"I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men, they are far superior and always have been." -- William Golding
 |
Stheno: "Our mortal sister is dead. She was Medusa. And we are the Gorgons." Front cover of the original American edition of Medusa's Sisters. |
My dear readers,
This is my latest blog post featuring recommendations for Women's History Month.
As usual, please take note of each medium's age rating and subject matter, and beware of spoilers.
Also, if you need help, don't be afraid to get it; your mental health is as important as your physical health.
-A. Eleazar
In Memoriam:
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
P. L. Travers (1899 - 1996)
Ursula Nordstrom (1910 - 1988)
Ruth Handler (1916 - 2022)
Judy Garland (1922 - 1969)
Glynis Johns (1923 - 2024)
Audrey Hepburn (1929 - 1993)
Elizabeth Montgomery (1933 - 1995)
Tina Turner (1939 - 2023)
Special thanks to Lauren J. A. Bear, Zura Johnson, Taylor Harvey, and Judy Takács.
Many of us know what Medusa looks like and what her gaze can do, but who exactly is she?
Premiering sixty years ago, fans can watch all eight seasons of Bewitched on DVD.
Elizabeth Montgomery (1933 - 1995)
Tina Turner (1939 - 2023)
Special thanks to Lauren J. A. Bear, Zura Johnson, Taylor Harvey, and Judy Takács.
Age Rating: 16+
"In the best works of fiction, there's no mustache-twirling villain. I try to write shows where even the bad guy's got his reasons." -- Lin-Manuel Miranda
When someone says the name Medusa, what comes to your mind? A woman with snakes for hair? A monster whose gaze turns people to stone? Or a villain beheaded by a hero?
For centuries, Medusa is a well-known figure from Greek mythology. Whether in Clash of the Titans, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Monster High, and even Versace, Medusa's snaky hairdo makes her recognisable.
In August 2023, Lauren J. A. Bear answered that question by writing Medusa's Sisters, her debut novel which retells the myth of the eponymous Gorgon from her two oft-forgotten siblings' points of view.
Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa are triplet daughters of gods Phorcys and Ceto, and have been around long before the reign of the Olympians and the creation of humankind.
Despite their divine lineage and slow ageing, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa feel out of place among their immortal family members: the Graeae, three witches who share a single eyeball; Ladon, the dragon guarding the goddess Hera's golden apple tree; and Echidna, the serpentine mother of monsters. Compared to their unusual kin, the three sisters look normal and could pass off as humans. And then there's the fact that Medusa, the youngest, is mortal.
Eventually, the three sisters are left to fend for themselves. As they grow up, Medusa is the centre of her sisters' lives-Stheno takes care of her and Euryale envies her. Wishing for a place where they could belong, the sisters move to the human realm, encountering mortals, deities, and monsters along the way.
Listening to the Sphinx, the three sisters learn of the time when Athena, the grey-eyed virgin goddess of war and wisdom, defeated her uncle, the sea god Poseidon, to become the patron of Athens, a Greek city named after her.
So, it's to the birthplace of democracy the three sisters move to, learning new things to express their personalities. To find her own voice, Stheno takes kithara lessons from musician Erastus' uncredited wife, Ligeia; desiring to become Poseidon's lover, Euryale befriends prostitutes, silently observing them and their clients to "learn" about love; and with her curiousity charming everyone who meets her, Medusa becomes a priestess of Athena.
But just when the sisters have found a place to call home, everything changes when Medusa becomes the Olympians' plaything.
One day, Euryale discovers a shocking secret regarding Medusa and Athena, and shares it with Stheno and Poseidon. Still bitter over losing Athens to Athena, Poseidon sees in Medusa an opportunity to mock his niece for her secret.
Realising the danger their sister is in, Stheno and Euryale rush to Athena's temple, horrified to see Poseidon raping Medusa at the altar. Athena herself then appears, enraged not at Poseidon but at Medusa, whom Stheno and Euryale know is just one of many Athenian priestesses the goddess has seduced.
To prevent the three sisters from revealing her love affairs, Athena curses them with sharp fangs, clawed fingers, golden wings, snakes for hair, and the power to petrify every human who meets their gazes.
After accidentally petrifying several innocent people, including Ligeia's beloved nephew, the three sisters exile themselves to the Island of Sarpedon, learning new skills to survive. To learn the latest news, Stheno practices flying; keeping an eye out for provisions being sent by her friends, Euryale learns to paint; traumatised by her ordeal, Medusa becomes pregnant with Poseidon's children.
Even with Athena's curse, the three sisters remain a family, with Stheno and Euryale promising Medusa that they'll take good care of and help her with raising the children she'll bear.
Back in the mainland, the Achaeans have begun spreading stories about the victimised sisters whom they have called the "Gorgons." The tales soon reach the ears of King Polydectes of Seriphos. Wishing nothing more than to make the exiled Princess Danaë his bride, Polydectes commands her son with Zeus-Perseus-to bring him Medusa's head.
And if you think you already know how the story ends, you're wrong. Medusa's death is only the beginning...
Narrated by Stheno and Euryale, Medusa's Sisters is the untold story of sisterly love and redefines the word "monster."
Readers must also listen to the unabridged narration of Medusa's Sisters, performed by Zura Johnson as Stheno and Taylor Harvey as Euryale.
 |
| Stheno: "First you must accept that monsters have families." Front cover of the British edition of Medusa's Sisters. |
For more information on Medusa, watch Dr. Emily Zarka explain the mythology behind the iconic character and decide for yourself whether the Gorgon is a victim or a villain.
There's no doubt that whether on screen, on stage, or in books, Medusa will always have us mesmerised with her looks, and her story reminds us that there's more than meets the eye.
too.jpeg) |
| #Me(dusa)too (2018) by Judy Takács |
Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express, Based on the Book by Dame Agatha Christie🚂
Age Rating: 12+
"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries." -- Aldous Huxley
In December 1931, Dame Agatha Christie was on board the Orient Express when the tracks got flooded. While waiting for the train to move again, Agatha observed her fellow passengers, people from nations across the globe.
Then in 1932, the kidnapping and murder of 20-month-old Charles Lindbergh, Jr. made headlines all over the world.
Inspired by her experiences on the Orient Express and the Lindbergh kidnapping, Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express, one of her bestselling mystery novels and featuring her famous protagonist, Hercule Poirot.
Published in 1934, Murder on the Orient Express is among the Queen of Mystery's most famous works, alongside The Mousetrap and And Then There Were None. For over ninety years, the book has been adapted multiple times for stage and screen, most famously the 1974 film version directed by Sidney Lumet, and starring famous icons such as Lauren Bacall, Vanessa Redgrave, Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins, and Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot.
In October 2023, Microids adapted Murder on the Orient Express into a new video game set in the 21st century.
Similar to the book it's based on, Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express follows Belgian Detective Hercule Poirot as he boards the eponymous train at his friend Monsieur Bouc's request.
While on board, Poirot notices that passengers had come from all over Europe, and even the United States.
One of the passengers, a man named Samuel Ratchett, attempts to hire Poirot to be his bodyguard on the grounds of being sent death threats. Poirot, however, distrusts Ratchett and rejects the offer.
The next day, not only has the train been stopped by an avalanche, but that Ratchett has been found stabbed to death. As he investigates into the matter, Poirot finds an unexpected ally: American Detective Joanna Locke.
Age Rating: 12+
"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries." -- Aldous Huxley
In December 1931, Dame Agatha Christie was on board the Orient Express when the tracks got flooded. While waiting for the train to move again, Agatha observed her fellow passengers, people from nations across the globe.
Then in 1932, the kidnapping and murder of 20-month-old Charles Lindbergh, Jr. made headlines all over the world.
