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Oneshi Press’s to Launch Fantasy TTRPG + Coloring Book + Short Comic!
Oneshi Press proudly announces the planned launch of its first-ever fantasy tabletop role-playing game. The Mag Tower TTRPG Zine has launched on February 16, 2023, along with a coloring book and short comic, all set in the immersive sci-fi/fantasy universe of Children of Gaia.
The Mag Tower game will be launched on February 16 as part of Kickstarter’s “Zine Quest” open call, which invites creators to launch zines for new RPGs or to elevate existing ones.
About the Mag Tower TTRPG Zine:
A foreign power has invaded Rendaraia, laying waste to its most ancient civilizations. Now, soldiers descend upon the realm’s last stronghold of magical power: the Mag Tower, hidden for years in the deepest forests of Mitheraia. The Mag are reclusive elven sorcerers, guardians of the fabled
Mage Stones —powerful relics that they’ve sworn to protect with their very lives. House Vargas is the military leader of the Terran Empire, and it will stop at nothing to gain total control of Rendaraia’s greatest treasures. TIn the Mag Tower TTRPG, players can be on either side in the epic battle
to protect—or to steal—the Mage Stones!Set in the vast, immersive sci-fi/fantasy universe of Children of Gaia, the Mag Tower role-playing game is a simple one-off game that can be completed in30 to 45 minutes, and enjoyed by 1 to 10 players.
The Kickstarter campaign will include:
digital and print versions of the Mag Tower zine, including stunning art by Jayel Draco;
a digital tabletop simulator for groups playing virtually;
a Mag Tower theme song by David Gueringer;
art prints by Jayel Draco and Chris Covelli, co-creators of Children of Gaia;
custom-made gaming dice from Flutes’ Creations.“We’ve been looking forward to Zine Quest for months,” says Jayel Draco, co-founder of Oneshi Press and co-creator of Children of Gaia. “I’ve been co-creating Children of Gaia for decades, and the goal has always been for it to be immersive. A role-playing game will allow players to deeply experience the epic story for themselves!
But the TTRPG zine is only part of the excitement! The campaign will also present…
Mitheran Fauna: A Coloring Book by Shadowind
In the deeply magical Great Nation of Mithera, the creatures and plants, insects and fungus, are just as fantastical as the elven mages who devote their lives to the mystical arts. Now, in stunning line drawings, Shadowind presents an ecosystem that will dazzle your eyes and invite you in to color it however you like!
“Children of Gaia: Diplomacy,” a Short Comic
In this short comic by Children of Gaia co-creator Chris Covelli, Lacerta, and Cardinal Rae, tensions are rising between the Empire of Celes and the Great Nations of Rendaraia. As the son of the empire’s highest general, Siegfried Vargas attempts to resolve the conflict peacefully. But navigating strange customs and opposing ideals in the foreign capital of Mithera, Siegfried wonders if war may be inevitable.
“We’re thrilled to bring our first-ever coloring book into the world along side this zine. Shadowind really brings the magical world to life on the page with stunning art,” says Lynsey G, co-founder of Oneshi Press and editor of the game. “And we promise that the short comic ‘Diplomacy’ by Chris Covelli is truly going to be one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen.”
Oneshi Press will also plant a tree for every campaign backer as part of an ongoing partnership with OneTreePlanted.org that aims to reforest areas that need it most around the world. Oneshi Press launched the Kickstarter campaign for The Mag Tower on February 16, seeking to raise $1.200 to fund printing and distribution of the TTRPG zine, the coloring book, and the short comic in 28 days, concluding on March 16. The Mag Tower campaign is currently in pre-launch on Kickstarter. Follow the project and be notified when it launches!
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Pollinators Book Helps Kids Make an Impact
An alarming article from The Guardian recently pointed out a statistic from a recent study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: “The global loss of pollinators is causing about 500,000 early deaths a year by reducing the supply of healthy foods.” The study is the first to quantify the human health toll of insufficient wild pollinators.
With this information in mind, there is a new book that seeks to educate young readers about the importance of pollinators. World of Pollinators: A Guide for All Explorers: Fun Projects, Over 400 Amazing Facts about Plants, Bees, Beetles, Birds and Butterflies (Creative Homeowner) teaches children the importance of pollinators, along with exciting outdoor DIY projects and activities that make a difference!
