.jpg?picon=3687){kind=tracking}
By: Bowie Style,
on 6/14/2012
these father's day cards from various publishers were spotted in cards & frames at 25 beak street in london who have a great selection of well designed cards. and featured below four fun designs for younger children spotted in asda.
By: Bowie Style,
on 6/14/2012
and finally a few father's day designs spotted in supermarket tesco.
By: Bowie Style,
on 6/14/2012
the winner of the spoonflower fabric8 competition has been announced. the competition was won by andie hanna, a fashion designer from columbus, ohio. her painted 'petals collection' (above) beat out seven other collections to win a professional fabric design contract with robert kaufman and a top-notch digital drawing tablet from wacom. one email i received arrived too late for posting before
In a foreign city,
You try to get around.
Sometimes you get lost, but then
Eventually, you're found.
If language is an issue,
It complicates a bit.
You cannot let frustration
Let you fall into a snit.
The locals offer guidance
To get you on your way.
A map or body language works
When English they can't say.
There always are surprises, though -
Some new friends in the group,
A subway ride (with no A/C!),
A cold pea minted soup.
And on the rooftop garden now,
I sit and write these words,
With serenades of sirens and
A bunch of local birds.
Tonight we'll cruise the Danube,
Which sounds pretty much sublime.
Perhaps an inspiration for
Another prime time rhyme!
By: jules,
on 6/14/2012
I was a little busy at Kirkus this week.
Yesterday, I chatted with Sam Arthur, the Director of London-based Nobrow Press—whose books are now being distributed stateside by Consortium—about their beautifully-crafted comics, illustrated books, and children’s books. That Q & A is here. Next week here at 7-Imp, I’ll follow up with some images from some of their newer offerings.
Today, I write about the massively good (bad pun intended) Hippopposites by Janik Coat. This is the best board book for children I’ve seen all year. That link will be here this morning.
Last week at Kirkus, I chatted with author/illustrator Elisha Cooper about his newest picture book, Homer. Have you seen Homer? Oh, you must. Here is that Q & A, if you missed it last week and are so inclined to read it now.
For more on Homer, you won’t want to miss this post from Elisha over at Greenwillow’s blog, Under the Green Willow, as well as the follow-up post here. Here’s an excerpt from that first post:
I read somewhere that all stories have one of two plots: man leaves town, or, man comes to town. That’s it. I was thinking about this a few years ago while looking through Kevin Henkes’s Kitten’s First Full Moon, which, in its perfect simplicity, captures the man-leaves-town plot exactly, except that in this case the man is a kitten.
I started wondering, what if I reversed this? What if the “man” doesn’t leave town, or come to town, but stays right there in town and everything comes to him?
Today I have some more art from Homer, including early sketches — and images related to the book. (Wanna see a pic of the real Homer? Read on.)
Enjoy. (more…)
By: Manuel Ramos,
on 6/14/2012
Store Feature - Katria's Creations - http://katrialy.etsy.com/
Reversible Cloth Headband
About - I'm a part-time, professional floral designer and a full-time crafter. When I'm not designing something, I thinking of things to design (be it sculptures, photographs, accessories, flowers, the list is endless)! I've been crafting for as long as I can possibly remember; growing up, my mother always had some creative thing around the house for me to entertain myself with. My headbands and matching hair clips are among my most favorite things to create. These headbands are perfect for children and adults. The flowers can be worn clipped either to the band, in your hair... there are too many options to list. The great thing about these bands is that they are reversible! It's like getting two for one! Due to the handmade nature of this product, you will find some variances in size that will not affect the performance of the headband. Flowers are secured to salon-quality hair clips and are sewn completely by hand (with the help of my trusty sewing machine, or course). I am always happy to do custom designs and strive to meet the needs of guests to my shop.
By: Sonja C.,
on 6/14/2012
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, Maurice, and, yes, the penguins are back in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted! The animals have all escaped from the zoo, and Scholastic Kids Press Reporter Dani Bergman Chudnow got to escape school for a "press day" with all the actors who voice the characters in the movie. She met the actors in a hotel in New York City and videotaped her interviews with them. SO LUCKY!!!
My favorite part of the video is when she asks all the actors, "If you had to run away and join the circus, what would be your act?" Their answers are hilarious!
Read the Kids Press article and watch the video.
