Over the last century, the medium of animation has served as an expression of childhood as well as a method of subverting the expectations of what society has promised for the future. Separated into three parts, this work assembles various explorations of taste, culture and passion through animation. Section I features essays that outline the historical changes in art and society that gave rise to an outsider culture that found a home in animation. In the second section, essays examine the practical use of animation as a voice for the underserved. Finally, in Section III, essays analyze the ways in which animation has reshaped the acceptance of outsider status to embrace otherness. Featuring everything from feature-length films to self-produced YouTube videos, the essays in this text reflect a shared love of animation and its unique ability to comment on society and culture.

"In the 25 years since [Stern] published his first book, younger Jewish writers have run with a similar shtick . . . But Stern was there first." —The Toronto Globe and Mail The Book of Mischief triumphantly showcases twenty-five years of outstanding work by one of our true masters of the short story. Steve Stern's stories take us from the unlikely old Jewish quarter of the Pinch in Memphis to a turn-of-thecentury immigrant community in New York; from the market towns of Eastern Europe to a down-at-the-heels Catskills resort. Along the way we meet a motley assortment of characters: Mendy Dreyfus, whose bungee jump goes uncannily awry; Elijah the prophet turned voyeur; and the misfit Zelik Rifkin, who discovers the tree of dreams. Perhaps it's no surprise that Kafka's cockroach also makes an appearance in these pages, animated as they are by instances of bewildering transformation. The earthbound take flight, the meek turn incendiary, the powerless find unwonted fame. Weaving his particular brand of mischief from the wondrous and the macabre, Stern transforms us all through the power of his brilliant imagination.

Cooper has the clever idea of making his mom pancakes for her birthday, and his friend the moose offers to help. The moose claims he's the best chef in Alaska, but is he really? Find out if Cooper's mom is happy about the surprise awaiting her in the kitchen!

Mr. Muddle botches absolutely everything he tries to do. His friend George is determined to figure out how to help him. Can he discover the secret of how to unmuddle Mr. Muddle?

Little Mynah loves to help, so when her friends Jen and Jay are bored eating the same old noodle dish at the hawker centre, she comes up with a makan surprise for everyone! Join in the second adventure of the multilingual picture book series that features the plucky Little Mynah and familiar people and places in the neighbourhood. BONUS: Listen to everyday words and phrases from the story in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, and enjoy other fun activities with Little Mynah and her friends. Simply scan a QR code at the back of the book to get started. A great way to introduce children to the diversity of languages and cultures—and yummy hawker food—in Singapore!

A complete guide to choosing a system, "A Parents' Guide to PlayStation" analyzes the platform, genres and details of the video game industry's rating system. Parents learn how to identify the genres of which they should be wary, how to choose games of every member of the family, and how to identify the educational merits or entertainment value of the games.

Featuring new reviews of the latest games, this book explains everything a parent needs to know about America's most popular video game consoles: the PlayStation 2 and the revamped PlayStation One. This exhaustive guide offers parents different ways to cut through the hype with which games are marketed and clarifies the often-confusing video game ratings system.