Computers and Writing

Ed and Toby: A Christmas Tale by Kevin Kardos I chose this project because I hate to read poetry. Most of the other projects were poems, and the other designs were quite depressing looking. This short story had some great pictures and they really drew me in. This project is a creative short story about an underdog hero at Christmas time. It centers on an elf named Toby and a reindeer named Ed. Toby is by far the smallest elf that looked down upon, as he cannot make toys. Ed is a funny looking reindeer who is afraid of heights. This unlikely pair happens to be the best of friends. This particular Christmas, Rudolph has been injured and won’t be able to lead the sleigh. There is a big contest to determine who will fly in Rudolph’s place, but Ed won’t try out because he is too afraid. The next evening, there was a big fire in Santa’s Toy Shop. Toby happened to be the only one working and has become trapped inside. Ed forgets his fears and saves the day, for his heroism, Santa has awarded him the coveted leader position. This story cracked me up. I felt like a little kid reading about Rudolph for the first time. The author of this story has such a good sense of humor. The pictures throughout the story are a sight to behold. I didn’t have to try and decipher meanings; instead I could just take it for what it was worth. I imagine that this story can be read to elementary age children and invoke them to make up their own creative stories about Christmas. As a writer, I thought that the story was pleasant, and as a designer, I thought that the font and layout were simplistic, but the photo-editing was really good. This story is great to just escape and not have to do any deciphering of meaning. I would recommend it to anyone who needs a laugh.