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Dwarf Nose
By Wilhelm Hauff
Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger
Translated by Anthea Bell
Minedition
$19.99
ISBN: 97898888341139
Ages 8-12
On shelves April 1st

It seems so funny to me that for all that our culture loves and adores fairytales, scant attention is paid to the ones that can rightfully be called both awesome and obscure. There is a perception out there that there are only so many fairytales out there that people really need to know. But for every Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty you run into, there’s a Tatterhood or Riquet with the Tuft lurking on the sidelines. Thirty or forty years ago you’d sometimes see these books given a life of their own front and center with imaginative picture book retellings. No longer. Folktales and fairytales are widely viewed by book publishers as a dying breed. A great gaping hole exists, and into it the smaller publishers of the world have sought to fulfill this need. Generally speaking they do a very good job of bringing world folktales to the American marketplace. Obscure European fairytales, however, are rare beasts. How thrilled I was then to discover the republication of Wilhelm Hauff and Lisbeth Zwerger’s Dwarf Nose. Originally released in America in 1995 by North-South books, the book has long been out-of-print. Now the publisher minedition has brought it back and what a beauty it is. Strange and sad and oddly uplifting, this tale has all the trappings of the fairytales you know and love, but somehow remains entirely unexpected just the same.

For there once was a boy who lived with his two adoring parents. His father was a cobbler and his mother sold vegetables and herbs in the market. One day the boy was assisting his mother when a very strange old woman came to them and starting digging her dirty old hands through their wares. Incensed, the boy insulted the old woman, which as you may imagine didn’t go down very well. When the boy is made to help carry the woman’s purchases back to her home he is turned almost immediately into a squirrel and made to work for seven years in her kitchen. After that time he awakes, as if in a dream, only to find seven years have passed and his body has been transformed. Now he has no neck to speak of, a short frame, a hunched back, and a extraordinarily long nose. Sad that his parents refuse to acknowledge him as their son, he sets forth to become the king’s cook. And all would have gone without incident had he not picked up that enchanted goose in the market one day. Written in 1827 this tale is famous in Germany but remains relatively obscure in the United States today.

I go back and forth when I consider why this fairytale isn’t all that famous to Americans. There are a variety of reasons. There are some depressing elements to it (kid is unrecognizable to parents, loses seven years of his life, etc.) sure. There aren’t any beautiful princesses (except possibly the goose). The bad guy doesn’t even appear in the second act. Still, it’s the peculiarities that give it its flavor. We’ve heard of plenty of stories where the heroes are transformed by the villains, but how many villains give those same heroes a useful occupation in the process? It’s Dwarf Nose’s practicalities that are so interesting, as are the nitty gritty elements of the tale. I love the use of herbs particularly. Whether the story is talking about Sneezewell or Bellyheal, you get the distinct feeling that you’re listening to someone who knows what they’re talking about. Plus there are tiny rodent servants. That’s a plus.

We like it when our fairytales give us nice clear-cut morals. Be clever, be kind, be good. This may be another reason why Dwarf Nose never really took off in the States. At first glance one would assume that the moral would be about not judging by appearances. Dwarf Nose’s parents cannot comprehend that their beautiful boy is now ugly, and so they throw him out. He gets a job as a chef but does not search out a remedy until the goose he rescues gives him some hope. I was fully prepared for him to remain under his spell for the rest of his life without regrets, but of course that doesn’t happen. He’s restored to his previous beauty, he returns to his parents who welcome him with open arms, and he doesn’t even marry the goose girl. Hauff ends with a brief mention of a silly war that occurred thanks to Dwarf Nose’s disappearance ending with the sentence, “Small causes, as we see, often have great consequences, and this is the story of Dwarf Nose.” That right there would be your moral then. Not an admonishment to avoid judging the outward appearance of a thing (though Dwarf Nose’s talents drill that one home pretty clearly) but instead that a little thing can lead to a great big thing.

