Betsy Bird's Blog, page 39

“The very unlikely Forrest Gump of the avant-garde.” A Nicholas Day Q&A about Nothing: John Cage and 4’33”

I like a book that explains to me in the simplest possible terms concepts that have eluded me my entire life. This is probably why I have a tendency to prefer to deal with children’s books, and it further explains my particular fondness for nonfiction. Take, for example, the composer John Cage. Not being particularly proficient in the avant-garde, I think it would be fair to say that until very recently I have been dismissive (at best) of his famous work 4’33”. You’ve probably heard of it. It wa...

We’ve Got a Gal from Kalamazoo: It’s a Polly Horvath Q&A and Cover Reveal for Library Girl!

Y’all already know Polly Horvath, right? Children’s author. Creator of Everything on a Waffle (a Newbery Honor Book), The Trolls (a National Book Award Finalist), and The Canning Season (winner of the National Book Award). The Canning Season, for the record, may be notable as one of the few middle grade novels out there to use the f-word with some incredible frequency. You probably won’t be seeing that particular turn of phrase in her latest middle grade novel, Library Girl, however. After all, ...

The Rules of the Genre Are: There Are No Rules. An Alicia D. Williams Q&A on Mid-Air

You know what’s neat? Talking to Newbery Honor winners. That’s just neat. Fun too, come to think of it. For example, let’s consider author Alicia D. Williams. In 2020 her book Genesis Begins Again won a Newbery Honor (AND a John Steptoe New Talent Award AND it was a William C. Morris Finalist) and since that time she’s been absolutely killing it with books like Shirley Chisholm Dared (a Jane Addams Peace Association winner), The Talk, and my personal favorite Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale ...

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

April is National Autism Acceptance Month, so Kate asked me to bring her an appropriate book. Our usual rule is that we only consider books that are 20+ years old. The trouble is that most of the best books on the topic of the autistic spectrum were created within the last two decades. So we’re cheating a bit this week and going with something produced in 2005 (a whole year too early, by our usual standards). And rather than go the direct route, I am selecting a book that has been embraced b...

Review of the Day: Jump for Joy by Karen Gray Ruelle, ill. Hadley Hooper

Jump for Joy
By Karen Gray Ruelle
Illustrated by Hadley Hooper
Astra Books for Young Readers
$18.99
ISBN: 9781662602023
Ages 4-7
On shelves now

Imagine that I walk around all the time with a faux group of students in my head. As I read through books for kids every day, I find myself coming up with rules about children���s literature. Rules that, if I���m going to be honest, were probably already thought up by someone else long before me. Still, once in a while I sit down and write these thoughts...

Why Is It Impossible to Create a Good Feature Film From a Picture Book?

We all saw the trailer.

Oh, what’s that? You didn’t have the pleasure yet? Then allow me:

The sentence I heard the most when it premiered was, “Where did that come from?” Or, “I didn’t even know they were making that!”

I knew, but only because of a freak accident. About two years ago my in-laws informed me that a movie studio was recording the film Harold and the Purple Crayon across the street from their home in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta. “Is there a hot air balloon...

Myrick Publisher Preview: Spring 2024 ��� Albatros, Arctis, Barefoot, and Berbay

Never say I don’t love you. This would be the EIGHTH preview of many of our smaller publishers that I’m displaying for you on my site. These books, as you’ll recall, are often easy to miss, but we love them because often they’re hella interesting (and, if we’re lucky, hella weird). We���re continuing our series thanks, in large part, to Myrick Marketing. Be sure to read previous installments of this series. Part One here, Part Two here, Part Three here, Part Four here, Part Five here, Part Six h...

Finding Out How It All Ends: An Original Comic from Emma Hunsinger

Sometimes I just glance at someone’s work and I like it so much that I instantly know I’m going to be that person’s #1 fan for (checks watch) life. I felt it last year when I saw Mexikid for the very first time. I feel it this year now looking at the upcoming debut middle grade graphic novel How It All Ends (out August 6th). Or, to be more precise, I’m not looking at the GN quite yet. Instead, I’m looking at a comic that Emma Hunsinger, the personage behind the book, created to introduce YOU...

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: King Stork by Howard Pyle, ill. Trina Schart Hyman

What makes an appropriate April Fool’s post? How about a book that FOOLED its own art directors, editors, publicists, etc. by including copulation? I’d say that counts! In fact, you might say that Trina Schart Hyman was the ultimate April Fool’s picture book creator! She snuck insults of book reviewers onto gravestones. She managed to get the missionary position into a Howard Pyle book. She even made her ex-girlfriend the evil queen in her version of Snow White (while she made herself one of...

In the Mix: A Q&A and Cover Reveal of All Mixed Up with Raj Tawney

It’s tough, man. Tough putting a middle grade out there, when there are folks claiming the middle grade novel is dead (mmhmm). Tough to pretty much have to do all your own publicity. Tough to try to sell yourself to the public, sight unseen. It’s a harsh world out there.

But here at A Fuse #8 Production, there’s nothing I like more than a cover reveal paired with a nice little old-fashioned Q&A. And back in January, you might have seen this news item show up in the Publishers’ Weekly:

Paw...