An exploration of cuteness and its immense hold on us, from emojis and fluffy puppies to its more uncanny, subversive expressions Cuteness has taken the planet by storm. Global sensations Hello Kitty and Pokémon, the works of artists Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons, Heidi the cross-eyed opossum and E.T.—all reflect its gathering power. But what does “cute” mean, as a sensibility and style? Why is it so pervasive? Is it all infantile fluff, or is there something more uncanny and even menacing going on—in a lighthearted way? In The Power of Cute, Simon May provides nuanced and surprising answers. We usually see the cute as merely diminutive, harmless, and helpless. May challenges this prevailing perspective, investigating everything from Mickey Mouse to Kim Jong-il to argue that cuteness is not restricted to such sweet qualities but also beguiles us by transforming or distorting them into something of playfully indeterminate power, gender, age, morality, and even species. May grapples with cuteness’s dark and unpindownable side—unnerving, artful, knowing, apprehensive—elements that have fascinated since ancient times through mythical figures, especially hybrids like the hermaphrodite and the sphinx. He argues that cuteness is an addictive antidote to today’s pressured expectations of knowing our purpose, being in charge, and appearing predictable, transparent, and sincere. Instead, it frivolously expresses the uncertainty that these norms deny: the ineliminable uncertainty of who we are; of how much we can control and know; of who, in our relations with others, really has power; indeed, of the very value and purpose of power. The Power of Cute delves into a phenomenon that speaks with strange force to our age.

A collection that tracks the astonishing impact of one vernacular aesthetic category—the cute—on postwar and contemporary art. The Cute tracks the astonishing impact of a single aesthetic category on post-war and contemporary art, and on the vast range of cultural practices and discourses on which artists draw. From robots and cat videos to ice cream socials, The Cute explores the ramifications of an aesthetic “of” or “about” minorness—or what is perceived to be diminutive, subordinate, and above all, unthreatening—on the shifting forms and contents of art today. This anthology is the first of its kind to show how contemporary artists have worked on and transformed the cute, in ways that not only complexify its meaning, but also reshape their own artistic practices. Artists surveyed include Peggy Ahwesh, Cosima Von Bonin, Nayland Blake, Paul Chan, Adrian Howells, Juliana Huxtable, Larry Johnson, Mike Kelley, Dean Kenning, Wyndham Lewis, Jeff Koons, Sean-Kierre Lyons, Mammalian Diving Reflex, Alake Shilling, Annette Messager, Mariko Mori, Takashi Murakami, Charlemagne Palestine, David Robbins, Mika Rottenberg, Allen Ruppersberg, Jack Smith, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol, Yoshitomo Nara Writers include Sasha Archibald, Roland Barthes, Leigh Claire La Berge, Lauren Berlant, Ian Bogost, Jennifer Doyle, Lee Edelman, Adrienne Edwards, Lewis Gordon, Rosemarie Garland-Thompson, Stephen Jay Gould, Lori Merish, John Morreall, Juliane Rebentisch, Frances Richard, Carrie Rickey, Friedrich Schiller, Peter Schjeldahl, Kanako Shiokawa, Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy, Kevin Young

Live a bright, fun, rainbow-filled life with Kawaii! The Japanese word Kawaii means lovable or adorable. Welcoming a little kawaii into your life is like opening the window and letting a sparkling sunbeam in. Whenever you feel a little low turn to this squishy, padded-covered book. Find fun ideas to: make a cosy kawaii home; playful, confidence boosting styling and beauty tips; and recipes that will make your smile. This book includes 10 easy how-to projects to bring kawaii into your life. Here, you'll also find a host of very special kawaii mascots that will always be ready to give you a hug when you need one: The Octonauts, Smiling Bear, Hello Kitty, Gudetama, Molang, Ricemonsters, Miffy the Rabbit, the Moomins, Donutella, Unicorno, Moofia and Pusheen. Escape into the magical world of kawaii...

