An Introduction to Tintin and the Broken Ear
The Adventures of Tintin are classics in the world of comics. Tintin is a young reporter who solves mysteries with his faithful side kick the dog Snowy. The character was created by Herge who both wrote and illustrated the albums.
Tintin and the Broken Ear is a classic from the adventure series and is believed to include a political subtext like many of Herge works. The middle part of the adventure is set in a fictitious South American dictatorship of San Theodoros in which the native generals are in a battle for power. The conflict between San Theodoros and Neuvo-Rico in the book is called the “Gran Chapo War” which mirrors the Gran Chaco War of 1932 to 1935 fought between Bolivia and Paraguay for control of the Gran Chaco region falsely believed to be rich in oil.
The story begins when a fetish (an object believed to have supernatural powers) that originally belongs to a tribe of South American Indians is stolen from a museum in the town where Tintin lives. The next day the statue is returned with a note saying it had been a bet. Tintin though ever the hero realises it is a fake because the replacement is complete when the original was missing an ear.
Tintin now obviously want to get to the bottom of the mystery so begins the journey to solve the crime. He finds that a wood carver has recently been killed and deduces that this man Balthazar probably carved the fake so goes in search of the mans parrot in a hope to getting a clue to the killer.
The lead sends him to South America along with two other men who also are following the trail Alfonso Perez and Ramon Bada. They are all trying to outdo each other. Ramon and Alfonso on the journey over by boat kill Roger Tortilla (not very imaginative) who was the man that originally stole the fetish. Tintin who had been in disguise arrest the men on docking in San Theodoros. In a twist the Colonel who greets them lets the men go and it is Tintin who is later arrested and is framed for terrorism and sentenced to death.
As Tintin is about to be killed by the firing squad he is saved by a rebel leader General Alcazar. Tintin who unusually has been drinking heavily swears his allegiance to Alcazar who is now in command of the country and makes Tintin a Colonel.
Tintin new position proves a help and a hindrance as Perez, Ramon and the disgraced General Tortilla try to kill him. It is at this point we are introduced to the “Gran Chapo War”. This war is pushed by two competing oil companies that both want the oil believed to be beneath the earth in the Gran Chapo region.
Tintin escapes another attempt on his life by General Trickler of Great American Oil (one of the competing companies). Tintin eventually finds himself among the people of Arumbaya. He tries to find out why so many people are after the fetish that in monetary value is worthless. Tintin gains information that leads him to believe that there is a valuable diamond belonging to the Arumbaya tribe hidden in the fetish.
Tinin leaves the tribe and comes across Perez and Ramon who have deserted the San Theodoros army. Tintin manage to capture them and learn from a note in Perez’s wallet that Tortilla had in fact placed the diamond in the fetish. How Tortilla is connected to Lopez is not revealed Perez and Ramon later escape from Tintin.
Tintin is at a loss and has no leads returns home only to find many replicas of the statues are for sale.
He learns that the factory producing them is owned by Balthazar’s brother who found the fetish among his brother’s effects. Balthazar’s brother has sold the fetish to an rich American Samuel Goldbarr, who has left for America. Tintin flies out on a plane to the ship only to discover that Ramon and Perez are already in possession of the fetish and therefore the diamond. There is a confrontation and the fetish breaks revealing the diamond. All three men try to save it but it falls into the ocean and is lost. Tintin is saved by the crew of the ship however Alonso Perez and Ramon Bada are lost at sea.
It is typical of a Tintin mystery as they are all easy to follow which was the intention of Herge when creating his masterpieces. There are 23 albums in all and there have been over 200 million books and albums sold worldwide. There is to be a Tintin movie released in 2009 which will bring these books back to the mainstream where they belong.
Holly Franklin has been a fan of Tintin since she was a kid and she contributes to a website dedicated to bringing you the latest news of the upcoming Tintin movie at:-
http://www.letintinmovie.com
Reading Dr. Seuss Books Makes Better Speakers
After years of reading books and of also reading stories to children, I’ve found that books by the late American author Dr. Seuss, also known as Theodor “Ted” Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), are by far the most energizing and useful publications where exercising your vocal and acting techniques are concerned.
The works of Dr. Seuss present us with a wealth of tongue twisting, intellectually stimulating and highly unique pieces of copy to practice not only voice acting skills but preparation for any form of communications including public speaking, podcasting, storytelling and overcoming vocal difficulties such as stuttering and dyslexia.
Reading Dr. Seuss books aloud is encouraged and also an easily accessible resource with copies stocked in every library and bookstore in the world. You may already have a few of Dr. Seuss’ 42 world-famous children’s titles lining your bookshelf at home in a private collection.
