Stack Overflow: 6 Books for May
Let's start with picture books:
Cristina Plays by Micaela Chirif (Author), Paula Ortiz (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)
Micaela Chirif is an award-winning Peruvian author of children's books and poetry, and I am glad that we are finally giving some space to widely recognized authors like her (it has taken far too long).
In this book, Cristina is playing with a doll house that has a rabbit doll. Cristina will soon exchange her place in the doll's house with her doll, in a vivid dream that displays her imagination, dwelling in a poetic way on what children feel when involved in representational play.
Cristina Plays is on sale since April 15, 2025.
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers Pages: 36/ Hardback
EAN/UPC: 9781459841178
Up next, the idea behind the book gives voice to dads:
Love, Dad: Inspiring Notes from Fathers to Kids by Andrew Gardner (Author), Joel Warsh (Author), David Cooper (Illustrator)
This illustrated take on parents' wishes is nice because it portrays a wide array of loving dads, something we don't get enough of:
When you grow up, I hope you…
…let your smile change the world …feel you are loved, in every cell of your body
…learn how to help those who need a hand
Eighteen fathers are asked to finish the sentence above, and the eighteen wishes have lot in common. They all wish for their offspring to do well, to be brave and kind, and to learn to help others.
As parents, we wish the best for our kids, always, but we rarely get to say it, we are busy barking orders, giving advice, and trying to survive. This letter anthology helps parents go past that.
Love, Dad is on sale since April 08, 2025.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers Pages: 40/ Hardback
ISBN: 9780593572160
Up next, an early reader graphic novel (I didn't know those even existed!).
Pencil & Eraser: Lost and Frown! by Jenny Alvarado (Author)
This is the second adventure of a pencil and eraser BFFs. I have to say that the first one, Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma! was hilarious, especially if you are very young, first starting in the world of comics (the page layout is early reader friendly) and love corny jokes. If you are not into corny jokes, this book is definitely not for you.
The joke breaks that happen sporadically in the book are fabulously corny: What is a ninja's favorite juice? Fruit Punch! (You get the idea…). In the first novel, Pencil is dull and convinces Eraser to go on a sharpener-hunt throughout the school, having loads of adventures in the process.
In the second book, they fall out of their owner's bag on their way to karate, and have to navigate the town to get there, with a fun stop in the Arcade!
These two friends are fun, relatable, and you have to admit that eraser is the practical one of the pair, but she loves her partner's goofiness very much.
Pencil & Eraser: Lost and Frown! is on sale since May 06, 2025.
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers Hardback | Pages: 80
ISBN: 9780593699812
Now for a beautiful book about solidarity:
New Shoes for Leo by Lauren Agra Deedy (Author), Susan Gal (Illustrator)
Susan Gal has made something beautiful for this book, rendering it in a soft light that warms everything it touches. And it is a warm story. A young Cuban American boy must help fill a box for relatives on the island, an endeavor migrant families do for every country in the world: they send clothes, medicine, and knickknacks to poorer relatives on their country of origin, sometimes monthly, to help those who are having a harder time than them.
William's Mami and his Tía Ana ask him to help on a task for a young boy just about his age: find shoes for him to be shipped to Cuba. Cousin Leo, he will soon discover, has a lot in common with him. He also has freckles, loves baseball, and is loved very much by his close-knit family. But no one has the right size for him!
What can William do to fulfill his task?
William is about to learn a very important lesson about love and solidarity, just by fulfilling this apparently simple task.
New Shoes for Leo is on sale since March 04, 2025.
Published by Scholastic Press Hardback | Pages: 40
ISBN: 9781338770216
Now for a recently translated book:
Newborns. How Baby Animals Come Into the World by Paulina Jara (Author), Mercè Galí (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)
On this lengthy nonfiction book, there are 25 diverse ways to come into this world, from little tiny kangaroos that crawl to their mother's pouch being the size of a pea, and continue to grow there, to baby tadpoles, tiny newborn spiders and cougars, all of them unique and a testimony to the marvel of evolution.
Some gestation periods are days; some are years. Some babies are born ready to fend for themselves, while others rely on their parents for months.
The only thing I did not like where the illustrations. I feel that a quirkier, more detailed look at animal expressions and baby faces would have made the book more relatable to young readers.
Newborns is on sale since March 11, 2025
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers Hardback | Pages: 64
ISBN: 9781459840348
Finally, this book inspired Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki:
The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba (Author), Miho Satake (Illustrator), Avery Fischer Udagawa (Translator)
This book, which inspired a famous Miyazaki movie, has little in common with the story portrayed in the film.
As a fan of Kashibawa's work, I would be doing her a disservice if I said that the story was not magical on itself, it truly is! She has an ability for magical tales as strong as Dianne Wayne Jones'.
