Book Review “Over the River and Through the Wood”

Author: L. Maria Child
Illustrator: Matt Tavares
Age Range: 3 – 7 years
Grade Level: Preschool – 2
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: August 27, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

L. Maria Child’s verse about Thanksgiving Day has been given new life in this Matt Tavares-illustrated new book. Matt Tavares’ illustrations have given new life to this classic poem. His beautiful take on a family’s trip to Grandfather’s house through a blustery cold and snow-filled Massachusetts of yore, is reminiscent of any antique Christmas card.

There have been so many ways in which Child’s verse has been put to use throughout the past, but with this beautifully illustrated book, it speaks to a new generation who will benefit from seeing what it was like to have to travel to Grandfather’s house in a horse drawn sleigh. This is something that can bridge the gap and bring families together each year to read the poem and enjoy these beautiful illustrations on a cold, Thanksgiving night. It helps bring back tradition and really would be a fantastic addition to any holiday season.

Matt Tavares outdoes himself with this particularly detailed book. Each page creates a sense of nostalgia and warmth. Whether you are in the mood for the holidays or not, you will be in full-on holiday mode after immersing yourself in this delightfully engaging holiday classic. There is also a very nice nod to L. Maria Child at the end of the book and it allows the reader to understand where this holiday classic came from and more about the incredibly talented author who penned it.

Book Review “Maisy’s First Colors: A Maisy Concept Book”

Author, Illustrator: Lucy Cousins
Age Range: 2 – 5 years
Series: Maisy
Board book: 14 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; Brdbk edition
Release Date: August 27, 2013

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Board book+ Maisy+ rhyming text+colors= a perfect combination for any preschool class!! For fans of Lucy Cousins’ Maisy books, it should come to no surprise that this book will make a wonderful addition to your classroom library! Cousins does it again and makes learning about colors fun.

Charley’s picked bananas, a big yellow bunch! Green pears for Cyril,munch, munch, munch! Maisy and her friends all have their favorite foods, from Tallulah’s oranges to Eddie’s blue lollipop to Maisy’s juicy red apples. When they all join together for a picnic, they make a tasty rainbow — yum!” The mixture of Maisy and her friends and very easy to recognize colors and foods, makes for a wonderfully inviting read.

Our fifteen month-old happens to love Maisy books and she is really enjoying the latest installment. She’s drawn in by the characters and then kept there by the fun illustrations and is able to point to the colors with ease. Maisy’s First Colors includes rhyming text that can help introduce poetry and rhyme to younger readers. This book is perfect for children ages 6 months and higher.

 

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Book Review “Maisy’s First Numbers: A Maisy Concept Book”

Author, Illustrator: Lucy Cousins
Age Range: 2 – 5 years
Series: Maisy
Board book: 14 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; Brdbk edition
Release Date: August 27, 2013

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Another wonderful Maisy concept book by the beloved creator of the Maisy series, Lucy Cousins. Maisy’s First Numbers is a colorful treat that creates a welcoming, easily accessible world of numbers. The illustrations are fun and the text is rhyming which makes learning to count even more enjoyable.

Maisy’s First Numbers is perfect for ages 6 months and up. The book has bright colorful illustrations. Younger readers will find it easy to hold and manipulate as it is a board book. This would be a great help when introducing number concepts to preschool-age children.

Our fifteen month old daughter, loves the Maisy series and enjoys this book because of how bright and colorful the illustrations are. She also loves to point to the three butterflies and the slow slow turtles. Learning to count to 5 just got a lot more enjoyable with Maisy’s First Numbers.

Book Review “Digger, Dozer, Dumper”

Author: Hope Vestergaard
Illustrator: David Slonim
Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: August 27, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Digger, Dozer, Dumper brings to life every truck your child (or you) may have ever played with. Going into great detail, the book includes sixteen rhyming poems that highlight the job and personality of each vehicle. From a cement mixer who can’t sit still to a very helpful tow truck, youngsters are invited to find out which vehicle they can identify with. Children will learn more about there favorite vehicles while getting to know some new ones.

Hope Vestergaard masterfully writes poems that will interest children ages 4 and older, as David Slonim creatively brings each truck to life in his illustrations and could easily entice any child age 2 and up into following along. The amusing pictures make this book easily accessible to many ages.