All of Dr. Seuss’ books embody challenging vocal tasks that take preparation, skill and stamina. As with many things in life, these publications may look cute, but trust me, these children’s books pack a powerful punch!
Dr. Seuss was a smart guy who liked creating endearing characters, new words, rhyming passages and instilled didactic, cautionary techniques in his storytelling. It is these attributes and qualities of his books that have kept them on shelves and in print decades after their first go round at Random House in New York.
I mentioned that this fellow was a smart cookie, but just how smart? Although he wasn’t a real doctor, there’s no questioning his genius!
Dr. Seuss planned each page carefully as a vocal exercise that involves every inch of your mental power, acting ability, and vocal prowess.
Here are some of the benefits of a Dr. Seuss Workout:
- Better articulation
- Breath Control
- Phrasing and Timing
- Characterization
- Develops Sight Reading / Cold Reading Skills
- Interpretation
Another benefit I didn’t mention is that if you are reading these to your kids or children in your care, they will enjoy your storytelling and you will also enjoy the pleasure of having an appreciative audience to test your voice acting techniques out on.
If you’re looking for some Dr. Seuss books to help you develop particular skills mentioned above, I recommend the following:
Rhyming, Phrasing, Voice Acting: Hop On Pop, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Phrasing, Breath Control, Articulation: Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat In The Hat (50th Anniversary 2007)
Characterization, Stamina, Emotional Variance: The Lorax, How The Grinch Stole Christmas
A Dr. Seuss book that comes highly recommended by prominent Los Angeles based voice over coach Nancy Wolfson for reading advertising copy effectively is “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish”.
According to Nancy, the Doctor Seuss book “One Fish Two Red Fish Blue Fish” contains hidden gems to help people perform commercial scripts with confidence, placing emphasis on the proper words in a line of ad copy so that they do not sound “announcery”.
Nancy Wolfson, who has been incorporating this resource into her curriculum for years, hints that there is one key trick buried in “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish” that is 100% analogous to the necessary rhythms of ad copy, especially ad copy meant for television broadcast.
Just think the books that you read or have read to your kids could be making you money in the field of public speaking, podcasting or voice over acting.
The books mentioned above are just a sampling of the 42 books that Dr. Seuss had written and illustrated over the years.
Other Dr. Seuss books that you may be interested in discovering for practicing and developing your vocal technique include:
- And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
- The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
- The King’s Stilts
- Horton Hatches the Egg
- McElligot’s Pool
- Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
- Bartholomew and the Oobleck
- If I Ran the Zoo
- Scrambled Eggs Super!
- Horton Hears a Who!
- On Beyond Zebra!
- If I Ran the Circus
- How The Grinch Stole Christmas
- Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
- Happy Birthday to You!
- The Sneetches and the Other Stories
- Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book
- I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
- The Cat in the Hat Songbook
- I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! And Other Stories
- I Can Draw It Myself
- The Lorax
- Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
- Hunches in Bunches
- The Butter Battle Book
- Oh, The Places You’ll Go
Beginner Books
- The Cat in the Hat
- The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
- One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
- Green Eggs and Ham
- Hop on Pop
- Dr. Seuss’s ABC
- Fox in Socks
- The Foot Book
- Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
- Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now?
- The Shape of Me and Other Stuff
- There’s a Wocket in My Pocket
- Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!
- The Cat’s Quizzer
- I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
- Oh Say Can You Say?
Stephanie Ciccarelli is the Vice President of Marketing with http://www.Voices.com, an online marketplace hosting more than 10,000 professional voice talents from around the world. Stephanie is the author of The Definitive Guide To Voice-Over Success, and The Voice-Over Script Collection.
Miffy The Bunny
When Dick Bruna came up with the idea of Miffy in 1955, he never would have guessed that over 50 years on she was going to be a super cool bunny and a worldwide phenomenon. In fact, when the character was first created she didn’t even have a specific gender. It wasn’t until Bruna actually started writing his first book that he decided that Miffy would look nice in a dress and so she became a little girl.
The popular bunny was created during a rainy seaside holiday in Holland when Bruna was watching his son play with a toy rabbit which reminded him of memories he had of pet rabbits when he was young himself. This inspired him to draw a picture of a rabbit and make up stories about it in order to entertain his young son. Decades later this simple idea has shifted more than 85 million books off the shelves and seen no fewer than 28 books being published in more than 40 different languages.
The Miffy books are typically aimed at children aged between two to six who love the exact pattern that each book follows. There are 12 illustrations on the right hand page and four - line poems on the left making it easy for children to comprehend. The colours also seldom vary from the usual red, blue, yellow, white and green that youngsters instantly recognise on Miffy.
Children and adults alike are also intrigued by the character of Miffy who is a simple and innocent eternal child who stays positive no matter what the situation is.