Inspired by her experiences on the Orient Express and the Lindbergh kidnapping, Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express, one of her bestselling mystery novels and featuring her famous protagonist, Hercule Poirot.
Published in 1934, Murder on the Orient Express is among the Queen of Mystery's most famous works, alongside The Mousetrap and And Then There Were None. For over ninety years, the book has been adapted multiple times for stage and screen, most famously the 1974 film version directed by Sidney Lumet, and starring famous icons such as Lauren Bacall, Vanessa Redgrave, Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins, and Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot.
In October 2023, Microids adapted Murder on the Orient Express into a new video game set in the 21st century.
Similar to the book it's based on, Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express follows Belgian Detective Hercule Poirot as he boards the eponymous train at his friend Monsieur Bouc's request.
While on board, Poirot notices that passengers had come from all over Europe, and even the United States.
One of the passengers, a man named Samuel Ratchett, attempts to hire Poirot to be his bodyguard on the grounds of being sent death threats. Poirot, however, distrusts Ratchett and rejects the offer.
The next day, not only has the train been stopped by an avalanche, but that Ratchett has been found stabbed to death. As he investigates into the matter, Poirot finds an unexpected ally: American Detective Joanna Locke.
Locke reveals to Poirot that Ratchett is actually Cassetti, a gangster who kidnapped and murdered a little girl named Daisy Armstrong. For the past four years, Locke had been following Cassetti to arrest him for killing the child, whose untimely death had also caused the demises of her heartbroken parents, her stillborn sibling, and her nanny, an innocent woman driven to suicide by false accusations of complicity.
But with a train full of murder suspects and surrounded by snow, Poirot and Locke must catch the killer before they can escape and strike again.
Disney's Mary Poppins, Based on the Books by P. L. Travers☂️
As two detectives, players get to experience an expanded adaptation of Murder and on the Orient Express and use their "little grey cells" to solve this puzzling case.
Imitation of Life by John M. Stahl, Based on the Book by Fannie Hurst👩🏻👧🏻🥞👩🏿👧🏻
Age Rating: 7+
"Shared joy is double joy, and shared sorrow is half sorrow." -- Swedish proverb
People say that the grass is greener on the other side, that outside of your comfort zone is the life you've always wanted. But when you do get to the other side, you might instead find infertile soil, rocks, and weeds-the worst place to live in.
People say that the grass is greener on the other side, that outside of your comfort zone is the life you've always wanted. But when you do get to the other side, you might instead find infertile soil, rocks, and weeds-the worst place to live in.
In 1934, John M. Sthal directed Imitation of Life, a racial drama film based on the book of the same name by Fannie Hurst and set in pre-civil rights movement United States.
Beatrice "Bea" Pullman (Claudette Colbert) is a White American widow, selling cans of maple syrup to support herself and her only daughter, Jessie. One day, a single Black mother named Delilah Johnson (Louise Beavers) and her light-skinned daughter, Peola, show up at the Pullmans' home address, having mistaken it for the one listed in an advertisement for a new housekeeper.
Rather than go to the correct address, Delilah offers a solution: in exchange for food and shelter for herself and Peola, Delilah will do all the chores for free whenever Bea goes to work. As she herself is poor, Bea agrees to the bargain. In this unique household, the two single mothers and their daughters become the best of friends.
As the years pass by, Bea and Delilah become rich from making and selling the latter's unique pancake mix. Jessie and Peola grow up like sisters, but the latter is ashamed of her racial identity and has been passing off as White.
As Peola becomes an adult, she continues passing for White and coldly rejects Delilah. Meanwhile, Bea and Jessie also become estranged when both fall in love with the former's boyfriend, Stephen Archer.
As the family of four becomes fractured, a heartbreaking loss might just make things right again.
 |
| Bea Pullman: "We've worked so long and so hard for our two girls." |
A daring story about motherhood, race, and dreams, Imitation of Life is a timeless film about the importance of love and equality between family members and neighbours.
Disney's Mary Poppins, Based on the Books by P. L. Travers☂️
Age Rating: All Ages
"Things do come out of the blue. They come out of the blue to remind us that things do come out of the blue, and that life could get crazy good at any second." -- Tama Kieves
When Australian-born writer P. L. Travers published the first of her Mary Poppins books in 1934, she introduced the world to a magical nanny who takes care of children in a most delightful way.
In 1964, Walt Disney produced a live action animated fantasy musical film adaption of Travers' children's books, directed by Robert Stevenson, featuring songs by Richard and Robert Sherman, and starring Broadway actress and singer Julie Andrews in her film debut.
At Number-Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane live the Banks family: strict bank employee George (David Tomlinson), his suffragette wife Winifred (Glynis Johns), and their two children: Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber).
After Jane and Michael drive their nanny to quit, their father puts out an advertisement to hire a stern, no-nonsense woman to care for them. Instead, the sweet nanny the Banks children wish for descends down from the sky using her umbrella.
Introducing herself as Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), she sets out to work, pulling large things out of her bag, and showing Jane and Michael how fun it is to clean their room by snapping their fingers, riding horses in drawings by her friend Bert (Dick Van Dyke), having tea parties in the air, and trying to remember the long word, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
When Mary Poppins premiered, it was an instant box office hit, with audiences praising the plot and songs, and earning Julie Andrews the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role.
Until now, the Mary Poppins books and Disney's 1964 film continue to be adored by the masses, showing that life is meaningless when families don't have fun every once in a while.
 |
| "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" |
Today, people can buy and read the original Mary Poppins books and watch the Disney film on DVD, Blu-ray, and Disney+.
Bewitched by Sol Saks🧙🏼♀️
Age Rating: All Ages
"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." -- Mark Twain
Back in the 1960s, Americans were treated with a treasure trove of TV programmes in the genres of comedy and fantasy. One of them is Bewitched, a sitcom set in an ordinary neighbourhood that's home to a not-so-ordinary couple.
Advertising agent Darrin Stephens (Dick York, seasons 1-5; Dick Sargent, seasons 6-8) is married to Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), the woman of his dreams. But it wasn't until after they had tied the knot did Samantha confess to Darrin her big secret: she's a witch!
Nevertheless, the Stephens love each other dearly and try their hardest to keep Samantha's powers a secret from other mortals, especially their nosy neighbour Gladys Kravitz (Alice Pearce; Sandra Gould), and Darrin's parents, boss Larry Tate (David White), and jealous ex-girlfriend Sheila Sommers (Nancy Kovack).
At home, things are even crazier for the Stephens as they deal with being responsible parents to their magical children, Tabitha and Adam, and (un)expected visits from Samantha's witch family members such as her powerful parents, Endora (Agnes Moorehead) and Maurice (Maurice Evans), her prankster Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde), and her look-alike cousin Serena (also Montgomery). On top of that, the Stephens must also deal with Witches Council members who oppose their marriage.
But with just a magical twitch of her nose, Samantha is able to fix things for herself and Darrin, showing that as long they love each other, no one and nothing could stop them.
Created by Sol Saks and running for eight seasons, Bewitched is a fantasy sitcom praised for its funny scenes and for tackling serious topics such as women's rights and racism.
 |
| Samantha Stephens: "I'm a witch." |
Premiering sixty years ago, fans can watch all eight seasons of Bewitched on DVD.
Carmen by Francesco Rosi, Based on the Opera by Georges Bizet and the Book by Prosper Mérimée💃🏽
Age Rating: 7+
"We never know how we love 'til we try to unlove!" -- Harriet Beecher Stowe, "The Minister's Wooing"
Age Rating: 7+
"We never know how we love 'til we try to unlove!" -- Harriet Beecher Stowe, "The Minister's Wooing"
In 1875, French composer Georges Bizet made his most famous opera, Carmen. Based on the book written by fellow Frenchman Prosper Mérimée, Bizet's opera takes place in Seville, Spain, where audiences are shown the lives of the local people, especially the soldiers, bullfighters, and the Romani people.
