Betsy Bird's Blog, page 139

Camp Candlewick: Get to Know Ghetto Cowboy

I never attended a real sleepaway camp as a kid. Truthfully? I didn’t really want to. But the end result was that I never had the experience of so many other teens of being a camp counselor. Well, that STOPS today!

Meet your new counselor Ms. Bird. It’s all part of Camp Candlewick, an online program where resources are made widely and publicly available so that kids, parents and educators can easily follow along with age appropriate titles, activities and events week by week. Content hubs wi...

Two Birds on a Line: An Interview with James Bird and His New Book, The Brave

I can’t speak for every author out there, but I know that when I walk into a new bookstore I like to meander my way to the children’s section to see if any of my books are on the shelves. And, if they are, who might be their companions there. My great good fortune is to have my book Funny Girl paired alongside the Penderwicks of Jeannie Birdsall on my right, but now it looks like I’ll have a new neighbor. James Bird is no relation to me, though he does share his name with my father-in-law. H...

Cover Reveal and Excerpt: Naomi Klein Writes a Book for Kids

You specialize in one area of expertise. You have to change jobs. You do so, and have to rediscover an entirely new area of expertise. That was me when I went from mild-mannered Youth Materials Specialist to Collection Development Manager, about five years ago. I’ve always retained my love of books for kids, but working in the adult sphere, I’ve discovered all kinds of interesting authors. Folks like “Naomi Klein”, say. The author, social activist, and filmmaker has a tendency to write books for...

Review of the Day: A Game of Fox and Squirrels by Jenn Reese

A Game of Fox and Squirrels
By Jenn Reese
Illustrated by Jessica Roux
Henry Holt and Co (an imprint of Macmillan)
$16.99
ISBN: 9781250243010
Ages 9-12
On shelves now

We’re all having a rough year. And by “we” I pretty much mean “the entire world” is having a rough year. Things are not good. To escape, many of us typically turn to books. Kids are the same way. Now as an adult, I’m a bit of a wimp. I like blithe, happy novels. Stories in which peril is present but toothless. Maybe that’s why I gravi...

Video Premiere: The Making of Nerp

I got seven words for you. Ready?

“Fancy monster foods inspired by 1950s recipes.”

Are you sold yet? Because I personally did not realize until I watched today’s video by Sarah Lynne Reul that somewhere deep inside of me I’ve been waiting for the picture book equivalent of The Gallery of Regrettable Foods all these years. As you may recall, I reviewed Reul’s latest picture book Nerp not too long ago. Now she has a Making Of video that’s a lot of fun. Watching it, you understand what Ms. R...

Prance Through Your Days Like Randy the Badly Drawn Horse: A Q&A with T.L McBeth

Folks, we talk a lot about instilling confidence in our children. It seems like a great idea. I mean, we don’t want our kids to walk around with bloated egos or anything, but it would be awfully nice if they tried new things, had the confidence to fail on occasion, and generally looked upon the world as an exciting challenge they’re willing to tackle.

Then you actually have kids and you realize it’s all hooey. Kids do as kids do.

I have two kids. One is often very confident and one, most ...

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

If you had to pick all the Peggy Rathmann books that exist, you probably wouldn’t begin with her title The Day the Babies Crawled Away (which we did do in a previous episode). Instead, you’d probably want to do today’s book! Is it her most famous? Dunno. Probably a toss up between this and Office Buckle and Gloria. Today Kate and I dig deep into a title that certainly contains the world’s most short-sighted escape plan. The Great Escape, this is not.

Listen to the whole show here on Soun...

Cover Reveal & Interview – Leah Henderson’s Together We March: 25 Protest Movements That Marched into History

You never know when a chance encounter will put you in the path of someone incredible.

Years ago I was speaking at an SCBWI conference. It’s a conference that has since caused me a lot of consternation because I am 90% certain that I didn’t know where it was at the time, in spite of my having flown there, and I certainly can’t remember now. Memory is fickle. It doesn’t just produce answers when you want them, and what it holds onto can often be too random for words. There are times, though, w...

Cover Reveal & Interview – Leah Henderson’s We March: 25 Protest Movements That Marched into History

You never know when a chance encounter will put in the path of someone incredible.

Years ago I was speaking at an SCBWI conference. It’s a conference that has since caused me a lot of consternation because I am 90% certain that I didn’t know where it was at the time, in spite of my having flown there, and I certainly can’t remember now. Memory is fickle. It doesn’t just produce answers when you want them, and what it holds onto can often be too random for words. There are times, though, when ...

Review of the Day: See the Cat by David LaRochelle, ill. Mike Wohnoutka

See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog
By David LaRochelle
Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
Candlewick Press
$16.99
ISBN: 9781536204278
Ages 4-7
On shelves September 8th

Okay that’s it, that’s it, that is IT! Whose bloody idea was it to break down the fourth wall in the first place? Seriously, show me the person. Was it you? Don’t tell me to calm down either because I have a perfect right to be angry about this! Have you even SEEN the picture books coming out in the last 20 years? It’s like The Monst...