Go West!

Not since Horace Greeley has the American West had such a vocal advocate. Working in acrylic painted on metal and brushed to weather-beaten effect, Nakamura blends fact, fable, and fantasy in a vision that goes well beyond the West being a place where the deer and antelope play. "Go west! Where alarm clocks have legs and feathers," he writes, hand-drawing the text as a rooster's crow; nearby, celestial objects dot the dust at the bird's feet, a campfire coffeepot runs off on two legs, and a hybrid dog/cowboy hat dreams of bacon and eggs. Nakamura's flattened, stylized figures evoke the artistic traditions of Native peoples, yet contemporary influences are equally present; bright blue "coyotes dance the two step" dressed in cowboy boots, while a rattlesnake forms a kind of one-reptile band, its forked tongue transformed into a tuning fork. Aliens and wolves howl at full moons, armadillos and lizards swap tall tales around a fire, and a cowgirl blasts off in her rocket boots--it's a vibrantly imagined and illustrated tribute to the magic of the West and its wide-open spaces. Ages 3-6. (Aug.)

"Cowgirls and cowboys can dance the two-step off into the sunset of this gorgeous picture book. Nakamura's bold rainbow of paint colors evokes the timeless natural beauty of the American West, and his whooping prose will echo across the mountain peaks of children's imaginations." Ages three and up. " 5 out of 5 STARS, Foreword Reviews Magazine: Best Children's Picture Books, Fall 2015"

"Wolves, coyotes, roadrunners, cowgirls, cacti, mesas, smoke signals, and chile peppers all make an appearance, lending the book the flavor that is at once contemporary, historic, and mythic. It's a delight for adults as well as children. The author's full-page illustrations, hand-painted using cactus spines, capture the spirit of the land, and he fills each composition with small details that make a second read more enriching than the first." "Pasatiempo Magazine of Arts, Entertainment & Culture"

"I was thoroughly enchanted by "Go West!," Joel Nakamura s delightful new children's book. The amazing illustrations and whimsical story perfectly capture the enduring appeal of the west. The book would fill a unique spot in any picture book collection and it would be a wonderful addition to storytimes. Libraries would be well-served to add this charming book to their shelves." Bonnie Weber, Whittier Library