Add a Comment
By: Aline Pereira,
on 6/14/2012
The 2012 International Latino Book Awards were once again held in New York City during BookExpo America. Read about all the finalists and winners here.
By: Kathy Temean,
on 6/14/2012
The Picture Prompt below was illustrated by Nancy Cote. She was featured on Illustrator Saturday: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/illustrator-saturday-nancy-cote/.
WRITERS: Please use it to help inspire a first page. I was not able to confirm our Guest Critiquer with all the conference stuff going on, but I should be able to announce it by next week. The deadline for submitting a first page for critique is June 23rd. I will post four of the pages along with the agents comments on June 29th.
Please attach your double spaced, 12 point font, 23 line first page to an e-mail and send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com. Also cut and paste it into the body of the e-mail. Put “June 23rd First Page Prompt” in the subject line.
ILLUSTRATORS: This month I am looking for illustration that will show off some summer fun. Here is your chance to show off a little. I will post the illustrations as they come in during the month, but I will definitely post all by June 30th, so I need to receive your illustrations no later than June 26th. Please make sure the illustration is at least 500 pixels wide and includes a blurb about you and a link to see more of your work. Please send it to kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com and put “June Illustration” in the subject box.
PUBLISING NEWS:
Caroline Hardman and Joanna Swainson, formerly of Christopher Little Agency are launching a new agency, Hardman & Swainson. At least 18 existing clients are moving with them, the Bookseller reports, and they will focus on literary and commercial fiction, crime and thriller, YA, and quality non-fiction, including popular science, philosophy and memoir.
Roseanne Wellshas joined the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an agent. She was previously an agent at the Marianne Strong Literary Agency.
Helen Nam joins Sourcebooks as art services manager for children’s picture books and middle grade fiction. She was an acquisitions editor for children’s books at Publications International, Ltd.
Leah Thaxton will join Faber & Faber as children’s publisher. She is currently publishing director at Egmont.
Stephanie Bowen has joined Sourcebooks as editor. She was most recently an assistant editor at Doubleday.
P.S. Literary Agency will now be representing picture book titles in North America for Ireland-based Futa Fata.
Scott Waxman and Waxman Literary Agency agent for the past seven years Byrd Leavell have formed a new entity, The Waxman Leavell Literary Agency. Waxman says in the announcement, “Byrd is a talented agent with a tremendous instinct for finding and developing enormous bestsellers. He is also a lot of fun to work with. I couldn’t be more excited to take the agency to the next level with Byrd as a partner.” But he declined to indicate what becomes of Waxman Literary Agency and its assets. Leavell says that going forward both of their efforts will be on behalf of the new agency only and “The Waxman Agency name will be phased out over the course of the summer.”
Adam Marsh Editorial Services has hired screenwriter and director Kai Murphy
.jpg?picon=1679)
By: Jennifer DeDonato,
on 6/14/2012
By: Melissa Wiley,
on 6/14/2012
“A garden had to be your own before it would let you in, and even your own garden did not give up its secrets unless it liked you. But if a garden had once been your own, did it disown you when somebody else took possession of it? She did not think so.”
—The Scent of Water, Elizabeth Goudge, p. 30.
By: Jennifer DeDonato,
on 6/14/2012
By: Jerry Beck,
on 6/14/2012
In the 1990s, you’d have to wait for months after a Disney film’s theatrical release before GoodTimes Entertainment would release their cheap knockoff version. Today, the imitations precede the features that inspired them. Coming to iTunes and Amazon streaming on June 19, Kiara the Brave is produced by the Indian studio Shemaroo Entertainment and distributed by Phase 4 Films. The synopsis is so stupid that it’s not even worth reprinting. Just enjoy the trailer:
Cartoon Brew |
Permalink |
4 comments |
Post tags: Brave, Direct-to-video, India, Kiara the Brave
By: Betsy Bird,
on 6/14/2012
#11 Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (1996)
89 points
I could make a top 10 list of Kevin Henkes titles. Love everything he does. But Lilly is one of the most unforgettable characters in children’s literature. And I believe many young girls may have been named after her. 
