Betsy Bird's Blog, page 325
November 3, 2012
The Case for Re-Illustration: William’s Doll by Charlotte Zolotow
I had just the loveliest dinner the other night with some high-falutin’ folks in the children’s literary biz. Fine conversation and finer memories were tossed all about. Yet I credit the devil on my right shoulder for suggesting to me the relative wisdom of my bringing up a long-standing belief that had been percolating in the back of my brain. I believe I must have said something along the lines of this.
Betsy: You know what would be great? If Harper Collins had William’s Doll by Charlotte Zolotow re-illustrated.
To my companions’ credit they did not subsequently pelt me with dinner rolls, though there were a palpable sense of shock in the air. At long last one turned to me and asked with great calm and presence of mind, “Has there ever been a successful re-illustration of a classic picture book?”
Well. Um. That is to say . . . . er.
Stumped! I haven’t been that stumped since Peter Glassman asked me which Newbery Award winner illustrated a Newbery Award winning book by another author (answer at the end of this post). I floundered about, then mentioned that I had never quite taken to the W.W. Denslow illustrations for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (another horror for some of you, I am sure, for another day). “Oh no,” she replied. “Not a work of fiction. A picture book.”
For a good ten minutes I sat there as the conversation drifted to other topics. Eventually I was able to come up with at least one book (my crazed cry of “Never Tease a Weasel!!!” may have caused serious damage to the soup course) before admitting that when it comes to well-known classics, no. I’ve never seen a successful re-illustration.
Which is not to say it couldn’t happen! And if it absolutely 100% did have to happen (more on that presently) then it should happen to Charlotte Zolotow’s best known book. William’s Doll. Copyright 1972.
Some background.
How many of you would count yourselves as members of the Free to Be You and Me generation? If so, you may remember this old video from back in the day. I sure as heck do.
It was based on Zolotow’s picture book and I distinctly remember seeing this as a kid and finding it extraordinarily interesting. This may have had something to do with the fact that the original book sported a very different look.
Bowl haircut? Check. Neckerchief? Check. Bellbottoms? Check. Saddle shoes? Check and check. Yes, it seems that even when kids might have sported this look, I was more inclined to be interested in the kid wearing the sneakers, jeans and baseball cap in the Marlo Thomas production than the one featured in an honest-to-gosh book.
Now the illustrations for William’s Doll were done by the great William Pene du Bois, a man probably remembered best today for his Newbery Award winner Twenty-One Balloons (a wonderful video of THAT particular title can be seen here). No one is going to contest that the man was a master artist. And if this book were some timeless relic of the past I would have no trouble with the art. But here’s the thing: The book is not a relic. It is timely. So timely, in fact, that if you happen to scan through the comments on the above YouTube video (do so at your own risk here) you will note the overwhelming need for this book that continues even today.
Another factor? We haven’t even entered into 2013 officially and yet I think I’ve read about 14 different bully-related books. And not one, NOT ONE of those books has the sheer guts of this title. If you don’t know the story, here’s the long and short: William is a boy who wants a doll. His older brother and dad pretty much tease him mercilessly about this or try to get him into manly sports and train related things. Then his grandma goes and gets him one and then explains to dear old dad that the doll has a practical application. After all, someday William will be a dad of his own and he’ll need to know how to care for a baby. Now admittedly I always felt like this explanation (and the cover image of William doing an aforementioned manly sport) felt a bit like overcompensation. I mean, why can’t a boy just want a doll because it’s a doll? Does he absolutely have to have a reason? But hey, you go with what you’ve got. And what you’ve got is a book that even today is regularly assigned to kids to read by their schools and yet is losing a lot of its impact because of the art.
You see, here is William:
And he doesn’t look like any kid out there today. Here is his older brother:
Because if you think old William here looks a little dated, those preppy tennis whites are outta sight. Dude totally doesn’t have a leg to stand on here.
So my thinking is that if someone were to re-illustrate the book today with images of kids as they look today, yes it may date in time but until it does the book may be able to get back some of its impact. Then the ultimate book about a kid bullied for being who he is could be re-discovered by schools and parents all over this great green world.
You might say to me, “Well, sure. So let’s say we re-illustrate this book. What next? Do you want to redo A Snowy Day? How about finding someone besides Sendak to redo Where the Wild Things Are? How about Goodnight bloody Moon?!?” The difference as I see it is that I don’t feel the images in this particular book are, to be frank, William Pene du Bois at his best. They’re fine. They have their defenders. But no one has ever assigned this book because the art was so nice. It’s a book with a message that doesn’t feel didactic (to me anyway) and that should have been given to someone like Mercer Mayer. Someone who could have given it a shot in the arm. It’s not like I’m talking about redoing something like Oliver Button Is a Sissy. I mean THAT is a book that feels fresh every time you read it. Tomie de Paola is visually incapable of aging.
A deeper issue at work here is the question of use. I see this as a book that could speak directly to children today if they felt like it was the story of themselves or a fellow classmate. But that is how I see the book being used. I’m not talking about how the book can currently be enjoyed on its own merits. Must every picture book out there with even a tangential connection to bullying now be used as a tool in some way? Nope. But the fact of the matter is that this book is already being used, being used all the time, and I want its impact to hit home. What if you changed William’s race too? What if you had him living in an apartment or in the country? The possibilities are endless. If I were teaching a class on picture book illustration you can bet I’d assign this book as some kind of an assignment.
For all that, it has stayed in print all these years. Now imagine it came out for the first time today. In an era where princess stuff is pushed on girls from every angle, and where you can walk into a Toys R Us and find a “Girls” and “Boys” section (marked as such) this book deserves a second life.
Have at it, kids. Tear me asunder. Or read James Preller’s fantastic post on the book from two years ago, including much of the text and interior images. He even links to this in-depth explanation of how Ms. Zolotow was inspired to write the book.
Answer to the Above Stumper: It was Ellen Raskin. She illustrated the cover to Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time before eventually winning her own Newbery for The Westing Game.
