Manga Shop

I was absolutely thrilled when a representative from Lumibricks contacted me to say they would like me to review their Manga Shop Neon City Cyber model kit.

I've always been fascinated by Japanese Manga.  I've followed the growing Manga market here in the United States and how more and more young people are choosing Manga over American comic books.

I've read my fair share of Manga, mostly the old classics like Ghost In The Shell, Akira and Astro Boy.  I can understand the draw Manga has here in the United States.  It is not limited to just superheroes but encompasses all genres of fiction and real life.

Previously I contacted Lumibricks about reviewing their model kits when I’d spotted a Lumibricks video on YouTube about Lumibricks’ various model kits and I was blown away by the complexity, lighting and overall design of each model kit.

If you like to see what Lumibricks has to offer click here to visit their website. There are photos, videos and all sort of fascinating information.

To be clear Lumibrick model kits can be complex. There are a lot of parts. The Manga City set-up clocks in at a whooping 1,699 pierces and is best assembled by those 16 years old and older although for younger kids adult supervision is best.

The main material used in the model kit is ABS and there is a LED Light Kit.

First things first. I received the model kit in a large cardboard shipping box securely sealed. Inside the model kit product box was protected by a wraparound plastic bubble sheet.

The Manga Shop box features a full-color photo of the shop on its cover. The box is black and made of heavy-gauge coated cardboard. Specs, small photos and other information are on all sides.

The box has a flip-lid with fold-in flaps. When I opened the box I was floored after seeing all the part bags. Wow!

Bags are sealed in plastic and numbered. Instructions refer to the bag numbers. There are a lot of bags of various sizes as you can see by the three photos I’ve included. Also there are two very comprehensive User Manuals filled with color photos and part illustrations that coincide with the part bags. Assembly steps are page-by-page.

The User Manuals provide step-by-step assembly instructions. Look over the User Manuals-they are chock full of photos, fun images and other cool stuff. 

Be careful to follow the instructions carefully and never remove more parts that you need through each construction phase. I like to have a few tools: tweezers (included), a small pointed tool (a Phillips-head screwdriver (also included) and strong light (such as flashlight or small stationary light, on hand because my eye-to-hand coordination and eye-sight are not what they used to be.

You may use your own favorite tools or use none at all.  I've included a photo of the various tools I use whenever I assemble model kits.  Various kits use different tools.

A small box contains all the lighting components separated in small paper bags that are numbered. Lighting assemble is a breeze and so easy using the plug and secure tabs. Likewise the model kit parts snap together and are easy to take apart and adjust if you mess up. The Brick Separator comes in handy.  Think of the model kit like a certain well-known snap together product but on steroids.

With its translucent, transparent and neon lighting the Manga Shop is a real eye-pleaser. Flats, bricks, a brick Separator and Service Card are also included.

The Manga Shop model kit is not for the timid. It takes patience, determination and it’s not a quick slap together model kit. It takes time-but time well spent.

This is the first Lumibricks model kit I’ve ever assembled. I’m taking it slow, easy and I can’t wait to see what it will looks like once finished. I may get my wife and grandkids to give me a hand.

There are a lot of small parts in different colors, shapes and sizes. Various part colors make it easier to assemble the model kit.

The Manga Store combines both modern and classical Japanese aesthetics and design. Look for holographic signs, neon lightning and some cyberpunk mechanisms-future shock! Some flash, strobe or are constant.

Lights! Lights! Lights! They are everywhere from storefronts, lanterns, displays and machines. Look for warm hues to bright neon in all shapes and sizes.

The are two floors with an incredible amount of interior design and items including comic book covers, bookshelves, vending machines, reading niches and other little hidden corners where you just might find some interesting hidden Easter Eggs such as pop culture references, art and other objects. You can connect to other Cyberpunk synchronized model kits (with working lights) that expand to make an entire city block!

Both floors are easily accessible and be sure to check out the exclusive figures with the set.

Here we go. The first thing I did is to go over the lighting and familiarize myself where it goes and when.

I admit that I was a little confused on how to use the User Manuals until I realized that the part bag numbers refer to chapters.

A chapter may require two or three bags of parts or more. So, by taking the parts out of their bags and putting them in separate ‘dishes’ it is easier to find parts in each section especially since they are different colors that coincide with the part colors in the User Manuals. It’s that easy. Sometimes my old brain takes a moment to kick in.

