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Witness this illustration from Maurice Sendak’s 1993 book, We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy. Yes, that’s Trump Tower in the background.
He knew.
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Witness this illustration from Maurice Sendak’s 1993 book, We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy. Yes, that’s Trump Tower in the background.
He knew.
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Happy Fusenews day to you, guv’nor. In today’s episode we tip our hat to a post last week that is probably my most popular of all time. Who knew knitting needles could be such lightning rods? In any case, on with the newz!
How old is the picture book biography as we know it today? Recently I’ve been thinking long and hard about what its purpose is, as well as its limitations. Jacqueline Davies has thought longer and harder in some ways, though, since her recent post Writers and the Real Estate Market takes a very personal look at the choices she made when she wrote The Boy Who Drew Birds. She makes some remarkably interesting points about content and format.
Boy, it must be hard. Every year, without fail, Marjorie Ingall (Mamaleh Knows Best) scours the publishing world for great Jewish-centric books for kids. The pickings are almost always slim, but once in a while you get some really good biographies. Picture book biographies (I sense a theme to today’s post) no less. The first is of the current Ruth Bader Ginsberg bio in the piece Teaching Kids the Value of Dissent and the other Rich Michelson’s most recent bio in Leonard Nimoy’s Fascinating Life. Great books. Great write-ups.
Librarians. We have one of those professions where it’s pretty clear that whenever we appear in the news, 50% of the time it’s not about something good. Case in point, the recent news about a thrifty library cataloger who donated $4 million to his employer after his death. His employer, however, was a university library. So, naturally, $1 million of that is going to a football scoreboard. Some folks are less than entirely pleased with that development.
I mentioned it last week but I’m mentioning it again today because it’s a darn good cause. If you don’t know about why authors and illustrators alike (as well as celebs like Al Roker and Nicole Kidman) are painting piggy banks for auction, you should fill yourself in here. A good cause and you get art. The bidding just started yesterday, so don’t be left behind. And I know I won’t get it, but this is my own personal favorite piggy:
I already read this four years ago, but with the recent passing of Gene Wilder I saw it included in a Chronicle Books newsletter and just couldn’t resist putting it up again. It’s Gene Wilder’s handwritten notes on the changes he’d prefer to the Willy Wonka costume he was initially given. Ole blue eyes himself.
Daily Image:
Maurice Sendak was initially going to design that old movie Return to Oz?!? Apparently it never happened but he did create a publicity poster for the ad campaign. Not that it really looks like any of the characters in the movie (I’m working on a couple theories on who the guy on the far right is) but in terms of the book Ozma of Oz, it’s not terrible.
Many many thanks to J.L. Bell at Oz and Ends for this image. Yet another old post from 2012. I’m having that kind of a day.
I do not know where Monica Edinger found our first video today. All I know is that she discovered a video that is absolutely the most interesting thing you’ll see all week. It’s a young Maurice Sendak. He’d recently won the Caldecott for Where the Wild Things Are. I’ve never seen anything like this before. And who knew you could kinda sorta flip Pierre?
Thanks to educating alice for the link. If you have a Margaret Wise Brown interview hidden away somewhere I’d be happy to take it off your hands. Ditto a copy of Pinocchio illustrated by Mussino. He makes a strong case.
Not long ago I mentioned that Dan Gutman’s book The Kid Who Ran for President was notably talked up on Last Week Tonight (John Oliver’s show). Now I’ve heard that the book was reportedly the most read review on pw.com last week. It would be a shame not to show the video in question. Here it is then, in all its Gutmanesque glory:
This just in! “Carla D. Hayden will be sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress in a historic ceremony in the Thomas Jefferson Building Wednesday, Sept. 14 at noon. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Library of Congress YouTube channel. The YouTube broadcast will be captioned.” So it’s not up yet, but if you’ve time this Wednesday you might want to tune in and see it for yourself. She is, after all, the first Librarian of Congress to have an actual library degree in over 50 years.
Here’s a fun one for the Dahl fans. In this hour-long video, David Walliams presents a celebration of Roald Dahl’s children’s books, from The BFG to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It also happens to include contributions from Steven Spielberg and Julie Walters.
Thanks to Zoe Toft for the link.
Why did the PBS News Hour feature Christian Robinson recently? I care not. All that matters is that he’s great to listen to.
Thanks to Elisa Gall and Aunt Judy for the link.
And for the off-topic video of the day, I’m hat tipping Brian Biggs for passing this along. I like a video that doesn’t pound you over the head with its message. This sort of connects well to my recent interview with Mr. Biggs where we discussed gender roles in children’s books. As they say in this video, have a think in your head.
Thanks to Brian for the video.
Today’s kids are playing less than any other generation.