November 1, 2012
Review of the Day: Goblin Secrets by William Alexander
I think it is time to declare the birth of the clockwork children’s novel. If you have been watching the literary trends over the last decade or so, you will note that amongst adults there has been a real rise in interest in a form of pop culture labeled “Steampunk”. The general understanding is that as the 21st century grows increasingly reliant on electronics, there is a newfound interest in books/movies/video games/costumes (etc.) that incorporate steam, gears, and other accoutrements of the visual mechanical past. This is, I should note, almost exclusively an adult fascination. I have never encountered a single child who walked up to a reference desk and asked, “Do you have any more Steampunk?” That said, there’s no reason it shouldn’t work as a genre. The trouble comes when an author tries to shoehorn a Steampunk story into a fantasy mold. The best writers know that if you’re going to incorporate odd mechanical details, the best thing to do is to set up your own odd mechanical internal logic. I think that’s probably what I like best about William Alexander’s “Goblin Secrets”. It’s not the first story I’ve read about a boy joining a troupe of traveling performers. And it’s not the first middle grade Steampunk adventure I’ve come across. Yet there’s something definitely one-of-a-kind going on in this book. An originality that you only find once in a pure blue moon. And that’s worth reading, you betcha.
Rownie’s life hasn’t been worth much since the disappearance of his older brother Rowan. Living with “grandmother”, an old witch named Graba who holds a Fagan-like power over the orphans in her sway, Rownie runs various errands until one day he finds that goblins have come to his city of Zombay. They are conducting theatrical performances, an act forbidden to humans, so it’s as much a surprise to Rownie as to anyone when he joins their little troupe. Rownie is also still determined to track Rowan down, but that may mean using extraordinary means to escape from Graba’s all-knowing, all-seeing ways.
It’s little wonder that the book was nominated for a National Book Award when you take into account the writing. In terms of description, the book has a wonderful and well-developed sense of place. At one point this is what you read, “All roads to the docks ran downhill. They wound and switchbacked across a steep ravine wall, with Southside above and the River below. Some of these streets were so steep narrow that they had to be climbed rather than walked on. Stairs had been cut into the stone or built with driftwood logs lashed together over the precarious slope.” With a minimal amount of words you get a clear sense of the location, its look, its feel, its dangers, and perhaps its beauties as well.
The details found within this strange Steampunk world are delicious, and that is in the book’s favor. You hear about “small and cunning devices that did useless things beautifully.” From gears in mechanical glass eyes to the fact that a river is something that can be bargained with, there’s an internal logic at work here that is consistent, even if Alexander is going to leave the learning of these rules up to the reader with minimal help. For example, there is the small matter of hearts and their removal. To take out a heart is not a death sentence for a person, but it can leave them somewhat zombiefied (the city’s name “Zombay” could just be a coincidence or could not, depending on how you want to look at it). And goblins aren’t born but are changed humans. Why are they changed and for what reason? That’s a story for another day, but you’re willing to wait for an answer (if answer there ever is).
Exposition. It can be a death knoll in a book for kids. Done well it sucks the reader into an alternate world the like of which they may never have seen before. Done poorly they fall asleep three pages in and you’ve lost them forever. And done not at all? That’s a risk but done right it pays off in fine dividends. “Goblin Secrets” takes place in Zombay, a fact you find out five pages in. It’s a city that contains magic, a fact you find out on page three. There are goblins in this world (page twelve) but they didn’t start out as goblins (page . . . um . . .). Facts are doled out at a deliberate but unexpected pace in this book. There are no long paragraphs of explanation that tell you where you are and what to expect. It’s only by reading the story thoroughly that you learn that theater is forbidden, Rownie’s brother is missing, Graba is relentless (but not the only villain in the story), and masks are the book’s overriding theme. In the interest of brevity Alexander manages to avoid exposition with something resembling long years of practice. Little wonder that he’s published in multiple magazines and anthologies on the adult fantasy (not that kind) side of things. Many is the adult writer who switches to writing for children that dumbs down the narrative, giving too little respect to the young audience. I think Mr. Alexander’s gift here is that he respects his younger readers enough to grant them enough intelligence to follow along.
Alexander makes his own rules with this book, and not rules I’ve necessarily seen before. With that in mind, with as weird a setting as you have here, it can be a relief to run across characters you like and identify with. They act as little touchstones in a mad, crazy world. Rownie is particularly sympathetic right from the get-go. He has a missed beloved older brother, an independence that’s appealing, but he’s not a jerk or anything. Nor is he a walking blank slate that more interesting characters can use to their own ends. Rather, Rownie is the kind of character who keeps trying to talk himself into bravery. He does it when performing and he does it on his own (“Rownie tried to summon up the feeling that he was haunting the Southside Rail Station and that other sorts of haunting things should be afraid of him…”). That’s why Alexander’s use of masks and theater is so effective. If you have a protagonist who just needs a little push to reach his potential, what better way than through performance? On the flipside, the bad guys are nice, if perhaps a little two-dimensional. Graba is nothing so much as a clockwork Baba Yaga, mechanical chicken legs and all. By extension the Mayor is a good power hungry villain, if stock and staid. There is no big bad in this book quite worthy of the good folks they face down. Graba comes close, but she’s just your typical witch when all is said and done. A little gearish. A little creaky. But typically witchy, through and through.
By turns beautiful and original, it’s a testament to Alexander’s skills that the book clocks in at a mere 200-some odd pages. Usually worlds of this sort end up in books with five hundred or six hundred pages. The end result is that when a kid is looking for a good fantasy in a new world, they are inclined to be scared off by the thick tomes gathering dust on library shelves and instead will find friends in old classics like The Black Cauldron or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Add to that list William Alexander’s latest then. A smart piece of writing that conjures up a new world using a new method.
On shelves now.
Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.
Like This? Then Try:
The Clockwork Three by Matthew Kirby
The Nine Pound Hammer by John Claude Bemis
Foundling (The Monster Blood Tattoo) by D.M. Cornish
Last Line: “His fingers twitched and his mouth watered, but he waited for his supper to cool.”
Notes on the Cover: The unfortunate hardcover will happily be replaced with a far more kid-friendly paperback. As you can see, the previous incarnation showed a Frankenstein’s monster-esque goblin juggling. Alas the shot made it look as if the lit torch in hand was impaling him. It was a bit of odd CGI. The new cover is a traditional illustration and show Rownie hiding from his possessed former bunkmates. If I were to go with a good cover seen I might go with fighting the possessed masks, but I suspect they wanted to avoid the goblins entirely with this particular jacket.