When this version of Dwarf Nose was originally released in the States in 1994 the reviews were puzzled by its length. Booklist said it was “somewhat verbose to modern listeners” and School Library Journal noted the “grotesque tenor of the book”. Fascinatingly this is not the only incarnation of this tale you might find in America. In 1960 Doris Orgel translated a version of “Dwarf Long-Nose” which was subsequently illustrated by Maurice Sendak. The School Library Journal review of Zwerger’s version in 1994 suggested that the Sendak book was infinitely more kid-friendly than hers. I think that’s true to a certain extent. You get a lot more pictures with the Sendak and the book itself is a much smaller format. While Zwerger excels in infinitely beautiful watercolors, Sendak’s pen and inks with just the slightest hint of orange for color are almost cartoonish in comparison. What I would argue then is that the intended age of the audience is different. Sure the text is remarkably similar, but in Zwerger’s hands this becomes a fairytale for kids comfortable with Narnia and Hogwarts. I remember as a tween sitting down with my family’s copy of World Tales by Idries Shah as well as other collected fairytales. Whether a readaloud for a fourth grade class, an individual tale for the kid obsessed with the fantastical, or bedtime reading for older ages, Dwarf Nose doesn’t go for the easy audience, but it does go for an existing one.

Lisbeth Zwerger is a fascinating illustrator with worldwide acclaim everywhere except, perhaps, America. It’s not that her art feels too “foreign” for U.S. palates, necessarily. I suspect that as with the concerns with the length of Dwarf Nose, Zwerger’s art is usually seen as too interstitial for this amount of text. We want more art! More Zwerger! I’ve read a fair number of her books over the years, so I was unprepared for some of the more surreal elements of this one. In one example the witch Herbwise is described as tottering in a peculiar fashion. “…it was as if she had wheels on her legs, and might tumble over any moment and fall flat on her face on the paving stones.” For this, Zwerger takes Hauff literally. Her witch is more puppet than woman, with legs like bicycle wheels and a face like a Venetian plague doctor. We have the slightly unnerving sensation that the book we are reading is, in fact, a performance put on for our enjoyment. That’s not a bad thing, but it is unexpected.

When Zwerger’s Dwarf Nose came out in 1994 it was entering a market where folktales were on the outs. Still, libraries bought it widely. A search on WorldCat reveals that more than 500 libraries currently house in on their shelves after all these years. And while folktale sections of children’s rooms do have a tendency to fall into disuse, it is possible that the book has been reaching its audience consistently over the years. It may even be time for an upgrade. Though it won’t slot neatly into our general understanding of what a fairytale consists of, Dwarf Nose will find its home with like-minded fellows. Oddly touching.

On shelves April 1st.

Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.

Misc: Check out this fantastic review of the same book by 32 pages.

धुटन, आत्मा और महिलाएं टीवी का चैनल बदलते हुए अचानक एक धारावाहिक पर ध्यान चला गया. नाम था May I Come in Madam… उसकी एक पात्रा में अक्सर दादी की आत्मा आती है. मुझे याद आई बहुत साल पहले की बात जब हमारे घर के पास रहने वाली एक जानकार अक्सर हमारे घर आ जाती […]

The post धुटन, आत्मा और महिलाएं appeared first on Monica Gupta.

Per Deadline, Amazon Studios has ordered a pilot to relaunch the cult classic property The Tick with a new take on Ben Edlund’s superhero spoof. Edlund will write and executive produce on the project and two cast members have already signed on-board: Griffin Newman will play Arthur, The Tick’s moth-garbed sidekick and Valorie Curry will […]

Are you the kind of writer who has several book ideas (or even written several books), possibly in different genres? If so, you may be wondering where to start. Which book should be the first one you write, or pitch to agents and editors?
 
It’s a question worth asking, and you’d do well to put some serious thought into it. Here are my thoughts:

FOR NON-FICTION:
 
Spend some time on each idea, one by one. First work on a rough outline of what the book would be. List the themes and topics you’d want to cover. Ask yourself: is there enough material here for a whole book? Consider whether you’ll be able to gather the information needed to fill a book on this topic. Is there enough to say?
 
Marketplace: Are there other books on this topic? Too many? Is there room or need for another one? Can you identify a hole in the market that needs to be filled? If there are no books on this topic, consider why. Is there a need but no one has filled it yet? Or is this something that people don’t want to read a book about?
 