Digger, Dozer, Dumper could easily be brought into any preschool classroom to get kids excited about all sorts of vehicles. The words used in this book are higher level and therefore could open up a plethora of new vocabulary for younger children. This could be a great starting off point on all new vehicles never really taught about in school. in my experiences in the classroom, I can’t remember ever seeing a quiet and determined street sweeper toy or character in a book; or a lifting and drilling skid-steer loader. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I myself learned a thing or two about the names and jobs of these various vehicles and I have Hope Vestergaard to thank! If your students enjoy playing with planes, train and automobiles, add this wonderful book to your classroom library.

 

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Book Review “Star Wars: Jedi Academy”

Author: Jeffrey Brown
Age Range: 8 and up
Grade Level: 3 – 7
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Release Date: August 27, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I first heard about author/illustrator Jeffrey Brown when he released his bestselling book “Darth Vader and Son”. At the time, my wife was a few months away from having our daughter and I wondered where the female version of that book was. Well a few months later, “Vader’s Little Princess” was released. Read our interview with Jeffrey, here. When I spoke with him, he gave us a sneak peak at “Star Wars: Jedi Academy” and I know I just had to have it. Sure the age range is 8 and up but key word being up. I finished this book in literally one sitting and loved every minute of it. If you are a “Star Wars” fan young or old, this is a must have in your collection!.

The story is really cute and fun. It follows a young boy Roan and his journeys through middle school as he attempt to complete his dream of leaving home and becoming a Pilot Academy like his older brother, father, and grandfather. When he is denied entry into Pilot School, he fears that he will end up having to go to farming school instead.  But instead he receives an invitation out of the blue to attend Jedi Academy from Master Yoda and decides to give it a try. He find that he possesses more strength and potential than he could have ever dreamed and that his destiny leads him to a new path.

The illustrations in the book are extremely fun and each page is a new journey into this world. They are black and white and have a real fun comic book feel. There is tons of great humor all mixed within the common issues and stresses of attending middle school. Since we either you are going through it or have been through it, the story and its situations are very relatable no matter what age you are. It is told through various formats including Ronan’s comics, journal entries, letters, doodles, and newspaper clippings. So at first you will be reading his report card and then a letter from his brother.  It moves the story along so well and makes it very entertaining and fresh. I do not think that I have ever sat down just to check out a book and ended up reading the entire book within a few hours.

Book Review “Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen”

Author: Al Jourgensen
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen” is the first book from off the wall front man Al Jourgensen. Throughout the books 336 pages Al and company take you on a roller coaster ride of sex, drugs, drugs and even more drugs mixed with a sprinkling of rock and roll. Jourgensen the front man for the legendary industrial act Ministry delves into the most intimate crevices of his mind to recount everything from his life growing up in Chicago to the trials and tribulation of the music business.

Casual readers take warning as this is not your typical tell all memoir as Al Jourgensen gives you that and then some. From drugged out nights with band members past and present to near death experiences “Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen” was a book that I couldn’t put down. The book consisted of stories that were so far out there that they had to be true due to the fact that it would be hard for someone to make up some of these experiences and, be able tell them with the in-depth conviction Jourgensen does. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes you want more.

As you read through the pages you never know who you’re going to run into as it seems as though Al has worked with or been associated with just about everyone. From Rick Neilson of Cheap Trick who collaborated with Al on his Buck Satan album to hanging out and steeling drugs with the late Kurt Cobain there all here. Though I wasn’t a big fan of some of the segues which included stories about Al from the stand point of others the book was still an interesting read packed with great photos and amusing antidotes that at several points made me take a step back and just say “WOW”.

Book Review “Sharkopedia: The Complete Guide to Everything Shark”

Author: Discovery Channel
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Time Home Entertainment
Number of Pages: 192 Pages
Release Date: June 11, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Sharks, why are we so fascinated with them? We just recently completed another amazing year of Shark Week, one of the best in my opinion! Great job, Discovery Channel. They are also behind this great new book, “Sharkopedia: The Complete Guide to Everything Shark”, teaming up with Time Home Entertainment, Inc. If you are a shark finatic like myself then you are going to love this book. This is a 192 page full-color book that includes over 400 vivid photos and tons of great information about nearly 500 species of sharks. I am very excited more importantly to show this book to my daughter as she gets older to have her learn about these amazing marvels. “Sharkopedia” is for all ages and really delivers an ultimate comprehensive book for shark fans.