A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy
The Book Smugglers
Fantasy Matters
Book Nut
Heavy Medal
Becky’s Book Reviews
Professional Reviews:
A star from Kirkus
The Enchanted Inkpot
Nerdy Book Club
Misc:
Good news for fans. The sequel, Ghoulish Song, is already scheduled to be released next year. Happiness all around.
Make one of the masks from the book.
October 31, 2012
Hurricane ah-coming, hurricane ah-here, hurricane ah-gone
Howdy, folks.
As you may have heard a hurricane recently decided to take an extreme weather-sized bite out of the Big Apple. Because I live in a blessed bit of high ground in Harlem, my family and I are safe and sound with ample food, electricity, and internet. Many are not as lucky. I’ll resume regularly scheduling blogging amidst this insanity (though I really do need to finish the edits on my Candlewick book this week).
Stay dry. Stay safe. And Happy Halloween!
October 29, 2012
Newbery / Caldecott 2013: The Fall Prediction Edition
A little late but still got it out before the end of October and the imminent arrival of Frankenstorm. I spent a goodly part of yesterday preparing for the hurricane by baking pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Now you know where my priorities lie.
The year has passed like a blur and there’s an interesting consistency to the books being discussed for Newberys and Caldecotts. Newberys anyway. This may be an entirely Wild Card Caldecott year as far as I can tell. There are no sure fire winners. Only worthy contestants. Let’s begin!
Newbery 2013
The Unfortunate Son by Constance Leeds – I stand by this one. It was weird when I put it on my last prediction list and weirder still that I’ve not removed it. But the fact of the matter is that when we think of the word “distinguished” and apply it to writing, Leeds’ book stands up time and time again. If you haven’t read it yet, I think you’ll have to grab yourself a copy and take a gander. Shield thine eyes against the brown-ness of the book jacket and enjoy the stellar writing. Yes, it’s a wild card, but such a lovely fun one.
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin – In spite of having one of the more difficult names to remember, I think this is my current front runner. Yep. I think we’ve got a gold medal winner on our hands. It isn’t just the fact that it’s better than its predecessor (which won an Honor back in the day). It’s the fact that Lin seamlessly weaves her folktales into the narrative in such a way that you half suspect she made them up (she didn’t). It’s the fact that the writing is cyclical, referring back to itself and to the characters both telling and listening to the story. It’s the fact that it’s masterful. Nuff said.
Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Obed – My pet beloved, and STILL it is not out yet. Is there any way to curse a book more than to release it in November? Talk is minimal about it, though it has gotten starred reviews already and Travis Jonker gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up over at 100 Scope Notes. Consider this one the stealth contestant. Nobody will see it coming . . .
Wonder by R.J. Palacio – Normally when a book breaks as early as this one did in the year it is either forgotten or less discussed by the year’s end. Not the case with Wonder. This is a case of a book coming out in the right place at the right time. It managed to simultaneously touch people on an emotional level, wow them on a literary one, and (most important of all?) it falls under the sway of the current Anti-Bullying craze sweeping the nation. Whole schools are adopting it as their One Book reads. I had a discussion with someone the other day about how many award winners win simply because of timing. Could Smoky Night by David Diaz or The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordecai Gerstein (or even Johnny Tremain for that matter) have done so well if they hadn’t be published precisely when they were? By the same token, Wonder at least has a VERY good chance at a Newbery honor. Note that it didn’t make it onto the National Book Award finalists, though. That may be why I’m not so sure of its gold chances.
Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker – If the book is sunk by anything at this point it may be the ending. Not the happiness found there, mind. I was a-okay with all of that. Rather, the lack of attention the press takes in the story and the mildest of mild slaps on the wrist to the characters. Still, in terms of character development this is maybe the strongest children’s novel of the year.
Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz – Shaking off the rather ridiculous notion that the book is boring (how much more blood would it take to be exciting exactly?) what has surprised me time and time again about this book is the reaction from patrons and librarians. I expected to be the one lonely voice howling in the wind about its loveliness. Instead I find myself just an average alto in a very large chorus. Nina at Heavy Medals thinks it’s a love it or hate it title, but I have been surprised at how few folks I’ve run across dislike it or think it’s anything less than fantastic. I recently did a Wolves of Willoughby Chase event and when asked who is akin to Joan Aiken, Ms. Schlitz’s name popped immediately to mind. For writing alone, this should win something.
Bomb by Steve Sheinkin – Just as folks like Jonathan Hunt have their own tendencies when they talk about potential winners (he pushes YA, nonfiction, and easy/picture books) my personal bugaboo is the YA novel that wins a Newbery. The award goes until the age of 14 so, technically, many is the book that could win. However, I’ve always disliked it when a book meant for an older audience wins the day. We have the Printz and though it does not receive the same press as the Newbery, I feel it covers the tween crowd quite nicely. There are always exceptions, which is why I’m not exactly sitting down to rewrite the Newbery criteria. Case in point, Bomb. What I love about this is that while it does have an older audience in mind, the content is the kind of thing I’ve had many many 10, 11 and 12-year-olds asking me for over the years. They want bomb info. This book delivers and, amazing as it is to say, Jonathan actually agrees with me on this one. Wowzer!
Crow by Barbara Wright – I have a co-worker with a near supernatural sense of ALA Award winners. A year ago she kept harkening back to A Ball for Daisy. Kept saying how worthy it was and how the wordless sequences really put it over the top. This year she’s been getting the same feeling about Crow. I will admit to you that it took a long time for me to pick this Reconstruction-era tale up but when I finished I was glad that I did. It is worthy? No question. What may sink it is the question of kid-friendly reading. Technically this is not a serious consideration on the part of the Newbery committee, but it’s still something they take into account. Then again, my co-worker is so rarely wrong . . .
Not Mentioned (and why!):
The One and Only Ivan by Katharine Applegate – I was very fond of this one but I’m not sure if I’m ready to stick my flag into it and declare it a whole new world. It does some great things and like Wonder is very timely (the real Ivan died this year). Trouble is, it relies on a plot point that I’ve heard contested in more than one circle, so I’m not sure if it will get all that far.
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine – I was actually a big fan of this one. Really well done. Just didn’t quite have that little extra something to make it a Newbery.