Play is losing out to TV, recess times have declined and many children in low-income communities lack safe spaces to run, jump and be active.
But play is essential to kids’ learning. Play helps encourage kids to explore and use their imaginations, increases their ability to store more information and can improve literacy skills by building connections by oral and written expression.
As the school year ends and kids have more free time, you can incorporate play into all of your school or program’s activities – even reading and learning!
Try using the books and recommended games below to incorporate play time into reading time.
Players: 10 or more
Space: medium to large
Materials: none
First, read Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Then, mark off a large area to serve as the Island of the Wild Things. One player, the “King of the Wild Things,” stands in the middle of the island, while the rest of the players (the “Maxes”) line up on either end of the island.
When the King shouts “Let the wild rumpus start,” each Max tries to make it to the other side of the island without getting tagged by the King.If a Max is tagged by the King, he or she becomes a Wild Thing. All Wild Things (except the King) must keep one foot planted on the ground at all times while still trying to tag the Maxes.
The Maxes continue to run back and forth across the island until only one Max is left untagged. The last Max becomes King of the Wild Things and the game begins again.
Players: 6 or more
Space: medium
Materials: none
First, read Hairs – Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros, illustrated by Terry Ybáñez
Next, have the players stand close together in a circle. Then have each player hold one hand with anyone in the group except the person standing next to him or her.
Repeat with players’ free hands – avoiding anyone standing next to them or with whom they are already holding hands.
Now have the group try to untangle itself without letting go of anyone’s hand. It takes patience and lots of cooperation!
If you have twelve or more people, split into two groups of six and see which group can get untangled first.
Need more playtime ideas? Visit the Read and Play section on the First Book Marketplace to find all of the books and activities created by First Book and Kaboom! to encourage playing to learn.
The post Make Time to Play! appeared first on First Book Blog.
Add a CommentI encountered Rahele’s work through this year’s Tomie de Paola SCBW illustrator competition where the prompt was: to illustrate a moment from a passage from Philip Pullman’s version of “Little Red Riding Hood” from FAIRY TALES FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM (Viking, … Continue reading
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The outside world doesn’t always get kidlit and YA lit. Children’s books are cute and easy and anyone with a vague sense that children are charming can write them, right? And anyone can write silly fluff for young adults. Especially anyone with a famous name.
That’s a common attitude, anyway. But there are celebrities who don’t think that way. Like Stephen Colbert.
Back in 2012, Colbert interviewed the late, great Maurice Sendak on his old show Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report. Going in, I figured that interview would be amusing, but I also figured some of the amusement would stem from a celeb’s typical ignorance of everything that goes into creating a children’s book. Boy, was I wrong. The whole point of the two-part “Grim Colberty Tales” segment was to parody the very attitude I’d expected to see. It’s also a great interview, and it resulted in Colbert’s spoofy picture book, I Am a Pole (And So Can You!) (Grand Central Publishing, May 2012), which was coincidentally released with Sendak’s blurb (“The sad thing is, I like it!”) the same day that Sendak passed away. Highly recommended if you need a good laugh. Warning: Colbert Report-style silliness; Sendak-style crotchetiness; NSFW.
“Grim Colberty Tales” made another appearance or two with other authors before Colbert left the Report for CBS’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert. But the change in venue doesn’t mean Colbert’s become too cool for books for young people (or books in general, for that matter). On the contrary, his new show has a recurring segment firmly rooted in YA: the Hungry for Power Games. As candidates have dropped out of the presidential election, Colbert has bid each “tribute” farewell with his best Caesar Flickerman impression. (Warning: contains politics.)
And of course, the man is a certified Tolkien nerd. This, right here, is what it looks like when someone cares about a story. Not a bad thing to show on TV.
I still think Ellen would be a perfect interviewer for the Newbery and Caldecott winners. But if Stephen beats her to it (ALAYMA 2017, anyone?), that’d be pretty cool, too.
The post Stephen Colbert: kidlit after dark appeared first on The Horn Book.
Google has created a Doodle to celebrate Charles Perrault’s 388th Birthday. He has become well-known for writing his own versions of some of the world’s most beloved fairy tales.
Here’s more from the Google Doodle webpage: “We owe the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty narratives we’ve known since childhood to Charles Perrault, the 17th-century French author and academician…For today’s Doodle, artist Sophie Diao created tableaux for Perrault’s Mother Goose stories (Les Contes de ma Mère l’Oye, 1697): Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Puss in Boots.”
In the past, Google has crafted Doodles in honor of Little House series author Laura Ingalls Wilder, Where the Wild Things Are creator Maurice Sendak, and Anne of Green Gables novelist Lucy Maud Montgomery. Here’s a video from Google headquarters spotlighting the artists behind the doodles. Which authors would you suggest as future Doodle subjects? (via Time)
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What is your favorite literary quote? LeVar Burton, former host of the Reading Rainbow TV show, stars in a BuzzFeed video called “11 Of The Most Beautiful Sentences In Literature.”