– DeAnn Okamura
It’s dramatic being a kid. People don’t always let you do what you want: Horrible people. Other times they do: Amazing people! Henkes’ story captures the highs and lows of childhood, from having a favorite teacher to feeling squelched at school. After all, how can Lilly possibly wait clear till sharing time to show off three shiny quarters, movie star sunglasses, and a new purple plastic purse that makes music when she opens it? Henkes’ ability to share Lilly’s facial expressions and moods with just a few lines are only matched by his power to write words that show us Lilly’s joy—and her wrath. Hell hath no fury like a kindergartner whose show and tell stuff gets confiscated! But there is forgiveness in the end, and cheesy snacks. Wow! – Kate Coombs
Henkes gets kids, and they get him right back. Lilly is so charming, and bold, and enchanting…and flawed. That’s why she’s so relatable. her emotions in this book – adoration, outrageous pride, fury, regret, guilt, relief – speak directly to the kids. Once I asked them why he drew her getting smaller (after she reads her teacher’s thoughtful note and realizes the horrid note she gave to him) and they had so much to say about her feelings and their own experiences…Henkes are the ultimate books for teaching text-to-self connections. And it’s a funny book, too! Not to mention what has become, for me, a bit of a mantra: “Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better.” – Emily Myhr
I adore Lilly and almost everything she does. (Unless she was a student in my classroom. Then I’d have to alternate between finding her incredibly charming and witty, and wanting to smack her.) – Kristi Hazelrigg
Confession time. When I saw the staged production of three of the Lilly books performed at the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre and Lilly had to deal with the consequences of her actions in Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse I . . . I teared up. I did. I wept for Lilly. And I wept because of the line Emily quotes above . Because somehow Kevin Henkes pulls off a kid feeling really really bad about doing something wrong. How do you tap into that feeling? Do we adults even remember what it’s like? We have this weird grown-up version of it, but child guilt is its own beast. Its own presence. And the guilt of a child will only resonate in our hardened little grown-up souls if the author working on us is particularly skilled. Henkes is.
The plot from my review: “Lilly is mightily pleased with her life at the moment. She loves school and she adores her teacher Mr. Slinger. Mr. Slinger (undoubtedly a relation of Miss Twinkle from Chrysanthemum) is the coolest prof in the world. He wears crazy colored ties, refers to his students as “rodents”, provides yummy tasty snacks, and has a penchant for patterned shirts. Lilly is determined to someday be a teacher all thanks to Mr. Slinger. Unfortunately, Lilly’s Slinger-love takes a downward turn when she brings her new purple plastic purse to class. Noisily displaying it at an inappropriate time, Slinger confiscates the item until the end of the day.
By: Chuck Sambuchino,
on 6/14/2012
There are all sorts of guides on how to write a great thriller. I’ve read some. I’ve learned a lot from writing my own novels and I’ve learned a lot from co-writing with James Patterson, someone you have heard of who knows a thing or two about drama. This is by no means an exhaustive list but some observations I’ve made over the years that I don’t necessarily see on the normal lists of writing advice.
Understand, what I’m talking about here is the pulse-pounding, ticking-clock thriller. Not simply a novel of suspense or a mystery. Some of this advice might apply to those novels, too, but the dynamic is different.
GIVEAWAY: David is excited to give away a free copy of her novel to a random commenter. Comment within 2 weeks; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before.
Guest column by author David Ellis, whose most recent novel,
THE WRONG MAN, came out in June 2012 from G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
David won the Edgar Award in 2002 for his first novel, LINE OF VISION
and has most recently co-written GUILTY WIVES with James Patterson.
He is the author of several other highly acclaimed suspense novels as
well as the Jason Kolarich series. A graduate of Northwestern School
of Law, he went on to serve as the House Prosecutor who tried and
impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich before the Illinois Senate.
See his author website here.
1. The protagonist doesn’t have to be a superhero. In fact, some of the most appealing protagonists in thrillers aren’t. The everyday guy who is thrust into an agonizing position is often the best protagonist. But let them screw up. Let them be afraid. Let them have flaws. To me, the most important attribute for the normal-person-turned-hero is that he or she be brave in the face of danger. Scared to death, sure, but ultimately courageous. That’s believable and very appealing to a reader. But mistakes, and sweaty brows and shaky hands—incorporate them into your protagonist.