Some of the chapters included “Shark Anatomy and Senses”, which explore shark parts, skin, muscles, fins, gills, hearing, taste and touch. “Feeding Habits” discuss different types of whats that sharks eat. “Record Breakers” show which shark can live over 200 years. “Shark Behavior” discuss if sharks sleep. “Shark Conservation” talks about what we can do to understand sharks better and how we can help them. There is tons of great information about Great White, Bull and Tiger sharks. I pride myself on being a big fan of sharks and there was still tons of great details that I have never known, thanks to this book. Highly recommend this and it is a great way to ease of having to wait another year before the next Shark Week.

Book Review “Elysium: The Art of the Film”

Author: Mark Salisbury
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: August 6, 2013

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When I first saw “District 9”, I was blown away at how original and unique this film was. It was from a then unknown director named Neill Blomkamp.  “Elysium” is his latest film and really delivers another original sci-fi story with a great cast including Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. The film also look visually amazing, which is why I was very excited to break into this latest “Art of the Film” book. Then I realized who it was authored by, Mark Salisbury, and got even more excited. Last year Mark did two of my favorite books including “Prometheus: The Art of the Film” and “Dark Shadow: The Visual Companion”. He has quickly become one of my favorites and delivers yet another strike out with this book. I was excited to see “Elysium” but now I am mega-excited to see it.

In “Elysium: The Art of the Film”, we get a very encouraging foreword by Neill Blomkamp.  This guy is amazing and I can see him directing the hell out of a future “Star Wars” movie or something along those lines.  He really has a passion for film. Like I said earlier, when I see Mark Salisbury’s name you know you are going to get quality behind-the-scenes look. This book has a ton of amazing production art and photos.  There is also input from the legendary designer Syd Mead (“Blade Runner”, “TRON”). You can tell that this film is very elaborate and took a lot to create this futuristic world. Like always Titan Books comes through with another very impressive release. The book is larger than most “art of the film” books with dimensions 12.1 x 10.9 x 0.8 inches. The pages come with some fine stock paper and the images are super high quality.  There even is pull out pages in various sections. There was a lot of work that went into this movie and the book really captures all of it.

Book Review “Star Wars: Complete Vehicles”

Age Range: 8 and up
Hardcover: 200 pages
Publisher: DK CHILDREN
Release Date: July 29, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

DK Books is literally the best when it comes to fun and in-depth book for “Star Wars” fans.  They endless keep coming up with new and exciting books for this franchise.  The latest is “Complete Vehicles”, which sets out to explore the inner workings of the spaceships and vehicles of all six “Star Wars” movies. From the moment I opened this book till my wife dragged it out of my hands, I was completely zoned out.  What “Star Wars” fan wouldn’t do a back flip for a book like this!? If you think that book look familiar that is because it is in fact an expanded edition of the fan favorite book, “Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections”.  This new amped up edition is jam-packed with new cross-section artworks and a ton of amazing new photos. A must for any true “Star Wars” fan.

Official Premise: “Star Wars: Complete Vehicles” is packed with visual explorations of more than fifty essential Star Wars spacecraft and landcraft, including the TIE bomber, Imperial shuttle, A-wing, B-wing, and more. Full-color cross-section artwork presents in-depth examinations of each craft’s weapon systems, engines, hyperdrives, cockpits, and construction secrets, providing a never-before-seen glimpse at the vehicles that drive the Star Wars universe. “Star Wars: Complete Vehicles” now features new and never-before-seen cross-sections!

DK really gets deep into detail with this book and even though this new edition is more kid-friendly than the original, I still found learning new things.  The images are extremely in-depth and very crisp.  There is a great foreword by John Knoll, the Visual Effects Supervisor at Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic. He really knows these vehicles inside out and gives a nice insight. Now if you own “Complete Cross-Sections”, the question is do you really need to buy “Complete Vehicles”? Well, I should probably still say yes since it does have the four new cross-sections but again I am a die-hard “Star Wars” fan. Can’t wait to see what they have planned next for this never-ending franchise but whatever it is I will be first in line!