Dick Bruna has become famous all over the world thanks to his creation but is the most well - known in Japan. Around the world Miffy has had a spin - off television series, a musical and merchandise including bags, clothes, baby toys and mobiles. You can find such a range of things to buy from posters, stationery,figurines, games, clothes, towels, cuddly toys and much, much more. These products aren’t just popular with young children, teenagers are a big fan of the range as well which has contributed to a global brand worth an estimated 150 million pounds.
What makes the character even more endearing is the fact that Bruna never publishes anything without his wife’s approval. No doubt this is just one of the many factors contributing to the great success of Miffy all around the world.
Miffy shop is an online collection of miffy memorabilia.
http://www.miffyshop.co.uk has all the information you need to help you find all things miffy.
How Audio Books Can Help Engage Children In Their Learning
There’s no denying the fact that most people hated reading as kids. Only a few kids enjoy reading, especially if there is an alternative.
Ironically, kids enjoy story telling and could remember stories if they heard it from someone.
Audio books have now made it possible for children to get better access to materials that they don’t like reading.
Of course they must still read, but reading any material and still hearing it makes the reading much more interesting.
Many schools have now taken audio books not just to the homes of their students but also in the classrooms.
Experts in the educational sector have agreed that audio books in the classrooms go a long way to help students more than normal books, especially those students who are just beginning to read or those who have difficulty in reading.
Here is how audio books can help engage children in their learning
1. Using audio books to teach children in school gives them “variety”. Instead of just listening to their teacher, they benefit from the change that comes with “another” teacher.
2. There are specific audio books prepared with children in mind that are not only educative but very entertaining. These types of audio books make learning much more fun than normal teaching.
3. Using audio books to teach kids in school will give the teachers more time to prepare for the next lesson. The teachers can play the audio book for the children while doing something else.
4. For children with reading difficulties, they can slowly follow the readings from audio books until it feels comfortable to read.
Simply following an audio book to read along while looking at the printed material in front of them can increase their learning skills by a very high percentage.
5. Audio books save money. Instead of buying dozens of books for a classroom, just one audio book can be played for all the students in the classroom.
There are certain audio book rental services on the Internet, such as Jiggerbug.com that allows teachers to rent as many audio books as possible at very low cost. This is much more cost effective than having to buy even a single audio book.
6. Audio books that tell interesting stories are very helpful in times when the children have become too tired to read and study.
Most importantly, popular stories that children love, will be very interesting for them to listen to.
7. Children don’t particularly like printed books as much as they do audio books. It feels much more comfortable for them to “listen” to an audio book than “read” a book.
8. Audio books also have children deal with the pronunciation of certain words that they would have difficulty with when merely reading them. By hearing the pronunciation and seeing it printed, they would better grasp it.
All in all, most children find it a great deal of fun listening to a lesson on audio, rather than having to read it. That is why children spend a lot of time watching movies, rather than reading.
No wonder more schools are embracing the technology of audio books for teaching their children. And with services available freely on the Internet now, it is now more cost effective than ever.
To check out how you can listen to some of the #1 best seller books, visit http://www.merlionaudio.com
If you are interested in becoming an affiliate, we offer attractive commissions, you can visit http://www.merlionaudio.com
A Great Gift: An Audio Book for a Kid
Kids these days have lots of different things on their minds. These thing can include school, teams, and of course their social lives. This often leave less time for leisure reading. So, the next time you are looking for a great gift for a kid, consider getting an audio book for a kid.
About Audio Books for Kids
Some kids just love to read, while others do not. This could be for many reasons, including just because they find it boring, or because they have a learning disability. So, audio books for kids could actually be a great way for kids to listen to classic stories, while learning at the same time.
For children that love a sense of adventure, one of the most famous books series of all time is C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, which was also recently made into a popular movie. This series has luckily now been made into an audio book for kids.
The first book in the series is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This audio book for kids follows the journey of four siblings: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. During World War II the children are sent to the house of a professor, who has an interesting room with a wardrobe inside.
The children discover that the wardrobe is an entrance to the land of Narnia, a place that has been put under the spell of the White Witch. The White Which has made it so it snows all the time, and she turns those who disobey her into stone.
The children learn of a powerful figure called Aslan, a lion, who is the source of goodness in this land. An army is raised, to defeat the witch and her forces. Will Narnia be saved? Children will have to find for themselves in this audio book for kids.
Another audio book for kids (those who are too small to read yet) is Goodnight Moon. This is a wonderful story that is told at bedtime. Children will soon fall asleep to this soothing story.
Audio books for kids can be found at local bookstores or online. What you choose as a gift will depend on the child’s likes and dislikes. However, with the proper research, you are sure to find something that the kid will like. After all, there are many audio books for kids, so take your time, and choose one that the child will find fun.
