AMAZING ODYSSEY: Art Coloring Practice  is a rather detailed, story-like alternative to small children’s coloring books, with cropped pages, for framing!  The pages are great for coloring pencils and markers(-if  protection is added between the pages)!  One-sided pages help to eliminate  harm to other drawings, by reducing possible ink bleed-through. 

     This collection of many beautiful and imaginative outdoor adventure drawings contains relatively little  written material.  It is especially suitable for boys and can help with personal self-esteem and other situations they face while growing up.  W. Ray Noack  has a simple, logical sense of focus in surmising that what really matters  . . . is what really matters. 

    Experienced in work with infants through 12 year-olds, including day-camp, preschool & afterschool work,  the author has seen the needs of hundreds of youths, mentoring them and helping them with their troubles.  The book is thought-provoking and intended to also help foster an increased sense of compassion.  -- A fascinating work containing a story told almost entirely in pictures!  Great for ages seven to seventeen, with some adult counsel helpful as well.               

    W. Ray Noack grew up in a small town, with many trips to the nearby countryside.  He has a deep love of truth, and has even lost a few jobs due to this.  In one, he reported gross wrongdoing and was soon fired for not taking his boss' $20-bill to go buy the man a carton of cigarettes using the company vehicle (-a vehicle involved in part of the wrongs, in addition to the fact the author's grandfather had died with cancer from roll-your-own cigarettes).  Soon after began ten years of mostly homelessness, after which he found work with a large NPO in  Houston, TX.  After 8 1/2 years of good, dedicated service, he was driven out when he balked at following illegal commands like being told to not hire too many blacks, to keep them separated, to not hire too many men and to keep them separated. In addition, he and his coworkers were denied overtime pay for overtime hours, for years,  while he endured physical assaults, racial and gender discrimination plus other troubles, all summarily swept under the carpet.  Art?   A relaxing, healing therapy and a teaching tool, and children, he thinks, are often better than adults.

    W. Ray Noack studied animal science, bible, missions, and christian education, has years of experience and training in childcare (including being a licensed childcare director supervising up to 5 licensed afterschool programs at a time, up to 18 staff and as many as 150 to 200 children) and has years of summer daycamp experience.  He now lives in a tent while  patiently building bridges of trust, - mentoring, encouraging and inspiring youths, helping them to grow in character.  He values this approach, especially with the "difficult" ones, and believes that the fun and entertaining aspects of art benefit the learning process.