Betsy Bird's Blog, page 277
October 15, 2014
Historical Accuracy in Illustration: Shifting Standards or Stubborn Certainties?
There’s been a lot of talk about accuracy in children’s nonfiction recently (which is just a fancy way of saying that there’s been a lot of talk on this particular blog). Everything from invented dialogue to series that are nonfiction-ish. One element we haven’t discussed in any way, shape, or form though is the notion of accuracy in illustration. And not just in nonfiction works but historical fiction as well.
My thoughts on the matter only traipsed in this direction because of author Mara Ro...
October 14, 2014
Press Release Fun: Honoring William Steig and Atha Tehon
Creating Children’s Books: Collaboration and Change
A Symposium in Honor of William Steig and Atha Tehon
http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/childrensbooks_symposium.html
Creating Children’s Books: Collaboration and Change honors the contributions of William Steig and Atha Tehon to the world of children’s literature during late-twentieth and early-twenty-first centuries.
The symposium will explore the creation of children’s books from both the writer/illustrator and designer/publisher perspecti...
October 13, 2014
Columbus Day? Direct Thine Attention Hence
So I’m sitting at a Tri-Library Book Buzz event in NYC the other day, which is basically this massive librarian preview event where publishers of every stripe hock their wares in a lickety-split fashion. I like to go because it lets me see a lot of the little publishers who don’t get a lot of airtime otherwise. Naturally I’ll be writing this up soon.
When Sterling stepped up to the plate they mentioned that they’ll be publishing in January 2015 a new book in their “Good Question” series called...
October 12, 2014
Video Sunday: Dancing in the Stacks
A veritable plethora of dancing librarians greet you this weekend. Now I’ll be the first to say that if you’re going to have librarians or library patrons dancing in a video then the video has to be pretty darn impressive in some way. Life’s too short otherwise. But thing is, these folks are pretty extraordinary. Take, for example, this one from the Texas A&M University libraries as a kind of orientation to their services. Sure, the song’s been overdone but at least they gave it a bit of clas...
October 11, 2014
Review of the Day: Water Rolls, Water Rises: El Agua Rueda, el Agua Sube by Pat Mora
Water Rolls, Water Rises: El Agua Rueda, el Agua Sube
By Pat Mora
Illustrated by Meilo So
Children’s Book Press (an imprint of Lee & Low Books)
$17.95
ISBN: 978-0892393251
Ages 4-8
On shelves now.
Sometimes I wonder what effect the televised ephemera I took in as a child has had on my memories and references. For example, when I pick up a book like Pat Mora’s beautifully written and lushly illustrated Water Rolls, Water Rises: El Agua Rueda, el Agua Sube I immediately flash back to an old Sesa...
October 9, 2014
Press Release Fun: The Grolier Club Presents “One Hundred Books Famous in Children’s Literature”
Public Relations Consultant to the Grolier Club
212-289-2999
One Hundred Books Famous in Children’s Literature
A Holiday Presentation at the Grolier Club
Powerful narrative, unforgettable characters, illustrations that stir the imagination, and insights that engage the mindand heart—literaturefor children isforged from the same enduring elements as literaturefor adults. Children’s bookswith these qualities oftenshinefor generations, with some achieving landmarkfame....
October 8, 2014
Cover Reveal: Who Was Steve Irwin?
Have a seat, children. Let me tell you a little tale.
The year was 2000. I was a recent college graduate making her way in the world, fighting the good fight against an inevitable career in librarianship (a fight that I happily lost in the end). While tooling around Portland, Oregon I came across the wild televised stylings of one Steve Irwin and it was love at first sight. The fellow was a nutcase in the best sense of the term. Whether he was fleeing hippos or climbing trees to escape Komodo...
October 7, 2014
Fusenews: Knowing your funny from your droll
With Comic Con NYC later this week, publisher previews on the rise, and various work-related meetings, talks, and speeches I’m just the teeniest tiniest bit busy this week. But no matter! It is you, dear readers, that give me what for and how to. For you I would forgo all the sleep in the world. And as luck would have it, my 5-month-old baby is currently taking me up on that offer.
Onward!
Sometimes when I am feeling pensive I attempt to figure out which authors and illustrators currently alive...
October 6, 2014
Press Release Fun: The Snail and the Whale at the New Vic
The New Victory Theater presents
Tall Stories’
TheSnailand the Whale
Beloved Bedtime Story Hits Stage for Limited Engagement
October 18 – 19, 2014
New York, NY (September 9, 2014)– A tinysnail’s big adventure blazes a trail to the Big Apple when London’s Tall Stories (The Gruffalo, New Vic 2004;Snow WhiteNew Vic 2003) collaborates with Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler on the stage adaptation of the award-winning storyTheSnailand the Whale(Blue Peter Book Award, 2005).Created for ages four to sev...
October 5, 2014
Video Sunday: Sneaky Peeks Edition, Part 2
You know, it’s been a while since I showed you some of the fan-freakin’-tastic Wild Things videos we’ve been playing on the old Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children’s Literature website. I know some of you haven’t gone over to it lately so I’ll make it easy for you. Here’s a quickie synopsis of everyone since the last time I wrote them up on this blog. In order:
Dan Santat on Beekle:
Tom Angleberger on The Qwikpick Papers:
Andrea Davis Pinkney on The Red Pencil:
CeCe Bell on El Deafo:
Duncan...
