REVIEW and EXCERPT
Melvin the Sad...(ish) Robot
by Joshua Margolis
Melvin the Sad...(ish) Robot by Joshua Margolis is currently on tour with Reading Addiction Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my review and an excerpt. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Melvin is known for being a sad…(ish) robot. But, as he finds new friends and experiences, he may just figure out how to be happy…(ish).
Book Video
Watch author and artist Joshua Margolis create Melvin the sad...(ish) robot.
Excerpt
Praise for the Book
"The robot sculptures are very clever and the photography beautiful. It is a lovely book and can be enjoyed by all ages." ~ Amazon Customer
"The vibrantly detailed illustrations are captivating and will definitely appeal to readers. I love the message the story shares and am certain Melvin the Sad...(ish) Robot will become a fast favorite among readers young and old. I highly recommend picking up a copy." ~ Stacie Theis
"Lovely local photography with expressive clay sculptures telling a touching story we can all relate to. Enjoyable for any age as it offers a story line for the kids and beautiful scenery for the adults." ~ C. Green
"We have never seen a book like this! Our whole family enjoyed this most wonderful story about friendship, love, and finding.....Oh! you just have to read it! The story presentation is so creative and interesting!" ~ Amazon Customer
"A beautiful whimsical book. The ceramics are very expressive, colors are vibrant and will grab the attention of young children. Beautiful eye candy for the reader as well as those being read to. Book also helps kids realize that it is okay to be open about feelings and that we cannot be happy all the time." ~ Ling Khong
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Melvin is described by his friends as a sad...(ish) robot ... until the day he meets Marilyn. Will Melvin have the courage to go after what he want?
The book is beautifully illustrated with photographs of clay robots (sculpted by the author himself) in natural scenery. The screen on Melvin's chest, which depicts his moods, is a great touch. I also love B.T., the toaster dog, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the author's dog. As well as looking wonderful, the book conveys a lovely message, encouraging those who are a bit different to step out of their comfort zone and have the courage to try new things.
This story will appeal to readers of all ages, with the young ones enjoying the fanciful robots and the older ones exploring the deeper meaning behind the story.
How Melvin came to be...
Since 2010 I have been showing my unique sculptures to the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area Community every First Friday at my studio, FM, located in Uptown Oakland. And every month I would be flattered when visitors asked me if I worked for a little local animation company located in Emeryville (some of you might have heard of them). As honored as this question made me feel, I have little in the ways of computer skills that could be transferred to such a groundbreaking company. Still, I felt that my characters had a story to tell, I just needed to figure out a way to tell it. So I created Melvin! After I drafted Melvin's story, added supporting characters, re-wrote, cut supporting characters ... and on and on, I got it to the point where I thought I had a decent story.
With the help of my friend Han Lee, we took Melvin out into the incredibly beautiful, yet overlooked, Lake Merritt area in Oakland and started taking photos of Melvin interacting with his environment. After learning the ropes from Han, I took over principal photography for the remainder of the project (although his photos are featured throughout the book).
The finished product has taken me about a year to complete and will hopefully be an uplifting story about a sad little robot finding some happiness in his life.
About the Author
Joshua Margolis is a sculptor, photographer, and author from Oakland, California. His work has been featured in many galleries and studios. He was the de Young Fine Arts Museum artist in residence for the month of July 2014, where he brought his monsters and robots project to sculpted life. Melvin the Sad…(ish) Robot is the first story of its kind to incorporate Joshua's ceramic sculptures into a real world setting, creating a unique visual narrative.
Freebie
Download your FREE Melvin coloring pages here.
Links
