FIFTY STATES OF MIND
Mnemonics for United States Geography
FIFTY STATES OF MIND Like most Americans, I was horrible at geography. While traveling in Japan I decided to fix that. I had started drawing visual mnemonics to learn Japanese kanji and thought I could use the same approach of turning abstract map shapes into easy-to-remember pictures. I tried my best to tie the images to the culture of the states. Minnesota is a Viking. California is a pair of jeans. New Mexico is a pueblo.
ATOM FAMILIES
Mnemonics for the Periodic Table
The periodic table is an elegantly designed structure for understanding the elements, but it is challenging to remember. I illustrated the elements as unforgettable characters.
THE ATOM FAMILIES I am the author/illustrator of this work in progress for learning the periodic table of elements. The book combines my INTP Architect sensibilities with colorful illustrations and playful text mnemonics. Carbon is a character named Diamond Dave who flips burgers. Oxygen is Tom Hanks from the movie Apollo 13. Krypton is shown as Superman having a bad day. Agents and publishers, please contact me if you like to partner on this project.
JUMPING G. JACKALOPE
Upcoming Book for Learning Multiplication through Rhyme
JUMPING G. JACKALOPE A book in progress for helping people learn the times tables. Here I used AI-generated imagery to show proof of concept. Final illustrations will be generated by human hands.
KANJI PICTOGRAPHIX
Visual Mnemonic Books for Learning Japanese Kanji and Kana
KANJI AND KANA PICTOGRAPHIX Award-winning books packed with visual and text mnemonics for learning Japanese written characters. Japanese children write each kanji hundreds of times at their desks, and eventually, they are acquired. Michael Rowley offers a different way, a mnemonic-association approach that provides a hook on which to hang the meaning and retrieve it easily when the kanji comes into view.
The concept is simple: each character is represented under the word or concept it stands for (such as turf, bamboo, eat, or duty), followed by the pronunciations of the word in Chinese and Japanese, and a drawing that captures the meaning and resembles the character enough so that it'll come to mind whenever the kanji is seen.
PRAISE FOR KANJI PICTOGRAPHIX
Rowley has created a visual vocabulary that is striking and, most importantly, memorable.
WIRED Magazine
A fun book for studying kanji.
The illustration reveals more of its contents and method than any description ever could.
Japan Times
WIRED Magazine
A fun book for studying kanji.
The illustration reveals more of its contents and method than any description ever could.
Japan Times
A very nice book. Simple and pretty effective.
A useful addition to the library for all beginners who aspire to learn Japanese. Recommended."
Protoculture Addicts
A useful addition to the library for all beginners who aspire to learn Japanese. Recommended."
Protoculture Addicts
THE PLATE OF BUILT JACK
Storybook to Help Kids and Parents Understand Nutrition
THE PLATE OF BUILT JACK An homage to The House That Jack Built. I drew the illustrations with Dry-Erase markers on a whiteboard and digitally enhanced and colored them in Photoshop and Illustrator. A fun way for kids and their parents to learn basic concepts of nutrition.
PLUCK & GRIT
A Fable Reimagining Martin Luther King, Jr's Life as a Child
PLUCK & GRIT! This book grew from my experience teaching reading skills to kids who had fallen behind during the pandemic. On a whim, I asked my new students if they could recite the alphabet backwards. They loved the challenge. At the time, I couldn't say my CBAs very well, so I wrote this book. The letters JKLM backwards come out to be MLKJ which is the storyline: an imagined fable of Martin Luther King's life as a kid.
HEED LOVE. PRACTICE JUSTICE. HUNGER STRENGTH. The mnemonic for learning to recite the alphabet backwards becomes an inspiring tale about young people who advocate for social and environmental justice.
GOODNIGHT POP POPS
A Picture Book of Kids and Goblins
A STORY OF GOBLINS WITH FUNNY NAMES. Meant to be read aloud, this story has tongue and brain twisters with a deeper meaning to warm the hearts.
AN OTTER WAY OF SEEING
Concept Designs for a Children's Book Series on Autism
MOOD BOARD MOCKUPS. Experiments in AI-generated imagery for a meeting with a publisher on character development for a book series to help kids understand and thrive with autism.