When a young Lina is sent all by herself to a place called Misty Valley, she is in for an adventure. The village is connected to different places and times, the town is not on any map, and the headmistress of the house looks like the witch in Spirited Away , but the adventures are very different.
There is a magical bookstore that is in itself a gateway to all magical bookstores in the world, there is a Pastry Chef that deals with enchanted desserts, and there are centaurs, gnomes, and other types of quirky characters roaming about. Misty Valley is a place where you go when you need to learn something, and you would not be able to find it if you were not going to change by experiencing it.
After 50 years of being a beloved classic in Japan, I truly celebrate its translation into English.
The Village Beyond the Mist is available since May 27, 2025. Publisher: Yonder 160 Pages/ Hardback
EAN/UPC 9781632063922
Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Ken Denmead Editor-in-Chief
Matt Blum Managing Editor
Z Associate Editors/GeekMom Partners
Jenny Bristol Senior Editors
Jonathan H. Liu, Patricia Volmer, Sophie Brown Associate Publishers*
David Michael, Gerry Tolbert, Andrew Smith, Ray Wehrs, Joel Becker, Scott Gaeta, Beth Kee, Joey Mills, talkie_tim, Danny Marquardt, Adam Bruski, John Bain, Bill Moore, Adam Frank, Lacey Hays, Peter Morson, James Needham, Matt Fleming, Adam Anderson, Jim Reynolds, Seiler Hagan, Bryan Wade, Petrov Neutrino, Jay Shapiro Editor (Emeritus)
Chris Anderson Contributors
Paul Benson, Darren Blankenship, John Booth, Jenny Bristol, Rory Bristol, Robin Brooks, Tom Fassbender, Whit Honea, Rob Huddleston, Will James, Michael Knight, Joey Mills, Brad Moon, Anton Olsen, Skip Owens, Mariana Ruiz, Derrick Schneider, Tony Sims, Dakster Sullivan, Mark Vorenkamp
*Thanks for your support on Patreon!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
18-07-2025
- CTV News
Netflix says it used GenAI in Argentine TV series
Martin Oesterheld holds an English version of sci-fi comic, "The Eternaut," written by his grandfather Hector Oesterheld, during an interview in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) LOS ANGELES -- Netflix said on Thursday that it used generative artificial intelligence to produce visual effects that appeared for the first time on screen in one of its original series, employing a technology that has been a source of anxiety throughout Hollywood. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos hailed AI as 'an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper.' Sarandos offered the example of Argentine science-fiction series 'El Eternauta (The Eternaut),' where the creators wanted to show a building collapsing in Buenos Aires -- a visual effect that would have been beyond the project's budget. The creative team partnered with Eyeline Studios, a production innovation group within Netflix, to make the dramatic scene with the aid of AI. 'That VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with visual traditional VFX tools and workflows,' Sarandos said during the company's second-quarter investor call. 'And also the cost of it would just wouldn't have been feasible for a show in that budget.' Sarandos said the sequence is the first GenAI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film. AI has become a flashpoint in Hollywood since the labour unrest of 2023, which resulted in new guidelines for the use of the technology. The main concern is that AI could replace the work of humans. Co-CEO Greg Peters said Netflix may find other ways to leverage generative AI to improve the user experience -- including offering viewers the ability to use spoken words to find something to watch. 'Saying 'I want to watch a film from the '80s that's a dark psychological thriller,' (and getting) some results back ... you just couldn't have done in our previous experiences,' said Peters. 'So that's super-exciting.' Advertising represents another opportunity for generative AI, Peters said, as brands and marketers seek to create compelling content. 'We think these generative techniques can decrease that hurdle iteratively over time and enable us to do that in more and more spots,' said Peters. By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
CTV News
16-07-2025
- CTV News
100-year-old woman reacts to AI-generated video of late husband
A 100-year-old woman in Argentina reacts as an AI-animated photo of her late husband moves more than 30 years after he died.