Have fun while making an impact! Jam-packed with tons of awesome information all about nature, World of Pollinators teaches children the importance of pollinators, along with exciting outdoor DIY projects and activities that make a difference! Engaging and fun, kids will read and learn about important pollinating insects and other valuable nature topics, from what pollen is and how it works to why some insects and birds are pollinators while some are not. Also included are illustrated guides showing different types of birds, insects, and flowering plants that attract pollinators, regional maps, and awesome fun facts on state birds across the United States! This educational and hands-on book also provides exciting outdoor projects for kids that are fun as they get involved in nature while also protecting it, including how to make a butterfly house, how to plant a pollinator haven in a flowerpot and more. World of Pollinators is an excellent resource for parents and teachers to encourage, educate, and inspire children about pollinators and helping the environment, all while having fun! The book will launch on May 9.
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Fun-Filled Tummy Tour Teaches Kids the Importance of Gut Health
Emily Enzyme and a host of unforgettable characters lead a little girl on an amazing journey of her digestive system in the book, Ewww! Lulu Meets the King of Poo, from occupational therapist and nutrition enthusiast Jan Maximov Condon.
Scientifically accurate without being overly detailed, Ewww! Lulu Meets the King of Poo uses colorful illustrations and giggle-inducing rhymes (“It’s our most important duty: We make things happen in your booty.”) to introduce audiences as young as 2 years old to the existence of gut microbes and their vital role in our overall health.
“I was 55 when I learned I had a universe inside me, and that I could help myself by my food choices,” Condon said during a recent interview.
In Ewww! Lulu Meets the King of Poo, Lulu is feeling anxious about her upcoming school science report. She falls asleep and dreams that she swallows herself! Emily Enzyme takes Lulu on an “incredible digestible” tour, first through the small intestine, where Lulu meets Abby Acidophilus and dances the Acidophilus Hula. In the colon, Lulu meets Benny Bifidus, the King of Poo, who tells her, “Here we are – we all work together. If you take care of us – we’ll help you forever!” (song: “Do the Acidophilus Hula!” on http://janmaxcon.com/)
Condon’s second book, Lulu How Do You? (How Do You What? Be Good to Your Gut!) is a graphic novel suitable for children 8 years old and up that builds upon the concepts from the first book. Lulu How Do You? follows Lulu on another adventure during which she asks the digestive organs and microbes about their favorite and least favorite foods — and why. It’s a lesson about the effects that sugar and toxins can have on the body.
Both stories are brought to life through brilliant and playful illustrations by Steve Ferchaud and Chris Ficken. With glossaries and pronunciation guides, Condon’s books are as educational as they are entertaining and aim to increase awareness from a young age about the importance of our gut microbiome and making healthy food choices.
Ewww! Lulu Meets the King of Poo
Publisher: Bowker
ISBN-10: 1736960849
ISBN-13: 978-1736960844
Lulu How Do You? (How Do You What? Be Good to Your Gut!)
Publisher: Bowker
ISBN-10: 1736960822
ISBN-13: 978-1736960820
Both books are available from Amazon.com.
About the Author
Jan Maximov Condon is a part-time occupational therapist with a keen interest in nutrition for wellness. Her passion to share her important message about gut microbes came from personal experience: the overuse of antibiotics in childhood and the problems it led to. Condon and her husband, Frank, live in Chico, California, where they enjoy brisk, long walks, yoga and the joy of being alive. Condon is 81 years young and can still stand on her head!
For more information, visit http://janmaxcon.com/, or connect with the author on Facebook or Instagram at Janslulubooks.
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Jamie Lee Hoffer Unveils Giggles & Stardust
Award-Winning Artist, Teacher, Composer & Author Jamie Lee Hoffer Unveils Giggles & Stardust – Magical New Online Destination For Preschoolers Ready To Learn, Sing, Laugh, Share & Imagine
LOS ANGELES, NOVEMBER 1, 2022 – The screen lights up and you’re instantly transported to a magical place where colors are brighter, faces are friendlier, music is happier and the whole world is bigger and better than you ever imagined it could be. And, best of all, your host in this wondrous new destination is so instantly likable and trustworthy, you’re ready to follow her wherever her imagination – and yours – will take you.
Welcome to GigglesandStardust.com, a brand-new online destination created by and starring a true Renaissance woman in the realm of child education – teacher, author, composer, illustrator, award-winning artist and loving Mom, Jamie Lee Hoffer.
Featuring enchanting videos, original songs, book readings, colorful artwork, important life lessons, and a family of lovably unique puppets, Giggles and Stardust easily manages to be entirely contemporary while embracing the nostalgia of beloved childhood classics.