Also you wire and test the lights as you go. The covered light channels aid in keeping the lighting set up clean and tangle and damage free. Very clever.

OK onto the floor and wall flats where all the parts assemble on. I opened the first bags, looked at he instructions and dove in. Full speed ahead!

That wasn’t so bad. The User Manuals are easy to follow. Instructions are uncluttered and have just a few images per page. It’s so easy to follow and no confusion. Even an old timer like myself can do it!

I find it best if I work on the model kit a little while, put it aside for a day or so and then tackle it again. That way I don’t frustrate myself and the whole experience is enjoyable-which is what it is intended to be. Deep breaths, slow down and enjoy the process. What a great way to relax and it makes a good family project. I’m in no hurry. I’m retired, there’s no need to.

Even better there are no stickers just printed parts. Lumibricks snap together firmly. Wiring is threaded as you assemble the model kit and special bricks hide the wiring safeguarding pinched or broken wires. Special electrical connectors allow you to connect other buildings resulting in uninterrupted
electric current flow.

Finally I’d like to talk about the design and packaging components of the model kit. Having been in the graphic design, marketing and drawing occupation for over 30 years I appreciate the work it goes into creating a product.

How Lumibricks is able to produce such a complicated, well-designed and cohesive product for what I consider a very good inexpensive price astounds me.

The detail, numerous illustrations, 3D renderings and comprehensive and informative text in the two full-color User Manuals are a work of art with well thought out designs and very time-consuming and thorough pieces of print material. It took a lot of work to prep them for print and the printing process takes lot of knowledge and skill. Add to that the selection of paper stock and binding and the User Manuals can get expensive.

Lumibricks must have a very talented group of designers, artists and production people to coordinate the printing, package design, part manufacturing (so many varied parts in different colors!), parts packaging and assemble.

It truly is a huge group effort and it shows in the high quality products Lumibricks turns out. I am truly impressed. I know I would really have had to struggle to develop and produce such a product. Talk about a lot of work!

Take a tour of the Manga Shop and check out the rooftop articulated and lit racoon, the floating screen, lit doorways and windows, the cool characters, interior details and merchandise, the vending machine, a clever second story with its slanted roof and wild electronic gadgets, hidden niches and corners, pop culture Easter Eggs, a retro robot, awnings, signs, a base with a walkway, printed images with no stickers and much, MUCH more!

It is an amazing assemble of bright, colorful, high-tech gadgets and goodies with an amazing attention to detail and working lights. And at the price you pay you get far more than expected. It’s well worth your money and time.

For ore Lumibricks kits click here.

Mark 11:24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

I’m A Believer

Just to show how old I am I remember when the Monkees debuted in the mid-1960s on NBC TV.

Originally created to cash-in on The Beatles craze-a sort of Americanized version, the Monkees went on to become a respectable and creative band on their own.

At first many of their songs featured instrumentation by studio artists but as the band progressed they performed their own hits and proved that they were more than a cookie-cutter Bubble Gum band.

Only Micky Dolenz is left from the band and his book: I’m A Believer, co-written with Mark Bego and published by Lyon Press, looks back over the last 60 years from the band’s genesis to its current status as a pop culture phenomenon and nostalgic icon of Baby Boomers.

While Micky is the last member he keeps the band’s music alive by performing on his own and paying tribute to his lost band members. He shares his life of Monkees, music and madness.

The book delves into the band’s beginning, its turbulent years, band conflicts, fame’s ups and downs, hilarious anecdotes, rough times, the cost of fame and more.

Micky recalls his life with the Monkees, their music and the madness.

In celebration of the band’s 60th Anniversary there is a new chapter, an updated discography and filmography.

”Hey, hey, we're the Monkees
And people say we monkey around
But we're too busy singing
To put anybody down”

1 Corinthians 16:14Let all your things be done with charity.

Old West Gold Mine

Gold! The bright shiny metal is the thing dreams are made of. People have fought and died trying to acquire it. Kingdoms rise and fall when its gold reserve grows or shrinks. What is it that makes gold so precious?

Way back in the middle of the 19^th Century gold fever hit the United States. People from far and wide traveled to far away territories rift with danger, severe weather and harsh conditions. Robbers, cutthroats and con artists proliferated.