Globe and Mail
27-06-2025
- Globe and Mail
Mission: Impossible theme composer Lalo Schifrin dies at 93
Lalo Schifrin, the composer who wrote the endlessly catchy theme for Mission: Impossible and more than 100 other arrangements for film and television, died Thursday. He was 93. Schifrin's sons William and Ryan confirmed his death to trade outlets. The Associated Press' messages to Schifrin's publicist and representatives for either brother were not immediately returned. The Argentine won four Grammys and was nominated for six Oscars, including five for original score for Cool Hand Luke, The Fox, Voyage of the Damned, The Amityville Horror and The Sting II. 'Every movie has its own personality. There are no rules to write music for movies,' Schifrin told The Associated Press in 2018. 'The movie dictates what the music will be.' He also wrote the grand finale musical performance for the World Cup championship in Italy in 1990, in which the Three Tenors – Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras – sang together for the first time. The work became one of the biggest sellers in the history of classical music. Schifrin, also a jazz pianist and classical conductor, had a remarkable career in music that included working with Dizzy Gillespie and recording with Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan. But perhaps his biggest contribution was the instantly recognizable score to television's Mission: Impossible, which fuelled the just-wrapped, decades-spanning feature film franchise led by Tom Cruise. Written in the unusual 5/4 time signature, the theme – Dum-dum DUM DUM dum-dum DUM DUM – was married to an on-screen self-destruct clock that kicked off the TV show, which ran from 1966 to 1973. It was described as 'only the most contagious tune ever heard by mortal ears' by New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane and even hit No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning pushes Tom Cruise, and the audience, to their limits Schifrin originally wrote a different piece of music for the theme song but series creator Bruce Geller liked another arrangement Schifrin had composed for an action sequence. 'The producer called me and told me, 'You're going to have to write something exciting, almost like a logo, something that will be a signature, and it's going to start with a fuse,'' Schifrin told the AP in 2006. 'So I did it and there was nothing on the screen. And maybe the fact that I was so free and I had no images to catch, maybe that's why this thing has become so successful – because I wrote something that came from inside me.' When director Brian De Palma was asked to take the series to the silver screen, he wanted to bring the theme along with him, leading to a creative conflict with composer John Williams, who wanted to work with a new theme of his own. Out went Williams and in came Danny Elfman, who agreed to retain Schifrin's music. Hans Zimmer took over scoring for the second film, and Michael Giacchino scored the next two. Giacchino told NPR he was hesitant to take it on, because Schifrin's music was one of his favourite themes of all time. 'I remember calling Lalo and asking if we could meet for lunch,' Giacchino told NPR. 'And I was very nervous – I felt like someone asking a father if I could marry their daughter or something. And he said, 'Just have fun with it.' And I did.' Mission: Impossible won Grammys for best instrumental theme and best original score from a motion picture or a TV show. In 2017, the theme was entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. U2 members Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. covered the theme while making the soundtrack to 1996's first instalment; that version peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 with a Grammy nomination. A 2010 commercial for Lipton tea depicted a young Schifrin composing the theme at his piano while gaining inspiration through sips of the brand's Lipton Yellow Label. Musicians dropped from the sky as he added elements. Born Boris Claudio Schifrin to a Jewish family in Buenos Aires – where his father was the concertmaster of the philharmonic orchestra – Schifrin was classically trained in music, in addition to studying law. After studying at the Paris Conservatory – where he learned about harmony and composition from the legendary Olivier Messiaen – Schifrin returned to Argentina and formed a concert band. Gillespie heard Schifrin perform and asked him to become his pianist, arranger and composer. In 1958, Schifrin moved to the United States, playing in Gillespie's quintet in 1960-62 and composing the acclaimed 'Gillespiana.' The long list of luminaries he performed and recorded with includes Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Dee Dee Bridgewater and George Benson. He also worked with such classical stars as Zubin Mehta, Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniel Barenboim and others. Schifrin moved easily between genres, winning a Grammy for 1965's Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts while also earning a nod that same year for the score of TV's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. In 2018, he was given an honorary Oscar statuette and, in 2017, the Latin Recording Academy bestowed on him one of its special trustee awards. Later film scores included Tango, Rush Hour and its two sequels, Bringing Down The House, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, After the Sunset and the horror film Abominable. Writing the arrangements for Dirty Harry, Schifrin decided that the main character wasn't in fact Clint Eastwood's hero, Harry Callahan, but the villain, Scorpio. 'You would think the composer would pay more attention to the hero. But in this case, no, I did it to Scorpio, the bad guy, the evil guy,' he told the AP. 'I wrote a theme for Scorpio.' It was Eastwood who handed him his honourary Oscar. 'Receiving this honourary Oscar is the culmination of a dream,' Schifrin said at the time. 'It is mission accomplished.' Among Schifrin's conducting credits include the London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Mexico Philharmonic, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He was appointed music director of Southern California's Glendale Symphony Orchestra and served in that capacity from 1989-1995. Schifrin also wrote and adapted the music for 'Christmas in Vienna' in 1992, a concert featuring Diana Ross, Carreras and Domingo. He also combined tango, folk and classical genres when he recorded Letters from Argentina, nominated for a Latin Grammy for best tango album in 2006. Schifrin was also commissioned to write the overture for the 1987 Pan American Games, and composed and conducted the event's 1995 final performance in Argentina. And for perhaps one of the only operas performed in the ancient Indigenous language of Nahuatl, in 1988 Schifrin wrote and conducted the choral symphony Songs of the Aztecs. The work premiered at Mexico's Teotihuacan pyramids with Domingo as part of a campaign to raise money to restore the site's Aztec temple. 'I found it to be a very sweet, musical language, one in which the sounds of the words dictated interesting melodies,' Schifrin told The Associated Press at the time. 'But the real answer is that there's something magic about it. ... There's something magic in the art of music anyway.' In addition to his sons, he's survived by his daughter, Frances, and wife, Donna.
