Chaff n' Skaffs Mai and the lost Moskivvy is illustrated by Luke Feldman, and written by Feldman and his partner Amanda Chin. Overall, I can't recommend it. The story is bare-bones, lacks any real teachable moments, and includes writing that is often awkward to read (much like the title). I also found the story's protagonists a little too creepy for my tastes: Chaff seems to be some sort of corpulent hobo imaginary friend; and peglegged Mai's nubile appearance simply doesn't match her childish behavior.
But the book is certainly not without its charms. Feldman's art is stylish and vibrant, and his Mai is certainly interesting to look at.
Indeed, Wheaty Wheat Studios is going to put on sale a vinyl figure based on one of the book's illustrations:
Don't take my comments to indicate the book is terrible. My four-year-old son has requested the book at bedtime several times this week, and my two-year-old enjoys pointing out the mosquito on each page. But overall, I can't recommend it.
Here are a few related links:
1. You'll find Chaff n' Skaffs coloring pages here.
2. And you can see a list of Feldman's upcoming signings and play some simple flash games at his official site. Here's his blog.
3. Moskivvy is available for $12 at Amazon.
4. Also at Amazon is a version of Beauty and the Beast illustrated by Feldman:
On sale for $5.
5. Finally, here's a Wizard of Oz illustration Feldman created for last year's Hank of Oz show at Alcove Gallery:
*You can see more of my reviews here.
*Buy Beauty and the Beast toys at eBay.