Lumibricks’ Old West Gold Mine captures the feel of the age of prospectors with its craggy cliff and open mine, sparse vegetation, dry dessert floor, cobbled together mine equipment, a flickering camp fire, a mine car filled with gold nuggets, rails, a lit lantern and fire, a cow skull, a camp tent, cooking and mining utensils, supply boxes and barrels, a small creek, a crude wench with hooks, a Hanford Gold Mine sign, wooden pylons, and more.

The crane works, you can set of a simulated explosion with the a simple push of a stone and the mine car rolls on the track, creaking along. Rotate the spit over the fire and don’t forget to turn on the mine light and lantern.

All of the various components are very colorful, cleverly designed and executed and the kit looks great on any bookshelf, table or wherever you want.

I really like the way Lumibricks ships and packages its kits.

I received my Lumibricks Old West Mine Kit sealed in a heavy duty cardboard box sealed with tape.

Once opened the box contains the kit. The kit box is also made of heavy gauge cardboard and features a flip lid with side flaps. It too is sealed shut.

A full-color photo of the completed kit is on the front of the box. On one side are a couple close-up photos of the figures that come with the kit. Unlike ‘other’ building kits the figures in the Lumibricks Old West Gold Mine have heads that actually swivel making different poses possible. Cool!

The kit is made for those 16 years old and older and consists of 658 pieces. On the back of the box is a warning section cautioning about the danger of batteries (not included). Keep out of reach of children.

Inside the box is a full-color User Manual with a Service Card insert. Pages progress through the build of the kit using highly-detailed, full-color diagrams that follow kit construction page-by-page. Bags inside the kit are numbered to coincide with the pages in the booklet.

Be sure to follow the User Manual to the letter beginning with the lighting. Light wires are cleverly hidden by channel bricks on the kit.

Sixteen bags containing parts are in the kit. Parts are color-coded to match the colors in the assembly schematics. It makes the build soooo easy.

Two bags contain the LED lights (batteries not included) and a Brick Separator is also included. You’ll need tweezers and a small Phillips-head screwdriver (included). A Brick Separator comes with the kit. I suggest a strong light and a magnifying device.

I have large hands and since I’m 73 years old my eyesight and eye-to-hand coordination are not what they used to be. I can use all the help I can.

I started with the lights, progressed to the base and before I knew it the kit was complete. And I didn’t mess up once-well, maybe once. But I’m an old codger. Give me a break!

The trick is to go slow and enjoy the process. Parts snap together easily and securely and by following the User Manual step-by-step mistakes are at a minimum. If you goof up, use the Brick Separator and start again.

Visit the Lumibricks site to see what other kits are available by clicking here. To see more of the Old West Gold Mine click here. There is even a video, click here.

The quality of the kit is excellent. Bricks fit together with a snap, the User manual is very comprehensive, part bags make building the kit organized and easy and the color bricks coinciding with the schematics make finding the right bricks a breeze. I especially like the lighting that flickers, the moving parts and the attention to detail.

Psalms 34:4I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Baby Godiva

Imagine being a young man (Carly) attracted to an innocent, naïve and beautiful young girl. Suddenly your world is turned upside down when a series of unfortunates accidents targets you as guilty of attacking and raping her. Even the girl: Godiva (Godie) says you’re guilty. Who will believe you?

Baby Godiva, by Marty Holland and published by Stark House Crime Fiction, examines the political, societal and sexual norms of the 1940s and 1950s.

No one will listen to Carly when he explains how Godie was injured and that there was someone else there hiding in the shadows by the swimming hole where the incident occurred.

The trial is overseen by a corrupt, adulterous Judge and a townspeople screaming for hangman justice with Carly’s fate hanging in the balance. Will he be saved from the electric chair?

Marty Holland started her career as a script typist and eventually her writing efforts were rewarded first in Pulp magazines and eventually screenplays.

Baby Godiva was very edgy for its time. It touched upon themes and subjects mostly ignored or avoided during that time period. Marty Holland pushed conventional writing and dared to speak of things mostly hidden in the shadows.

Isaiah 26:3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

 

Henry's Chocolate

I love chocolate! Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate-you name it I love it.

I have so many wonderful chocolate memories: a big solid chocolate Easter Bunny, chocolate ice cream on my birthday, going to the candy store and loading up on all sorts of chocolate goodies, Valentine chocolate and so forth-it’s a veritable chocolate wonderland.

I recall years ago when my wife and I were living in the Fort Worth/Dallas metropolitan area we were out shopping at a local mall. There was a smell-a wonderful aroma. 