Book Review “The Dark Man: An Illustrated Poem” by Stephen King

Author: Stephen King
Illustrated: Glenn Chadbourne
Hardcover: 88 pages
Publisher: Cemetery Dance Publications
Release Date: July 30, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“The Dark Man” is not a new release for Stephen King. He wrote this poem back when he was in college and it was published in Ubris in 1969. This release is King’s poem, “The Dark Man”, re-released over 40 years with a new life than to the amazing illustrations of Glenn Chadbourne. There are over 70 beautiful full-page illustrations from Chadbourne (“The Secretary of Dreams”). Let me tell you one thing, this book is creepy as hell and if you let yourself go into its world it will linger within you and haunt your dreams. It is not the first time that I have read this poem but with the new illustrations, I felt like it was an entirely new experience. Highly recommended!

Official Premise: Stephen King first wrote about the Dark Man in college after he envisioned a faceless man in cowboy boots and jeans and a denim jacket forever walking the roads. Later this dark man would come to be known around the world as one of King’s greatest villains, Randall Flagg, but at the time King only had simple questions on his mind: Where was this man going? What had he seen and done? What terrible things…?

Cemetery Dance Publications is the publisher behind this new hardcover release. They really scored for sure, as Stephen King’s fans should go crazy over this updated release to his poem. Glenn Chadbourne images really works well with King’s words and blend together. The actual black and white illustrations are very unique and the color factor adds a lot of extra terror. Within King’s story there are twists and turns and within the illustrations there are added hidden details every page. There are many layers to this book and even though it is just 88 pages, it is jam-packed and very entertaining.

Book Review “The Making of Hitchcock’s The Birds”

Author: Tony Lee Moral
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Oldcastle Books
Release Date: September 1, 2013

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When you think of great suspense horror films, you can’t help but immediately think of Alfred Hitchcock. The guy has such an eye for making films.  He was meticulous about his shots and has inspired a countless number people since with this style. “The Birds” was Hitchcock’s next film after “Psycho” and I am sure that the anticipation surrounding it was very high.  I saw this film first when I was a child and it scared the living daylights out of me.  Watching it as an adult, it is still very effective as it was then.  This new behind-the-scenes book is planning perfectly to coincide with the film’s 50th anniversary this year and it is also the first book-length look into the making of this production.  I had the privilege of speaking with the film’s star Tippi Hedren earlier this year, read here, and she reflected on this film and it’s reign over popular culture. The recent HBO film, “This Girl”, read our review here, also focused on the topic of the making of “The Birds” as well. Highly recommend. This book is a must for any fast of Hitchcock’s work and a very in depth look into the making of this amazing and rather timeless film.

Official Premise: Featuring new interviews with stars Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, and Veronica Cartwright, as well as sketches and storyboards from Hitchcock’s A-list technical team, Robert Boyle, Albert Whitlock, and Harold Michelson, the book charts every aspect of the film’s production all set against the tumultuous backdrop of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis and JFK’s presidency. Using unpublished material from the Alfred Hitchcock Collection, Evan Hunter’s files, Peggy Robertson’s papers, and Robert Boyle’s artwork, this is the ultimate guide to Hitchcock’s most ambitious film. This book analyzes the film’s modernist underpinnings, from art director Robert Boyle’s initial sketches influenced by Munch’s The Scream, to the groundbreaking electronic score by pioneering German composers Remi Gassmann and Oskar Sala. There is also a time line detailing the film’s production to its release at MOMA in New York, and the 1963 Cannes Film Festival.

The book is authored by Tony Lee Moral, who is a documentary filmmaker, a writer, and the author of “Alfred Hitchcock’s Movie Making Masterclass” and “Hitchcock and the Making of Marnie”. So I think that he is the right person for this job.  He has a vast understanding of Hitchcock and a real passion in his words. You can tell when you are reading this book that there is a certain admiration behind the words.  The only thing that I would have wanted more from this book would have been more photos.  I am sure that there are tons of great behind-the-scenes photos from this production. Don’t get me wrong there is a nice middle section with some very crispy color and black and white shots. I am just a visual guy and a big fan of the art of books.  I would have like to have seen the photos spread out throughout book and posted in areas where they were relative to the book’s narrative. Overall though, I enjoy this quite a bit and look forward to passing it to a friend to enjoy as well. Now if you excuse me, I have to go watch “The Birds” again on Blu-ray. I have a sudden urge to enjoy this masterpiece of cinema for some strange reason.

