Storybook Favorites

Asking Anubis:

Before reading this storybook, I had little knowledge of Egyptian mythology as well as Japanese folktales. However, I did recognize Anubis as the god with a jackal head thus I was interested in finding out more about this god. The title was unique in that it was similar to columns seen in newspapers or magazines where readers ask questions about life advice. I thought this was a clever way of introducing the style of the storybook as Anubis was portrayed as a being a life advice expert. The introduction was captivating and did make me want to read the rest of the stories; I enjoyed how Anubis was the host of his own radio show, and would be giving advice to various people/deities. It was also distinct how Anubis did not only take "calls" from Egyptian gods but also characters from Japanese folktales. Overall, I really enjoyed the layout of the storybook. Clicking the link to the storybook led me to a page giving me a short description of Anubis as an advice hot line, and a convenient "continue" button easily led me to the introduction. The two "episodes" were accessible from the upper tabs. I liked how the author included pictures of either Egyptian or Japanese origin to introduce the stories, and I might consider doing that as well for my own storybook.

Real Housewives of Happily Ever After:

The content of this storybook was pretty familiar to me as it focuses on traditional fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White. The title was what originally jumped out to me because I was interested in seeing the combination of the "Real Housewives" and various stories. Introducing the different princesses as living in a neighborhood and having a life outside their fairytale was unique and because of my previous knowledge of the stories, made me want to read more. I really enjoyed how they set up the story book similar to a reality TV show where the reader is able to almost follow these characters in their daily lives. Additionally, the background image of Cinderella and Snow White sharing drinks conveyed the "Housewives" theme even more. An image relevant to my theme would be something I could incorporate in my storybook.

King Arthur in Japan
While I do recognize King Arthur and some of his tales, I did not know much of his story and found most of the information in the storybook new. I did know that King Arthur was set in Britain, so seeing a title that brought him to Japan was noteworthy. I enjoyed how the introduction set up King Arthur as being the greatest king, but began with his roots as squire. This created an effect of where the reader is almost joining Arthur on his journey. Having the image of Excalibur was helpful, as it helped me develop a better understanding of what was going on in the story. The tabs to the other stories were located on the left hand side rather than the top which was different from the other sites I visited. The use of images that correspond to what Arthur sees was useful in reading the stories and something I might include in my storybook.

Wiki Commons: King Arthur