No Crystal Stair by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson – Too YA. Though if we consider the sheer lack of multiculturalism this year I’d be more than happy to have it seriously considered.
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead – Love the book but I’m not sure of its long term staying power. A good one to be aware of in any case.
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage – I adore it but this has turned out to be a hugely divisive book. Please, oh please, dear sweet committee, prove me wrong!
Caldecott
(this kind of thing is so much easier to do when the New York Times Best Illustrated List has already come out)
And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead – In a year that could conceivably be considered Stead vs. Stead vs. Stead (this, Phil’s A Home for Bird, and the duo’s Bear Has a Story to Tell) of all the Steadifying of 2012 this book remains my favorite. It’s not just Fogliano’s delightful but careful and subdued writing. It’s how Ms. Stead has chosen to portray the sheer swaths of time left waiting for something to grow in the spring. This is a book about restraint (a notion foreign to most small children). Let us hope the committee is not the least bit restrained and gives is a glorious little award.
Step Gently Out by Helen Frost, photographs by Rick Lieder – As a woman who spent her young adult life certain that she would become a professional photographer (ah, crazed youth) my heart is still firmly in the court of photography. There is, naturally, the question of whether or not a book complemented by photographs constitutes “illustration”. In the fine art world photography has always been pooh-poohed as a lesser art, and some of that prejudice slips down even to the world of children’s literature. Indeed, no work of pure photography has ever won a Caldecott (the only near exception being Knuffle Bunny’s mix of photos and images). Certainly I always thought that if any photographer got such an award it would have to be Nic Bishop. If it happened to go to Rick Lieder instead, however, I would not mind a jot.
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen – The last time I mentioned my predictions I failed to include this little gem. The response from the artists out there was a universal cry of support. Mr. Klassen is very big amongst his fellows. That being said, there is some concern that the heroine of this book does not hold her knitting needles correctly. I can’t seem to find my copy but if true then this could potentially disqualify the book. FYI.
Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger – I refer you now to Lolly Robinson’s discussion at Calling Caldecott where she waxes rhapsodic about the various traits worth celebrating in the title. To my horror, however, she pointed out a small mistake. It sounds like a mild design issue and hopefully not a dealbreaker. Just the same, it could well reduce what I once thought of as the Caldecott frontrunner to an Honor. Or maybe not! I’m still counting on getting a green Newbery/Caldecott dress out of this.
Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff – A smart mix of tribute and original storytelling/art. One of the younger Caldecott contenders seen here, and I think that’s important. It is restrained in its text, but to just the right degree. Hopefully the committee will see it for the smart little book that it is.
Not Mentioned (and why!):
Z is for Moose by Kelly A. Bingham, ill. Paul O. Zelinsky – Hugely popular it is. Lots of fun as well. I’m just not certain it outshines the other potential candidates this year, that’s all. Still a stellar piece of work, no matter how you slice it.
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen – No, I’m afraid his work on Extra Yarn has a better chance. This one is a visual stunner, but not quite there on the writing side.
Oh No! by Candace Fleming, ill. Eric Rohmann – Great book but alas someone showed me a perspective problem near the end that may sink it for the committee. Doggone it.
And your thoughts?
October 28, 2012
Video Sunday: “I’ve promised it to Publishers’ Monthly”
See now, this is what I get for waiting when I see a good video. I’ve been doing my Video Sundays a little less frequently since I like to do them when the content is primo. The flipside is that sometimes I get scooped. Such is the case with today’s video. It is a delight and I have watched it multiple times, but it’s not as new as it once was. No matter. You will enjoy it thoroughly, I think. Thanks to Jon Scieszka and, by extension, Lisa Brown for the link.
Next up, a triple threat. He writes books like Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities (which I have read and thoroughly enjoyed). He blogs at Mike Jung’s Little Bloggy Wog. But the kicker? He sings. And goldurnit . . . he’s good.
Brother Iz step aside. I may have to rework my children’s book boy band roster around to include him. Dude has pipes.
Speaking of music, I am of the opinion that a catchy score can make or break a book trailer. Example A: As the Crow Flies by Sheila Keenan and Kevin Duggan. Catchy as all get out.
And where would this little trailer for the oh-so Canadian Little Jack Horner LIVE from the Corner be without its catchy tunes? Only author Helaine Becker and illustrator Mike Boldt know for sure.
In other news, J.K. Rowling was in town. Care to watch her chatter? Here’s the uncut interview with Jon Stewart in all it Daily Showy glory.
Finally, our off-topic video comes to us from good man Mike Lewis. As he says, it’s the reactions that make this one a classic.
Love it!
October 25, 2012
Fusenews: Paddington V. Pooh (supporters could call themselves marmalites and hunnies)
You folks have been awfully good about my recent shoddy blogging, so I tip my hat in your general direction. Jules of 7-Imp and I are putting the final touches on our book for Candlewick editing-wise and, as you might imagine, it eats up large swaths of time like an irate and hungry badger. There is no situation in which a badger cannot be used as an example. True fact.
In other news, there’s an author/illustrator out there that I happen to like very much. His name is Aaron Zenz and over the years he has startled me time and again with the relative brilliance of his creativity. If he wasn’t making multiple inspired pieces for the Re-Seussification Project then his kids were contributing to the stellar Boogie Woogie blog. Well, Aaron and Co. are some of my favorite folks so when I saw the Friends of Zenz page asking to help ‘em out in the midst of some pretty upsetting surgery, you can bet I jumped on board. If you’ve a minute, you can too. They’re swell folks.
So I got to meet J.K. Rowling the other day. Yup. The woman who basically set me on the path of children’s librarianship in the first place via her books and I up and met her. You see the good Dan Blank had tickets and one of those tickets happened to have my name on it. So I got to see her speak with Ann Patchett about this adult novel of hers The Casual Vacancy (a title I’m certain she stole from the notes of Lemony Snicket) and then I stood in a long line and got my copy signed. The conversation between us is as follows:
J.K. Rowling: Thanks for coming.
Betsy Bird: Guh.
Many thanks to Dan for the opportunity. He’s blogged about the experience here and just so you writer folks know, he’s doing another session of his author platform course starting Oct 31, with a free webinar. The course features Jane Friedman, Richard Nash, Colleen Lindsay, Kathleen Schmidt, Joanna Penn and Jeff Goins as guest speakers. Info on the session is here and the webinar is here.