You: Consider whether you’re the right person to write this book. Do you have any qualifications that would cause book buyers to trust you? Do you have a platform with which to sell this book?
 
The idea itself: Try to be honest. Is it unique, or derivative of many other books you’ve seen? When you talk with people about it, do they seem to get it? Do they respond with excitement, curiosity, inquisitiveness?
 
Put all your information together and a picture should emerge of each idea’s viability and chances of selling.
 
FOR FICTION:
 
Where is your heart? Others might have different advice, but I think you need to write the novel that is most on your heart and mind right now. Always save your book ideas in a file, and add to them when the muse strikes. But write the one that’s speaking to you.
 
Get some input. You could carefully craft a one-sentence hook for each of your book ideas, then show them to a group of friends or fellow writers, asking them to rank the ideas in order of interest. This might help, if there is some similarity in their answers. Perhaps a clear winner will emerge. But you might get a variety of responses. So again, you’ll need to choose the book you are ready to write. With fiction, the idea is important, yet secondary to the writing.
 
What about market trends? You do need to know what’s going on in the marketplace, but be aware it can change at any moment. What editors are looking for today might not be what they’re seeking eight months from now when you finish your novel. So don’t chase trends.
 
The first book sets you up. If you haven’t sold any books yet, be aware that branding is important, so the first book you sell will set you up to begin creating your brand. Make sure that first book is something you want to write, and make sure it begins establishing a brand identity that you’ll continue.
 

Do you have a variety of book ideas or entirely written books? How will you decide where to start?

Need a writing or publishing coach? Click here for packages.

Image copyright: petro / 123RF Stock Photo

The post So Many Ideas, So Little Time appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Single, 2009

One of the many reasons I love the Canadian punk rock band Fucked Up is their combination of ambition and prolificness. For example, nearly every year since 2006, they release a single tied to the Chinese Zodiac animal for that year.

I’m sure a bigger Fucked Up fan than I am can explain where this idea came from, I’m just more interested in the fact that not only do they do it in the first place, but they release long punk-prog epics that remind me more of multi-part Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath or Rush songs than they do any of the bands rebelling against those bands.

Of course, in the post-millennial era, there continues to be widening disconnect between the music an artist plays and the music an artist actually enjoys, a disconnect that has been fueled by the rise of the sharing and streaming of music. If you don’t have to spend a bunch of money to sample a bunch of music, then why not?

In any event, the point is that these singles give Fucked Up a chance to stretch out and challenge their audience while keeping the albums — relatively — straightforward.

So 2009’s “Year of the Rat” starts with a slow, piano-and-bass intro, then kicks into guitars and overdubbed drums — backwards and forwards — dueling in each speaker before Mike Hailechuck’s main guitar riff and singer Damon Abraham even make an appearance.

After awhile, Abraham chants the title over and over again, and the song shifts gears, speeding up while waves of guitars swell and swell until awesome drummer Jonah Falco beats them into submission with a massive, elongated drum roll. After that, the drums and guitars walk together until finally collapsing back into the piano-and-bass part that started the whole thing.

“Year of The Rat”

“Year of the Rat” performed live in 2015

Every Certain Song Ever
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The post Certain Songs #476: Fucked Up – “Year of The Rat” appeared first on Booksquare.

Hey kids! Are you writing a mystery or thriller but just can't seem to decide WHO, in fact, DUN IT? Well, fret no more, because Toon Thursday has a brand-new addition to the Writer's Toolkit JUST FOR YOU. Just spin the wheel, and you can blame it... Read the rest of this post

The Royal City Literary Arts Society (BC) is accepting entries for the RCLAS Write on! Contest. Three genres: fiction (1500 words max.), non-fiction (1500 words max.) and poetry. First prize in each genre: $100. Entry fee: $20 ($10 for members). Selected entrants published in RCLAS’ e-zine, Wordplay at Work. Deadline: April 1, 2016.

