Books with author Jess Smart Smiley

A light-hearted interactive guide to comics and cartoon-making that uses an activity book format and creatively stimulating prompts to teach the fundamentals of cartooning in a fun and easy-to-follow fashion.From a working cartoonist and comic book making instructor, this all-ages activity book uses humorous and informative one-page comics and exercise prompts to guide young readers (and readers who are young at heart) through easy-to-master lessons on the skills needed to make comics. The activities cover a range of essential comics-making tasks from creating expressions for characters to filling in blank panels to creating original characters and placing them in adventures of their own. Each exercise can stand on its own or work together with others in the book to stimulate creativity via the comics medium. In the end, readers who complete the activities inside the book itself will have created several comics of their own, and will have generated many ideas for more sequential art creations.Praise for Let’s Make Comics!“At once playful and complex, this book is a perfect introduction to cartooning, as well as a lovely (and lovingly crafted) tribute to the comics form and a timely reminder that artmaking can be fun.”—Roman Muradov, creator of Vanishing Act and On Doing Nothing“Let’s Make Comics is a book I wish I had when I was 9, but 29 works too! It’s so fun and brilliant and packed with oodles of awesome activities. Great book for learning to make comics or for a seasoned cartoonist to find some new inspiration.”—Ben Clanton, creator of the Narwhal and Jelly books “It’s fantastic! This book will make you a better writer and a better artist and show you how to think like a comic star.”—Charise Harper, creator of the Fashion Kitty and Crafty Cat books “Warning! This book will make you make comics, and it will be fun!”—Greg Pizzoli, creator of The Watermelon Seed, Number One Sam, and The Book Hog“If only we'd had this book! Our comics would be much better.”—Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz, creators of War and Peas

150 pages!Harold is a friendly young vampire - but he loves candy so much, the dentist might have to pull his teeth! Now, what if he and the dentist, plus a couple friendly bats, all get caught up in the evil plots of the local witch? It's a wild magical romp for all ages, just in time for Halloween. Upside Down is a spooky fun tale for all-ages and tweens, colored in black, white and Halloween green!

From the Astoria Column and Crater Lake to Tillamook Cheese and Powell’s Books, these 10 Little Monsters discover some of the most unique and interesting things about Oregon and what it has to offer. Silly, over-the-top fun, and a bit macabre, 10 Little Monsters Visit Oregon is the perfect book for every little boy and ghoul!9 Little Monsters love Tillamook cheese"We would like free samples please!" One monster trips while looking for lunch. New ice cream flavor, "Monster Crunch"6 Little Monsters play hide-and-seek Up and down an Oregon creek. One stays quiet and still all day Til a beaver chews him and hauls him away.1 Little Monster decides to go To ride and rope in a rodeo. He can't hold on. See him fly! Poor Little Monster. Wave goodbye!

10 Little Monsters love to playAt the Golden City by the Bay.10 Little Monsters, they can’t waitTo visit the city with the Golden Gate!From Alcatraz to Coit Tower and from Lombard Street to the Golden Gate Bridge, these 10 Little Monsters discover some of the most unique and interesting things about San Francisco and what it has to offer. Silly, over-the-top fun, and a bit macabre, 10 Little Monsters Visit San Francisco is the perfect book for every little boy and ghoul!

10 Little Monsters, looking for fun, Take a trip to Washington.10 Little Monsters, they can’t wait 'Cause Monsters love the Evergreen StateFrom the trail of Lewis and Clark to Mount Rainier and Pike Place Market, these 10 Little Monsters discover some of the most unique and interesting things about Washington and what it has to offer. Silly, over-the-top fun, and a bit macabre, 10 Little Monsters Visit Washington is the perfect book for every little boy and ghoul!

It's actually true that Mongol warriors rode with slabs of raw meat under their saddles then ate them that night in camp! It's actually true that Chinese archaeologists found 4,000-year-old noodles in an overturned cup. It's actually true that Americans buy $1 billion worth of chocolate each Valentine's Day. You think food is just stuff we eat!? Come on! There's a world full of great food stories out there―and Rude Dude's going to tell them!