What a blast from.the past! This was a light, fun read that I enjoyed .
It wasn't quite all I expected but still enjoyable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The title promises a lot, and the book delivers enough that most readers probably won’t be disappointed.

Joe Garner and Michael Ashley breezily survey the heyday of Saturday morning cartoons, when that block was must-see TV for the grade-school set. Appropriately, they live by the Winnie-the-Pooh motto: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Craptacular Hanna-Barbera products like Space Ghost “struck a special chord with young viewers.” The Transformers, perhaps the most blatantly product-driven major Reagan-era cartoon, is full of “richly conceived characters” and “thrilling story lines.” I mean, sure, I thought so…but I was like nine. What did I know?

For all its breeziness and the superficiality of its scholarship, It’s Saturday Morning! both hits the nostalgia button and suggests a clear progression: from shows that essentially paid tribute to established TV tropes (The Flintstones, The Jetsons) to shows that commented on them ironically, even if kids weren't always in on the joke (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bobby's World). Of course, adult TV was following a similar trajectory (from Gunsmoke to Seinfeld), but you’ll have to connect those dots yourself.

This book had a lot of great information about cartoons. The set-up was done very well and easy to follow. I liked the pictures, too. It was a quick and easy read. This would be a great gift for anyone who is a cartoon lover.

I loved this book! It brought back such happy memories of my childhood growing up in the 80s. Saturday mornings were for watching cartoons and the authors provided me with new insight into the shows that were such a huge part of childhood for me and so many others.

3.50 Netgalley review. Well, before the time you could watch cartoons any time you wanted- there were Saturday morning cartoons. Us “kids “woke up early on our day off school just to be able to watch these wonderful cartoons shown for half a day. This book was written about cartoons from the 60’s to the 90’s. Oh what memories it brought up reading this and also tells behind the scenes happenings and factoids about each cartoon. Little clips of commercials are shown as well. I still have “ I’m just a bill” stuck in my head to this day! Fun read for a little trip down memory lane when life was much simpler.

I love a dose of nostalgia, and this book certainly delivers that. Having been born in 1984, I feel I get the best of this book. My Saturday morning years were in the 90's, but cartoons from all the decades covered by this book (60s-90s) were still very popular then and on TV all the time as the newer ones.. I actually squealed to see the Gummi Bears, Muppet Babies and Animaniacs in here. This book is more than just a trip down memory lane though, as it's so well-researched. Sometimes extensively, and I did wonder if more cartoons could have been included if there was a little less depth of discussion. But really, that's just me being greedy for childhood memories, because the depth of discussion is really fascinating and threw up some unexpected facts. There are lots of images, which are a joy, and I really liked the little additions about toy trends dotted through the book.

The book is geared towards an American audience, so there are quite a few shows mentioned that as a Brit I had never heard of and I doubt ever aired in the UK. And obviously, there are some notable UK-centric absences (what, no Pigeon Street?!). But it's well worth a look if you ever shouted "Thunder Cats, ho-ooooo!"

An enjoyable trip down memory lane in front of the TV of yesteryear, remembering everything we watched as children

Very cool for anyone that grew up on Saturday morning cartoons! The memories of childhood sitting in front of the TV on the only morning devoted to kids. Great facts about the different cartoons and their creators. This book with give you those warm fuzzy feelings in footie pajamas good! It's laced with other bits and pieces from childhood toys and commercials, this book is a real ride down memory lane!

This book was so much fun to read! I grew up in the 80's so most of the cartoons and shows in the book I grew up on. The collection of shows is outstanding from Care Bears to Alvin and the Chipmunks and Bugs Bunny to Pee Wee Playhouse! Tons of information and interviews about the creators of the shows. Also there were commercial features that showed what was advertised during this time from Life cereal to Teddy Ruxpin. It made me wonder what happened to my Cabbage Patch doll? And were Slinky's really that much fun or was it just the commercial that talked us into buying one? My favorite cartoon, My Little Ponies, was not featured but I thoroughly enjoyed the blast from the past!

I knew most all the cartoons that were shown in this book, even if in Italy there were more Japanese Anime compared to U.S., Still it was a journey in some very good childhood memories and I enjoyed it a lot!

Conoscevo la maggior parte dei cartoni animati in questo libro, anche se in Italia la parte del leone la facevano gli Anime giapponesi. Resta il fatto che questo libro mi ha permesso di fare un salto nel passato e ricordare la mia infanzia "televisiva" e questo mi é piaciuto molto.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

"Broadcasting into family living rooms from the 1960s to the 1990s, this wildly creative art form wrought a beloved rite of passage. From the hours of 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., parents could sleep in while their children plopped on the couch to consume cartoons galore. From Yogi Bear, The Jetsons, and Jonny Quest to The Smurfs, He-Man, and Animaniacs, this window of time promised pure entertainment and an experience that united generations."

Do you remember Saturday mornings as a kid and eating cereal in front of the TV watching your favorite cartoons? This book will bring you back to that time, which for me was late 80s and early 90s. I absolutely loved this book! The art is incredible and the interviews are great. This is a must have book for all of your inner childhood nostalgia!