2. Write yourself into a corner and see what happens. “Writing into a corner,” for my purposes at least, is when we put a protagonist into a position from which he or she can’t emerge. So we usually back the car up and forge a new path. That’s the great thing about writing with a computer. But what I’m saying is, don’t back the car up. Instead, up the ante, put your character into a seemingly (even to you) inescapable bind … and then figure it the hell out. Take a few days if you h
Add a Comment
By: Betsy Bird,
on 6/14/2012
#12 Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (1960)
86 points
Because, “Try them, you may like them,” are words to live by. – DaNae Leu
One of the great questions of childhood is: What’s with parents putting bizarre items on your plate and expecting you to eat them? Dr. Seuss’s answer to the question is this book, in which a way-too-cheerful Sam-I-Am pursues our poor old sad sack in the battered hat all over tarnation trying to get him to try a weird-looking dish. (Aren’t green things, um, rotten?) In amongst all the madness, the book features a cumulative format and a refrain in the framing of the questions, all of which make the story particularly memorable and easy to chant. The absurdity of the places and dining companions Sam-I-Am proposes build slapstick hilarity with all the verve of a Loony Tunes cartoon until fox, goat, mouse, and all find themselves diving a train onto a boat and splashing around to provide a watery witness for Sam’s final plea—and for our guy’s shock when he takes a bite and the strange food turns out to be tasty. Don’t be fooled into thinking this book is propaganda, though. Seuss pokes fun of parent and child alike in the often-nutty battle of the dinner (or breakfast) table. – Kate Coombs
Yum! – Rose Marie Moore
There are only 50 words in this book. I write more words than that when I make up a shopping list. Now of all the Seuss easy reader titles in the world, I don’t think my money would have placed this puppy above dear old Cat in the Hat. Yet here we are! The Cat sits silently at a mere #36 and Green Eggs and Ham comes frighteningly close to the #1 spot.
The description from my library’s catalog is sort of weirdly fascinating. Check this out: “Sam-I-Am tries to persuade the narrow minded, stubborn patron to taste his green eggs and ham with all kinds of accommodations without success until he gives up his pushy style and lets his patron determine under what circumstances he will taste his green eggs and ham.” Okay. That was NOT necessarily the book that I was reading (is Sam a waiter that he has a “patron”?) and I love that the moral according to this isn’t “try them and you may like them” but rather “don’t be pushy”. Really?
Kate’s quote up above (and that odd description too) highlight one of the stranger problems associated with the book. We all know Sam I Am. We should considering how often his name is invoked. What we don’t know is the name of the other guy. He’s sometimes called Sam’s friend but that’s as close as he gets to a moniker.
At one point on this blog I sent out an all call and asked folks to create a piece of Dr. Seuss art in the style of another children’s picture book artist. The results were mildly brilliant, particularly those in the Green Eggs and Ham category. Observe Aaron Zenz’s take on Seuss-meets-Eric Carle:
And Mike Boldt blew us away with his Seuss-meets-Tomie de Paola:
4 Comments on Top 100 Picture Books #12: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, last added: 6/16/2012
Display Comments
By: Betsy Bird,
on 6/14/2012
#13 Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (1982)
79 points
This is such a great lesson book without being preachy. I remember my 20 year old son coming home and telling me all about this book after his teacher read it in class. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I knew all about this book and it was one of my favorite books too. Nothing would do but for us to go right to the store and buy lupine seeds to plant. Alas my thumb is not as green as Miss Rumphius’. My lupine seeds didn’t sprout, but it was okay I will never forget how excited my 9 year old son was to share that book with me. – Amy Miele
Was there ever any question that the Top 20 picture books would consist of titles that were deeply beloved? Never. But I admit to you that Miss Rumphius was a surprise to me. Yet if the quote above is any indication Cooney’s classic is very near and very dear to people’s hearts.
From the B&N plot synopsis: “As a child, Miss Rumphius dreams of traveling to faraway places. Her grandfather assures her that this is possible, but also advises her to do something to make the world more beautiful. As an old lady, Miss Rumphius returns to her home by the sea, but realizes she has yet to fulfill her grandfather’s wish. Inspired by her garden, Miss Rumphius creates a world of loveliness for those who live nearby.”
Finding background info on this book turned out to be mighty hard. Thank goodness for Anita Silvey’s Book-a-Day Almanac. In her Miss Rumphius post she says of the origins that, “By the time she worked on Miss Rumphius, she had over forty years of experience in children’s book illustrations. An autobiographical picture book, Cooney drew on the life of her great grandfather, who painted pictures and allowed his young daughter, Cooney’s grandmother, to help. ‘I see that little girl—painting away, making yards and yards of fluffy clouds and sunsets and storms with lightening and rainbows.’ Cooney also based the character of Alice Rumphius on an historical figure who traveled the world planting flower seeds.”