Outside the cigarette factory, the cigarette girls exchange banter with the young men. A Romani woman named Carmen joins them, declaring that love is untamable and the any man who loves her must watch out. When the men ask Carmen who among them she shall love, she throws a flower at Don José, the Corporal of the Dragoons, much to his displeasure.
José later arrests Carmen for attacking her cigarette factory coworker. Carmen, on the other hand, outwits José and escapes, resulting in his own arrest for dereliction of duty.
Two months later, José reunites with Carmen, declaring his love for her. Carmen says she'll accept José, on the condition that he leaves with her and join a group of Romani smugglers. After attacking a superior looking for Carmen, José leaves with her and the smugglers.
As time passes, however, José and Carmen's relationship becomes toxic, resulting in a crime for passion outside the bullring.
Featuring well-known songs such as the Habanera and the Toreador Song, Carmen is considered one of the most famous and most performed operas around the world.
Since the 20th century, Bizet's Carmen has been adapted many times for screen, one of the most popular being the 1984 film version directed by Francesco Rosi, and starring opera singers Plácido Domingo and Julia Migenes as Don José and Carmen.
 |
| Carmen: "But if I love you, watch out!" |
Despite theatre's depictions of violence against women, experts have suggested using Carmen, and similar theatrical pieces, to educate the masses rather than banning them.
The Joy Luck Club by Wayne Wang, Based on the Book by Amy Tan🌉
Age Rating: 17+
"If you have no wounds, how can you know if you're alive?" -- Edward Albee, "The Play About the Baby"
Back in my last year of university, my instructor commanded that I read and report on Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, and the book has been one of my favourite reads ever since.
But when Tan wrote her debut novel back in 1989, she never expected it to become a bestseller nor the basis for a hit 1993 drama film directed by Wayne Wang.
Set alternately in the past and the present, China and San Francisco, California, The Joy Luck Club is made up of stories narrated by the mothers and daughters of four Chinese American families.
Jing-Mei "June" Woo (Ming-Na Wen, Mulan) knows little about her late mother, Suyuan (Kieu Chinh, From Saigon to Dien Bien Phu). When she was alive, Suyuan Woo founded the Joy Luck Club, a weekly gathering composed of herself and three other Chinese immigrant women: An-Mei Hsu (Lisa Lu, The 14 Amazons), Lindo Jong (Tsai Chin, You Only Live Twice), and Ying Ying St. Clair (France Nuyen, South Pacific). Every week, the four mothers would gather to eat food, play mahjong, and share stories about themselves and/or their American-born daughters: June, Rose Hsu Jordan (Rosalind Chao, AfterMASH), Waverly Jong (Tamlyn Tomita, The Karate Kid II), and Lena St. Clair (Lauren Tom, Blue Steel).
With Suyuan deceased, June takes her place at the eastern corner of the mahjong table, playing the Chinese game with her three honorary aunts. But Suyuan had left more than just the Joy Luck Club; prior to marrying June's father, Suyuan had twin baby girls whom she was forced to abandon in China during WWII. Having received word that her long-lost half sisters are alive, June decides to go to China and meet them, kickstarting a series of interconnected tales.
In the women's stories, audiences are shown life in rural China, war zones, traditional and modern marriages, and intergenerational conflicts that can only be solved with love and honesty. The mothers want their daughters to remember their family histories and heritage. On the other hand, the daughters themselves struggle to understand their mothers while living out their own lives.
Yet by practicing the values taught to them, the daughters are able to overcome their personal problems just as their mothers had made sacrifices to find a home for themselves and their families to belong to.
 |
| June Woo: "This feather may look worthless, but it comes from afar and carries with it all my good intentions." |
Today, The Joy Luck Club remains an entertaining piece which people can read and listen to, and watch on home video and Disney+.
For more information, watch this TED-Ed video on why you should read The Joy Luck Club.
"Fear comes with imagination, it's a penalty, it's the price of imagination." -- Thomas Harris, "Red Dragon"
Neil Gaiman is an English author best-known for writing American Gods, Coraline, The Sandman, Stardust, and Good Omens, a novel he had co-written with the late Terry Pratchett.
Back in 1994, Gaiman retold the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Little Snow White to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. One of Gaiman's best-known works, the piece is titled Snow, Glass, Apples, an adult horror short story told from the "Evil" Queen's point of view.
A magical woman has married the king of the land, becoming a queen and stepmother to his daughter, the princess. The white-skinned, black-haired, and red-lipped princess, however, terrifies the queen by biting and sucking the blood of every human being she encounters, including her own parents.
When the king dies from the princess's vampirism, the queen becomes ruler of the land and has her stepdaughter's heart cut out.
Hanging the princess's still beating heart in her chambers, the queen must now protect her kingdom from beautiful faces that hide living, breathing nightmares.
Neil Gaiman is an English author best-known for writing American Gods, Coraline, The Sandman, Stardust, and Good Omens, a novel he had co-written with the late Terry Pratchett.
Back in 1994, Gaiman retold the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Little Snow White to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. One of Gaiman's best-known works, the piece is titled Snow, Glass, Apples, an adult horror short story told from the "Evil" Queen's point of view.
A magical woman has married the king of the land, becoming a queen and stepmother to his daughter, the princess. The white-skinned, black-haired, and red-lipped princess, however, terrifies the queen by biting and sucking the blood of every human being she encounters, including her own parents.
When the king dies from the princess's vampirism, the queen becomes ruler of the land and has her stepdaughter's heart cut out.
Hanging the princess's still beating heart in her chambers, the queen must now protect her kingdom from beautiful faces that hide living, breathing nightmares.
In this story, the characters are so flawed that none are the "fairest of them all..."
Putting a twist on a classic fairy tale, Snow, Glass, Apples is a must read for fans of the Brothers Grimm and the vampire genre.
 |
| Queen: "Lies and half-truths fall like snow, covering the things that I remember, the things I saw. A landscape unrecognizable after a snowfall- that is what she has made of my life." |
In 2001, Snow, Glass, Apples was adapted into an audio drama for the Seeing Ear Theater, starring Broadway actress and singer Bebe Neuwirth (Cheers, Chicago) as the queen.
Then in 2019, Colleen Doran adapted Gaiman's short story into a graphic novel published by Dark Horse Comics, winning the 2020 Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium and the Bram Stoker Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel Award.
Age Rating: All Ages
"Mom's tree is over here
Back there is Daddy's tree
They live in different places
But they both love me."
-- Sesame Street, The Bird Family Song
Marital separation isn't an easy topic to discuss, especially in conservative nations like my home country of the Philippines. While divorce remains illegal, there's still the fact that a number of married Filipino couples go their separate ways. When these former couples have children, hypocrites would derogatively refer to these households as "broken families."
When Jean Lee C. Patindol's child was asked by a neighbour what it was like having a "broken home," Patindol herself was offended. To show that children with separated parents are no different from those of married couples', Patindol and local artist Mark Salvatus wrote and illustrated a very special Philippine children's book.
In 2004, Patindol published Papa's House, Mama's House, a Philippine children's book in English and Filipino.
A five-year-old Filipino girl narrates of her life as a member of a family of five. The narrator and her two sisters, Ana and Bianca, have not only two parents, but also two houses: Papa's house and Mama's house.
The three sisters live with their Mama every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and with their Papa every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In both houses, the children enjoy playing games and eating delicious food with their parents.
When she notices each of her friends living with both parents in one house, the narrator's Mama and Papa both assure her that even though they're not married anymore, they'll always love her and her sisters with all their hearts.
An award-winning children's book, Papa's House, Mama's House shows readers that family members aren't defined by their lifestyles, but by their love for one another.