#ItsSaturdayMorning
Thank you #NetGalley for this eARC

This is a brief recount of the cartoons that were shown during Saturday mornings. If you were a child and had a TV during the time this book covers, you must absolutely know what watching cartoons during Saturday morning was like. Yes, this could be a very nostalgic trip for some readers, but the book can also be a nice reference resource to add to libraries. The book is divided by decades, which are 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It is not by all means a thorough recount, but it will get the ball rolling for those who would like to do more research about the subject. I received a free copy via NetGalley.

Missed the best `1990s cartoon of the lot - Dexter's Laboratory! I found the book to be overly USA-centric and while a lot of the big cartoons did come over here I had no clue what some of them were.

A beautifully thorough history of children's cartoons featured on Saturday morning television from the 1960's-1990's. With a full history of each show, the characters and their voice actors, this book is not only a trip down memory lane. It was enlightening to learn the backstories of some of these shows, super interesting from start to finish. Also included are blurbs called "After These Messages," which feature many of the popular toys and cereals that were advertised during these beloved shows. Packed with bright lovely photos that warmed my heart, this book is a must have for those who grew up watching these cartoons, or pop culture buffs in general!

This was a fun read! As someone who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons, I enjoyed learning a little about each included show and also the extras about toys and games from the same period. While not every Saturday morning show could be included, I saw a lot of my old favorites. Thanks for the walk down memory lane!

Thank you to the authors Joe Garner and Michael Ashley, Quarto Publishing Group - becker&mayer kids! and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

*thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - becker&mayer kids! for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

5 fantastic wonderful stars!!

Ohh My Lord! As a child born in 1985, I just HAD to have a copy of this. It was the cover (particularly the Care Bears picture) that grabbed me full force.

'A Look Back at Four Decades of Animation, Pop Culture, and Tradition'

I wanted to take my time with this book and thoroughly go through each and every page. I absolutely loved that the Foreword was written by Howie Mandel himself. That was another reasons I felt I would just love this. He was the perfect choice for being the one to start this book off. The cartoons are listed chronologically, from the 1960s to 1990s. The information about each cartoon makes this a really interesting read. It doesn't matter if you flip through this book because like me, you are also a child at heart looking to take a trip down memory lane or if you were born as a 2000s baby and are interested to see what cartoons were like 'back in the olden days'. This book will be a great read for you either way. Presented the way it is, it is definitely what is called a Coffee table book. Meaning it is one that you can pick up and put down as often as you want. It's an interesting read and the images are just pure love. This book easily met my expectations and did not disappoint.

More like 3.5 stars. A fabulous throwback to the cartoons I used to watch as a child that includes full colour photos and information I never knew.

Perfect piece of nostalgia for anyone growing up with the age of Saturday morning cartoons. Sorted by decade, the more popular cartoons of that era are on show here, complete with a rather detailed overview of the production work and cultural impact that each one had.

A lot to like in this book. Some of the information was new to me, and I enjoyed reading about that cartoons that came before my time. Reading about the original version of Space Ghost was pretty interesting, as was the entry about Underdog who I'd previously never heard of.

The little factoids about the accompanying commercials was also a nice touch.

Liked this book a lot.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed It's Saturday Morning. I grew up watching the shows of the '80s and '90s so this was a nostalgic look to my childhood. I was tickled to see my favorite shows profiles and learn fun behind the scenes facts. The full-color photos were beautiful and brought the past alive.
I wish my children could experience the Saturday Morning cartoon tradition. Since that's not an option, this book will at least help me share the experience3.

If any of these phrases make you smile when you read them, this is a book you'll want to add to your collection. "WILMA!!!" "Jane, how do you stop this crazy thing?" "You sank my battleship!" "Not plane, nor bird nor even frog...it's just little old me...Underdog!" "Spaaaaaaace Ghost" "Jinkies" "Zoinks" "Conjunction Junction, What's Your Function?" "Let's get Mikey. He won't eat it, he hates everything. He likes it, hey Mikey!" "Wonder Twin Powers Activate" "Now you smurf em, now you don't" "Transformers....More than meets the eye" "Thunder, thunder, thundercats ho!" "I know you are but what am I?" "Cowabunga!" Part history lesson, part trip down memory lane, It's Saturday Morning is a look back at joy that was Saturday morning cartoons for generations of kids. The book examines cartoons and shows from the 1960's-1990's. The book begins with an introduction from comedian and actor Howie Mandel, which was interesting and offered a behind the scenes look at the "magic" of cartoons. Each decade gets it's own section, and each section includes history and details about several of that decades most important or impactful shows. Each show gets 2-4 pages, and there are pictures of the animation, pictures from behind the scenes, sometimes pictures of artwork or merchandise...there was a lot of information here I knew, but there was also a lot of great information I didn't know. The authors addressed some of the critical responses to some of the shows, especially those, like the Flinstones, that started out as evening "Prime Time" shows before they ended up on Saturday mornings in re-runs. Each decade also features a couple pages that address some of the most popular commercials that we would have seen when we watched. Over all, this is a fun, nostalgic and informative look back at an important time in our history, and an element of pop culture that played an important part in the childhoods of many of us. I can't help but regret that today's kids won't have Schoolhouse Rock songs playing in their heads, or be learning the importance of accepting each other, regardless of skin color, size or shape, from Fat Albert. I think we've gained so much from the Internet and vast variety of entertainment options available these days, but reading this book helped me remember that we've lost a little something too. Something that was important, helped my brother and I bond as kids, and helped both of learn, imagine, play and be silly.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.