Archive for Helen
Balloon race!
Hello! We had a great day on the Southbank in London launching Mission:Explore balloons. (PLEASE NOTE our balloons and tags are all biodegradable – breaking down as quickly as oak leaves).
This is where we’ll be mapping all the discovered balloons.
If you’ve found a balloon, let us know:
where you found it, and when and what number is on the tag.
Let us know your contact details as well (we promise not to sell it or spam you!) and we’ll add it to the map. If your balloon wins one of the prizes, we’ll send you some delightful goodies. Send these details over to us at explore at canofwormsenterprises dot co dot uk.
While you’re here, it would be terribly rude not to introduce ourselves. We’re the publishers of Mission: Explore, a series of books that National Geographic called “bold, cool, exciting …and just plain fun!”. The aim of the books to to get children exploring our world and seeing it in a different way. The authors, The Geography Collective, have a brilliant website where you can find exciting missions all over the UK – there’s even an iPhone app! Check it out here.
You can buy any of the books at a special discounted rate using the button below:
The Letter From Death
In The Letter from Death, Lillian Moats constructs an astonishing appraisal of humanity through the eyes of Death itself. As an insightful, philosophical and surprisingly witty narrator, Death takes a tour through the follies of human past, present and future to approach seemingly complex matters with a simple clarity. At once unsettling and comforting, tragic and comic, provocative and wise, The Letter from Death is an insightful examination of humanity that will give thoughtful readers quite a lot to think about.
Praise for The Letter from Death
“Moats uses death not as a threat, but as a prism through which to examine the most profound questions that confront the human race today.” from the forward by Howard Zinn
“…In her fourth book, Moats performs an astonishing feat. By imagining Death as a patient and suffering entity fluent in human affairs, she broaches matters of daunting complexity with galvanizing directness…this clarion critique offers an arresting perspective on religion, our ‘growing militarism,’ our ‘inexhaustible genius for denial,’ and our paradoxical failure to nurture our best qualities…Moats has created a wise, unsettling, and beautiful book.” Donna Seaman, Booklist
“…The Letter from Death is an intelligent and delightful exploration of the human comic tragedy. It has the light flavor, wit, and prick of Praise of Folly and Screwtape Letters but the deep insights and jabs come more from the perspective of Epicurus. This is a book that thoughtful people will want to give to thoughtful friends.” Philip Regal, Author of The Anatomy of Judgement, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota
This provocative work reveals how our irrational and unexamined fear of death has been manipulated throughout history. This has resulted in the misdirection of our energies-away from real challenges and toward unnecessary ones. In this philosophical letter addressed to the whole of humanity, Death challenges even the most open-minded reader to examine the basis of their beliefs about life, death and human nature.
The Emperor’s River
In his second book, Liam D’Arcy-Brown sets out to be the first Westerner in modern times to travel the length of China’s great wonder, the Grand Canal. Attempting to remember the China that fascinated him as a child, Liam is faced with a modern, more open China now. He barters his way onto the enormous barges that carry bulk building materials for China’s rapid modernisation, follows the world’s longest man-made canal and accounts for a list of characters and historical but forgotten sites from China’s ancient past. The Emperor’s River provides a captivating insight into a side of China that is rarely seen.
Grand hardly justifies the enormity of China’s feat:
Built: 1,400 years ago
Earth excavated: 2.4 billion cubic yards
Total length: 1,115 miles
Annual freight: 260 million tons
Praise for The Emperor’s River
“…insights into a side of China seldon seen.” Excess Baggage, BBC
Praise for Green Dragon, Sombre Warrior
“A moving and chilling book. Let us hope there are many more to come.” The Times
Journey Journal
Going somewhere new is a massive opportunity to discover and make sense of cultures, environments, issues and alternative ideas. Journey Journal, by The Geography Collective, is a special passport-sized book that encourages young people to (re)think the places they visit. It is made for for holidays, school trips and transition between Primary and Secondary School.
Crap Cycle Lanes
Probably the worst cycle lanes in the world (well, the UK, at any rate), exposed in full colour. Offenses from all over England and Wales. Local authorities are named and shamed, with photographic evidence and sentencing recommendations.
Peter Burden in the press
Since The Guardian broke the news of the extent of the News of the World‘s phone hacking, our author Peter Burden has been asked for his views on Sky News, BBC News, ITN, Newsnight, Radio 4′s The World Tonight, 5 Live BBC One’s The Big Questions (click here to see this programme on BBC iPlayer) and many others. He has also written an article for The Guardian, (click here to read), for Comment is Free on The Guardian‘s website (click here to read), and another article for the Independent on Sunday (click here to read).
He has also been interviewed or mentioned in the below articles:
- The Guardian, “News of the World phone hacking: MPs grill media”
- The Guardian “The biggest media story in years – so why the silence?”