The three sisters live with their Mama every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and with their Papa every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In both houses, the children enjoy playing games and eating delicious food with their parents.
When she notices each of her friends living with both parents in one house, the narrator's Mama and Papa both assure her that even though they're not married anymore, they'll always love her and her sisters with all their hearts.
 |
| Narrator: "Ana, Bianca, and I live in two houses. There is Papa's house. And there is Mama's house." |
An award-winning children's book, Papa's House, Mama's House shows readers that family members aren't defined by their lifestyles, but by their love for one another.
Age Rating: All Ages
"The desire to reach the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise and most possible." -- Maya Angelou
Once upon a time in the Land Down Under (AKA Australia), a man named Joe Brumm, inspired by his pet dogs and life as a parent, created an animated TV series about an Australian Blue Heeler puppy and her family and friends. It was 2018, and the name of the show is... Bluey!
Since premiering in 2018, Bluey has taken the world by storm. Fans just love Bluey Heeler and the fun she has with her little sister, Bingo, and their parents, Bandit and Chilli. Whether at home with her family or at school with her classmates and friends, Bluey's wild imagination takes them on fantastic adventures that captivate the young at heart.
With a catchy opening theme song and hundreds of episodes, Bluey is also one of the most watched animated TV programmes in recent years, earning billions of views from people watching it on TV, YouTube, and Disney+.
So, what's there to love about Bluey? Well, many things. Even though children are the show's target audience, people of all ages love watching Bluey's adventures, the messages contained within each 7-minute episode, scenarios parents can relate to, and even showing the scenes in colours that real dogs can see. Viewers also praise Bluey for tackling serious topics such as death, bullying, neurodiversity, premature births, the digital divide, infertility, deafness, fear, and trauma, and depicting the characters handling these subjects in a way young children can understand.
Oh, don't forget about the celebrity guest stars such as Robert Irwin (of Australia Zoo), Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), and even Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton)!
In its third and current season, full Bluey episodes can be viewed on its official YouTube channel, Disney Junior's official YouTube channel, DVD, and Disney+, with more to air in the future.
Oh, don't forget about the celebrity guest stars such as Robert Irwin (of Australia Zoo), Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), and even Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton)!
 |
| Bluey Heeler: "For real life?" |
In its third and current season, full Bluey episodes can be viewed on its official YouTube channel, Disney Junior's official YouTube channel, DVD, and Disney+, with more to air in the future.
Twelfth Night by Adam Smethurst, Based on the Play by William Shakespeare🧑🏿🦱🧑🏿🦱
Age Rating: 7+
"Those that go searching for love only make manifest their own lovelessness, and the loveless never find love, only the loving find love, and they never have to seek for it." -- D.H. Lawrence
While we may never know when exactly he was born, William Shakespeare is no doubt one of the most (if not the most) famous writers in English literature. Nicknamed "The Bard," Shakespeare's plays make him the world's number one best-selling fiction writer. His works include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and many more plays in the genres of comedy, tragedy, and history. Until now, Shakespeare's plays continue to be performed on stage, adapted for screen, and taught in English class, providing audiences with fantastic plots and famous quotes.
But during Shakespeare's day, women were banned from acting. Thus, all the female characters in the Bard's plays were played by men donning wigs, dresses, and makeup, a feature that's still used in some present day productions.
Nevertheless, several of Shakespeare's plays show strong female characters, alluding to how difficult it is for women to prove themselves worthy in places dominated by powerful male figures.
In the early 17th century, Shakespeare wrote one of his popular comedy plays titled Twelfth Night, or What You Will.
In Twelfth Night, a young woman named Viola gets shipwrecked in the country of Illyria, becoming separated from her twin brother, Sebastian, whom she believes to have drowned. Disguising herself as a eunuch named 'Cesario', Viola goes to work for Duke Orsino, the leader of Illyria.
For months, Orsino has been in love with Olivia, a countess who has sworn not to wed any man until seven years have passed following her brother's death. To gain Olivia's attention, Orsino sends 'Cesario' to woo the Countess on his behalf. But in a Shakespearean twist, Olivia, who doesn't love the Duke, is charmed by 'Cesario's' praises and falls for 'him' instead.
Aware of Olivia's attraction to her, Viola ponders how things will turn out as she herself is in love with Orsino, who also doesn't know she's a woman. Things become even more awkward for Viola when her brother, Sebastian, also arrives in Illyria and gets mistaken for 'Cesario.'
Featuring well-known lines and hilarious scenes, Twelfth Night is one of William Shakespeare's most famous works. Over the years, Twelfth Night has been adapted many times for the screen, including a 1996 film directed by Trevor Nunn, and starring Imogen Stubbs as Viola, Toby Stephens as Orsino, and Helena Bonham Carter as Olivia.
In 2018, Shanty Productions released a new film adaptation of Twelfth Night set in the 21st century, directed by Adam Smethurst, and starring Sheila Atim in the dual role of Viola and Sebastian.
In February 2023, over a year before the 460th anniversary of William Shakespeare's baptism, Shanty Productions uploaded on YouTube the entirety of its 2018 film adaption of Twelfth Night.
Friendship by Lin Tam👩🏻👩🏼
Age Rating: All Ages
"True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never in the heart." -- Helen Keller
In real life, time just might be the fastest thing on Earth. One moment, someone's there and the next, they're not.
In 2022, Lin Tam directed Friendship, an animated short film about two women sticking together throughout the passage of time.
Since meeting on the school bus, Lisa and Amy have been the best of friends.
As they grow up, Lisa and Amy experience life's challenges while still supporting one another.
Even as the years pass by one after the other, Lisa and Amy show audiences the definition of friendship.
By directing such an entertaining film, Tam shows us just how previous time is when it's spent together with those you love.
Move by Idina Menzel💃🏿🕺🏿💃🏾💃🏽🕺🏾🕺🏽💃🏼🕺🏼💃🏻🕺🏻
Age Rating: 7+
"The older I get, the greater power I seem to have to help the world; I am like a snowball -- the further I am rolled the more I gain." -- Susan B. Anthony
Last year marked the 20th anniversary of Wicked and the 10th anniversary of Disney's Frozen, two projects that starred Broadway actress and singer Idina Menzel.
Originating the roles of Elphaba from Wicked and Maureen from Rent, and the voice of Elsa from Frozen, Idina is known for her unique vocals and human rights activism.
In 2022 and 2023, Idina and her sister, Cara Mentzel, co-wrote Loud Mouse and Proud Mouse, two children's books partially inspired by their childhood days and encouraging readers to be themselves.
From Idina Menzel's latest album, Drama Queen, is Move, a song guaranteed to get listeners into the groove and to keep on being their true selves.
Age Rating: 7+
"The point? Walk the world. Help to feed the hungry, help comfort those in pain. Do what you can to leave the world a better place." -- Death of the Endless, in "The Wheel" by Neil Gaiman
Rather than being the opposite of life, death is actually a part of it. Each person on Earth has their own way of coping with something that happens everyday, to everyone, and everywhere. In July 2023, artists Meghan Boehman and Rachael Briner published Dear Rosie, a children's graphic novel dedicated to a dear friend who died at a young age.
In a Maryland county live five best friends: Millie the deer, Claire the mouse, Gabby the skunk, Florence the fox, and Rosie the cat. Together, the five girls love nothing more than having fun together, especially at the creek. But during the summer before seventh grade, Rosie dies in a car accident.
When the new school year begins, Rosie's heartbroken friends grieve over their loss. One day while watching her family's laundromat, Millie spots a journal left behind by a customer. To Millie's surprise, she finds the journal containing a map of the town's landmarks and an eye-shaped pattern similar to the ones Rosie had drawn.