“COMIC LEGEND: There was a Winnie the Pooh comic strip where the characters acted a lot more aggressively than most Winnie the Pooh fans are used to.
STATUS: True”
Thus we find the strangest and maybe most engaging link of the day. Apparently there was a Winnie-the-Pooh syndicated comic strip out there for a while that contained the Disneyfied Pooh and friends. And apparently it was written by some seriously odd souls. How else to explain some of these downright weird inclusions? Comic Book Legends Revealed explains more (you’ll have to scroll down a little but they’re worth finding). This one’s my favorite:
Wowzah.
And speaking of bears . . . how do you get kids interested in the political process? Have ‘em vote for bears, of course! The West Linn Public Library had an inspired idea. They’re holding a bear election through election day on November 6 and, as they explained it to me:
“inviting kids (and adults) to vote for their favorite bear from children’s literature: Pooh, Paddington, Mama Berenstain, or Corduroy. We have also gotten staff involved by asking them to volunteer to be bear campaign managers. The response from staff and patrons has been tremendous! Our campaign managers have embraced their roles beyond my wildest dreams by designing posters, stickers, bookmarks, and games to support their bear.We are having so much fun that I thought I would share with other libraries. I have even created a campaign video for my candidate, Mama Bear—here is that link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=vb.153513568034372&type=2“ Love it! I suppose I’m a staunch Pooh supporter thanks to my job, but it’s tough. Paddington comes in at a close second in my heart.
Okay, let’s do the Me Stuff all in one fell swoop today. First off, I made a reading list for NYC’s New Victory Theater to accompany their upcoming shows. Check it out here. I never properly thanked Miss Kathleen at Mental Floss for including me in the 24 Library-Centric Sites We Love round-up, to say nothing of the compliments regarding my video with Travis Jonker. Thanks to Maureen Petry for the links! I’m speaking at a Joan Aiken event tonight so enjoy this piece written by Lizza Aiken, Joan’s daughter, entitled Voices: The magical mysteries of children’s literature. I was interviewed at the blog The Children’s Book Review as part of their ongoing librarian series. And the Children’s Media Association blog gave me what could well be the most flattering spotlight I’ve received in my long internet life. Whew!
There was a Bibliography-Off between Judy Blume and one of my favorite comics Patton Oswalt not long ago. As Jezebel described it, “The only thing that could really be better than this (for a Sunday, anyway) is if Calvin and Hobbes were real and they spoke at a TED Talk about the vividness of a small child’s imagination.” I just wish S.E. Hinton had heeded Patton’s call to give him a hand. She’s on Twitter all the time, y’know. Thanks to Marjorie Ingall for the link!
Maybe you can’t see Phil Nel speaking in my library tomorrow about Crockett Johnson. If not, here’s the next best thing.
All right. Enough with the books. Let’s look at some up-to-date movie news directly from Cynopsis Kids. First up:
“Nickelodeon begins production this month on its new original comedy/caper TV movie, Swindle, which will star a bevy of the network’s stars including Jennette McCurdy (iCarly), Noah Crawford (How to Rock, You Gotta See This), Noah Munck (iCarly), Ariana Grande (Victorious), Chris O’Neal (How to Rock, You Gotta See This) and Ciara Bravo (Big Time Rush). Based on the popular kids book of the same name by Gordon Korman, the movie will be shot in Vancouver Canada. The movie is set to begin airing in 2014 on Nickelodeon’s 40+ international channels across Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia. The story begins when an evil collector cons Griffin (Crawford) out of a million dollar baseball card that could have saved his best friend’s (O’Neal) home, he teams a ragtag group of his classmates (Grande, McCurdy, Munck and Bravo) to take down the swindler. Directed by Jonathan Judge (Big Time Rush, Fred 3), Swindle is written by Bill Motz (Brandy & Mr. Whiskers) & Bob Roth (Lion King 2), Eric Freiser (Road to Ruin) and Adam Rifkin (Small Soliders, Mousehunt). Marjorie Cohn (Big Time Movie, Rags), Lauren Levine (Bridge to Terabithia, Best Player), Loris Lunsford, Karen Glass and Paul Barry serve as executive producers. Scott McAboy’s Pacific Bay Entertainment is producing.”
Second up:
“Toronto-based Radical Sheep Productions (Stella and Sam, Yub Yubs, The Big Comfy Couch) acquires the rights to the graphic novel series Fangbone! Third-Grade Barbarian, by author/illustrator Michael Rex (Goodnight Goon, The Runaway Mummy). Under the deal Radical Sheep will develop a K6-11 aimed animated series based on Fangbone! The story revolves around Fangbone, a nine-year-old barbarian warrior from Skullbania who winds up in third grade at Eastwood Elementary in order to save his native land from the evildoer Venomous Drool. With the help of his new pal Bill, a lovable, average, goofy kid, Fangbone outwits his enemies while discovering the modern world.”
Sometimes the title sells it alone: Children’s Author Illustrator Elisha Cooper Gives Lecture on “Inappropriate” Children’s Books.
New Blog Alert: The election’s coming up and everyone’s getting ready. With that in mind, did you know that there’s a blog out there solely dedicated to talking about political children’s books? Kid Lit About Politics it’s called. One for the radar.
New Blog Alert II: For that matter did you know there was a mother-son blog out there (adult mother and son!) called crossreferencing: a hereditary blog? Yep. There you can find Sarah and Mark Flowers as they, “discuss YA Literature and Librarianship from our dual perspectives.” It’s pretty cool.
New Blog Alert III: Tis the season. This third new blog is actual that of The Junior Library Guild called Shelf Life. It’s currently doing a wonderful job of discussing current issues and hot books. Of particular note is the post Save [Books of Wonder] and Save Your Soul. Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Have you ever watched the movie Matilda and thought to yourself, Whatever happened to child actress Mara Wilson? Thank god for the internet, eh? Thanks to Brita for the link.
On a serious note there is a lovely memory of Peter Sieruta up at the blog Archives and Special Collections. It happens to include what may be the first picture of Peter to ever make it to the world wide web. God, I miss that guy.