 

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Book Review “The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia”

Author: Martin Olson
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Abrams
Release Date: July 22, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

What time is it? ADVENTURE TIME! I have no idea what it is but I am completely obsessed with “Adventure Time”. If you are wondering what you can expect from “The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia”, it is right in the book’s subtitle “Inhabitants, Lore, Spells, and Ancient Crypt Warnings of the Land of Ooo Circa 19.56 B.G.E. – 501 A.G.E”. This is one of the most unique and bizarre shows that I have ever seen…and I love ever minute. The book is author by Martin Olson, who also happens to voice Hunson Abadeer (a.k.a. The Lord of Evil a.k.a Marceline’s dad). If you are an “Adventure Time” fan you are not going to want to miss this fantastic look into the world of the show.

Official Premise: “The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia” matches the playful, subversive tone of the series, detailing everything anyone will ever need to know about the postapocalyptic land of Ooo and its inhabitants—secret lore and spells, fun places you should visit and places where you will probably die, whom to marry and whom not to marry, how to make friends and how to destroy your enemies—plus hand-written marginalia by Finn, Jake, and Marceline. An indispensable companion to the show, this side-splittingly funny love letter to Adventure Time is sure to appeal to fans of all ages.

On the back cover of “The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia” it suggest that this could well be “the most dangerous book in history”, which to me only makes things more interesting. This reminded me of the Book of the Dead from “The Evil Dead” series a bit, but a little less Candarian demon filled. The Encyclopaedia is split into Book I through Book V”.  Book I is called “Worthless Inhabitants of the Land of Ooo” and it covers everyone from Finn and Jake to Lumpy Space Princess (my fav, OH MY LUMP!). Book II is called “Utterly Insigificant Inhabitants of the Land of Ooo” including a BMO introductional pamphlet and user guide and more. Book III” is called “The Land of Ooo and You” including Princess Bubblegum’s official travel guide  to the Candy Kingdom and beyond! and a travel blog from Marceline. Book IV is called “The Lost Texts of Ooo”, it contains some fun wizard spells – “in which the unspeakable is spoken”. Lastly Book V is titled “Forbidden Chapters in the Encyclopaedia of Ooo” and if you thought the book was crazy till this point it gets even more weird in this one including chapters like “If You Read This Chapter You Will Die”, naturally I skipped that one.

Abrams delivered a fantastic book here for the fans of the show.  I hope that this is only the first in a series though since this show has a ton material that they could cover. Martin Olson really has a great knowledge of the show from working on it and really delivers a fun and rather informational compendium. The book itself immediately draws you in with its colorful setup and jam packed pages. Overall, I have been through this book twice and I know that I still missed stuff.  So this is one of those books that you will be able to revisit often and still catch something new. Highly recommended.

 

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Book Review “The JAWSfest Murders (A Martha’s Vineyard Mystery)”

Author: Crispin Nathaniel Haskins
Paperback: 281 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Release date: April 7, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Summer on Martha’s Vineyard is always hectic. It’s been that way for almost four decades thanks to the island being the home location of the popular film, “Jaws.” This summer is especially busy because the fictional Amity Island is hosting the 2nd JawsFest and thousands of fans of the film are expected. Chief of Police Laurie Knickles is already planning on her staff being stretched. But when an apparent shark attack victim shows up off shore she must rely on an old friend for help.

Smartly written, “The JAWSFest Murders” is a tidy murder mystery that is thoroughly entertaining, even if you’ve never heard of the movie “Jaws.” Our hero, Charles Williams, is a fan of the film who plans to meet up with his fellow “Finatics” to celebrate the film they love. Charles is surprised to find that an old friend is now the top cop on the island. An amateur sleuth himself, Charles is intrigued when the Chief tells him about a body that appears to have been attacked by a shark. The irony that it happened during “JawsFest” is not lost on either of them. Only later do they discover that the victim had been shot prior to being dumped in the drink. The Chief captures Charles’ total attention when the name of the victim is announced: Karl Bass, one of Charles’ on-line “Jaws” pals. The plot intensifies as more fans, and friends, mysteriously die.

