all the basics and make sure that everybody will be able to follow the following chapters.

Part two is all about textures. She introduces her own version of a UV-testing checkerboard which is (as her example clearly shows) better suited for checking the correct alignment of all UVs than the standard black-and-white checkerboard often used for mapping-tests.
She also explains how to create your own tileable textures from any photo, even when the tiles on the photo have been shot in a non-orthographic angle.
She shows how to create custum brushes for dirt maps, create actions and lots more.

Part three is about matte paintings. Having read that Lopsie Schwartz has been doing work for "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", and "Hollow Man" i thought that this chapter would be filled with inspiring examples of fantastic matte paintings, fantasy landscapes and so on. Well, it's not. But that's okay. If i just wanted inspiration and examples i could have ordered "the invisible art" by by Mark Cotta Vaz and Craig Barron. What she does instead might be less stunning but more valuable: she shows how to handle common tasks and problems. Such as removing unwanted elements in a photo, how to sharpen images using the highpass filter, reduce the noise, extract portions of an image, change the color of objects and scenes, merge two photos into one, change a daylight scene into a night scene (pictures on the front cover show before and after) and the list goes on ...

Lopsie Schwartz has a very nice way of writing and explaining things. She also has humour. Reading the book is a joy.

The book is all in color. Pictures for the exercises can be downloaded from the publisher's website.

Summary:
Adobe Photoshop for VFX Artist is a great book and covers a topic that has been left out so far, even though there are already so many books on Photoshop. It might not cover everything you need to know but i believe it's the best way for you to get started.

Book Description

Thrill to the Early Adventures of the Caped Crusader!

In 1943, Bob Kane’s Batman first entered the pages of newspapers across America and became one of the most famous creations in comic book history. But, because of wartime paper restrictions, these strips were sparsely circulated and too rarely seen. Now, this elusive and much-prized work is gathered in two complete, generously-sized collections that every fan will eagerly welcome.
Batman: The Dailies showcases the character’s earliest incarnation, before he became an internationally beloved TV and movie icon. Here, Batman is a newly minted hero in a world of hoods, heels, and two-bit crooks. The style of these atmospheric, shadowy black-and-white strips anticipates Hollywood’s films noir of the late 40’s and 50’s.
The colorful Sunday Classics will thrill devotees, as Batman and the Boy Wonder once again do battle with both common thugs and outrageous villains in order to save Gotham City from plot after evil plot. Making their nefarious way across these illustrated panels are some of the Caped Crusader’s most indelible adversaries, including the Joker, Catwoman, Penguin, and Two-Face.
In addition to behind-the-scenes information and rare promotional materials, these deluxe editions collect the first four years of the classic Batman and Robin comics exactly as written and illustrated by the strip’s most famous writers and artists.

Customer Reviews:

buyer beware.......2007-05-19

this is pretty good stuff, but the cover lies to you. catwoman, two face, and penguin are no where to be found inside.

Batman: The Dailies 1944-1945 (Batman, the Dailies)

Average customer rating:

Batman: The Dailies 1944-1945 (Batman, the Dailies)
Bob Kane , and Peter Poplaski
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Batman: The Dailies 1945-1946 (Batman Series; Vol 3)
Batman: The Sunday Classics 1943-1946

ASIN: 0878161309

Batman: The Dailies 1945-1946 (Batman Series; Vol 3)

Average customer rating:

Fun book to read

Batman: The Dailies 1945-1946 (Batman Series; Vol 3)
Bob Kane
Manufacturer: Kitchen Sink Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0878161473

Amazon.com

This volume collects the daily Batman strips published in 1943 and 1944, offering an introduction to one of the earliest incarnations of the caped crusader. Batman has been both a camp caricature (in the '60s television show) and a depressed sociopath (in the recent series of movies), but in this collection of stories he is every inch the hero in a world of hoods, heels, and two-bit nogoodniks. The style of these black-and-white strips, filled with dark shadows and expressionist lighting, anticipates the development of film-noir in Hollywood movies of the late forties. This collection is also notable for an early appearance by the Joker, who escapes from prison using only a nail, a cigarette stub, a wooden match, and an ordinary paper bag. How? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Book Description

The classic newspaper strip first ran on October 25, 1943. This third volume in the Batman series covers the period from 1945 to December 2, 1946, encompassing a full year in the life of these extremely well- drawn, well-told adventures from the Golden Age of comics.