The Onion’s A.V. Club has been a bit lazy in their looks at children’s and YA literature but this recent post on 2012 graphic novels is well worth reading. Many thanks to Eric Carpenter for the link!
Daily Image:
Just knowing that Gabi Swiatkowska has a blog where she displays art like the pieces below is enough to make my life complete.
Thanks to Jane Curley for the link.
October 24, 2012
Children’s Literary Salon: Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss
I am serious as death when I state that if you see no other Children’s Literary Salon at NYPL, see this one:
The Children’s Literary Salon is pleased to announce our next event this Saturday, October 27th at 2:00 p.m.
Children’s Literary Salon
Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss:
How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI,
and Transformed Children’s Literature
Presented by Philip Nel
An illustrated talk, focusing on Johnson and Krauss in the 1950s, the period in which they reinvent the modern picture book, and the FBI places them under surveillance. Working with legendary Harper editor Ursula Nordstrom, Johnson publishes Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955), and Krauss begins her decade-long collaboration with Maurice Sendak, creating the groundbreaking A Hole Is to Dig (1952), A Very Special House (1953) and six others. And FBI builds a file on Johnson, opening his mail, monitoring his bank account, and noting the names of people who visited or phoned. Drawing from the biography (forthcoming September 2012) that shares its title with this talk, Nel offers a story of art, publishing, politics, and the power of the imagination.
Philip Nel is Professor of English and Director of Kansas State University’s Program in Children’s Literature. His most recent books are Keywords for Children’s Literature (co-edited with Lissa Paul, 2011) Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children’s Literature (co-edited with Julia Mickenberg, 2008), The Annotated Cat: Under the Hats of Seuss and His Cats (2007), Dr. Seuss: American Icon (2004). Forthcoming, fall 2012: a double biography of Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss, and The Complete Barnaby, Vol. 1 (co-edited with Eric Reynolds), which collects the first two years of Crockett Johnson’s influential comic strip. He also blogs. And tweets.
This event will be held in the main branch of New York Public Library at the Stephen A. Schwarzman building located at 42nd Street and 5th Avenue. The talk will take place in the South Court Auditorium. Copies of Mr. Nel’s book will be for sale at that time. The Children’s Literary Salon is a free event open to the public. No reservations necessary. See the announcement here for more details.
October 22, 2012
Review of the Day: Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters by K.G. Campbell
When writing a picture book it can sometimes be a good idea to take a universal childhood annoyance and then build upon it in a satisfyingly ridiculous manner. And kids, let’s face it, are often annoyed. They have to eat vegetables and take baths and take out the trash and any number of grumble-worthy daily events. And though I have no evidence to support it, I have a theory about bad gifts from relatives. I think that’s something that crosses space and time and language and culture. I think that you could find a kid in China, a kid in Tanzania, a kid in Peru, and a kid in Canada, all of whom have had to tolerate subpar gifts from well-meaning aunts, uncles, etc. We hold these truths to be self-evident that gift giving is an art. And when that art is perverted or twisted into something wrong and unholy, it can wreck havoc with a child’s everyday life. Enter Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters. You think you had it bad when Great-Aunt Hilda sent you twenty pairs of off-white tams? Buddy, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.
When Lester is informed that Cousin Clara will be staying with his family he thinks little of it. And everything is fine at first (Lester’s a little anal retentive and fortunately she doesn’t muck with his stuff). But the boy has no idea what he’s in for when she informs him one day that, “I made you a sweater.” And whatta sweater. It may in fact be the worst sweater Lester has seen in his entire life. After wearing it to school Lester finds that the sweater has conveniently become shrunk in the wash. No matter. Cousin Clara is, as she says, a “curiously speedy knitter”. And from her knitting needles erupt sweater after sweater, each beating the last out in terms of horrific awfulness. It isn’t until Lester uses his head after a birthday party and enlists the help of some good-natured clowns that he solves his sweater problem and even manages to break out of his shell a little.
There is some understanding out there that a good first sentence is imperative to a children’s novel. I would take that one step farther and say that it can do wonders for a picture book as well. Listen to how Campbell chooses to begin this book: “Cousin Clara’s cottage was consumed by a crocodile. Luckily, Cousin Clara wasn’t in it.” It is surprising to find that this is Campbell’s debut because his writing is remarkable. Clipped and catchy. Unafraid to use big words that are there on the page simply because they sound so good. The book works because everything is understated to a beautiful degree. Catcalls at school are simply put as, ” . . . Enid Measles made a less-than-pleasant remark.” Explanations regarding Lester’s sweaters’ strange fate vary from “What a mysterious accident” to “It’s an inexplicable tragedy.” And of course the story works beautifully within itself. It is true to its own strange internal logic.
Lester is a very interesting picture book hero in that he is a brave, yet put-upon neurotic. Neurotics are usually portrayed in books as simpering cowards, clutching their hand sanitizers and avoiding any and all dogs. Lester may measure his socks to make sure they are sufficiently even and he may keep a notebook of everything from “Forty-Four Foul Foods” to “Stinky Things Beginning With B” but he does not pale in the face of adversity. Heck, when he first hears about Cousin Clara’s home his reaction is not to register horror or fear like his parents but rather to get good and angry (presumably at the crocodile). Later, when he finds himself at war with Clara’s unholy knitting speed he uses his brain to do away with the intolerable woolen garments.
And they are terrible. They’re horrible. They’re so magnificently bad that it is clear from the outset that K.G. Campbell was both author and artist on this book. Had someone else done the pictures I don’t think the writer could have counted on them to render Cousin Clara’s sweaters half as atrocious as they deserve to be. It can be difficult to do justice to a lines like, “It was shriveled yet saggy. It has holes where it shouldn’t and none where it should. It was a less-than-pleasant yellow and smothered with purple pom-poms.” It is magnificent in its horror and Lester’s misery is palpable from the page. Every sweater, in fact, outdoes the last in terms of sheer grotesqueness. The pencil crayon art is the perfect medium too, giving a soft hue to Lester’s dire situation. Not that Campbell won’t ratchet up the horror when he needs to. In one particularly memorable spread we see Lester kneeling with the red dripping shreds of a sweater in one hand and the world’s sharpest scissors in the other. It’s a scene straight out of a horror film and the only thing more frightening than the unapologetic wool gore is Cousin Clara’s expression as she holds up a work of feathers and striped feet and would be enough to drive a second grader mad. Horror for the post-preschool set, then.
