Betsy Bird's Blog, page 250

Newbery / Caldecott 2016: Final Prediction Edition

See this money? It’s time to put it where my mouth is. OPEN UP, MOUTH!

So if you’re playing along at home you might have noticed that I’m a bit . . . ah . . . last minute-ish with my final predictions this year. Considering that today is Thursday and the Newbery/Caldecott Awards (amongst other Youth Media Awards) will be announced this Monday at 8 a.m. EST (and viewable here), I’m positively late.

Ah well. Life, it has a way of interrupting your best laid plans. In any case, I’m ready now. An...

Cover Reveal: Volcanoes – Fire and Life by Jon Chad!

If you know me then you know I’ve a certain weakness for comics, graphic novels, graphic comics, and comic novels (?). You draw it, I like it. And every once in a while, First Second will offer me a little jacket to reveal in some manner. It seems timely that with the announcement about the first National Ambassador of Young People Literature to work in the comic book field, the time is ripe to promote all things comic-y.

But what, you may ask, is the comic in question? Well, the one of the n...

Comics Squad: Lunch – Now With More Pearl Harbor! A Nathan Hale Interview

I like my comics like I like my men. Chock full of lunch and Pearl Harbor references.

Hm? That didn’t make sense? Maybe not, but if nonsense is pouring out of my mouth then I believe it may have something to do with the excitement I feel about today’s guest. If the term “Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales” means nothing to you then please be so good as to read this and this and then come back to me. As many of you know, he is the one-man genius factory behind some of the best history for kids out...

RETURN of the Children’s Literary Salon: January Event

It wasn’t too long ago that I was running the Children’s Literary Salon, a monthly gathering of topics presented to children’s literature enthusiasts, in the hallowed halls of NYPL. Times change, people move, and lo and behold here I am on the outskirts of Chicago (if Evanston can really be designated as “the outskirts”) bringing you a whole new Lit Salon. Yes! It’s Children’s Literary Salon 2.0 and we’re doing it Illinois-style. So if you happen to find yourself in the Midwest this coming Sa...

Video Sunday: Wind’s in the East . . .

Fun stuff. Looks a lot like Harry Potter to a certain extent (mood, lighting, music, etc.). It’s the trailer for Roald Dahl’s The BFG.

Thanks to 100 Scope Notes for the link!

A bit of an older video here. In my travels recently I discovered that the entirety of the Oliver Jeffers short film version of his book Lost and Found is apparently online. Bonus! I never got to see it. For your viewing pleasure then (and it’s 24 minutes long, FYI):

Shoot. Christmas is over but only now have I learned...

100 Magnificent Children’s Books 2015

Happy New Year!!

As with each and every year, I like to make my own little list of 100 children’s book titles. These are pretty much for my own reference in the future, though you’re more than welcome to critique the choices as you prefer. Previous lists can be found for 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010. And, as always, you’ll note that this isn’t a “Best Books” list but rather just a listing of books I personally found magnificent. ONWARD!

100 Magnificent Children’s Books 2015

Board Books (n...

Fusenews: The bumps on the tongue just add insult to injury

Good morning, campers! Are we ironing out the last of the holiday season from our socks? Are we eyeing our decorations with a jaded eye? Well, wonderful news! 2016 is on the horizon and I bring you news of the peppy variety. Packed deep in snow, no less, since I appear to be living in ice storm land at the moment.

First up, I wrote a piece a year or two ago for a periodical and then never had it published. All that has changed thanks to the delightful online children’s literature publication...

The British to American Translation

This Christmas I was delighted to find that someone had given me the latest incarnation of Harry Potter, this time in the form of the fully illustrated book by Jim Kay. Called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, my book was a little different as it was the British Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. My husband, knowing that I read all the original Harry Potter books in their British forms, was kind enough to let my in-laws know that it was my preferred version.

Truly, I’ve always lov...

Review of the Day: The Tea Party in the Woods by Akiko Miyakoshi

The Tea Party in the Woods
By Akiko Miyakoshi
Kids Can Press
$16.95
ISBN: 978-1771381079
Ages 3-6

There are picture books out there that feel like short films. Some of the time they’re adapted into them (as with The Snowman or The Lost Thing or Lost and Found) and sometimes they’re made in tandem (The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore). And some of the time you know, deep in your heart of hearts, that they will never see the silver screen. That they will remain perfect little ev...

Merry Christmas Weirdest Holiday Picture Book of All Time!

This is a reprint of a Christmas related post I did about two years ago. I cannot tell you how often I think of this book. Eventually I’m just going to cave and buy it. In any case, Merry Christmas!

In the past I’ve done posts about Weirdo Picture Books and others on Out-of-Print Crimes Against Humanity. Today’s featured book could have fallen into both categories, were it not for the fact that there is justice in the universe. Previously out of print, 1997’s A Small Miracle by Peter Collin...