Believing that it was Rosie herself who had drawn the eye in the journal, Millie shares her discovery with her remaining friends and convinces them to solve the mystery. But persuading her friends is easier said than done. Since Rosie's death, Florence has been angry with Gabby, who is moving away, and Claire has started dating a stranger she has met online.
Eventually, Millie gets her friends to stop squabbling and explore the last place where Rosie could've hanged out before her death. As they repair the broken bridges between themselves, Millie, Claire, Gabby, and Florence just might be able to finally say goodbye to their dear friend, Rosie.
 |
| "Dear Rosie..." |
Tackling the topic of death, Dear Rosie is a children's graphic novel about the healing powers of love between the truest of friends.
Barbie by Greta Gerwig, Based on the Dolls by Mattel👠
Age Rating: 13+
"Don't be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute." -- Tina Fey
On March 9, 1959, a woman named Ruth Handler unveiled her creation: a doll that changed the course of history. Her name? Barbie.
Over the decades since her creation, Barbie has been one of Mattel's hit toy brands, with millions of people all over the world buying Barbie dolls and playsets. Since the 2000s, Barbie, her family, and friends have been appearing in a number of animated films and TV programmes. Appearing in different shapes and sizes, the Barbie dolls come with a message that encourages children to be whoever they want to be.
In 2023, Greta Gerwig (Little Women) directed the very first live-action film based on the world-famous doll.
A narrator (Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect) introduces audiences to Barbieland, a matriarchal toy society that's home to Barbie and Ken dolls. The Kens spend their days playing at the beach while the Barbies govern Barbieland, working as doctors, lawyers, and even presidents.
Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie, I, Tonya) would rather have fun with her fellow Barbies than enter into a relationship with Beach Ken (Ryan Gosling, La La Land). But during a dance party, Stereotypical Barbie starts having an existential crisis, and stops being the fun doll Barbieland society expects her to be. When told that finding the human girl playing with her would make her fun again, Barbie gets into her car and drives into the real world, accompanied by a stow away Ken.
Barbie and Ken's presence in the human world, however, alerts Mattel, its CEO (Will Ferrell, Elf) ordering the dolls be captured and sent back to Barbieland.
Barbie and Ken's presence in the human world, however, alerts Mattel, its CEO (Will Ferrell, Elf) ordering the dolls be captured and sent back to Barbieland.
After a few mishaps, Barbie meets Sasha, a girl who accuses her of representing unrealistic beauty standards. Sasha also reveals that it's her mother, a Mattel employee named Gloria (America Ferrera, Ugly Betty), who had been playing with Stereotypical Barbie, and unknowingly made the doll undergo the same existential crisis she has.
Ken, meanwhile, gets exposed to patriarchy, sharing it with the other Kens and convincing them to take over Barbieland and force the Barbies to obey them without question.
With Mattel agents after her and Barbieland in trouble, it's now up to Barbie save the day and, most importantly, decide who she wants to be.
Featuring an all star cast that also includes Issa Rae (Hair Love), Dua Lipa, Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), John Cena (Peacemaker), and songs by a number of popular artists, Barbie is a fantasy comedy film that had made Greta Gerwig the highest paid female director and brings new meaning to the word fun.
Ken, meanwhile, gets exposed to patriarchy, sharing it with the other Kens and convincing them to take over Barbieland and force the Barbies to obey them without question.
With Mattel agents after her and Barbieland in trouble, it's now up to Barbie save the day and, most importantly, decide who she wants to be.
 |
| "Hi, Barbie." |
Featuring an all star cast that also includes Issa Rae (Hair Love), Dua Lipa, Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), John Cena (Peacemaker), and songs by a number of popular artists, Barbie is a fantasy comedy film that had made Greta Gerwig the highest paid female director and brings new meaning to the word fun.
"The most important wealth is health." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Suicide isn't an easy topic to discuss, yet it's one of the top leading causes of death, especially to people with mental health problems.
Suicide isn't an easy topic to discuss, yet it's one of the top leading causes of death, especially to people with mental health problems.
In September 2023, Dr. Melissa Allen Heath and Frances Ives wrote and illustrated Why?, a children's book about a boy coping with his father's death by suicide.
Oliver Jr.'s father loved him very much. Then one day, Oliver's father killed himself. As he grieves his loss, Oliver turns to his mother, asking her why his father had died that way and whether their love for one another is even real. Grieving herself, Oliver's mother hugs him and tells him that his father did love him and nothing could change that fact.
Written in appropriate language and featuring unique illustrations, Why? informs readers on how to support children who have lost loved ones to suicide.
Again, to anyone experiencing mental pain, please seek help; your mental health is as important as your physical health. For more information, you can watch the author herself narrate Why? with this YouTube video:
Oliver Jr.'s father loved him very much. Then one day, Oliver's father killed himself. As he grieves his loss, Oliver turns to his mother, asking her why his father had died that way and whether their love for one another is even real. Grieving herself, Oliver's mother hugs him and tells him that his father did love him and nothing could change that fact.
 |
| "Oliver's daddy is still his daddy. He always will be." |
Written in appropriate language and featuring unique illustrations, Why? informs readers on how to support children who have lost loved ones to suicide.
Again, to anyone experiencing mental pain, please seek help; your mental health is as important as your physical health. For more information, you can watch the author herself narrate Why? with this YouTube video:
Age Rating: All Ages
"Kids don't know about bestsellers. They go for what they enjoy. They aren't star chasers and they don't suck up. It's why I like them." -- Maurice Sendak
Margaret Wise Brown, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, and E. B. White are just a few of the world's popular children's book writers; yet none of them would've become household names if it weren't for children's book editor Ursula Nordstrom.
In September 2023, Beth Kephart and Chloe Bristol wrote and illustrated Good Books for Bad Children, a children's biographical book telling the true story of the editor and her contributions to children's literature.
When she was a child, Ursula Nordstrom's father would read her books at bedtime, telling her she must love them. As she grew up, Ursula did love reading books, viewing them as adventures to other places and introductions to all sorts of characters. Despite lacking a university degree, Ursula became a children's book editor to have "good books for bad children" printed.
Whenever writers and artists submitted Ursula their works, she analysed them and requested the creators to do the necessary changes before publication. For Ursula, published children's books are mirrors in which people-of all backgrounds-see themselves in the characters while being informed of serious topics, and are also the harmony between the authors and the illustrators.
When she wasn't editing children's books, Ursula would spend time with her partner, Mary Griffith.
When she wasn't editing children's books, Ursula would spend time with her partner, Mary Griffith.
As a result of Ursula Nordstrom's unique outlook on the children's book industry, we bookworms had been blessed with Charlotte's Web, The Giving Tree, Goodnight Moon, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Harriet the Spy, The Runaway Rabbit, Where the Wild Things Are, and other literary treasures.
 |
| Ursula Nordstrom: "I'm a former child, and I haven't forgotten a thing." |
Even though Ursula Nordstrom isn't with us anymore, she had made it clear that when people, especially children, are given the books they want, reading is a human right.
Holly Marlow's Children's Books on Adoption and Foster Care🪺
Age Rating: All Ages
"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness." -- George Sand
They save that love is what makes a family, and this statement has been proven time and again when people help each other in crises.
Inspired by her own experiences as a parent, author Holly Marlow, with her artist sister Suzy Garland, has published a series of very special children's books on adoption and foster care.
In Delly Duck, Caring Goose tries to help Delly Duck be a mother to her son, Little Chick. However, Little Chick gets taken into foster care as his mother can't be the responsible parent he needs. For those interested, there's a sibling edition of the book.
In Room in the Nest, Mr. and Mrs. Swan show that families come in all shapes and sizes as they volunteer to foster other birds' chicks.
Holly Marlow's Children's Books on Adoption and Foster Care🪺
Age Rating: All Ages
"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness." -- George Sand
They save that love is what makes a family, and this statement has been proven time and again when people help each other in crises.
