Shutta Crum's Blog, page 21
November 7, 2011
Amazon's new Kindle lending program causes publishing stir – latimes.com
Good grief! It is already so difficult for an author to make a living. Now Amazon wants to give away titles for free to suck people into its subscription service.
It is true they have paid for the ability to do this already through their wholesale agreements–but offering a publisher's list free undermines everyone. (Even those folks who are self-pubbing and trying to sell books.) Certainly, they can't keep it up for long. They've got to make money somewhere else–but it's such a big entity that that shouldn't be a problem.
Geesh! What next?
Shutta
Amazon's new Kindle lending program causes publishing stir – latimes.com.
November 6, 2011
A Short (and Sometimes Silly) Interview with Eric Rohmann – - Author of BONE DOG
When I recently read Caldecott winner Eric Rohmann's new book, BONE DOG (Roaring Brook Press, 2011), I was blown away by it! It is the perfect pairing of two stories: a boy's loss of his beloved pet, and a Halloween adventure. (Not a combination that I would have thought of!) I couldn't help myself, I contacted Eric and asked if he would mind answering a couple of questions for me to post on my blog. Here are his answers. Enjoy!! (And do visit Eric's site at: http://www.ericrohmann.com/pages/books/bk_bone-dog.html .)
Shutta
1. I am fascinated by how you managed to meld the death of a pet with a Halloween adventure story. Which came first—your idea about the pet, or for a skeletal Halloween adventure?
Most of my stories begin with a picture. Bone Dog was born of a rough ink drawing of skeletons dancing in the night. There is something inherently goofy about skeletons and I've always delighted in drawing them. From that first image I began to write a romp about a kid on Halloween night. And this is where the creative process begins to get murky– I made more drawings which prompted changes in the story and that initiated more images… you get the idea. When I first considered Ella's death I paused, but in the end realized that to tell the story as something more than a romp– to make the book about how kids react to the loss of something they care about– I needed to stay with the idea of her passing. No one was more surprised than me by what the book eventually became.
2. I love your artwork—as do many people. Is there a tug of war within you between visual art and writing? Which comes first when you think of a story? Which comes more naturally to you?
I think that answer one also answered question 2 (always a picture first).
I'm 54 years old and have been drawing since I was two. It's hard to make a drawing, but it's always always familiar territory. I may not know what the drawing will look like in the end, but I know how to begin. Then it's a matter of drawing and erasing until you arrive at something you like.
3. After you won the Caldecott medal in 2003 for MY FRIEND RABBIT, did your life change much?
As you can imagine, suddenly people who had never looked at my books gave them a glance. More kids became aware of the book and started looking at other books I'd made. I spent most of the following year speaking about the book and about my process and even started two other books. I realize that the award gave me a burst of energy. Looking back now, there is no doubt it was career changing. I've always liked what I do for a living so I would have made the books no matter what, but the award allowed me to make the books I wanted to make (with the encouragement and enthusiasm of my editor, of course).
4. (Now the really important question!) Suppose you wake up early in the morning and discover your refrigerator open. Inside is a neatly placed pair of tiny shoes. What do you do?
Get a ladder. Climb into the refrigerator. Retrieve my shoes and ask myself once again why I bought such a huge fridge. (HAH! I love how Eric turned this silly question of mine around. An artist's perspective!)
(I'm also reposting this link to a lovely interview with Eric by author Kathie Appelt. See below.)
Click here to view the embedded video.
November 4, 2011
The New York Times Book Review Announces Annual List Of the 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books
The New York Book Review's 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books for 2011 are:
· "Along a Long Road," written and illustrated by Frank Viva (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
· "A Ball for Daisy," written and illustrated by Chris Raschka (Schwartz & Wade)
· "Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures," written by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton (Chronicle Books)
· "Grandpa Green," written and illustrated by Lane Smith (Roaring Brook Press)
· "Ice," written and illustrated by Arthur Geisert (Enchanted Lion Books)
· "I Want My Hat Back," written and illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press)
· "Me … Jane," written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
· "Migrant," written by Maxine Trottier, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (Groundwood Books)
· "A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis," written by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Dial)
· "A New Year's Reunion," written by Yu Li-Qiong, illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang (Candlewick Press)
There are some wonderful books here! I hope you all get to spend some time with some of them.
Enjoy!
Shutta
October 29, 2011
November is Picture Book Idea Month
[image error]
We draw, we write!
We're outta sight!
That's right, despite what some prognosticators of doom predict . . . the picture book is not dead. Picture book writers and illustrators are gathering in the blogosphere for a smart mob party to generate ideas for picture books. November has been declared Picture Book Idea Month. All that is required is that the writer or illustrator come up with one picture book idea a day for thirty days. Ideas do not need to be shared online.
That's 30 days = 30 ideas. And at the end, participants will have a wealth of ideas from which to work in the upcoming months. In addition, writers and illustrators who sign up by Nov. 3rd at Tara Lazar's Pic. Book Idea Month site (or use the button to the right.) could win one of any number of great prizes. As a bonus, a whole bevy of guest posts by well-known writers and illustrators will be posted at the PiBoIdMo site — a new one each day for the month.
