I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: JUSTIN ROBERTS-“Pop Fly” (2008).

This is a wonderful pop song from Justin Roberts.  Roberts is regarded as a top-notch children’s song writer.  I hadn’t heard him before, but i was totally sold by this one.

It’s a poppy almost dancey song–it certainly makes you want to move around, anyway.  There’s a catchy acoustic guitar and a fast beat and Roberts’ voice is really solid and warm.  Interestingly I didn’t even realize this song was about baseball when I heard it on the radio (I missed the song title).  I was totally hooked by the pa pa pa pa pa pa chorus.

And there’s a great third section of the song that changes the mood but not the tempo.  This reminds me a bit of Ralph’s World, but a bit…more full, perhaps?  Or maybe like something from Phineas and Ferb.  I’m going to have to check out more from him.

Oh, and the video, while cheaply made, is quite funny when the chorus kicks in.

[READ: April 8, 2014] Stickman Odyssey, Book 2

I enjoyed Book 2 of this series more than Book 1. It felt like it had a little more plot and was a little less slavish to the original myths.  or maybe I just like quests.

The story starts in the middle, with Nestor having captured Zozimos and having tied him up for failing to avenge Sticatha (which was Nestor’s plan all along).  He says that Zozimos has been doing nothing all this time. But Zozimos says no, he has been on an epic adventure.

Which brings us to where book one left off.

Praxis (the strongest man in the world) Atrukos (a guy who looks like a frog) and Zozimos set off to find a piece of the sky.  In book one, Praxis had knocked a piece of the sky out when he hurled a cyclops at it.  He wanted to retrieve it to prove to his love that he was actually a worthwhile person.  This story is left all of a sudden (in a very funny way) so they can help Atrukos with the witch who cursed him before Book 1 even started.  That’s when Nestor captured Zozimos, as he was on his way to help Atrukos.

Nestor insists that Zozimos avenge Sticatha so off he runs. But he runs into Artemis (who turns him into a goat–a nice call back to book one).  Later he runs into Athena–she helped him in book one but spends most of her time here teasing him (like with the vinegar here–ha!).  As he is stomping off across the vast desert, he runs into…Alexa, who had abandoned him in book one.  He saves her life and they share a kiss.  And then they reveals some truths about each other which is very Greek (no, not that).

But they have arrived in Sticatha, and it is now time for Zozimos to reclaim his throne from the evil witch/queen (whom we learned about in book one).  And yet…all of the citizens seem very happy. In fact, all of the citizens seem to think that Zozimos’ father King Zenon was a bit of a jerk–could Nestor have told him the wrong thing about his father?  After some calm discussion, the Witch queen says that Zozimos can have the throne if he travels to the end of the world and brings back the golden feather which holds the power of the gods.

Now the end of the world joke is freaking hilarious. But that comes at the end of part two of this book.  Which is set up by Zozimos reuniting with his buddies Praxis (who is still pushing that huge piece of the sky) and Atrukos who has been locked up by the evil witch because Zozimos wasn’t there to help him.  When she turns him back to his original appearance, it is also quite hilarious.

Along the way we meet Zephyrus, the west wind, who steals Alexa,  and Helios the sun god.  Helios was dating Asteria–the woman from book one whose father imprisoned Zozimos, and whom Zozimos now thinks is a suitable mate after what happened with Alexa.

When they return to Sticatha, we learn what the feather doses (it’s quite cool), but also that Nestor is primed to attack to get the throne for himself (he was a jerk all along).

The battle rages for a year but Zozimos has learned to control his temper (with a sad outcome).  As the book ends, a very funny premise (given by a little boy) sets in motion what could be book three.

For whatever reason I felt like this book was lot funnier and better constructed than the first.  I really enjoyed this one and I rather hope Ford does get around to making book three.