Inspired by her own experiences as a parent, author Holly Marlow, with her artist sister Suzy Garland, has published a series of very special children's books on adoption and foster care.
In Delly Duck, Caring Goose tries to help Delly Duck be a mother to her son, Little Chick. However, Little Chick gets taken into foster care as his mother can't be the responsible parent he needs. For those interested, there's a sibling edition of the book.
 |
| Caring Goose: "Eggs need to be kept in a safe, cozy nest and you need to keep them warm." |
In Room in the Nest, Mr. and Mrs. Swan show that families come in all shapes and sizes as they volunteer to foster other birds' chicks.
 |
| Mrs. Swan: "We want to have enough room to help anyone who needs us." |
In The Adoption Ceremony, Little Chick and his loving foster parent, Quill, appear before the Wise Owl so they could officially become a family.
 |
| Quill: "The Wise Owl is the one who makes decisions about what's best for little chicks, including you. The Wise Owl decided that we should be a family." |
Whether for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or other family-centred events, Holly Marlow's children's books make wonderful gifts, and show that loving, responsible custodians inspire children to succeed in life.
Age Rating: All Ages
"Baby you're so classic" -- MKTO, "Classic"
Another round of rhyming life events!
Be dazzled by stars with talents in the hood;
Meet the ladies of classic Hollywood!
From Audrey Hepburn to Zsa Zsa Gabor,
This book shall leave you wanting more!
Meet the stars, the directors, and the crews
Who make the movies with many views.
If you are of Club Oldie But Goodie,
Please buy and read J is for Judy!
 |
| "J's Julie and Judy, who couldn't do wrong in the Alps or in Oz when they burst into song." |
Three Holidays and a Wedding, Written by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley and Narrated by Ulka Simone Mohanty🕌☪️🕍🕎⛪🎄🌨️
Age Rating: 12+
"If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually... is all around." -- David in "Love Actually" dir. Richard Curtis
Earth's the home planet to billions of people, each with their own nationality, culture, and beliefs. With so many of us coming from different backgrounds, is it even possible for us to harmoniously coexist in the same place?
In 2023, writers Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley and narrator Ulka Simone Mohanty gave us audiences Three Holidays and a Wedding, a romantic comedy novel that takes place in a fictional Canadian town where everyone is welcome.
It is 2000, the year when Ramadan, Hanukkah, and Christmas are all being celebrated at the same time.
Around the world, airports are busier than ever as Muslims, Jews, and Christians travel to celebrate the rare religious triple holiday event with loved ones.
On December 20, two women named Anna Gibson and Maryam Aziz board the same flight to Toronto, Canada. Anna, a Christian photo editor, is going to meet her rich boyfriend Nick Vandergrey's family for the first time since they began dating in June. Maryam, a Muslim pharmacist, has started wearing the hijab and is travelling with her family for her younger sister Saima's wedding for which she is also the planner.
During the flight, turbulence causes Anna and Maryam to reveal their biggest secrets: one isn't sure if she's perfect enough for her boyfriend and the other confesses both her wish to be a writer and childhood crush on her lawyer friend Saif Rasool... who is sitting right behind her.
Although the plane lands safely, more problems emerge: a severe snowstorm had diverted the flight to Ottawa and suspended air travel. All the passengers are then bussed off to the extravagantly-decked Canadian town of Snow Falls, where they have been booked to stay at the Snow Falls Inn until the weather improves.
Anna (buried in debt, still grieving over her late father, hating her job, and estranged from her remarried Jewish stepmother Beth) had lost her suitcase prior to takeoff yet meets the kind, handsome Josh Tannenbaum on her first night in Snow Falls.
Maryam (stuck as her family's personal problem solver and determined not to let her heart get broken again) is dealing with Saif claiming he's okay with knowing her crush on him as she comforts Saima, who fears her wedding might get cancelled.
"If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually... is all around." -- David in "Love Actually" dir. Richard Curtis
Earth's the home planet to billions of people, each with their own nationality, culture, and beliefs. With so many of us coming from different backgrounds, is it even possible for us to harmoniously coexist in the same place?
In 2023, writers Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley and narrator Ulka Simone Mohanty gave us audiences Three Holidays and a Wedding, a romantic comedy novel that takes place in a fictional Canadian town where everyone is welcome.
It is 2000, the year when Ramadan, Hanukkah, and Christmas are all being celebrated at the same time.
Around the world, airports are busier than ever as Muslims, Jews, and Christians travel to celebrate the rare religious triple holiday event with loved ones.
On December 20, two women named Anna Gibson and Maryam Aziz board the same flight to Toronto, Canada. Anna, a Christian photo editor, is going to meet her rich boyfriend Nick Vandergrey's family for the first time since they began dating in June. Maryam, a Muslim pharmacist, has started wearing the hijab and is travelling with her family for her younger sister Saima's wedding for which she is also the planner.
During the flight, turbulence causes Anna and Maryam to reveal their biggest secrets: one isn't sure if she's perfect enough for her boyfriend and the other confesses both her wish to be a writer and childhood crush on her lawyer friend Saif Rasool... who is sitting right behind her.
Although the plane lands safely, more problems emerge: a severe snowstorm had diverted the flight to Ottawa and suspended air travel. All the passengers are then bussed off to the extravagantly-decked Canadian town of Snow Falls, where they have been booked to stay at the Snow Falls Inn until the weather improves.
Anna (buried in debt, still grieving over her late father, hating her job, and estranged from her remarried Jewish stepmother Beth) had lost her suitcase prior to takeoff yet meets the kind, handsome Josh Tannenbaum on her first night in Snow Falls.
Maryam (stuck as her family's personal problem solver and determined not to let her heart get broken again) is dealing with Saif claiming he's okay with knowing her crush on him as she comforts Saima, who fears her wedding might get cancelled.
As days pass by, the weather gets worse and worse, further stranding the passengers with thick blankets of snow, and temporarily cutting off communication. Yet despite the freezing temperatures and their different beliefs, Anna and Maryam slowly become friends and reveal bit by bit the stories of their lives to each other. It's a good thing that Maryam's friendly Dadu-retired Bollywood film director Mohamed Ali Mumtaz Aziz-is there to offer her and Anna much needed advice during their unexpected stay in a not-so-well-known town.
With nothing else to do, the visitors explore Snow Falls, discovering it to be a melting pot of different countries, religions, and traditions, and where Ramadan, Hanukkah, and Christmas are all being celebrated too.
Excitement fills the air when Anna discovers that Snow Falls is the shooting location for Two Nights at Christmas, the highly-anticipated sequel to One Night at Christmas, a romcom loved by many including the Aziz sisters and their Dadu. But in a twist straight out of a film script, Anna also discovers that Josh Tannenbaum's the true identity of Chase Taylor, lead actor of the One Night at Christmas franchise and rumoured to be dating his beautiful co-star Tenisha Barlowe.
To help Maryam express herself, Saif encourages her to write a tri-holiday themed play for Snow Falls' annual Holiday Hoopla. As Anna herself and Josh get closer, she rediscovers her childhood passion for designing, impressing the play's crew with her unique sets and costumes for the cast.
As the 20th century draws to a close, Anna and Maryam must decide whether to return to their old boring lives, or reopen their hearts to the main ingredient for holiday miracles: God's gift of love.
Excitement fills the air when Anna discovers that Snow Falls is the shooting location for Two Nights at Christmas, the highly-anticipated sequel to One Night at Christmas, a romcom loved by many including the Aziz sisters and their Dadu. But in a twist straight out of a film script, Anna also discovers that Josh Tannenbaum's the true identity of Chase Taylor, lead actor of the One Night at Christmas franchise and rumoured to be dating his beautiful co-star Tenisha Barlowe.
