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Happy New Year of the Monkey!

We wish you brand new year of fun!

Our new hero Max is here to help!

The Year of the Monkey is the 11th in our popular annual series Tales from the Chinese Zodiac.

Max is like the NBA's Stephen Curry - a small but surprising star in a spectacular sport!

Illustrated by animator Kenji Ono, Max is the son of the famous Monkey King and Queen. He has a lot to live up to! But can he fly high in his own direction? Find out!

Kenji and author Oliver Chin will travel across the country to introduce Max to school children and their families and share the spirit of this intrepid new role model.

Artist Spotlight - Kenji Ono

Kenji Ono is the illustrator of our brand new book The Year of the Monkey.

Born in Japan, Kenji is an animator at DreamWorks, where he has worked on projects such as Dragons (from How to Train your Dragon) and The Penguins of Madagascar. Currently he lives in Southern California with his family.

Previously he contributed to many animated TV series that you all know: The Simpsons, Avatar the Last Airbender, and Family Guy.

See more at Kenji's Instagram!

Review: Play with your Food

"Do you remember the remarkable book I talked about last year called I'm the Scariest Thing in the Jungle by David Derrick Jr.? It's become a family favorite, but now his fourth book Play with your Food has been released and it's become a rival for one of the choice top spots. My boys enjoy the fun story lines that this author always seems to master, as well as the colorful and personable illustrations...

Play with your Food will appeal to not only young dinosaur fans, but it's also sure to get any child who has been told not to play with your food giggling out loud. The story is simple and funny, and just long enough to keep the attention of even the younger readers. There's plenty of room for a child's imagination to roam in between the lines, especially if they take their time to explore the illustrated pages." - Just a Little Creativity

- February newsletter
- Author Events

Upcoming Events

Author Oliver Chin and illustrator Kenji Ono autograph The Year of the Monkeyin Southern California.

Catch them the weekend of February 20-21st at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. Oliver signs at the bookstore on Saturday and then Kenji will draw on Sunday.

Later that week, both will present a family storytime at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. Come meet both of the creators on Saturday at 10:30 am.

Justin Time leaps ahead!

The animated TV series Justin Time is coming to the LeapPad this spring.

Also three home video DVDs, produced by Cinedigm, are now available at mass market retailers.

Meanwhile, fans continue to discover and enjoy our official storybook adaptations, The Pancake Express and The Big Pet Story.

The Octonauts are now toys!

Fans worldwide are enjoying The Octonauts' fantastic adventures, that began with our four original storybooks.

In America, The Octonauts TV animated series is a top show the Disney Channel.

Now families can enjoy the toy versions of their favorite characters, submersible Gup vehicles, and Octopod heaquarters.

A rainbow of Fisher-Price action figures, creature assortments, and playsets are available in the USA.