Eddie Lamb publishes an abundance of information on a range of topical subjects. We believe better understanding your area of interest helps your decision making process immensely. You’ll find a host of useful information about digital downloadable products at http://www.DigitalAudiosDirect.com
Rising Popularity Of Harry Potter Audio Books
People all around the world have now heard of the Harry Potter (HP) series of books and there are huge numbers of fans, children and adults alike populating the earth. The latest book has only been named and does not have a date for publish, yet it is already on some online sites top seller lists as huge amounts of people have pre-ordered both the books and audio book versions of the story.
Each and every one of the Harry Potter books has been a bestseller and the audio book versions do not seem to be an exception. The Harry Potter audio books are incredibly valuable in homes that consist of more than one fan and as most parents do not wish to buy the same expensive book twice in order to save their children from arguing about who gets to read it first, they are now turning to the HPr audio books so that the whole family can enjoy the stories at the same time.
The books tend to be long and many parents do not have the time to read the books in entirety to their children which is another reason why parents are buying the books in audio format.
Pros and Cons of Purchasing the Harry Potter Audio Books
A lot of children are demanding the Harry Potter audio books in addition to the regular books as they simply want as much of Harry’s merchandise as possible. After reading the long books for the first time, they may then be content to listen to the tale being told by another person and if their parents do not have the time to spend reading aloud then the HP audio books can be a worthwhile solution. However, some children are only interested in the Harry Potter audio books to the detriment of actual reading books. This can be a drawback as some of them are less likely to get into the habit of reading paper books and so stick to listening to someone else read the books instead.
One of the best things about the original Harry Potter series is that it does encourage children to want to read and can get them started into a good lifetime habit of reading. However, the audio book versionss can sometimes take this good point away by making it easy for the children to become slightly lazy about reading and get used to listening instead of attempting to read the book for themselves.
On the other hand, listening to a Harry Potter audio book is most definitely better than sitting around watching television and many young children like to fall asleep listening to the audio versions of their favorite books.
Eddie Lamb publishes an abundance of information on a range of topical subjects. We believe better understanding your area of interest helps your decision making process immensely. You’ll find a host of useful information about digital downloadable products at http://www.DigitalAudiosDirect.com
“The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” - Einstein would have loved it!
In the popular movie “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”, author C.S. Lewis created the imaginary land of Narnia, where 4 children encounter time travel and discover the forces of both good and evil, and take a much greater part in that battle than they had ever dreamed possible.
Set during World War 2, four siblings Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund are moved to the county because of the bombing in London, and begin to explore the big house that is their temporary new home. In a back room of the house is a large wardrobe filled with many coats. The youngest sister, Lucy, runs into the wardrobe to hide from the other kids, and in so doing discovers that the back of the wardrobe is the door to another world named Narnia. In that world she encounters a faun named Tumnus who lulls her to sleep with an enchanting tune on his flute. When she returns hours later through the wardrobe to her brothers and sister, she finds that no time at all has elapsed. Apparently time in Narnia is non-correlated with time in England. (A notion, by the way, consistent with Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.) Her siblings quite naturally chide her when she tells them of her adventure, but she remains convinced her experience was real. One by one the others also enter, but find that this new world of Narnia is no longer a happy place but is locked in the grip of perpetual winter by the magic of an evil queen.
In due time the children, known in Narnia as “sons of Adam and daughters of Eve” learn that Aslan, the lion king of this world of Narnia, is coming back and can help them against the witch. But when they learn that one of their own, Edmund, was deceived by the witch and now is actually in her service, they need even more help. Aslan is as good as he is powerful, and with him all things are possible. He eventually gives his life in exchange for their release from the magic of the White Witch, then comes back to life due to “deeper magic from before the dawn of time.” (Wormholes into another dimension?) After much battling the forces of evil with Aslan’s help and finally defeating the White Witch, the 4 children eventually rule the kingdom of Narnia as Kings and Queens for what seemed like a thousand years before being whisked back to England only to find themselves children again playing in the old house.
Hmmmm. Sounds kind of familiar…like something that has been going on in our world for the past few thousand years.
Well, be that as it may, and setting aside for a moment the obvious parallels to Christianity, it occurred to me that Einstein would have been first in line to see the movie.
How so?
For one thing, Einstein, known for his massive knowledge, said “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
In the land of Narnia time was completely non-correlated to time in England, which is consistent with Einstein’ theory of time dilation. And wormholes that tunnel into distant regions of space and time and black holes and string theory and spacetime curvature… “The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe” has it all and more.
Move over, Albert, I’m coming with you!
Duane Shinn is the author of “Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions” with over 70,000 current subscribers. He also is the father of 4 now-grown kids, all of whom grew up hearing their Dad read “The Chronicles of Narnia” to them.
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