One thing I forgot to mention in my write-up of Long Way to a Small Angry Planet yesterday was how much the book is about violence and the ways in which cultures and individuals deal with it. I mentioned Dr Chef’s species the Grum who had destroyed themselves in a war and the survivors had decided it was not worth rebuilding their society, they had ruined their right to exist in the galaxy and so the species is going extinct.

I also mentioned the captain of the ship, Ashby. As an Exodan human he is a pacifist. When humans were still on Earth and doing their best to destroy it and each other, the wealthy picked up stakes and moved to Mars, creating a colony there but only for the people who could afford it. Those left behind on a planet that was no longer hospitable to human life, made a last ditch effort to survive by building ships and launching out into the unknowns of space with no real destination. Some of them survived because they were found by one of the species of the Galactic Commons. As a result of their experiences, the Exodan humans developed a culture of pacifism that is often so extreme they refuse to even defend themselves when attacked.
 
All of the various species in the book have stories of violence and war in their collective histories. The Galactic Commons itself is a kind of galactic UN. How each culture came to terms with their violent past makes for an interesting examination of responses to violence. One culture goes in for communal orgies while another becomes so rule-bound that spontaneity is not heard of and would probably get you thrown into prison anyway.
 
Then there are the Toremi, a species whose whole existence is shaped by the continuous wars between the clans. They all believe the wars are sanctioned by the Pattern, the belief system by which they live. The violence doesn’t just exist between clans but within one’s own clan as well. It is a kind of dog-eat-dog existence and the more you kill the more respect you garner. Any offence no matter how slight, might get you killed or prompt you to kill someone else.
 
One of the great things about the book is that while all of this is there, it is never posted with flashing neon signs nor does the author make any intrusions and tell us what to think. We are being offered options, different ways of being and the reader gets to choose and decide for herself.
 
And this is why blogs are so great for talking about books – we aren’t bound to one review and done, we get extra innings.
 
While perusing the Baileys Prize longlist I spied The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie. This is the book that has the tête-à-tête with the charismatic squirrel in it that I am waiting my turn for it at the library. I have moved up to 27th place. Alas I was hoping I would have that book and the next Squirrel Girl comic about the same time but it is not looking likely. I am already up to number 8 for Squirrel Girl.
 
Since I am on the topic of books on prize lists, The Vegetarian is on the longlist for the Man Booker International. I’m sure all the books on the list are good but I can’t imagine that any of them could be as good as Kang’s. I hope she wins!
 
Another unsolicited distraction arrived in my mailbox yesterday. This one is by Janet Todd. That would be the same Janet Todd who has written biographies of Jane Austen, Mary Wollstonecraft, Aphra Behn, and many others. Except this book is a novel, A Man of Genius. Because of the cover (a Venice canal) and the cover blurb rapturing on about love, obsession and “decadent glory,” I was in the process of moving it to the pile of books to get rid of when Bookman stopped me. You know who Janet Todd is don’t you? The name was familiar but I couldn’t quite place it. Then Bookman connected the dots for me and suggested I might want to not be so hasty in getting rid of it. He was right. So now it is on my poor reading table.

The book is historical fiction featuring a woman who makes a living writing cheap gothic novels. She meets and becomes the lover of Robert James, supposed poetic genius. They go to Venice. Spies, intrigue, madness, revelations ensue. Sounds like a potboiler and not my typical choice of reading but I will give it try. Just don’t know when yet. But that probably surprises no one.

Flash fiction podcast No Extra Words seeks stories 2,000 words max, with a preference for stories under 1,000 words. Accepts reprints and loves emerging writers. No reading fees or deadlines.

The 2016 MoCCA Festival is just around the corner at its new (and we hope permanent home) at Metropolitan West, with the dates of April 2-3. The programming has just been announced, as as with last year, it will take place a block or so away at Ink48 at 653 11th Avenue at 48th Street. This year's Fest features Guests of Honor Stephen Universe's Rebecca Sugar, Diary of a Teenage Girl author Phoebe Gloeckner, El Deafo author Cece Bell, legendary illustrator, animator and graphic novelist R. O. Blechman, and artist Sonny Liew, suthor of this year's masterpiece. As in years past, the programming curated and organized by MoCCA Arts Festival Programming Director Bill Kartalopoulos and it covers all facets of the comics ublishing business.