The reckless usage of "cute" has gotten out of control. If you're addicted to the C-word, this hilarious book will help to kick your habit. Let's be clear: author Ethan Jenkins isn't campaigning for the total eradication of the word "cute." He just hopes to provide readers with some equally cute alternatives. In a slight deviation to the format of Roget's Thesaurus (the synonymic authority since 1851), this book is ablaze with illustrations of unicorns, rainbows, and anything pink. If only there was some short, punchy and universal word to describe this particular style of design... maybe winsome or darling? Dainty or precious? Time to open up this helpful thesaurus. The word "cute"--a shortened form of "acute," meaning shrewd or clever--first appeared in the English language in 1731. Near-300 years ago, it was a far cry from the etymological chameleon we know today. Now "cute" is blurted out in so many contexts, its impact has become forever diluted. On any given day, one might find themselves saying: "this baby is so cuuute I simply cannot!" "I think that bartenders kind of cute," or "don't play cute with me." If you're regularly guilty of using any (or all) of these, this book will help to claim back your vocabulary. If it's a friend or family member who needs an articulation intervention, let this essential reading be the first step on their road to recovery.

The twentieth century was, by any reckoning, the age of the child in America. Today, we pay homage at the altar of childhood, heaping endless goods on the young, reveling in memories of a more innocent time, and finding solace in the softly backlit memories of our earliest years. We are, the proclamation goes, just big kids at heart. And, accordingly, we delight in prolonging and inflating the childhood experiences of our offspring. In images of the naughty but nice Buster Brown and the coquettish but sweet Shirley Temple, Americans at mid-century offered up a fantastic world of treats, toys, and stories, creating a new image of the child as "cute." Holidays such as Christmas and Halloween became blockbuster affairs, vehicles to fuel the bedazzled and wondrous innocence of the adorable child. All this, Gary Cross illustrates, reflected the preoccupations of a more gentle and affluent culture, but it also served to liberate adults from their rational and often tedious worlds of work and responsibility. But trouble soon entered paradise. The "cute" turned into "cool" as children, following their parental example, embraced the gift of fantasy and unrestrained desire to rebel against the saccharine excesses of wondrous innocence in deliberate pursuit of the anti-cute. Movies, comic books, and video games beckoned to children with the allures of an often violent, sexualized, and increasingly harsh worldview. Unwitting and resistant accomplices to this commercial transformation of childhood, adults sought-over and over again, in repeated and predictable cycles-to rein in these threats in a largely futile jeremiad to preserve the old order. Thus, the cute child-deliberately manufactured and cultivated--has ironically fostered a profoundly troubled ambivalence toward youth and child rearing today. Expertly weaving his way through the cultural artifacts, commercial currents, and parenting anxieties of the previous century, Gary Cross offers a vibrant and entirely fresh portrait of the forces that have defined American childhood.

Cute Things to Draw for Kawaii Art Creatives This kawaii drawing book is essential for everyone looking to learn how to draw cute things! From the author of the bestseller The Drawing Book for Kids, with over 300,000 copies sold, this first book in a brand new series keeps you entertained while learning a new skill. A collection of cheerful and cute things to draw step-by-step. Kawaii means cute in Japanese. Loved by all ages, this popular style of cartoon drawing is both fun and adorable. In this book of cute little things to draw, you’ll find tips, easy techniques, and ideas to take your creativity to a new level. Complete with step-by-step instructions, The Cute Book of Kawaii Drawing makes drawing kawaii simple and easy. Soon you’ll turn from an aspiring artist into a skilled cartoonist! Make ordinary objects adorable in this Kawaii doodle book. The Cute Book of Kawaii Drawing teaches budding artists how to draw cute things out of ordinary objects! From food to animals, it provides hundreds of cute easy things to draw that bring positivity to any day. With over 100 pages for drawing and doodling for beginners, learn how to draw cute cartoon animals, food, and more kawaii stuff like: Pizza, donuts, and yummy food Sea creatures like the crab, dolphin, and otter Cute facial expressions, and more! If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to draw cute things, draw cute anime, or draw cute Chibi—or enjoyed books like How to Draw Cute Animals, How to Draw Cute Food, or Kawaii Doodle Class—then you’ll love The Cute Book of Kawaii Drawing.

A young girl and her best friend discover a monster. Luckily, it's cutest all-time! Unluckily, it's still a monster. With short chapters, easy-to-read text, and enhanced back matter, Boo Books deliver just-right frights (without the sleepless nights) for the earliest readers.