Customer Reviews:

Fun book to read.......2005-01-07

Despite Amazon saying this book is only 3 pages long, it's actually 176. It includes five stories, all of which are much longer than the regular comic book stories. The entire book is in black and white, and the introduction includes a little story about the 1940's films. Also, as far as super villians go, the only famous one in the book is the Joker. The names of the stories are:
1. What a Sweet Racket (detecive type story)
2. The Phantom Terrorist (sort of like Phantom of the Opera)
3. The Joker's Symbol Crimes
4. The Secret Triangle Farm
5. The Missing Heir Dilemma

I know amazon doesn't have this available anymore, but if you can find it at a store I recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Batman : The Dailies, 1943-46
Bob Kane , and Dave Schreiner
Manufacturer: Kitchen Sink Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 087816149X

Marvel Tales #199 : Starring Spider-Man and Daredevil in "Double Danger at the Daily Bugle" (Marvel Comics)

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Marvel Tales #199 : Starring Spider-Man and Daredevil in "Double Danger at the Daily Bugle" (Marvel Comics)
Bill Mantlo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Lewis Burke Frumkes, one of America's very best satirists, sharpens his pen on the fads, fears, and fashions of the urban landscape. Here are 49 hilarious ways to cope with them. Explore the benefits of aerobic typing. Wile a friend with "Exotic Gifts from Harry and Larry" including "Road Imperial Valium—America's Favorite Tranquilizer—Only Better." Take charge of your next meeting with Frumkes's "New Rules of Order," which include Blurting, Interrupting, and Bullwhipping. Jump in the saddle and rope a roach—apartment style. And, of course, raise your I.Q. with a delicious "Gifted Child Fricassee."

Customer Reviews:

The Other White Meat.......2004-10-11

At last, recipes for the Mensan! The recipe chapter is an expansion of the idea set forth in A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, but without the political bite.

The rest of the book is composed of Mr. Frumkes forays into the urban jungle. They tend to be breezy and long-winded, with very little substance. The observations in the book are good for a giggle, but don't expect a glimpse of the deeper ironies - there weren't any real belly laughs in this book.

If you are in Mensa, this book belongs on your shelf. However, if you are looking for some meaty humor, you likely won't find it here.

How to Raise Your I. Q. by Eating Gifted Children

Average customer rating:

How to Raise Your I. Q. by Eating Gifted Children
Lewis B. Frumkes
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Companies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG1CLG

Average customer rating:

How to Raise Your I.Q. by Eating Gifted Children
Lewis Burke Frumkes
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG1CIY

Hard Boiled: Great Lines from Classic Noir Films
Average customer rating:

Attractive Presentation. Format for Quotes Could Be Better.

All the classics...

Hard Boiled a classic

Hard Boiled: Great Lines from Classic Noir Films
Peggy Thompson , and Saeko Usukawa
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Genre Films | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books | Dance | General | Reference | Theater
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Similar Items:

Its A Bitter Little World: The Smartest Toughest Nastiest Quotes From Film Noir

The Big Book of Noir

The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir: Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's (Little Red Books)

Film Noir

The Noir Style

ASIN: 0811808556

Amazon.com

Some days--you know the kind, the kind where you can feel the heat rise off the gritty pavement and the smog is so thick you could slice it up and serve it like day-old bread--you feel the need to change your lingo. A little kick in the teeth for the dames and mugs down at the corner dive. That's when a book like Hard Boiled: Great Lines from Classic Noir Films walks in. Hard Boiled collects the snappiest, toughest, most bitter dialogue from the greats into one easy package, ready for whipping out when the opportunity strikes. Need to describe that fatal ex? Why not borrow detective Walter Brown's line from The Narrow Margin: "What kind of a dish was she? The sixty-cent special--cheap, flashy, strictly poison under the gravy." Want to make the bartender stand up and take notice? Order The Blue Dahlia's "Bourbon, straight! With a bourbon chaser!" End a relationship in style with Impact's "I'll never think of our moments together without nausea." For more tender moments, cop a line from Sudden Fear to show that special someone you care: "I'm so crazy about you I could break your bones." Or you can simply emulate the classics with Follow Me Quietly's immortal "Follow that car!" Life may be a crooked game of blackjack with no more chips left to play, but maybe you can bring in a little glimmer of something wonderful if you slide up to your favorite cannon, slip him this book, and mutter softly, "The next person that says Merry Christmas to me, I'll kill them."

