Tuesday, January 5, 2010

CALAMITY JACK Launch Week! Paper Dolls #1

Here it is, CALAMITY JACK Launch Day!

First, here are some nice things reviewers are saying about JACK:

"...a charming update of Jack and Beanstalk... The dynamic artwork fits well with Jack and Rapunzel's quick tongues, as they flirt their way through numerous hair-raising situations. " --Publishers Weekly

“Nathan Hale’s artwork again places the action in a fairy-tale version of the American West, now with the city as backdrop. His character sketches are delightfully expressive, and the book has the same rich palette as the previous story. It should satisfy readers who enjoy adventure, fairy tales, and anyone who loves a rogue.”School Library Journal

“Nathan Hale’s art gives it a steampunk twist, and the addition of fairy-tale creatures like giants and pixies is natural and convincing. Shannon and Dean Hale have done an excellent job stretching the bones of the traditional fable into a high-action coming-of-age story that will keep young teen readers excited and engaged.” - Booklist

“...the Hales provide a truly refreshing and fun version of the rascal. This Jack has American Indian roots and is roguish without the cruel or arrogant undertones sometimes present in other stories. Also, unlike in Rapunzel's single and well-defined traditional story, the Hales have more leeway here with Jack's beanstalk tale, keeping the giants and widowed mother but ditching the cow and adding a more flavorful background better in keeping with the setting. Nathan Hale (no relation) continues to draw in a clear and energetic style equally suited to the steampunk city as to the Wild West. Fans of the previous book will be happy to see this new installment, which should handily garner new fans as well.”—VOYA

Pretty cool huh? I condensed these reviews and made sure to take any spoilers out. But very nice reviews all around!

When RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE launched, I built some paper dolls featuring Rapunzel and her many action outfits from the book (as well as a few extra suits for fun--you can get them by clicking the Rapunzel Paper Doll link, on under the Activities bar on the right--they are pdf files you can print and color.)

To continue the tradition, I've now got a set of CALAMITY JACK paper dolls. I'll kick it off with a new Rapunzel outfit (don't worry, this time we'll do Jack's outfits too) I'll post two a day until the release party this Saturday. Click and print (or wait until I post them as PDFs on the sidebar.)

Happy CALAMITY JACK Launch Day!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the reviews.

I swear, if i ever meet you, I will automatically say "Nathan Hale, no relation"

Unknown said...

Great reviews, and deserved, I am sure. I just read Rapunzel's Revenge (in a single sitting!) and look forward to following it up with this book.