- The Guardian “Masters of the dark arts”
- Yorkshire Post “Hacks and hackers hit the headlines”
- Book Brunch Daily (membership required)
Check out his blog at www.peterburden.net
10 Lessons from the Road by Alastair Humphreys
Alastair Humphreys cycled 46,000 miles round the world, in his third book, Ten Lessons from the Road, he reveals what he learnt along the way to help us all pursue our own adventures.
In this book, Alastair challenges us to see things differently, breaking down seemingly distant dreams into achievable goals. Reminding readers that it is never too late to reclaim our dreams and achieve what we really want out of life, Alastair asks us to remember that any journey begins with a single step.
Why only 10 lessons, you ask? We all have just one life to live, and the clock is ticking fast. Rather than spend too long theorising about how we are going to live our lives, Alastair suggests that we go out and live them!
Readers of Alastair’s best-selling Moods of Future Joys, and also Thunder & Sunshine are sure to enjoy his latest work!
Press for Ten Lessons from the Road:
“Humphreys’ engaging, sometimes brutal, sometimes comic style is above all a call to arms.” – The Guardian
Buy Thunder & Sunshine, or Alastair’s first book, Moods of Future Joys, using the buttons below.
The Tempest by Shakespeare, illustrated by Oscar Grillo
‘Oscar Grillo cannot draw a line without it spitting and spiralling into a storm of expressive features and skittering bodies. He IS a tempest, and this adaptation captures the energy and fury of a Globe first-night performance back in the day.’
Dave McKean
The Page become the Stage with Oscar Grillo’s powerful and engaging interpretation of The Tempest to be published 19th June. The fifth book in our Graphic Shakespeare range, Oscar Grillo’s version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest will re-define the genre with its quality of illustration. This version has the full text; nothing has been added, nothing has been taken away, none of Shakespeare’s poetic verse has been dumbed-down. Grillo’s spectacular and quirky illustration is not merely illustrative, but interpretive. This inventive re-imagining of one of Shakepeare’s finest plays is a must-have for any literature or graphic novel enthusiast.
As one of Shakespeare’s more fantastical plays, The Tempest has been notoriously difficult to produce on stage. With their associated elements of magic, the monstrous Caliban, the fairy Ariel and his master Prospero demand a more fluid medium if they are to truly reflect the imagination of their creator.
Oscar Grillo now joins the ranks of famous directors as he turns the page into the stage with his graphic interpretation of what is thought to be Shakespeare’s last – and for many, most compelling – play.
Using colour and innovative use of shading, award-winning animator, Grillo brings the characters to life with great humour, pathos and persuasion on Prospero’s mystical island.
ACE Africa and Can of Worms
Can of Worms and Eye Books are proud to support ACE Africa in their fight against HIV/AIDs in East Africa. Today ACE Africa are holding their Harambee to raise funds to support all their good works in Africa. The event is being hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald with entertainment from Lenny Henry.
We have donated hundreds of copies of Walking Away by Charlotte Metcalf for the event, (the foreword is coincidentally written by Lenny Henry and the book is a must read for anyone who cares about the human condition and in particular the plight of Africans). To further support the work of ACE Africa we are now donating £1 per book sold through this special link on our website.
Click here to find out more about ACE Africa, or browse our titles by category by clicking through. More details can be found about our range of titles on this website or on www.eye-books.co.uk.
Good Morning Afghanistan by Waseem Mahmood
Good Morning Afghanistan, Waseem Mahmood’s most recent book, recounts a true story of how a courageous band of media warriors assist a broken nation in finding a voice through the radio. Over the airwaves, a land devastated by decades of war begins to battle with words rather than weapons. A glimmer of hope emerges in the form of a spirited little breafast-time radio programme, Good Morning Afghanistan.
“Good Morning Afghanistan… was an important start in bringing fat and uncensored information to the war-stricken people of Afghanistan.” From the foreword by Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Two of my favorite ways to decompress are writing poetry/journaling, and listening to my favorite pieces of music. Also, watching ...
LOVE!!!!These versions of Shakespeares classics...PLEASE keep them coming.
Are you able to send them (sell them) over the interweb to Austalia?
I ...
I actually had been researching for techniques for my website and observed ur article, “Mission:Explore at the Crystal Palace Children 
Hey there I am so thrilled I found your web site, I really found you by mistake, while I was ...
Very, very nice recipe. The bacon would make a real difference to the end flavour and I'm with you on ...
hiya. the distance i did was 7500 miles, not 4000 miles. 
Dear Danny
Ask you mum or dad to send us your address and we shall send you a book.
Have a great ...
I am Danny Ball aged 3 years from Hersham.
I can't believe my balloon #911 flew all the way to another ...
Hallo!
I found a green balloon #766 two weeks ago at the shore in Harlingen, The Netherlands.
Cheers Aniek Vijver 
Hallo:) I found balloon #952 on 4 April,outside my house in Lakene,Värmland 80 km north from Karlstad in Sweden. Amusing:):) 