To help Maryam express herself, Saif encourages her to write a tri-holiday themed play for Snow Falls' annual Holiday Hoopla. As Anna herself and Josh get closer, she rediscovers her childhood passion for designing, impressing the play's crew with her unique sets and costumes for the cast.
As the 20th century draws to a close, Anna and Maryam must decide whether to return to their old boring lives, or reopen their hearts to the main ingredient for holiday miracles: God's gift of love.
 |
| Maryam Aziz: "You don't know what you're missing until you're included in the story, too." |
Published amidst ongoing differences, the timely message of Three Holidays and a Wedding makes it an entertaining read not only during the holidays but all year round.
Now to wait for the official screen or stage adaptation...
Now to wait for the official screen or stage adaptation...
Robot Dreams by Pablo Berger; Based on the Book by Sara Varon🐶🤖
Age Rating: 7+
"After the day is gone we shall go out, breathe deeply, and look up -- and there the stars will be, unchanged, unchangeable." – H.A. Rey, "The Stars: A New Way To See Them"
How far would you go to help your friend? The answer actually depends on how close people really are and whether they really know one another.
Back in 2007, Sara Varon wrote and illustrated Robot Dreams, a wordless tragicomedy graphic novel showing that even the best of friends part ways.
Then in 2023, Pablo Berger directed a silent animated film adaptation of Robot Dreams.
In 1980s Manhattan, a lonely Dog orders a robot friend after watching an advertisement for it.
When his package arrives, Dog assembles Robot and the two instantly become friends.
The two explore Manhattan and enjoy having fun, all to the tune of the Earth, Wind & Fire song September.
On the last day of summer, Dog and Robot spend it at the beach. Unfortunately, the sea water causes Robot to rust in place, and Dog sadly cannot pick him up.
Dog is further dismayed when he returns home alone and discovers that the beach has been closed to the public until next summer.
As the seasons pass, poor Robot remains lying on the sand, dreaming of being reunited with Dog as others steal his parts. After getting into trouble for trespassing into the closed beach, Dog tries making new friends.
To find out what happens next to Dog and Robot, I recommend reading Robot Dreams and watching the film version.
How far would you go to help your friend? The answer actually depends on how close people really are and whether they really know one another.
Back in 2007, Sara Varon wrote and illustrated Robot Dreams, a wordless tragicomedy graphic novel showing that even the best of friends part ways.
In 1980s Manhattan, a lonely Dog orders a robot friend after watching an advertisement for it.
When his package arrives, Dog assembles Robot and the two instantly become friends.
The two explore Manhattan and enjoy having fun, all to the tune of the Earth, Wind & Fire song September.
On the last day of summer, Dog and Robot spend it at the beach. Unfortunately, the sea water causes Robot to rust in place, and Dog sadly cannot pick him up.
Dog is further dismayed when he returns home alone and discovers that the beach has been closed to the public until next summer.
As the seasons pass, poor Robot remains lying on the sand, dreaming of being reunited with Dog as others steal his parts. After getting into trouble for trespassing into the closed beach, Dog tries making new friends.
To find out what happens next to Dog and Robot, I recommend reading Robot Dreams and watching the film version.
 |
| Hey hey heyBa de ya, say do you remember?Ba de ya, dancing in SeptemberBa de ya, never was a cloudy day |
Age Rating: 13+
"When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time." -- Laurie Halse Anderson
It's normal to feel out of place, especially when you're either the new resident in town, the new employee at work, or the new student at school.
But just imagine coming to a new place with so many different personalities that you might just as well be different people.
From 2021 to 2024, writer Kid Toussaint and artist Aveline Stokart made Elle(S), a teens' graphic novel miniseries about being yourself.
For teenage and adult readers, Elle(S) consists of three volumes: The New Girl, The Elle-verse, and Elle Together.
After getting expelled for hitting her classmate, Elle transfers to a new school. Yet on her very first day, Elle makes friends in gentleman Otis, Robert Downey Jr. fan Farid, silly Linotte, and helpful Maëlys.
For Elle's new friends, their lives change when they meet her five different personalities, each named after her own unique hair colour: the normal Rose, the tough Blondie, the timid Brunette, the silent Green, and the funny Violet.
In Elle's subconsciousness, each of her personalities inhabits her own fortress of solitude and never interacts with the others. For some time, a mysterious sixth personality named Blue has been biding her time.
Elle herself finds it difficult controlling her alter egos, who would each take over her body randomly and suddenly to other people's bewilderment. To make matters worse for Elle, not only must she deal with schoolwork, her therapy sessions, and her Aunt Elise's recent passing, but also her parents' constant lies about the events leading to them having her. And then there's the man who has been stalking her recently.
Despite the stress caused by her personal problems and clashing personalities, Elle continues having fun with her friends. But while out shopping one day, Elle and her friends bust her stalker. When confronted, the man reveals that he's actually a private detective-observing and taking photos of Elle at the request of her biological mother, Geraldine.
 |
| Elle: "I've been through a lot lately." |
Stunned by the revelation that she's adopted, Elle becomes psychologically numb, allowing Blue to imprison the five other personalities in their own respective fortresses and take over the body.
On the day of Aunt Elise's funeral, Elle's friends notice her newest personality right away. The bratty Blue soon starts doing things that Elle would never do: taking and posting obscene selfies, hanging out with the wrong people, and treating Elle's concerned friends like dirt.
Back in Elle's subconsciousness, a mysterious voice reveals itself to Rose, guiding her on her mission to free the others, and stop Blue from making things already worse for Elle.
Hoping it would prevent Elle from hurting herself, Maëlys calls the former's birth mother who had left her contact info through the private detective.
After successfully freeing the other personalities, Rose subdues Blue, just in time for Elle to meet her birth mother at a restaurant.
Geraldine reveals that she was barely 18 when she got pregnant with Elle. But during the first month of pregnancy, Geraldine discovered that she was having sextuplets. With each succeeding month of gestation, however, the embryos merged until the day Elle herself was born completely alone and given up for adoption.
To Elle, learning of her origins means one thing: all her life, she has never been one girl with six personalities, but rather six sisters sharing one body!
 |
| Elle: "So that means... I really am six different people!" |
With the knowledge of her origins, Elle tries her hardest to make up with her friends.
On the inside, the sisters team up for the first time to solve one more mystery: who and what is the voice that has been speaking to them and why?
Physically and mentally, Elle must overcome more obstacles: her adoptive parents dealing with Geraldine in their lives, her strict teachers, and the challenges the voice has set up for each sister in accordance with her strengths.
The six sisters eventually make it to Blue's fortress where she has been keeping secret the voice's identity: their septuplet brother, White. Blue reveals to her sisters that it was their brother who caused their fusion into one girl to spare their birth mother the stress of having so many children at once.
With all the puzzle pieces in place, the septuplets must choose whether to remain rivals or make peace and exist as one girl loved by her family and friends.
 |
| Elle: "I will love others, and will be loved, too." |
In a time when we feel like shutting ourselves up, Elle(S) reminds us that only by expressing our emotions and spending time with our loved ones can we deal with life's challenges.
Wicked by Jon M. Chu, Based on the Musical by Stephen Schwartz and the Characters by L. Frank Baum🧹🫧
Wicked by Jon M. Chu, Based on the Musical by Stephen Schwartz and the Characters by L. Frank Baum🧹🫧
Age Rating: 7+
"Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?" -- Glinda, in The Wizard of Oz dir. Victor Fleming
Back in 1900, L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the 1st in a series of children's fantasy novels set in a marvellous kingdom that's home to Munchkins and Witches.
Over a century since its publication, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has been adapted for the stage and screen, most famously The Wiz and the 1939 film adaption that gave us the classic song, Over the Rainbow.