We walked around a corner in the mall and it was like something out of a dream! There it was a chocolate shop! So many goodies! We both gained a couple of pounds that day.

I’d like to do something a little different this review. In previous reviews I’ve gone into detail and step-by-step on how I go about assembling Rolife kits.

In this review I’d like to talk about why I like Rolife kits and what attracted them to me. I’ll get into Henry’s Chocolate kit a little later on.

I like organization and planning. I appreciate logic, quality work and high standards when it comes to professionalism.

When I first spotted Rolife kits in a local Michael’s store I was immediately struck by their incredible detail. I was blown away by how realistic everything looked in even such a small scale. Having come from a graphic design background I am very familiar with product design, print production and promotion.

Looking at the open and assembled Rolife kits on display I could not help but be impressed by the printing and design of such simple things as packaging and accessories in the small room reproductions. Signs, packaging, wall and floor textures and colors were spot-on and the overall ‘feel’ of individual settings was perfect.

Nostalgic kitchens felt old, bookstores exuded shaded niches and warm earth tones and shops felt well-lite and open. Everything seemed to fit with whatever setting was recreated.

Miniature 3D printed accessories were perfect right down to every little detail. Furniture, lighting, wall decorations, windows, and doors-everything worked.

When it came to the packaging the Rolife kit boxes provide full-color photos of the enclosed kits, on the back of each box are full specs as it pertains to age assembly ranges, what the kits pieces are made of, safety instructions, assembling instructions and much more.

Once opened everything in boxes are either sealed in plastic or in plastic bags. Parts are numbered and the numbers coincide with the numbers in the step-by-step Instructions. 

 

Everything is so organized, thought out and executed. Is it any wonder why I like Rolife kits so much? See the photo below of Henry’s Chocolate’s kit contents:

Rolife’s Henry’s Chocolate is a small cozy corner shop jam- packed with so much chocolate that your taste buds will burst just by looking at it and you can almost smell the chocolate aroma.

Candies and confections of all sorts spill over and fill the front and back shelves and small tables.

The shop’s walls are painted in soft yellow and white enhanced by rough cut stoneware and accented by the wood overhead open ceiling, the checkerboard floor and decorated shelves, the floor borders, the framed artwork, the candy boxes filled wall shelves, the fall floral, the signs, the candy containers, the boxes, trays and loose displays, a decorative urn, an antique cash register and baskets, boxes and other paraphernalia.

Chocolate, chocolate everywhere! All the chocolate goodies look so real you can almost taste them. Miniatures of plastic, paper and wood are perfect in their details including package text and images, shop decor and all the lit nooks and crannies filled with chocolate goodies.

When it comes to assembling any kit I take my time, check my Instructions, make sure all the parts are included, go over the lighting instructions (batteries are not included) and assemble my tools. I’ve included a photo of the tools I use. Tweezers and a Phillips screwdriver are included in the kit.

Henry’s Chocolate kit (like all of Rolife’s kits) has all of its components separated by type.

Henry’s Chocolate box contents include a Material List, Instructions with fully illustrated pages in color providing step-by-step assembly instructions, an Icon Illustration pamphlet, Product Safety instructions, sticker sheets, folded paper sheets, an electric light and wiring and a tools bag, two 3D accessories bags, a shrink-wrapped package with small wood part flats and large shrink-wrapped large wood parts flat. 

All the parts have numbers that coincide with the numbers in the Instructions. Be sure to put the kit together page-by-page and do not remove more parts than what you need for each phase.

Rolife kits are a great way to increase your eye-to-hand coordination, develop cognitive and assembly skills, follow instructions, think three-dimentionally and if assembled by two or more people a great way to work as a team and cooperate and develop social skills. Family and friends will love it.

To see what other Rolife kits are available click here. For photos and a video of Henry’s Chocolate click here and to see what Rolife’s parent company Robotime click here. So many kits!

Psalms 55:22Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Wehrmacht Auxiliary Forces

Say what nasty things you want about the Nazi during World War II and it’s probably true. They were a force of evil, hell bent on world domination and set about trying to achieve that goal using any means at their disposal.

But, even skeptics have to admit they had some pretty cool uniforms, weapons and accessories which attributes to the fact such articles are highly sought after by World War II collectors.

The Wehrmacht Auxiliary Forces uniforms and duties were different from their armed forces equivalents.