We hear a lot about picture books helping kids to put a face to their fears, but what about their annoyances? I understand the need for folks to write books about fearing the dark, a new bed, the bathtub drain, etc. But once the kids have outgrown some of those smaller fears they’re going to have much worse ones to contend with. Relatives that insist on kissing you on the lips. Neighborhood dogs that always bark at you. Parents who insist on putting you to bed at the same time as your little sibling. For them, folks like K.C. Campbell put a face on their grievances and give them hope that maybe they’ll find a solution to their own problems. And with Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters as a guide, there is hope for us all.
On shelves now.
Source: Final copy sent from publisher for review.
Like This? Then Try:
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
13 Words by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Mara Kalman
The Mysterious Tadpole by Steven Kellogg
Shelf Elf
Waking Brain Cells
LibrisNotes
Owl Tell You About It
Professional Reviews:
A star from Kirkus
The New York Times
Publishers Weekly
October 20, 2012
Press Release Fun: The Wolves of Willoughby Chase Hits 50 so It’s Time to Party!
More stuff I’m up to. This time, it’s all about the Aiken:
610 West 112th Street, New York, NY 10025
www.bankstreetbooks.com
For Immediate Release
CELEBRATE THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE AND THE LIFE AND WORK OF AUTHOR JOAN AIKEN
October 15, 2012, New York City–Lizza Aiken will appear at Bank Street in two October events celebrating the life and work of her mother, notable children’s author Joan Aiken.
On Friday, October 26, Lizza Aiken will join agent Charles Schlessinger, children’s book blogger and librarian Betsy Bird, and editor George Nicholson in a panel presentation honoring Joan Aiken (1924-2004) and her 1962 book, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. The panel, moderated by Michael Patrick Hearn (The Annotated Wizard of Oz, The Annotated Huckleberry Finn) will begin at 7 PM at the Bank Street College Auditorium.
Date: Friday, October 26
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Auditorium, Bank Street College of Education, 610 112th Street
Then on Saturday, October 27 at 3 PM, Lizza Aiken, an actor (Mike Figgis’s The House), will be doing a presentation for children at the Bank Street Bookstore. She will also be signing copies of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, and giving away sampler CDs of the upcoming audiobook, winner of Audiofile Magazine’s Earphones award, which she performed. She will read from the book, and offer reflections on her mother’s life and work, and advice for young writers.
Date: Saturday October 27
Time: 3:00 pm
Place: Bank Street Bookstore, Broadway at 112th Street (southwest corner)
The daughter of American author Conrad Aiken, Joan Aiken was born and raised in Britain. A contemporary of Norton Juster and Roald Dahl, Aiken is known for her role in pioneering a lively writing style that introduces elements of comedy into the fantasy and gothic traditions in British children’s literature. In 1988 The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Aiken’s debut book and the first in a 12-part series, was made into a movie by the same name directed by Stuart Orme.
This celebration of Joan Aiken is produced by Bank Street Bookstore, which is part of the Bank Street College of Education, and is among the largest children’s and educational bookstores in the country.
Contact: Rebecca Migdal 413-230-7739 migdalart@mindspring.com
October 19, 2012
Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2013
Because it’s never too early to start with the drooling.
Knowing as I do that I should probably be working on my third Newbery/Caldecott prediction list, I’m temporary eschewing that bit of fun to mention some of the titles that I am both seeing and hoping to see in the coming 2013 season. There’s a whole whopping roster of delights and goodies out there that you may not have even heard of. Thankfully I was able to think up a nice swath of them and get most of their covers.
Let’s do this in a systematic way. By category! First off:
Folktales
Grandma and the Great Gourd by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, illustrated by Susy Pilgrim Waters
Two things struck me about this title. First and foremost, the fact that it even IS a folktale. Do you know how rare those are these days? Seriously, they’re like flakes of gold in a river bend. Normally only small independent publishers dare put them out anymore. The fact that Roaring Brook has tried their hand is inspiring. But what really caught my attention was the presence of Susy Pilgrim Waters. That’s the woman who did the mural for the Children’s Center at 42nd, my former stomping grounds for a good four years. Folks would come in all the time, admire it, and then ask what children’s books she’d done. “Uh . . . she did the cover of Ruth White’s Way Down Deep” we’d answer lamely. Now in 2013 she’s doing at least one book jacket and an actual honest-to-god picture book. Bloody blooming time!
Picture Books
Building Our House by Jonathan Bean
Bean’s back, baby! Remember Jonathan Bean? Oh, he was just the toast of the children’s literary world a couple years ago. For a while he was producing some seriously fine stuff. Then he dropped out of sight for personal reasons. Now he’s making a slow comeback and he’s doing his re-debut with a truly personal tale. This is sort of a picture book memoir account of the time his family decided to construct their own house. It goes through the step-by-step ways in which you put a building together. Considering how many books I’ve read this year in which people rebuild their homes (Buddy by M.H. Herlong, What Came From the Stars by Gary Schmidt, etc.) this picture book will fit right in with the rest. Be sure to check out the awesome family photos at the back.
Giant Dance Party by Betsy Bird
What the . . . Gee willikers, how the heck did THAT book end up on this list? Must be some kind of strange coincidence. But while it’s here it would be a crime for me NOT to mention it, right? Right? Heh heh . . . heh . . . hooo. So yes, my first picture book is out this coming spring. It involves gigantic blue furry giants who dance. There is also a small child. And I am pleased to report that this is the first picture book in my experience that has ever included krumping. Seriously. Don’t know how I can sell it to you any better than that. [For those of you not entirely certain what krumping is, I refer you to this YouTube video] Anywho, book by me. Woot to the woot to the woot woot woot.
Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon
Awesomeness in a single book. I don’t know this Meshon fellow but after this book I’ll never forget him. It’s sort of an awesome look at one boy and his love of baseball in America as well as Japan. Features all kinds of details about life in Japan, what you yell at the players, the alternatives over there to big foam fingers, etc.
Would make for a great companion to My Japan by Etsuko Watanabe. Love.
Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea
If I were to pinpoint the book that I am the most upset had to come out in the same season as my own, it is this one. I am actually a little tongue-tied with this. It is, without a doubt, Bob Shea’s greatest creation. A book so good and glorious and funny and smart and uniquely Shea that I have proselytized its name to every person of my acquaintance at least once. It’s reader’s theater. It’s hilarity. It’s clearly going to have to be a movie or a television show at some point in the very near future. I will say no more. It hurts my eyes to look at it too long, it’s so shiny with wonderfulness.
The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen
Oh yeah. You read that right. Snicket meets Klassen. Genius, right? These two crazy kids were just made for one another. Sorry I don’t have a visual for this yet (I only got to see a sneak peek at an undisclosed location) but I have gotten a chance to read it cover to cover and it is steeped in goodness. It also happens to be Snicket’s most kid-friendly picture book to date (not that I didn’t love that screamy little latke, do not get me wrong). But this book taps into a fear, names it, does away with it, and works. Lurve.
Graphic Novels
Poseidon: Earth Shaker by George O’Connor
Well, duh. I’m sorry, am I supposed to say more than that? Aside from saying wantwantwantwantwant?
Fiction
Jinx by Sage Blackwood
Though it was mistakenly sold to me at one point as an eco-thriller (few descriptive terms turn me off quite as fast as that one) a librarian I know and trust and who very rarely steers me wrong assured me that this was one fantasy novel worth reading and loving. Good thing I’ve a copy on my shelf then.
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
Actually, I finished this one recently and boy does it have a killer first chapter. Seriously, folks should go out and get it just to see how you can make your book stand out from the pack. It’s going to be a little hard to shelve this one since it is straight up middle school. I’ve never read such a middle school book in my life. Seriously, it isn’t children’s and it isn’t YA. Junior High is this title’s perfect home. The plot involves a boy who runs away to New York City to audition for E.T.: The Musical. Find it. Read it. Enjoy it thoroughly. Then tell me exactly where you’ve shelved it so that I can follow suit.
The Odd Squad: Bully Bait by Michael Fry
Oh, by the way. In 2013 you’re going to see at least three novels out by syndicated cartoonists. Yep. The fellers behind Over the Hedge, Pearls Before Swine, and Zits are all coming out with books. This one is from the Over the Hedge guy and I have never NEVER seen such a Bloom Countyish book in all my livelong days. Seriously, there’s a certain point when it starts to get weird how early-Bloom County this book is. That said, it’s one of the most nuanced looks at bullying I’ve seen for 2013. and speaking of which . . .
The Bully Book by Eric Kahn Gale
Apparently this book is already a bit controversial since it outlines what you need to do to become a bully. Looks interesting, though. Are you aware just how many bully books are out in 2013, by the way? Good thing I’ve a Literary Salon this Saturday to discuss that very issue (I may as well just rename this post “Shameless Plugs Galore” or something similar).
33 Minutes (… Until Morgan Sturtz kicks my butt) by Todd Hasak-Lowy
Another one I’ve already read. Another bully book. Another strong contender. Actually it’s less bully book and more middle school love story. Sort of the antithesis of The Kind of Friends We Used to Be. It’s like a middle school death of a relationship tale with funny pictures. Very enjoyable and weirdly touching.
Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked by Jarrett Krosoczka
It’s a buddy cop middle grade book starring mammals that have bills and lay eggs. Do I really need to say more?
Mister Orange by Truus Matti
Oh oh oh!! So very excited to read this one. Truus Matti gained a fair amount of attention for a small but wonderful middle grade novel a year or two ago called Departure Time. It was absolutely amazing, that book. Now’s she’s back and her new publisher is the enchanting Enchanted Lion. I am very VERY excited to see this. You have no idea.
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis
This one of the other syndicated cartoonist books, this time from the Pearls Before Swine guy. The deadpan humor is remarkable. It’s sort of a notebook novel in the Wimpy Kid vein but to my mind it bears far more similarities to Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze. You will actually laugh out loud with this book, and I don’t usually say that about the titles I read. But so far, when it comes to 2013, this is the funniest book I’ve seen.
Poetry
Stardines Swim High Across the Sky by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Carin Berger
It’s sort of a follow-up to Behold the Brave Umbrellaphant. Only this time Berger created the art not just with collage but by constructing elaborate boxes that were then photographed for the pictures (see here at Seven Impossible Things).
So to sum up: Prelutsky cleverness meets the first book that might (oh please, oh please) give Berger some of that lovely award attention she so greatly deserves.
The Pet Project: Cute and Cuddly Vicious Verses by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Zachariah O’Hara
Admittedly I only got just the smallest glimpse of this one recently but what little I saw pleased and amused and made me very happy indeed.
Nonfiction
A Little Book of Sloth by Lucy Cooke
I think the title and cover speak for themselves, yes?
Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin
Spirin! Frogs! Gorgeous gorgeousness!
The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, illustrated by Stacy Innerst
Though some bios have come out about the Beatles, few play up their humor sufficiently and fewer still are picture book bios. Krull, as we all already know, is such a pro that I am quite certain the reading experience will be sublime.
Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson
Yep. Looks about right.
Lincoln’s Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin
Though he’s probably best known for his current National Book Award nomination for Bomb, I first noticed Mr. Sheinkin when he wrote the delightful King George: What Was His Problem? Everything your schoolbooks didn’t tell you about The American Revolution back in 2008. Since then he’s garnered tons of attention on the YA nonfiction side. Now he sort of moves back to the juv with this fantastic account of the true story of how some men decided it would be a good idea to dig up our president and hold his body for ransom.
And finally, I leave the best for last.
The Boy Who Loved Math by Deborah Heiligman, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
It causes me physical pain not to show you any art for this because believe me when I say it’s a stunner. Ms. Heiligman, whom you may know best for her award winning Charles and Emma, has written a picture book biography of math guru and possible itinerant saint Paul Erdos. The text looks superb but Pham’s art . . . you’ve never seen anything like it. It’s making me hyperventilate a little over its beauty. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty and I don’t think we’ll even get to see the book until next June. So please, do yourself a favor and put it on your radar.
That’s all for now! I know that there’s lots I haven’t seen, but these are the books that make the shrunken shriveled heart within my check do a little pitta-pat. Let me know what else you’re looking forward to seeing!