Now according to Ms. Cooney’s obituary, found on Carol Hurst’s Children’s Literature Site, “Barbara Cooney was born in Room 1127 of the Hotel Bossert in Brooklyn, New York in 1917 . . . ‘Of all the books I have done,’ she says, ‘Miss Rumphius (Viking, 1982), Island Boy (Viking, 1988), and Hattie and the Wild Waves (Viking, 1990), are the closest to my heart. These three are as near as I ever will come to an autobiography. There are, of course, many dissimilarities between me and Alice Rumphius, but, as I worked, she gradually seemed to become my alter ego. Perhaps she had been that right from the start.’ Barbara Cooney took her adopted state of Maine to her heart and Maine returned the affection. In 1989, the Maine Library Association created the Lupine Award, named for Miss Rumphius, to recognize outstanding children’s books by state residents or to honor authors whose chosen subjects were about Maine. Their opening ceremony honored Miss Rumphius and its creator.”
Miss Rumphius also happened to win the American Book Sellers National Book Award in 1983. So well done there.
And for the record, while you may find plenty of children’s literary blogs that make allusions to Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and other classics The Miss Rumphius Effect is one of the biggies out there that credits this book and this book alone in its title. A delightful choice.
0 Comments on Top 100 Picture Books #13: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney as of 1/1/1900
Posted on 6/14/2012
So they awarded Algerian The German Mujahid (UK Title: An Unfinished Business)-author Boualem Sansal the 'Prix du roman arabe' -- a French 'best Arab novel'-prize -- this year for his Rue Darwin (see also the Gallimard publicity page).
Good for him, and them -- except that when it came to actually handing over the prize the 'conseil des ambassadeurs arabes en France' -- the council of Arabic ambassadors in France, who run this thing -- decided they didn't want to, cancelling his invitation; see, for example, the report in L'Express, Boualem Sansal, indésirable prix du roman arabe.
For god's sake .....
Good for Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, director of France Culture, who resigned from the proceedings and explains Pourquoi je démissionne du Prix du roman arabe in Libération.
The fuss is, of course, all about Sansal having recently participated in the International Writers Festival held in -- oh, no ! Israel ! (see my previous mention).
(No one should have any patience for this kind of posturing -- and the 'prix du roman arabe' might as well close shop today: no way it can be taken very seriously in the future.
(Too bad: it was a good idea -- and with previous winning authors who include Elias Khoury and Gamal al-Ghitani had gotten off to a good start, before falling so flat on its face this year (not in the book they awarded the prize to, but in how they handled it).))
Posted on 6/14/2012
At her love german books weblog Katy Derbyshire wonders: Is Self-Translation the Future ?
She doesn't so much mean self self-translation (though that sure worked out for Paul Verhaeghen: he translated his own novel, Omega Minor, and walked away with the 2008 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize), but rather authors paying translators to translate their work (into English, obviously -- the only language that apparently counts (or, so they think, might be worth their while)) and publishing it themselves.
She writes the post in response to comments by Tom Hillenbrand, who suggests, among other things:
Even for a title that doesn't seem to have great potential for the English-language market, it will still make sense to put a translation onto the market on the off chance. The Anglo-Saxon market is gigantic and nobody really knows anyway why certain books are successful.Derbyshire responds:
To my mind, Hillenbrand has neglected one all-important factor in his calculation: the translator.Well, she would, wouldn't she ?
Secondly, we have the issue of quality and quality control. It's not a new argument that publishers provide these services, which are not guaranteed in self-publishing.Okay, I admit, this one had me rolling on the floor laughing (and crying). Publishers providing quality control ... oh, what a wonderful dream ! I admit that this is the way we like to think of publishers -- responsible, dedicated, thorough. I note, however, that ... how shall I put it ? they sometimes fall ... shall we say, short. (I remind you that, for example, I recently reviewed a book which includes the translated (by a respected translator, whose work I (generally) admire) sentence: "My sex was a block of wood glued to her womb" (see my previous mention); here -- and in far too many other places -- quality (and other) control has obviously gone completely by the wayside.)
Moot point number three is demand.Hillenbrand obviously vastly overestimates English-language market demand -- but Derbyshire underestimates the value of having an English-language version available, which does (possibly) open doors to other language markets, especially for those writing in small/obscure/very localized languages.
