Betsy Bird's Blog, page 144

Review of the Day: Nerp! by Sarah Lynne Reul

Nerp!
By Sarah Lynne Reul
Sterling Children’s Books
$16.95
ISBN: 9781454934028
Ages 3-6
On shelves now

Baby as protagonist. A complicated choice. Consider, if you will, your average picture book reader. If they are babies then they usually don’t care much about the age of the person on the page (the exception being board books featuring photographs of other babies’ faces which they LOVE). If they are toddlers, preschoolers, or school aged, then they will be adamant on the point that they are NOT ...

How to Get Your Modern Jewish Protagonist Into the Mainstream (In a Fun Way): A Terri Libenson Interview

Living with an actual child has had many hitherto unforeseen advantages. Now that my eldest is eight, I get a glimpse into book series that I might have missed otherwise. One of these is Terri Libenson’s Emmie & Friends books. Less well-known than Raina Telgemeier or Shannon Hale’s series, the Emmie books nonetheless have a keen p.o.v. and a penchant for killer twist endings that serve to charm. I’m a big fan, so when I was offered the chance to interview Ms. Libenson about the latest book i...

Thoughts (and Videos) of Hans Christian Andersen: The Journey of His Life

Hans Christian Andersen was a weird dude.

There. I said it. And no ones gonna fight me on it. Cause he was strange. He didnt fit in, he was dreamy, and he cared WAY too much about bad reviews. Seriously, one time he was staying at Charles Dickens house (you can read all about THAT little incident in Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Childrens Literature, if youre curious) and when he found out about a bad review of one of his fairytale collections he literally threw himself onto the lawn in...

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Todays 1981 classic turned out to be a surprise to Kate. Turns out she, like many people in America, had no idea that Jumanji was a picture book before it was a movie (or two, or three). Thanks to her read, a lot of questions about this book were cleared up for me. For example, there is the fact that the parents must be going to a matinee (which explains why the kids eat dinner after their return later). And did you know that the two kids at the end of this book are the ones in the sequel ...

Librarian Preview: Small Publisher Spotlight (Summer-Fall 2020)

When I lived in Manhattan I would occasionally be privy to elaborate librarian previews put on by the largest publishers in New York City. These were often lavish affairs full of big name authorial guests, food, and the occasional signed art or poster giveaway. Of course, thats not why we librarians attended. No, the chance to get a peek at what was being published in the future was a far more enticing lure. Leaving all that behind to move to Evanston was rough, but things change. The world...

Review of the Day : We Are Power by Todd Hasak-Lowy

We Are Power: How Nonviolent Activism Changed the World
By Todd Hasak-Lowy
Abrams Books for Young Readers
$17.99
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4111-1
Ages 10-14
On shelves now

For reasons that will surprise no one in this, the year of our lord 2020, I have had reason of late to think long and hard about education and kids. The act of pouring great bucketfuls of information into the impressionable brain of a child is an inherently dangerous responsibility. Im not talking about what you choose to put in there...

Strega Corona and the Magic Sourdough Starter: A COVID-19 Tale for Our Times

Before the pandemic took over our lives, I had decided to create my own sourdough starter. I am aware that by saying this I dont sound all that different from those people who claim that they were into a band before it was cool. Dude, I saw Vampire Weekend at The Bell House before any of you guys even knew who they were. But in my case its true, and I have proof. The minute yeast disappeared from grocery stores, I found that I had in my possession some kind of freaky deaky super starter.

Don...

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia McKissack and Jerry Pinkney

Im giving myself extra points for doing this springy book in spring . . . which I did not realize until this moment. Patting on the backy of me! Prior to todays episode the only Jerry Pinkney title wed done on our podcast was Sam and the Tigers (as part of our Little Black Sambo round-up). As for Ms. Patricia McKissack, wed never even done a single one of her books to date. To my mind, this is a wrong that must be righted. This episode taught me about how folks change picture books to make...

Review of the Day: Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Fighting Words
By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Dial (an imprint of Penguin Random House)
$17.99
ISBN: 978-1-9848-1568-2
Ages 10 and up
On shelves August 11th

As a child I had absolutely no interest in reading books that contained any kind of trauma. I had a kind of sixth sense about it, so throughout the years I studiously avoided Bridge to Terabithia, Julie of the Wolves, and anything else that might possibly be considered serious in some way. This wasnt because there were any deep-seated issues in...

The Last Dance of the Tiger King: Kidlit Connections For Quarantine Times

Ive been stuck inside too long, people. Its bad. I can feel something stirring deep inside of me. I thought Id buried it for good, but its no use. Its coming to the surface and I just . . . cant . . . stop it . . . .

ITS TIME TO GET SILLY!!!!!!

Specifically, its time to find childrens literary connections to the times in which we live. And the times in which we live are weird. Buckle up.

Did You Like the Documentary Series, Last Dance? Well, Remember When Our Current Caldecott Winner Did...