Tra la! It’s May! The lusty month of May! The time that . . . . what?
It’s March?
Seriously? Forget it then. I’m going back in my hidey-hole. Call me when it’s May. But before I go, here’s a swath of delicious Fusenews. Good for what ails ye.
First off, a gem. I got the following email from buddy and Top 100 Polls guru Eric Carpenter: “So this weekend while working on a project on Weston Woods for one of my school library media courses (yes, I’m getting a library degree!!!) I came across Gene Deitch’s blog/website. http://genedeitchcredits.com. Not sure if you’d seen this but if not take a look, just understand it might be a long, long look.”
Eric couldn’t have been more right. Gene’s a fascinating fellow and he’s quick to recount his Weston Woods days working with Maurice Sendak, with Morton Schindel, with Jules Feiffer, or with E.B. White! And that’s not even counting all the good stuff you’ll find if you go here. Eric, buddy, I owe you yet again.
- So I told myself that I wouldn’t read any reviews of my own book Giant Dance Party (due out 4/23). I figured that was a pretty safe promise to keep. I mean, I review books myself. Why invite trouble by reading other folks? And that noble intention lasted me all of *checks watch* 45 seconds before I caved. Not much is out yet, but I can say with certainty that 8-year-old Jacob at City Book Review liked the book. He is a man of fine and discriminating taste. Well played, young Jacob.
- A special congrats to Mara Rockliff for winning the 2013 Golden Kite Award for her truly awesome Me and Momma and Big John for Picture Book Text. Why I do so rightly believe I made that one of my 100 Magnificent Books of 2012, did I not? Yup. Surely did.
- In other Me Stuff, this past Saturday I hosted a Children’s Literary Salon in the main branch of NYPL. The topic was Diversity and the State of the Children’s Book and featured panelists Zetta Elliott, Connie Hsu, and Sofia Quintero. It was also, to put it precisely, a hit. We’ll have the audio up soon, I hope, but in the meantime Lucine Kasbarian has reported over at We Love Children’s Books. Thanks, Lucine!
- One of the many advantages of joining The Niblings (four numerical children’s literary blogs joined in bringing you only the best in children’s literary news and entertainment) is that I now have a way of actually keeping up with my fellow bloggers. Trust me when I say that I’m ashamed of how rarely I read the best folks out there. But now, thanks to the handy dandy Facebok page, I got to see the 100 Scope Notes Newbery Medal Infographic. I dare say I’m a better person for it too.
- To be frank, I probably would have also have missed the recent 2013 Ezra Jack Keats Award winners too! Back in the day these awards were given in New York Public Library. Now they’ve moved to south where the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi makes the announcements. And the winners?
The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Winner Is:
Julie Fogliano for And Then It’s Spring
And Then It’s Spring is illustrated by Erin E. Stead.
The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award Winner Is:
Hyewon Yum for Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten!
VERY excellent choices.
- And the Acme Powder Company strikes again. This may be your favorite link of the day, I’ll wager. Recently Robin Rosenthal of Pen & Oink took a trip to what may well be the world’s most adorable shared studio of children’s book illustrators. Good looking too, if we’re going to be honest about it. Hear them in their own words and get a glimpse into what an artist’s studio space ACTUALLY looks like. Hint: Lots o’ creepy Victorian photographs. Once you’ve finished with that you can then head on over to Sergio Ruzzier’s new and updated website.
- Aw, what the heck. You know I don’t usually like to do anything with YA stuff, but a friend of mine asked me to mention this and I don’t see the harm. There’s a rather sweet little Delirium Fandom offer going on right now. Prove you’ve pre-ordered Lauren Oliver’s Requiem and you can get a nifty little signed bookplate. Aww.
- Did you know that there was a conference out there dedicated SOLELY to children’s nonfiction? Learn something new every day, eh? Here’s the deets:
It’s a time of re-invention, re-education, and revolution in children’s publishing. There are important developments that teachers, students, writers, and illustrators want to know about. A faculty of publishers, authors, illustrators, digital designers, and educators will inform and inspire at the 21st Century Children’s Nonfiction Conference at the State University of New York at New Paltz on June 14-16.
Topics will range from “Nonfiction and the Common Core Standards” to “Creating E-books and Apps.” The weekend will offer intensives, workshops, one-to one consultations and critiques, an illustrators’ showcase, book fair, meals, and a reception at SUNY’s beautiful Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art. Full details are at www.childrensNFconference.
com .
Daily Image:
And last but not least, utterly ridiculous bookshelf wallpaper!
Thanks to BB-Blog for the link.
Fox 2000 
Gene Deitch does have some crazy stories about other people, but don’t let that distract you from the greatness of his own work. Terr’ble Thompson comics have been collected into a book and are the most best!
Thanks for the shout-out! I totally want that wallpaper for my living room ceiling.
Jacob rules!