Posted on 6/14/2012
Publishing Perspectives prints Chad Post's keynote (non-)speech ("delivered in absentia" -- visa issues apparently kept him away) to the 29th International Publishers Association Congress, For Publishers, The Long Term Is the Only Race Worth Winning.
A good overview -- and particularly worth noting:
For a small press looking to do books that fit a particular niche (a la Open Letter), this is a fantastic situation. Unlike years past when we fought for space in the same five review outlets and tried to convince the same booksellers to handsell our books, we can now go directly to our customers, and can cultivate an audience in ways that never existed before.Indeed, as I've often said, I think there are great opportunities for nimble, smaller publishers -- while big commercial publisher still rely far too much on the old, outdated business models, and aren't adapting nearly quick enough to contemporary conditions.
So stop trying to ape the last next best thing and instead find books that can cultivate a readership who will actually care enough to talk about this book for years and years.Something that large, commercial press have lost sight of for quite a while ..... Read the rest of this post Add a Comment
Posted on 6/14/2012
At Bombsite Will Heyward has a Q & A with Chris Andrews -- translator of many Roberto Bolaño and César Aira (Varamo, etc.) titles [via].
Add a Comment
By: Betsy Bird,
on 6/14/2012
#14 Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (1947)
78 points
What I REALLY love about this book is that it is possibly the most fun book to read aloud to a kid (or many kids) ever. I can’t separate my feelings for the book itself from the experience of reading it interactively. What kid doesn’t make a great monkey? - Amy M. Weir
As a first-grade student of mine once whispered of this book in great anticipation, “It has monkeys!” Children are natural pranksters, and the disappearance of the caps delights them almost as much as the reason for that disappearance. Then the peddler has a little tantrum—just like they do! The monkeys copy him, which is even more funny, and then he throws his cap on the ground, so of course we get both a happy solution and a nice little twist. Carefully, the peddler puts his caps on his head once more, framing the narrative with tall stacks of colors. Like the third bowl of porridge Goldilocks ate, it’s just right. – Kate Coombs
By rights I should probably call this book by its proper title. Not merely a simple “Caps for Sale” the name of this book is actually Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business. *deep gasp of air* It’s a mouthful. A mouthful and one of the best readaloud picture books of all time. Of course, I’ve always been a little torn on how to pronounce the “tsz tsz tsz” that the monkeys are always saying. Any librarians out there have any Caps for Sale readaloud tips or tricks they’d like to share? Cause that part always kind of throws me for a loop. But if you stand in front of a group of kids and announce that you are going to read this book, inevitably hands will shoot into the air and the kids will start telling you how they love that book / have that book / have read that book / etc. It’s very rewarding.
The B&N encapsulation of the plot reads, “A cap peddler wakes from a nap to find all his caps are gone – a bunch of naughty monkeys have taken them up a tree. Angrily shaking his finger at the monkeys, the peddler demands his caps back, but the monkeys only shake their fingers and say ‘Tsz, tsz, tsz.’ No matter what the peddler does, the monkeys only imitate him. Finally, the peddler is so enraged he throws his cap on the ground-and all the monkeys follow suit!”
According to 100 Best Picture Books for Children, Slobodkina was a Russian immigrant to America who was part of the American Abstract Artists (some reports say she started it) and showed her work alongside Arshile Gorky, Stuart Davis, and Piet Mondrian. Picture books supplemented her income and when she decided to illustrate her own tale, this was one of the ones she settled on. Says 100 Best Picture Books, “The artwork for the first edition used only three primary colors. But in 1947 Slobodkina revised the book, adding in ocher, red, and robin’s-egg blue. Both the colors and the style of the art had been inspired by the work of the primitive painter Henri Rousseau.”
This 1947 construct should undoubtedly have dated itself by this point. So why hasn’t it? Maybe it has something to do with the construct. As Literature and the Child by Cullinan and Galda (5th edition) puts it, “the popular old favorite, Caps for Sale, has a cumulative sequence. Rhyme and rhythm help children predict through sound – the rhyming of words in a regular beat, or rhythm.” Doesn’t hurt matters any that the book’s a hoot to boot.