And a great big WAHOO! to Bonnie Adamson for the beautiful artwork on behalf of PiBoIdMo.
Join up, join us, join in!
Shutta
(Proud picture book writer!)
National Picture Book Idea Month
[image error]
We draw, we write!
We're outta sight!
That's right, despite what some prognosticators of doom predict . . . the picture book is not dead. Picture book writers and illustrators are gathering in the blogosphere for a smart mob party to generate ideas for picture books. November has been declared National Picture Book Idea Month. All that is required is that the writer or illustrator come up with one picture book idea a day for thirty days. Ideas do not need to be shared online.
That's 30 days = 30 ideas. And at the end, participants will have a wealth of ideas from which to work in the upcoming months. In addition, writers and illustrators who sign up by Nov. 3rd at Tara Lazar's National Pic. Book Idea Month site (or use the button to the right.) could win one of any number of great prizes. As a bonus, a whole bevy of guest posts by well-known writers and illustrators will be posted at the NaPiBoIdMo site — a new one each day for the month.
Join up, join us, join in!
Shutta
(Proud picture book writer!)
Liesl & Po giveaway!
Win a free ARC of Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver:
First Novels Club: Lauren, Liesl, Po, and "Pandy": Book review, signing recap, and giveaway!.
(Thanks, Natalie, for this alert!)
Best of luck to all of you!
Shutta
October 21, 2011
'Little Free Libraries' in the Midwest
YAY!!!! I love it . . .
Earlier this week I reposted about the free sidewalk libraries in Germany, but according to PW's Shelf Awareness we have a few places in the Midwest with a gratis book program of its own. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that "handmade, miniature wooden houses holding free books are popping up in neighborhoods throughout the Midwest. The 'little free libraries,' as they're called, are popularizing the concept of paying it forward, one book at a time."
"It's fun watching people go by and looking at it and figuring out. People seem to know (what it is and) they want to know how it got started and why," said Sage Holben, a library technician at Metropolitan State University and the steward of "the sage-green, house-shaped box sits in the middle of a public garden at East Fourth Street and Bates Avenue."
Todd Bol is the co-founder of the Wisconsin-based nonprofit Little Free Library. In less than two years, Bol's nonprofit has built more than 100 little free libraries.
I want one NOW in my town . . . Friends of Libraries organizations, are you listening? What about using some of those donated books?
Shutta
October 19, 2011
Lauren Myracle and the National Book Award Mess
If you've been following the screw-up with the National Book Awards (Youth Literature), you know that there are usually five nominations on the short list. This year there were six because Lauren Myracle's book, SHINE, was mistakenly placed on the list as well as a similar sounding (and wonderful) book, CHIME, by Franny Billingsly. Lauren was later contacted and told about the mistake. What to do? She graciously withdrew her book—such class—but not before an uproar broke out. The one good thing is that a donation was made by the NBA to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. (The young man who was brutally killed after he was attacked for being gay.)
If you want to catch-up on what happened, here are some sites that give the background, follow-up, blogosphere temperature (Libba Bray's blog) , and an interview with Lauren. (Note: Her book and several of the writers appearing on these sites write for older teens and adults. The "F-bomb" occasionally pops up.
National Book Award site: http://www.nationalbook.org/
School Library Journal article: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/892417-312/lauren_myracle_drops_out_of.html.csp
Vanity Fair interview with Lauren Myracle: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/10/-i-vanity-fair–i–exclusive–a-conversation-with-national-book-
Libba Bray's blog response: http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/62266.html
Los Angeles Times: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/10/lauren-myracle-asked-to-withdraw-from-national-book-award-finalists.html
Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/lauren-myracle-withdraws-national-book-awards_n_1015649.html
Geesh!
Shutta
October 18, 2011
Cool Idea-Free Books
In Germany, "free-for-all" libraries are " popping up across the nation on street corners, city squares and suburban supermarkets," the Associated Press (via the San Francisco Chronicle) reported. These public bookshelves are "usually financed by donations and cared for by local volunteer groups."
I know there are variations on this theme in the U.S.—like bookstores or travel resorts with free book shelves. But outside on a sidewalk where visibility is at its max makes a lot of sense. I do wonder about rain and other weather, and vandalism. But I like the idea. We used to have a magazine exchange at the mall library where I worked and the locals loved it. Of course, this kind of thing requires someone to tend it . . . clean up messes, etc. Still what a wonderful way to share and celebrate the written word!!
Shutta
October 14, 2011
Eric Rohmann Talks About "Bone Dog"
Writer, Kathi Appelt, interviews illustrator and writer, Eric Rohmann, about his new picture book,
[image error]
A wonderful insider view. Eric talks about the difficulties of writing a picture book for young readers and listeners in which the dog dies on page five. Despite winning the 2003 Caldecott Medal for his book My Friend Rabbit and winning a 1995 Caldecott Honor Award for his book Time Flies, he still has worries about his books . . . and sometimes is not totally sure what they are about.
Enjoy!
Shutta