Part of the joy of “The JawsFest Murders” is exploring the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Author Haskins is so descriptive of the layout of towns like Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven and Edgartown that the book almost reads like a Fodor’s Guide. Like I mentioned, you don’t have to know anything about “Jaws” to enjoy the book. However if, like me, you’re a fan of the film, you can look forward to several inside bits, some that sneak up on you. I was 50 pages in before I realized that the majority of the characters were named after the kids featured in “Jaws” and “Jaws 2.” Haskins doesn’t hit you over the head with “Jaws” but gives readers enough information to make them understand the passion of the fans.

“The JAWSFest Murders” is something the actual 2012 JAWSFest wasn’t – Entertaining!

Check out our interview with Crispin Nathaniel Haskins, here

To order your copy of “The JAWSFEST Murders” please visit www.marthasvineyardmysteries.com

Book Review “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven: (Or, How I Made Peace with the Paranormal and Stigmatized Zealots and Cynics in the Process)” by Corey Taylor

Author: Corey Taylor
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven” is the second book release from Slipknot/Stone Sour front man Corey Taylor. After the success of Taylor’s New York Times best selling tell all titled “Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument between Born Bad and Damaged Good” Taylor and Da Capo Press are back with “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven”. The book recounts Taylor’s personal experiences with the paranormal and his relentless approach to better understand the unexplained.

If the interesting title doesn’t grab you the stories contained within Corey Taylor’s new book “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven” will certainly hold your attention. At several points throughout the reading of this book the hair on my arms was standing completely straight up. From the story of “Cold House” to the paranormal events that plagued Slipknot recording sessions there were definitely points where I should have put the book down but couldn’t. Though the more technical chapters contained in the book were at times lengthy and somewhat dry forging through that material proved fruitful as Mr. Taylor made sure to deliver with the following chapters.

Fans of Taylor’s previous works may be a little disappointed that “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven” is not the second installment to “Seven Deadly Sins” as this new book at times skirts around some of the debauchery Taylor and his fellow band mates are known. However those looking for that type of material are for warned in the opening paragraphs that the book is not designed to be a tell all. Taylor clearly delved in to the depths of his haunted mind to bring some of this material to light and that alone will surely entice readers to pick up this book.

Book Review “The Lone Ranger: Behind the Mask”

Author: Michael Singer
Hardcover: 168 pages
Publisher: Insight Editions
Release Date: July 3, 2013

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

If you look at a film like “The Lone Ranger” you can tell that it was one hell of a production and cost around $250 million dollars to make.  So when it comes to the behind-the-scenes making of book, I was hoping for a huge elaborate look in the making-of the film.  I have to admit, I was a little bit let down. I feel that this book would have benefited more from a “Art of” book then a behind-the-scenes look.  “The Lone Ranger: Behind the Mask” tells a story of the long and hard road that it took in order to get this movie made. I would maybe recommend this to die-hard Depp fans. But be warned though of spoilers included towards the end of the book.

Since this was such an enormous production, we get an inside look at the huge sets in Albuquerque, the epic vistas of Monument Valley, and the sound stages of Los Angeles.  Accompanying that with some great shots of the cast and crew as well as some candid behind-the-scenes look.  There is some concept art and planning work for the characters and sets. Like I said, I would have loved to seen more focus on the art behind the film but at least we get a little taste of that in this book. The photos included though are high quality and do show a great deal of scale from the production.

One thing I should point out after this book is that is filled with celebrity cameos.  There are afterwords from Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer.  There is an introduction by director Gore Verbinski.  There is a special photo foreword from Jerry Bruckheimer. At first when I show the cover of this book, I thought to myself if there was actually anything in between all these various afterwords and forewords.  The author of the book, Michael Singer, definitely brings a great knowledge of books based on behind-the-scenes of films.  He worked on “Bring Me That Horizon: The Making of Pirates of the Caribbean”, again also with Bruckheimer, Depp and Verbinski.  So I guess you can call this project a family reunion. 

 

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