Caps for Sale? Unequivocal success. The sequel Circus
By: Betsy Bird,
on 6/14/2012
#15 Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel (1970)
74 points
I put a lot of thought into which Frog and Toad book to put on here. They are all brilliant, but I find Frog and Toad Together a bit trippy with Toad’s crazy dream sequence and the seriously snake in “Dragons and Giants.” Frog and Toad All Year is super lovely, but is almost a seasonal book. And I just find Days With Frog and Toad devastating. Is it me, or are those two seriously starting to grow apart by the end? I know Frog said he just wanted some alone time, but Toad took it really, really hard. I seriously worry that, if there had been a fifth book, they may have had a serious fight and Toad may have been irreparably damaged. I’m not joking. This is something I seriously think about. – Shannon Ozimy
The perfect friendship book, made even more amazing because it is an early reader. Quite frankly, I find most early chapter books and beginning readers to be sleep-inducers, but Lobel’s mastery of language make these a joy to read aloud and to listen to (if you happen to be a parent of a new reader!) – Heather Christensen
I don’t know if this quite counts as a picture book since it’s an easy reader, but I’ve always read it as a bedtime story to my girls. I adore this collection. Seriously. How can you not love Toad’s obsessivenes, and Frog’s Zen-like calm in the wake of Toad’s storm. There are probably some life lessons here, but much like Toad, I just want the cookies. – Melissa Fox
There’s something about the easy reader format that lends itself to tales of true friendship. Maybe the easy reader format coincides perfectly with the fact that kids of that reading level/age are making big social leaps. Whatever the case, whether it’s George & Martha, Houndsley & Catina, or the friendship to beat all friendship in Frog & Toad, these are two blokes worth remembering.
The description from Kirkus reads, “A leggy green frog and a squat green toad do for friendship something of what Little Bear does for kinship. Come April Toad’s reluctance to end his long winter nap (“A little more sleep will not hurt me”) prompts lonesome Frog to pull off the calendar pages one by one until he reaches stay-awake May. Then there’s “The Story” Toad can’t think up when Frog is sick which becomes the story–of how Toad made himself sick standing on his head and hitting it against a wall trying–told him by a recovered Frog. “A Lost Button” turns up at home after Frog has found every button but for Toad (who makes suit-able amends). But the best is yet to come–in Toad’s anxiety that he looks funny in his bathing suit (which keeps him shivering in the water) and his brusque “Of course I do” when Frog and the others laugh. At the last, affectingly if more predictably, is “The Letter” that Frog writes to Toad so he’ll get some mail. . . and sends by snail.”
The origin story can be found in Anita Lobel’s 100 Best Books for Children. She says that on a summer vacation to Lake Bomoseen, Lobel’s children came in with “a large green shiny frog and two dour and dyspeptic toads.” Years later Lobel felt that “he had been writing at children, rather than for them.” So he put pen to paper and out came a story about a frog and a toad. Now at an exhibit at The Carle some years ago there was a great exhibit called Seeking a State of Grace: The Art of A
By: Katie Salo,
on 6/14/2012
One of my favorite things to do for summer reading is art projects with my patrons. The past few years, I’ve been doubling up art projects with decorating for summer reading.
We have a mural program to kick-off summer reading so that my patrons can really take ownership of the program. At school visits, I have kids make something to help decorate the library. And of course, we do purchase a few items as well.
Today, I wanted to share what they have created for this year’s CSLP theme.
This year, the kids created two murals. The first mural was painted using foam stamps that I purchased ahead of time. I let the kids stamp to their hearts content, as well as painting swirls for our universe. The kids got very creative with their designs, and I think it came out beautifully. Our artists signed their names along the edges on the mural in black marker before I brought out the paint.
The second mural began as black butcher block paper and I mixed up some gray paint. The kids splattered, swirled, brushed it and sprinkled a ton of glitter onto the paper as they painted. After it was finally dry, I cut it into rough moon shapes and taped it up on the wall. My preschool storytime group LOVE this mural and it really helped explain the moon cycle during our “Moon and Stars” themed storytime.
Lastly, all of the classrooms that came to the library to hear about summer reading got to create a star to hang up in the library. (We have more strings of these in the Youth Room as well as our programming room.) We’ve had a lot of kids staring at our ceilings to find their star to show their families when they come in. I love when kids own a part of the library, it gives them such pride and the decorations make all the rooms brighter!
What kind of decorating has your library done for summer reading?
– Katie Salo
Youth Services Manager
Melrose Park Library
http://storytimekatie.com
Also, “Hippopposites” = 
love the palette! gorgeous fresh colours