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ABOUT US
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| ABOUT BIG GUY BOOKS |
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There are so many exciting things competing for the attention of today's
kids, like video games, movies, and TV. Why would they choose to read a
boring book? Introducing BiG GUY BOOKS - books that are anything but boring! We bring a whole new dimension to children's books with amazing, cinematic-style imagery. Our books will get kids' attention and teach them that reading can be more fun than they ever thought possible. |
| THE CREATORS |
Raised in upstate New York, Robert Gould pursued an education in
photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the early 70s.
His radical use of surrealism in the world of photo illustration for
advertising was considered inappropriate by all but the most forward
thinking of his colleagues. So Gould put his cameras away for almost 20
years until he opened Image One, a graphic design firm located in San
Diego, California, where he began to create and manipulate images
again.
Eugene Epstein was educated in Russia, graduating from the Russian
Academy of Arts. After winning a design contest through MTV for the
Moscow Music and Peace Festival, Eugene traveled to New York City for
the first time in 1989. Shortly thereafter, he immigrated to
California to continue his career as a master illustrator. He then met
Robert Gould and began designing advertisements for Image One, an
innovative design agency that pioneered design standards for Yellow
Page ads. In 1999, Robert & Eugene combined their talents to produce
REX: Time Soldiers Book#1, the first in an innovative series of
children's adventure books combining traditional art with cutting-edge
technology. In addition to art directing all Big Guy Books titles,
Eugene also teaches art classes on the weekends.
Kathleen Duey lives in southern California. She is happy, in love, and full of purpose these days. Her American Diaries and Survival series are meticulously researched historical novels. She has fantasy books upcoming from Aladdin and Atheneum books as well as more historical novels to be published by HarperCollins and Dutton Books. The Time Soldiers adventures are incredible. Kathleen is excited about the books and hopes they will inspire boys around the world. Find out more about Kathleen and her work at www.kathleenduey.com |
| MISSION STATEMENT |
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Big Guy Books, Inc, is built on the belief that literacy
is a birthright for every child. But in a world of highly
visual, fast-paced video entertainment, we are losing
a generation of young children to growing masses of
“reluctant readers.” It is our mission to create books
that are stimulating and engaging enough to recapture these children
and instill in them the joy of reading and the thrill of learning.
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| STEALTH LITERACY |
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Stealth Literacy® is a concept rooted in the idea that kids who
discover reading is fun will become self-propelled readers. For reading
to become more fun (especially for the average young male reader), it
must be more engaging. Today’s kids require more visual stimulation to
hold their interest than any generation before them.
BiG Guy Books’ Time Soldiers® series are specifically designed to stimulate more of the brain by adding realistic and complex graphics to an ongoing mystery that deepens book by book. It’s a lot like the special effects used in the movie industry blockbusters. High interest digital graphics are a key factor in capturing and maintaining the interest of young readers. |
| TESTIMONIALS |
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Educators Praise BiG GUY BOOKS
“Your format motivates children to experience the pleasure of reading….You are a publishing company who is making an invaluable contribution to children’s literacy.” —Katherine F. Murphy, Director of Informational Literacy & Learning Resources, Plainfield High School “The California Reads staff has noticed the incredible popularity your books have had among a range of grade-levels….Thank you for packaging reading in such an exciting way!” —Megan Howson, California Reads, Books & Beyond, Solana Beach, California “REX and the Time Soldiers is a must read for every elementary school student. It's action-packed with digitally enhanced photographs, making these dinosaurs the most life-like ever seen. This is sure to become a favorite of every classroom in America.” —Linda Wood Fiacco, Teacher/Reading Specialist (25 years), Goose Creek ISD Baytown, Texas “Even my reluctant readers are eager to read in order to unravel the mysteries and comprehend the wonderment captured by the unique, dimensional, photo-realistic illustrations. The drama, suspense, and adventure on every page make his series the most sought-after books in my third-grade classroom library.” —Lyle Hartman, Third-Grade Teacher, Carlsbad, California Librarians Praise BiG GUY BOOKS “Excellent quality photo-animation pictures and graphics….I enjoyed this book more than I did the movie. A must have for any young fan. ” — amazon.com review: June 5, 2003 ; Reviewer: George Nye, Jr. Library in Lakewood, CA “Your books are very popular. I am happy to report that they haven’t stayed on the library shelves since we received them. Thank you! —Kathy Connally, Hope Elemenary School Librarian, Oceanside, California “With great photography, stunning illustrations, and a unique story line, Robert Gould’s REX and REX 2 will become much sought after additions to our library’s children’s section…. All in all, we recommend these books for young readers and have marked them as excellent candidates for our after-school story hour. “ —Ann Marie Wentworth, M.L.S., Librarian Branch Manager and Daniel A. Jack, M.A., Reading Tutor/Computer Instructor San Bernardino County Library, Hesperia Branch, San Bernardino, California Awesome books! I am a school librarian, mom, and aunt to four robust nephews. Your books are terrific for the reluctant reader….Thanks for making reading so exciting! —Barbara Vanderhorst, School Librarian Parents Praise BiG GUY Books “The pictures in your Time Soldiers book, REX, are awesome and the story is great…. I feel you all did a tremendous job on this book and would recommend it to my friends.” —L. Anthony, Kansas City, Kansas “I am the Mother of an 11-year-old boy with ADHD. For years I have struggled with him to sit down and read. Well, he brought your REX book home from school the other day and said to me, ‘Mom, you need to buy me the rest of these books!”…. Thank you for putting together a book for a child who has a very hard time staying focused. —A very excited Mom, Mrs. S.Z. Forest Grove, Oregon “I really love REX and Rex 2. The books are visually stunning and wonderfully written. These books make kids want to read them and I enjoyed reading them, too.” “My mother's testimonial is absolutely true. I am 15, with a seven-year-old cousin, and we both absolutely love the series…. It is creatively exciting, fun, and even a little mysterious. The artwork is incredible, using superimposed images of real and artistically drawn creatures. . . . I would undeniably rate these stories as the creme de la creme of children's books.” —Aleta Sorensen and daughter, Escondido, California "My son has REX and REX 2 and loves them. They are his favorite books. He can't wait for the rest of the series…. His little brother is learning to read so that he can read them too. Thank you for making such great kids' books.” —Lorraine Fuller, Flower Mound, Texas Booksellers Praise BiG GUY BOOKS “The response to Big Guy Books has been wonderful. Librarians and smart parents see the appeal of the computer animation in the illustrations to young readers of the video generation…. The kids are fascinated with the story and the illustrations. We know that many of our young customers need something with a kick to get them reading…. I've already taken pre-orders for the next books in the series." —Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Books, Houston “[BiG GUY BOOKS are] Fantastic! They provide an incredible way to get young boys reading. I put up an end cap and we’ve had very good sales.” — David Norquist, Barnes & Noble, Encinitas, California From Publishers Weekly, 12.15.03 “[Big Guy titles] are valuable in engaging kids who might not already be readers and getting them hooked," Yipp said. "This is something like they see on TV, whereas books are so often perceived as something they have to do. Stan-Lee (creator of Spider-Man) Praises BiG GUY BOOKS “I don’t know how you can get anything better for a young reader than books like Robert Gould’s Time Soldiers…They are just about the best books for kids that I have seen. They have beautiful photos, they’re exciting, they’re beautifully written, they’re clean and wholesome, they’re instructive, and they’re fun for children to read.” |