It’s been more than 40 years since Natalie Babbitt’s award-winning book Tuck Everlasting was published. Now, the story of an immortal family, a 10 year-old runaway, and the lessons they learn together makes its way to Broadway. The author has been involved with the play since the first reading. Babbitt gave the cast and creatives notes which helped the writers adapt the book for the stage.

StoryMakers host Rocco Staino interviewed Tuck Everlasting cast members and creatives Andrew Keenan-Bolger (“Jesse Tuck”), Chris Miller (music), Nathan Tyson (lyrics), StoryMakers alumni Tim Federle (writer), Claudia Shear (writer), Sarah Charles Lewis (Winnie Foster), Terrence Mann (The Man in the Yellow Suit), and Casey Nicholaw (director and choreographer). The amount of love the cast and creatives have poured into the play is wildly evident. They are wide-eyed and eager to share their love of the book and play with the audience. Viewers will get a glimpse of brilliant original art created for the play, and raw rehearsal footage.

You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.

— Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

The next time a child frowns at required reading remind them they could end up writing Broadway-caliber music and lyrics. Tuck Everlasting was required reading for Chris Miller and Nathan Tyson, in grade school. Miller and Tyson met while attending New York University’s graduate musical theater writing program. When the duo decided to collaborate after their thesis play they made a wish list. Tuck Everlasting was at the very top of their list of dream projects — that was 15 years ago.

There are other kid lit connections in the play too. Like Federle, actor Andrew Keenan-Bolger is a creator of literature for children. He is the author of Jack & Louisa: Act 1 and Jack & Louisa: Act 2 (Grosset & Dunlap).

Tuck Everlasting begins previews on March 31, 2016 and opens on April 26, 2016. Click here for tickets and more information.

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ABOUT TUCK EVERLASTING

Tuck Everlasting
Written by Natalie Babbitt with a forward by Gregory Maguire
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR

Blessed with or doomed to eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less of a blessing than it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.

A brand-new introduction from Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked, and additional bonus materials make this special edition of Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting a must-have for lovers of the book and a great way to introduce a new generation to a classic.

View Tuck Everlasting (paperback edition).

ABOUT TUCK EVERLASTING: THE MUSICAL

Via TuckEverlasting.com
When Winnie Foster discovers the magical secret of the Tuck family, she embarks on an extraordinary adventure that will change her life forever. Take a journey you’ll never forget in this daring new Broadway musical about love, family and living life to the fullest.

Based on the best-selling, award-winning novel by Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting is brought to life with world-class artistry and powerful storytelling in a sweeping production featuring a book by Tony Award® nominee Claudia Shear (Dirty Blonde) & Tim Federle (Better Nate Than Ever), music by Chris Miller (The Burnt Part Boys), lyrics by Nathan Tysen (The Burnt Part Boys), and direction and choreography by Tony Award® winner Casey Nicholaw (Something Rotten!, Aladdin, The Book of Mormon).

CONNECT WITH TUCK EVERLASTING
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StoryMakers On Location
Host: Rocco Staino
Executive Producer: Julie Gribble

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The post StoryMakers On Location | Tuck Everlasting appeared first on KidLit.TV.

It's important to understand the rights in your contract that the publisher may want to keep.

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2016/02/what-rights-does-a-publisher-really-need-part-1/

The world's largest gathering of animation artists reveals more of its 2016 programming line-up.

The post Annecy Announces ‘Zombillenium’ and ‘Samurai Jack’ Previews, Plus John Kricfalusi Masterclass appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Details coming at C2E2. The first Deathmate is a famous – or perhaps infamous – 90s crossover event that was the Zenith of the Chromium era, a crossover between Valiant and Image that gave birth to a rockstar creator tour even as the book itself was plagued by blown deadlines. Creators included Bob Layton, Barry Windsor-Smith, […]

As a Jew growing up in Baltimore, David’s vision of Germany was shaped by the stories of his Holocaust-survivor mother; later in life, he reflects on whether it is possible to overcome such history."

The post ‘German Shepherd’ by Nils Bergendal appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A new challenger has entered the arena!