“When I Grow Up” – on future career paths such as snail trainer or giraffe milker and a reminder about children’s books

One of the advantages of being a parent is that you get to dive into fantastic visual stories – aka children’s’ books. Oh, how children’s books can take you places, open up thoughts and ideas and inspire – grown-ups too. Bedtime is one of my favorite times of the day.

Today, at a visit to my local Borders (which luckily isn’t among those closing down) this rainy Sunday in Northern California, I ran into this book by a very unexpected author – Al Yankovic (www.weirdal.com).

The story, with fun wordplay and rhythm, is about all the things you can be when you grow up, with funny illustrations by Wes Hargis. The book’s Billy considers a career as a snail trainer or a giraffe milker among others – but ends the story with reminding us that there are unlimited things you can do – and maybe do them all.

Next time you decide to stop by a local book store – don’t forget to head back to the children’s section (if you don’t have kids you can always pretend you’re picking up a gift) and browse through all those beautiful visualizations packing the shelfs. And who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to choose a new career.

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Visual communication illustrated beautifully

One of my favorite books about Visual Communication is Connie Malamed’s Visual Communication for Designers. It is a fantastic visual journey through the principles of how we process visual communication and the principles of visual communication. In the book you find several illustrations by Jean Manuel Duviver. Not only do I love his illustration style (makes me wish I would become an artist in my next life) – but I love the way he has managed to illustrate the concept of visual communication.

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The PresentationZen Bento box by @PresentationZen arrived yesterday – now the only thing missing is a bullet train

The PresentationZen Way – Video Lessons of Simple Presentation Design and Delivery, organized as a Japanese Bento box, by Garr Reynolds, aka @PresentationZen, arrived yesterday from Amazon. Garr Reynolds writes in the foreword of the beautiful sketchbook that is part of the box about working outside the office with pen and paper, in coffee shops, parks and on trains. Using pen and paper has a more natural connection to the right brain.

Oh how I miss riding the train regularly – there is something about the sounds and movement that makes thinking better and more clear.

The only thing missing for some great presentation planning today is a Japanese bullet train.

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