In 1995, Gregory Maguire retold The Oz Books in The Wicked Years, an adult fantasy novel series about the famous Oz villain, the Wicked Witch of the West, and her descendants.
In 2003, the first Wicked book was adapted into one of the longest-running Broadway musicals, with Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth originating the roles of the green-skinned Elphaba and the blonde-haired Glinda.
In 2003, the first Wicked book was adapted into one of the longest-running Broadway musicals, with Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth originating the roles of the green-skinned Elphaba and the blonde-haired Glinda.
This November, Wicked will once again defy gravity in the 1st of a two-part film adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights), and starring Cynthia Erivo (Widows, Harriet) as Elphaba, Ariana Grande (Victorious, Sam & Cat) as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton) as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Everything, Everywhere All at Once) as Madame Morrible, Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as Dr. Dillamond, and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) as the Wizard of Oz.
Gruff by Julian Curi👴🏼🦸🏻♀️👧🏻
Age Rating: 7+
"Parents don't make mistakes because they don't care, but because they care so deeply." -- T. Berry Brazelton
Age Rating: 7+
"Parents don't make mistakes because they don't care, but because they care so deeply." -- T. Berry Brazelton
Not all families get along, but that doesn't always mean they don't care for one another, and that there are things in life that are best left unsaid.
Filmmaker Julian Curi shows the loudness of actions in Gruff, a handmade, paper short film about what it really means to be family.
Bo (Avila Kast) lives with her father, super spy mother Hazel (Joey Marie Urbina), and maternal Abuelo (Charles Carpenter).
Bo tries her hardest to make Abuelo play with her, but all he does is sit in his favourite chair and watch Gruff, his favourite Western TV show.
When Bo asks her mother why Abuelo doesn't want to play with her, Hazel tells her the story of her life as a super spy.
Risking her own life, Hazel had gone on many dangerous missions to save others. Disliking silence, Hazel filled her life with sounds, with applause for her accomplished missions being her favourite yet she yearned to hear her own father applaud her. Instead, Hazel's father would respond by being gruffy and putting his hand on hers to show his pride in her. But Hazel misinterpreted her father's gestures as a lack of care for her and her achievements, and chose to estrange herself from him.
Hazel went about going on more missions, ignoring her father until a message from the hospital informed her he had cancer. The next time she saw her father, only then Hazel realised he does love her, and that it's through actions that people express themselves the loudest-an important lesson she had learned and is now passing down to her own daughter.
Three years in the making, Gruff is a short yet deep film about actions being louder than words, and the importance of spending time with our loved ones while we still can.
The Best by Tina Turner👩🏿🎤
And last, but not least...
Thank you, Tina Turner, for being (one of) The Best.
References
- Ackerman, H. (Executive Producer). (1964-1972). Bewitched [TV series]. Screen Gems; Ashmont Productions.
- Allman, J. R. (2023). J Is for Judy: Classic Hollywood's Leading Ladies from A to Z. Doubleday Books for Young Readers.
- American Psychological Association. (September 5, 2023). Why? A Story for Kids Who Have Lost a Parent to Suicide by Melissa Allen Heath [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foajBuhS1rU
- Aspinwall, C. et al. (Executive Producers). (2018-). Bluey [TV series]. ABC Kids.
- Bear, L. J. A. (2023). Medusa's Sisters. Ace.
- Bizet, G. (1875). Carmen.
- Bluey - Official Channel. (2023, November 19). Bluey Extended Theme Song | Bluey [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXOTmWl5t3A
- Berger, P. (Director). (2023). Robot Dreams [Film]. RTVE.
- Boehman, M. & Briner, R. (2023). Dear Rosie. Knopf Books for Young Readers.
- Christie, A. (1934). Murder on the Orient Express. Collins Crime Club.
- Christie, A. (2023). Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express [Video game]. Microids.
- Christie, A. (2023, October 19). Murder on the Orient Express | Game Trailer | Out Now [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDMfx9AEbbY
- Chu, J. M. (Director). (2024). Wicked Part One [Film]. Universal Pictures.
- Friendship. (2023, December 6). Friendship: Award Winning Animation Short Film | Immix [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX24zyoxs-E
- Gaiman, N. (2019). Snow, Glass, Apples. Dark Horse Comics.
- Gerwig, G. (Director). (2023). Barbie [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.
- Grimm, J. & Grimm, W. (2021). Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs | Annotated Tale. Sur La Lune. https://www.surlalunefairytales.com/s-z/snow-white-seven-dwarfs/snow-white-seven-dwarfs-tale.html
- Hale, A. (2023, February 4). Delilah: Song ban opens debate on depictions of violence against women. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-64511615
- Heath, M. A. (2023). Why?: A Story for Kids Who Have Lost a Parent to Suicide. Magination Press.
- Hemingway, C. (2002, October). Kithara in Ancient Greece, The. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kith/hd_kith.html
- Hurst, F. (1933). Imitation of Life. P.F. Collier.
- Jalaluddin, U. & Stapley, M. (2023). Three Holidays and a Wedding. G.P. Putnam's Sons.
- Kephart, B. (2023). Good Books for Bad Children: The Genius of Ursula Nordstrom. Anne Schwartz Books.
- Lindbergh Kidnapping. (n.d.). FBI. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/lindbergh-kidnapping
- Madman Films. (2024, February 9). Robot Dreams - Official Trailer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CHV_ZDlhrA
- Marlow, H. (2022). Delly Duck: Why A Little Chick Couldn't Stay With His Birth Mother.
- Marlow, H. (2022). Room in the Nest: A Foster Care Story.
- Marlow, H. (2023). The Adoption Ceremony: When Little Chick Met the Wise Owl.
- Menzel, I. (2023, June 1). Idina Menzel - Move (Official Music Video) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIJ_Xg5v-NU
- Mérimée, P. (1830). Carmen. Revue des deux Mondes.
- Righteous Robot. (2024, March 1). GRUFF | A Short Film by Righteous Robot [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p4s4k3eB_I
- Rosi, F. (Director). (1984). Carmen [Film]. Gaumont.
- Shakespeare, W. (1602). Twelfth Night.
- Shanty Productions. (2023, February 23). Twelfth Night (2018) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOG8DxWPeRI
- Smethurst, A. (Director). (2018). Twelfth Night [Film]. Shanty Productions.
- Stahl, J. M. (Director). (1934). Imitation of Life [Film]. Universal Pictures.
- Stevenson, D. (Director). (1964). Mary Poppins [Film]. Walt Disney Productions.
- Storied. (2019, November 28). Medusa: Victim or Villain? | Monstrum [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6VqJUmZLI0
- Takács, J. (2018). #Me(dusa)too [Painting].
- Tam, L. (2022). Friendship [Film]. Immix Studios.
- Tan, A. (1989). Joy Luck Club, The. G.P. Putnam's Sons.
- TED-Ed. (2019, December 16). Why should you read "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan? - Sheila Marie Orfano [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFgpr5LlDVA
- Toussaint, K. (2022). Elle(S) Vol 1: The New Girl. Ablaze.
- Toussaint, K. (2023). Elle(S) Vol 2: The Elle-verse. Ablaze.
- Toussaint, K. (2024). Elle(S) Vol 3: Elle Together. Ablaze.
- Travers, P. L. (1934). Mary Poppins. HarperCollins.
- Turner, T. (2019, March 13). Tina Turner - The Best (Official Music Video) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC5E8ie2pdM
- Universal Pictures. (February 11, 2024). Wicked - First Look [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1dvX9Vs0ns
- Varon, S. (2007). Robot Dreams. First Second Books.
- Wang, W. (Director). (1993). Joy Luck Club, The [Film]. Hollywood Pictures.
No comments:
Post a Comment