In the video embedded above, Burton recites sentences written by William Shakespeare, Maurice Sendak, and Natalie Babbitt. Click here to watch a video where Burton tackles a series of bibliophile-themed dilemmas. (via BuzzFeed)
Add a CommentSherri L. Smith, author of The Toymaker's Apprentice, selected these five holiday book favorites.
Add a CommentJackie Morris lives in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with children, dogs and cats. Her latest book is the retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans.
Add a CommentIt only takes a couple of beautiful autumn days and the holiday season suddenly feel so much closer. Readers are not wasting time getting into the holiday spirit: this month, our best selling picture book from our affiliate store is the delightful rendition of E.T.A. Hoffmann's Nutcracker, illustrated by Maurice Sendak.
Add a CommentIt's one thing to read about censorship in a news article; it's another to become aware of the threat at a nearby library or school. For Banned Books Week this year, we reviewed hundreds of documented appeals to remove materials from a local public library, school library, or course curriculum. Below are 30 books that [...]
When I was fourteen years old, I went away to Camp Tamarack near Hinckley, Minnesota. It was a beautiful place, set along the wooded banks of the St. Croix River. I loved it there.
Flash forward to this past July. I’m a man of fifty and I find myself on Scotch Hill Farm near Cambridge, New York, along with Richard Egielski, Marc McChesney, and Doug Salati, as part of the Sendak Fellowship. “What was it like?” you ask. Well, like Camp Tamarack.
Now, before my editors, my agent, and my wife throw a fit…let me explain. I didn’t spend the entire Fellowship month sack-racing, singing campfire songs, and weaving God’s Eyes. I was there as a serious artist. I stood outside for hours on end painting the verdant countryside in the tradition of Monet and Cézanne (though unfortunately without their results). I discussed books and art with illustrious guests (writer Gregory Maguire and author/illustrators Tomie dePaola and Barbara McClintock) over locally sourced gourmet dinners. And I researched the work of the Old Master himself, combing through piles of Sendak’s drafts and sketches.
About halfway into the fellowship, however, I started taking “studio breaks”: swimming in Battenkill Creek, hiking the hills of Merck Forest, picking blueberries at a nearby farm stand. It felt great to walk around in my bare feet, eat a sandwich with dirty hands, and just stare at puffy clouds in the sky. I felt like I was back at Camp Tamarack. And, yes, I did sing campfire songs. Camp counselors Lynn Caponera [President, Maurice Sendak Foundation] and Dona Ann MacAdams [Director, Sendak Fellowship] led the fellows in a sixties singalong one night after a cookout. (Who knew Egielski could play a mean mandolin?)
But it was the nights on Scotch Hill Farm that felt the most like camp. Around 11 p.m., I’d walk an old dirt road, heading home from the studios. The road was straight out of Maurice’s book Outside Over There — narrow and rutted with a row of old trees on either side of it. The first night of the Fellowship, the moon was barely a sliver in the sky and the road was pitch black. Doug Salati and I whipped out our iPhones and fumbled for the flashlight setting as we timidly ambled down the path. “What’s that?” Doug shrieked as he grabbed my arm. Ha! It was only a reflective road marker. We laughed the rest of the way home. As the month progressed, the moon got brighter and brighter (it was phasing into full-mode). By week 2, we didn’t need our phones. The walk had become a comforting nighttime ritual.
So, you see, folks, I did perform my fellowship duties admirably. But I also got the chance to roam free though the woods like a Wild Thing, like I did back at Camp Tamarack. And that’s something every picture book artist needs to do every once in a blue moon.
Slideshow photo captions:
1. L-R: Doug Salati, Richard Egielski, Dona Ann McAdams, Marc McChesney, Lynn Caponera, and Stephen Savage.
2. L-R: Lynn shows Maurice’s work to Doug, Richard, and Gregory Maguire.
3. L-R: Doug Salati, Lynn Caponera, Tomie dePaola, Richard Egielski, Dona Ann McAdams, Marc McChesney.
4. Barbara McClintock catches a rainbow.
5. Gregory Maguire holds court at the head of the table.
6. Men in hats. L-R: Marc, Doug, Richard, Stephen.
7. Richard Egielski takes a ride.
8. Things got a little wild.
9. Quieter times.
10. A group effort created “over burgers and beer” and using “the crayons they usually give to kids to keep them quiet until the food comes.”
11. Farm life.
12. Scotch Hill Farm. Map by Doug Salati.
The post Camp Sendak appeared first on The Horn Book.