Book Description

The boss chewed you out? Try this: I've met a lot of hard-boiled eggs in my time, but you -- you're twenty minutes (Jan Sterling in The Big Carnival). How about something for that special moment? I felt pretty good -- like an amputated leg (Dick Powell in Murder, My Sweet). In the cult, crime, and noir films of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, everyone was supremely eloquent. Now contemporary fans of these classics can be equally clever with this inspired collection of over 300 lines from nearly 150 of the greatest noir movies ever produced. With full-color reproductions of publicity photos, promotional posters, and film stills, Hard-Boiled is a glamorous look back at the golden era of film noir.

Customer Reviews:

Attractive Presentation. Format for Quotes Could Be Better........2006-07-07

"Hard-Boiled: Great Lines from Classic Noir Films" contains over 300 quotable lines of dialogue from nearly 150 crime films released between 1932 and 1964. As you might infer from such a lengthy time period, the lines are not all from strictly "noir" films. "Casablanca", "The Lost Weekend", and even "The Thin Man" are represented. After an introduction by Lee Server, the lines are organized alphabetically by film. So it's easy to find the line you seek if you know the film but not if you are looking for lines by theme. There is an index of actors, directors, and writers in the back of the book as well as an index of first lines -so if you remember how your favorite quote begins, you can find out how it ends. Both indexes are useful tools if you can't remember the name of the film or if you are interested in a particular artist's contributions to hard-boiled repartee.

"Hard-Boiled"'s shortcomings are that it misses many memorable, deliciously blunt quotes, misquotes a few, includes a lot that is not film noir, and attributes the dialogue awkwardly. The book's strength is its attractive presentation. "Hard-Boiled" is a 8"x8 ¾" almost square paperback. It's pages are slick and glossy, ideal for reproducing photographs. Amid the quotes, there are 38 still photos from noir films and 28 lobby cards, black-and-white and color, from small prints to some that take up more than a page. The photos are all captioned. My pet peeve is that the quotes are attributed to the actors, followed by the characters' name and description in parentheses. This makes it difficult to tell who is saying what and why, which detracts from the pleasure and ease of reading the quotes. Oddly, the captions for the photographs do the opposite: The character name is always first, followed by the actor's name in parentheses.

"Hard-Boiled" is certainly a handsome volume. And the artist and first line indexes are valuable additions. A more recent collection of film noir lines is Charles Pappas' "It's a Bitter Little World". Inevitably, it also includes a lot that isn't film noir and omits some quotes that I wish were included. It covers film noir and neo-noir 1940-2004 and is organized by theme and decade (and indexed by film). I think the format that Pappas uses for dialogue is easier to read, but there are no glossy photos. Both books have their own merits.

All the classics..........2000-09-19

All of the best lines from the great "film noir" classics are here. There's a line to cover just about every subject, and you can amaze, amuse or astound your friends by using these quotes in everyday conversation. And, in the process, you can discover some pretty great films, as well--there's a lot of gems in here, and not just big ones like "The Maltese Falcon" or "The Big Sleep." Check da others out--you'll be glad ya did!

Hard Boiled a classic.......1999-12-30

The book hit me like a cold, hard slap in the face.

The book is handsome and filled with all kinds of noir lines and photos. It's very funny. After reading it, it made me go online and search for these great B&W jems on tape.

Book Description

The authors examine the problems encountered by Denisov during composition, and give precise details of all his musical and literary works, his scientific studies, his notography and discography (with a complete bibliography), numerous musical examples, copies of documents and photographs. The book also contains significant bibliographical information and discusses the general trends in the development of modern music.
Edison Denisov is one of the greatest figures in the world of contemporary music. He has composed works in a variety of musical genres and his creative work in particular has strongly influenced the development of music in his native Russia and throughout the world. This book, written by two leading theorists of music, is the first study of Denisov to be written in English.