Tipping its hat to the warm and loving sensibilities that made shows like “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “Sesame Street” such timeless classics, GigglesandStardust.com stands in direct contrast to the overly slick, hyperkinetic children’s fare so prevalent today in favor of a thoroughly accessible environment designed not only to entertain young children but to educate them as well.
On the new Giggles and Stardust site, for example, young children are invited to spend time with Jamie and her puppet pals – including Pickles, Aunt Gloria, Cody, Sequoia, Madison Dragonson and Wide Mouth Bullfrog – as they share music, stories, social interactions, and lessons about nature, creativity, and friendship. Highlights of the site also include jam-packed Giggle Time Episodes filled with captivating, learning-centric stories, art, dance, music, and adventures.
Giggles and Stardust is a subscription-based site offering monthly, weekend or annual passes beginning at only $1.99 per month – making it an ideal gift for your own children or for family members, friends or co-workers with preschoolers in their lives.
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ABCs of Beekeeping Spelled Out in Lively New Children’s Book
Suburban beekeeper Justin Weiss aims to inspire the next generation of bee enthusiasts and environmentalists with his vibrantly illustrated new children’s book, B is for Beekeeping: An Alphabet Book.
With concise, easy-to-understand language, such as “C is for comb,” and “H is for honey,” Weiss introduces young audiences to the ABCs of beekeeping and the critical role that honeybees play in the ecosystem.
“Did you know one-third of the food we eat gets pollinated by honeybees?” asked Weiss, who started beekeeping a few years ago on a whim. “While at first I was afraid of handling honeybees, it turns out having thousands of them buzzing around is quite therapeutic. This hobby has lifted my spirits when I’ve most needed it, and I’ve enjoyed sharing it with my friends and family.”
In B is for Beekeeping, Weiss uses each letter of the alphabet to teach a beekeeping term and idea, and each fascinating new fact is brought to life by a bright, playful illustration.
Perfect for parents, grandparents and teachers, B is for Beekeeping intends to encourage children to explore the “un-bee-lievable” world around them and to respect some of the smallest, but mightiest, creatures.
About the Author
Justin Weiss is a husband, father and hobby beekeeper. He loves to explore the world with his family and try new foods.
Born and raised in California, he currently lives outside of Dallas, Texas, on a small suburban homestead. He and his wife have a garden, keep bees, raise quail and chickens, and have an orange cat named Leo. He is fluent in Spanish, having also lived in Chile, Easter Island and Spain.
Weiss serves his community as the assistant city manager and also as a board member for the local school district’s education foundation.
It has always been a dream of his to publish a book — a special gift for his children that he hopes they will want to pass down one day, too.
A portion of all sales of this book will be donated to organizations such as Pollinator Partnership, the Bee Conservancy and Project Apis m. For more information, visit www.bisforbeekeeping.com, or follow the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
BeekeepingBook. -
Hair: From Moptops to Mohicans, Afros to Cornrows by Katja Spitzer
This delightfully informative and reaffirming celebration of hair through the ages not only explores the most outrageous hairstyles from across history, but also shows how hair is an important and powerful means of cultural expression no matter what your sex, age, or race.
During the Rococo period, wealthy women tucked shells, necklaces, fruit, and flowers into their hair, which was styled into towers that reached as high as three feet over their heads. In 1970s London, young, disfranchised “punks” made themselves feel powerful by drawing on the 2,000-year-old Native American practice of shaving their heads except for a narrow strip from forehead to neck. These are just a couple of many fascinating moments of hair history whimsically illustrated in this book. Katja Spitzer’s colorful illustrations are presented in double-page spreads that offer an engaging description of a hair trend or style and its cultural and historic significance. Readers will learn why hair braiders in West Africa can spend an entire day working on one client; and how Black Americans signaled their opposition to racist laws and practices by not styling their naturally frizzy hair. Filled with important history and giggle-inducing facts, this wide-ranging book crosses cultures and oceans to offer an important lesson about self-expression that will encourage readers of all ages to let down their hair, and to let others do the same.
- Publisher : Prestel Junior (September 13, 2022)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 40 pages
- ISBN-10 : 3791375288
- ISBN-13 : 978-3791375281
- Reading age : 5 – 7 years
- Grade level : Kindergarten – 2
- Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 8.56 x 0.41 x 10.5 inches
About the Author
KATJA SPITZER is a Berlin based illustrator working for magazines and book publishers. The German edition of her book Hair! was longlisted for the World Illustrations Award 2021. Her many illustrations can be found on her website, www.katja-spitzer.de.