Uniform colors, insignia, the placement of insignia, type of equipment varied from the fighting forces.

As the war progressed and things weren't looking good for the Nazi’s the auxiliary and fighting forces uniforms, etc. began to have more in common.

Whether by design or necessity or both they soon became almost unrecognizable in their differences.

In authors N. Thomas and C. Caballero Jurado’s and illustrator S. McCouaig’s book Wehrmacht Auxiliary Forces (part of the Men-At-Arms series from Osprey Publishing) those similarities and differences are examined.

Also included is the breakdown of the the war effort itself, how things changed and morphed as the war progressed.

This is a very thorough, comprehensive, fact-filled and impressive piece examining the history of the Nazi military force.

Archival photos, color illustrations, charts and highly-detailed text make for a fascinating read.

Psalms 37:4Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Monsters On Main Street

Halloween will be here soon and all the ghosts, ghoulies and monsters will be out and about. In Lemax’s Monsters On Main Street it’s open season and the monsters have taken over main street and it’s a howling good time!

Lemax’s Monsters On Main Street pulls out all the stops in a spectacular way with so much ghoulish details in boggles the mind.

Two main buildings make up the street-one red brick and one primarily brown brick. Both feature dark gray slate roofs with iron posts stringing along both.

A third recessed brick building has its own skeleton skull decorated double step entrance way and heavy wooden door with gold hinges and second Petrified Pub entryway.

Above the entryway is a small balcony with a gray cast iron railing, a small window with a slime covered arm extending out of it and a Arms Hotel sign on its brick wall. On the gray shingle roof is small window, a vulture, a cast iron broken rail running along its peak. Cast iron broken railings also run along the other roof peaks.

The red building has two front bay windows accented by a red light, side windows flush with the walls and surrounded by light gray slate and lit by a extended vertical light.

A fire escape ladder descends from the left red light to the second story that has several six-pane windows and also a spooky skeleton and lights.

Another iron fire escape ladder descends to the ground floor extended shop roof.

The second floor also has several six-pane windows and a deformed hunchback is seen coming down the stairs.

The shop awning has a large sign stating: Dr. Frank’s Laboratory Supplies in white on dark green. Frankenstein stands outside the shop’s window. Inside the shop you can see various concoctions and books

There is also a left side light blue awning with a vertical sign. Under the wood enclosed awning is a mummy selling goodies in the Mummy Wraps cafe.

Next to the cafe is a stack of pumpkins and a tree that has wound itself up the side of the building to the Psychic Reading sign on the second story. A large black spider on its web clings to the bricks.

A glassed-in gazebo is also out front with a skeleton in a coffin inside along with bats and a cat. The gazebo is decorated with a circular green roof with a gold peak accent. A small coffin with skeleton, a stack of skulls and pumpkins sit out front.

The brown brick building’s top floor has roof windows, a three window extended gable with black cat, ghost and spider silhouettes against green backgrounds. Gold roof corner accents line the gray stone trim.

The second floor extends from the main building with two ornate six-pane windows with curtains and purple lights. A cow skull decoration is between the windows.

Below the windows is a large green and white accented sign that reads Drac’s Cabinet Of Oddities perched on the slated slate roof.

The bottom floor has a granite trimmed wooden door with two steps with Dracula with a cane on the top step. A granite trimmed window is to his right as well as a Ghouley News newsstand hosted by a ghoulie. Look for more skulls and pumpkins.

A small Ghouley News newsstand under a yellow and red canopy sits next to Drac’s. There is a large pumpkin and green foliage and a large vine decorates the right side of the building. Twin black balconies are on the right side one of which holds a skeleton. On the curved roof sits a bat clinging to a tree branch.

Take a good look at the the buildings and you can spot another bat. a werewolf on the roof, dilapidated and crumbling chimneys, several window signs, purple curtained windows and a street sign.

Turn on the switch and everything lights up including windows, signs, shops, spotlights and overhead and entryway lights.

It really looks cool at night.

If you’re into getting creeped out this is the set-up for you. Just look at all the ghoulie goodies. Such detail, color and astounding sculpt work all packaged in a clear front panel, flip-lid box decorated with color photos.

For more photos and a video of Monsters On Main Street click here.

Lemax does it again!

Psalms 121:1-8(A Song of degrees.) I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

Jules, Penny & The Rooster

Have you ever met a kid that refuses to give up?