Average customer rating:

Sonate: Guitar Solo

Manufacturer: Sikorski
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Songbooks | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0793555507

Per Bulez, Edison Denisov: Analiticheskie ocherki

Average customer rating:

Per Bulez, Edison Denisov: Analiticheskie ocherki
S Kurbatskaia
Manufacturer: TTS "Sfera,"
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Russian | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 589144075X

Book Description

Learn to "think laterally" and you'll solve pesky puzzles. These 110 puzzles start out fairly easy and the clues get more and more tantalizingly hard to figure out. They come in five sections: Dangerous and Deadly, Easy and Elementary, Interesting and Intriguing, Chastening and Challenging, and Fascinating and Fiendish. Just when you're on a roll, here comes a "Wally Test," a series of rapid-fire questions to make sure you're paying attention. 96 pages, 25 b/w illus., 5 3/8 x 8 1/4.

Customer Reviews:

Cleverly Done Puzzle Book.......2007-05-18

"Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles" contains 110 puzzles that have strange situations that need a rational explanation. The puzzles don't include everything needed to solve them, but there is a clue section to help. The book is designed for two or more people, with one person asking the puzzles and answering questions with either "yes, no, or irrelevant" while others try to solve the puzzles. There are five puzzle sections: Dangerous and Deadly Puzzles; Easy and Elementary Puzzles; Intriguing and Interesting Puzzles; Challenging and Chastening Puzzles; and Fascinating and Fiendish Puzzles. The clue section, which immediately follows the puzzle section, is arranged by puzzle name, however, the answer section is arranged alphabetically. There is one WALLY test, which is fourteen fairly easy riddles.

"Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles" is one of the best lateral thinking puzzle books that I've read. It's not perfect, while they are meant to be solved using clues, some of the puzzles are too short (some are only one sentence long!) and there's just not enough information to solve them. Examples of this are: "The Hasty Packer", "Poor Dogs", "Untying the Rope", "The Cloth", and "Nun-plussed". Several of the puzzles are implausible, which makes it frustrating to try to solve them. These puzzles include: "New Shoes", "40 Feet Ahead", "Strange Reactions", "Desert", "Mutilation", "The Parcel", "The Missing Diamond", "Three Notes" and "Catching a Bullet". However, for the most part the book is a nice mix of puzzles ranging from easy to puzzles that require real lateral thinking. Some of the easier puzzles include the WALLY test as well as "School Friend", "The Clinch", "Precognition", "Red Light", "Call Box", "Library Lunacy", "The Crash", "Doctor's Appointment", and "Poor Impersonation". Some of the best puzzles in the book, the ones requiring real lateral thinking, include: "The Sign", "Heartless", "Thirsty", "The Tree and the Axe", "Confectionery Manufacturer", "The Painter", "Beautiful Girls", "Orange Trick", "Good-bye, Mother", "Car in the River", "The Typist", "Two Jugs", "Twin Trouble", "Invaluable", "The Code" and "Time of Arrival". "Fair Deal" is a classic lateral-thinking puzzle that still caught me off guard. The clue section is a mixed bag - the most helpful clues were for the puzzles "The Deadly Melody", "Dead Drunk", and "The Hasty Packer". Having the answers in alphabetical order is a great idea because it prevents you from accidentally seeing the answer to the next puzzle.

"Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles" is extremely clever and well done.

Don't take this book too laterally ;-).......2003-06-03

I got this book, along with 3 other Sloane & MacHale lateral thinking puzzle books for Christmas one year. At first it seemed like a sorry excuse for a gift, but as I read this one first, I found that it was a challenging endeavor of the mind. Lateral thinking, it seems, is taking a situation and finding a solution that is not the most obvious, but usually the most logical. That said, this is challenging to say the least. A good book for people who enjoy mind games.

Great Book.......2000-05-05

I love this type of puzzle and this book has some great ones. They are great for making a long road trip more interesting. I am in college and I love them but so does my mom and younger sister. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes lateral thinking games.

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