Whenever one person grabs a book and curls up in bed or on the sofa, the rest of the family inevitably follow. ... So we chose our favorites individually and then agreed on one shared family favorite.
Add a CommentDan Scott was born in Surrey, England. Growing up, he became interested in ancient Rome and his love of historical fiction provided plenty of inspiration for the adventure stories he began to write as a child. Eventually, his characters and stories developed into the action-packed Gladiator School series.
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The Breman Museum has been hosting the “Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak in His Own Words and Pictures” exhibit.
Here’s more from the press release: “The exhibition includes interactive locations where visitors dress up like wild things, slide into a bowl of chicken soup, and pick one of many of Sendak’s books to read on Rosie’s Stoop. Additionally there are videos that emphasize Sendak’s legacy and emphasize strategies for reading with children.”
Visitors will also enjoy a display of drawings, artifacts, and biographical information. Exhibition manager Tim Frilingos served as the curator for this exhibit. A closing date has been scheduled for July 5th.
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Today marks the 87th birthday of children’s book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. Sendak passed away in 2012. To honor the life of this Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator, we’ve put together a list of four ideas on how to celebrate.
1. Up for a little culture? Visit the “Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak in His Own Words & Pictures” exhibit at the Breman Museum.
2. Karaoke, anyone? Sing along to the opera based on the Where the Wild Things Are picture book.
3. Hitting the movies? Watch the 2009 Where the Wild Things Are film adaptation.
4. Throughout his career, Sendak wrote and illustrated dozens of books. Explore his work with a Sendak-themed read-a-thon.
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The Blank on Blank organization has created an animated video starring Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury. The video embedded above features a long-lost interview between Bradbury and a student journalist that took place in 1972.
During this chat, Bradbury shared his thoughts on friendship, fear, and writing. In the past, the producers behind this YouTube channel have made pieces with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings memoirist Maya Angelou, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues author Tom Robbins, and Where the Wild Things Are creator Maurice Sendak.
Add a CommentStephanie Graegin spent her childhood drawing and collecting fauna. These days, she lives in Brooklyn, is still drawing, and has managed to keep her animal collection down to one orange cat.
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A group of locals from Ridgefield hope to build a museum to honor the legendary children’s books creator, Maurice Sendak. Sendak spent forty years of his life as a resident of this small Connecticut town.
Both the Maurice Sendak Foundation and the townspeople have approved the pursuants’ proposal. They hope to build this institution inside a glass building which was notably designed by architect Philip Johnson.
Here’s more from The Associated Press: “The 45-acre campus of the energy services company Schlumberger, including the proposed museum site, was acquired by Ridgefield in 2012 for $7 million. On Tuesday, town voters approved the sale of 10 of the acres for residential construction, returning $4.3 million to the town. The first selectman, Rudy Marconi, said the sale could help the museum proposal by giving planners flexibility on decisions regarding the rest of the property.” (Photo Credit: John Dugdale)
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She’d already blogged a quickie review of it, so when the news came in that it won a UK Costa Award I had the odd sensation of being, if only momentarily, inside the British book loop. And if you looked at that cover and thought to yourself, “Gee, that sure looks like a WWI sequel to E. Nesbit’s Five Children and It” you’re sort of right on the money.
Pretty much off-topic but while strolling through Bryant Park behind the main library for NYPL, my boss and I came across the fountain back there. Apparently when the temperatures plunge they figure it’s better to keep it running rather than risk bursting the pipes. Whatever the reason, it now looks like this:
The Blank on Blank organization has created an animated video starring Even Cowgirls Get the Blues author Tom Robbins. The video embedded above features outtakes from a previously unheard interview conducted with Tod Mesirow that took place in 1994. In the past, the producers behind this YouTube channel made pieces about I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings memoirist Maya Angelou, Where the Wild Things Are creator Maurice Sendak, and Infinite Jest novelist David Foster Wallace.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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Once again, Neil Gaiman agreed to perform a reading of a beloved children’s story for a Worldbuilders fundraising venture. The choices included Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll, Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss, and Goodnight Moon written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd.
‘Jabberwocky’ received the most votes and the organization has raised more than $639,000.00. The video embedded above features Gaiman in the woods delivering a dramatic recitation of Carroll’s famous nonsense poem from memory—what do you think?
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Add a CommentHervé Tullet is known for his prodigious versatility, from directing ad campaigns to designing fabric for Hermès. But his real love is working with children, for whom he has published dozens of books, including Press Here.
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The guy on the right is surely L. Frank Baum.
Betsy, the Parnassus auction also has piggies painted by Yo-Yo Ma and Renee Fleming! Not that I’m encouraging people to outbid me or anything . . .
thanks, Betsy!!