Meet Jules McShultz who is determined to have a dog. Positive that she will get a dog after her family moves to suburbs she is unperturbed that her parents still wouldn’t give her one so she enters an essay contest. First prize is a purebred Collie by the name Penny.

She wins and Penny and Jules become fast friends and do everything together including spending the summer together exploring the woods close to her home. 

It is exciting, but not half as exciting as discovering what awaits them on the other side of an old stone wall.

On the other side of the wall they met a Rooster who seems particularly fond of them. The trio venture further pass the wall and meet a very unusual group of ‘people’.

Jules tells her family all about them. No one believes them except her tea-leaf reading and eccentric Aunt Gertrude.

As the days pass Jules, her dog and Rooster, along with Aunt Gertrude, meet other unusual people and creatures and none are anything like they are portrayed in legend. In fact, they are all nice-even the witch.

Jules starts out with a dog and ends up with whole new group of friends.

Jules, Penny & The Rooster, written by Daniel Pinkwater and published by Tachyon Publications, is a wonderful tale full of magical creatures, enchanting locales and quirky lovable friends.

It’s a great story for kids that is filled with magic, mystery, mirth and memories.

2 Timothy 1:7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Book-Cafe Box

As I’ve mentioned a number of times in other product reviews my favorite stores of all time are bookstores. New books, used books, a combined cafe/bookstore-if it’s got books I’m there.

I come by it honestly. My mother was a big book reader and she passed on her book fever to me.

There’s something special about perusing the shelves and picking up a book, flipping through its pages, taking in the musty smell mixed with ink and paper and quickly glancing through text, photos and art.

Lumibricks has taken the best of a bookstore and a small cafe and combined them into one colorful, lit and cluttered Book-Cafe Box that snaps together easily, has all sorts of goodies and lots to look at.

The Book-Cafe Box sits on a cream-colored tile floor. Two walls of brown wood paneling encloses the Book-Cafe Box. On one wall is a coffee machine with three cups of varying colors, throw-away cups, two product/cost menu signs above the wall niche it all sits on and several framed pieces of art on the wall besides it.  A cash register and counter sit in front.  Use the cashier figure with its swivel head, torso and movable arms and legs to stand behind the counter. 

In the corner niche is a comfortable light green overstuffed chair complete with a small glass-top table on which sits a coffee cup.

A small potted sits on the floor and close to the front corner of the Book-Cafe is a small black table with two black chairs upon one of which sits a brown cat.  On the table is a bowl and cup.

The far wall has multiple shelves where sit a number of books, a light over the windows that are framed by columns, open books and in front of the shelves is a long wooden table with two small stools. The table holds a glass and a treat.

Look at all the pastry goodies, cash register, clear display case and so many books!

Included with the kit is a small Phillips-head screwdriver and a clever device for taking bricks apart-just in case you make a mistake.

I’ve included a photo of the various tools I use when assembling model kits or similar kits.

The Book-Cafe Box comes shipped in a heavy cardboard box which is sealed. The kit box itself is also made of heavy gauge cardboard and features a full-color photo the Book/Cafe Box on its cover. and specs for ages 16 years and older, 436 pieces and a caution for kids about small parts and the batteries (AA not included).

I’m getting up in years and my eyesight and coordination are not what they used to be. The screwdriver came in handy and I also used tweezers and a strong light and magnifying glass.

I really enjoyed assembling this kit. It was a lot of fun. Color-coding the parts and keeping the instructions simple page-by-page added to the enjoyment. I had no problem following the instructions. Even the lighting was is easy to set up and it looks great at night when the lamp and the overhead window light strip are on.

Following the instructions I opened only the bags necessary for each phase of the build. Bags are numbered or lettered and although several bag contents may be need to complete a phase I found it best to keep each bag’s contents separate from other bags.

I took my time on the build. It took about three hours start to finish.

The small pieces were easy to identify and put together and fit together snugly. I especially like the little Cafe, the cat and the saleswoman. The figures’ heads rotate and the cashier’s body can be posed. She even swivels at her hips.

Check out the details and how colorful the Book-Cafe is. I have it displayed on my bookshelf in my man cave.

A few extra parts come with the kit. Most are used if you want to add the Book-Cafe Box to other kits. Some extra small parts are also included in case you need them. 

If you like to see what other kits Lumiblocks has to offer click here. For more photo and information about the Book-Cafe Box click here and for a video click here.

Philippians 4:13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.