Friday, December 14, 2007

"Gift books for the otaku on your list"

In the Daily Yomiuri today, Japanamerica author Roland Kelts recommends books by Stone Bridge authors Gilles Poitras and Frederik L. Schodt:

Beyond the ivy walls, you'll find the magic of Frederik Schodt's Manga! Manga!, first published in 1983, but not dated a whit. I met Schodt in San Francisco during my tour, just before his latest book, The Astro Boy Essays--essential and infectious accounts of the life and work of Osamu Tezuka--was released to coincide with the first overseas Tezuka exhibition.

In the same city, I also met Gilles Poitras, author of the Anime Companion series, illustrated guides to the "Japaneseness" of anime and manga that provide children and parents with a deeper appreciation of the cultural traditions embedded in the art.