- First and foremost, this:
That would be Kadir Nelson’s tribute to the Schomburg Library in NYC. A couple things to note about it. First, in an amazing bit of research you can see that he includes both the old Schomburg Library (now overrun with ivy) and the new Schomburg together at the bottom. Second, the inclusion of Langston Hughes front and center is particularly clever since Langston is practically the first thing a person sees when they enter the building. Or rather, Langston’s words which are embedded in the very floor. I do miss the Schomburg. This brought all that back.
- In all the talks we’ve heard from people about A FINE DESSERT and A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON, I sometimes feel like we haven’t heard enough from the teachers about how they teach topics like slavery. That’s why posts like Monica Edinger’s In the Classroom: Teaching About Slavery are so important. If you read no other link today, read this one.
- This one’s for the librarians. Want to know all the different rates publishers charge libraries for ebooks? A handy dandy chart explains all.
- Travis Jonker knew not what he hath wrought when he posted about The Most Annoying Board Book Ever. I know precisely what book he’s talking about (as does anyone else who has encountered it). I never get rid of books, as my household will attest, but THAT book I gave away with a flourish when I moved. I wasn’t going to use precious box space cluttering it up with that monstrosity. One of the buttons that’s supposed to sound like snoring actually sounds like Darth Vader. And believe you me, you do NOT want the unsettling feeling that Vader is lurking around your house.
Speaking of radio, have you guys all heard James Kennedy (of 90-Second Newbery and The Order of Odd Fish fame) on Matthew Winner’s Let’s Get Busy podcast? If you listen to no other interview on that show (and I include my own when I say that) listen to this one. The two guys basically hit it out of the park right at the start when James mentions the plethora of The Call stories as they relate to ALA Award committees. The dog church bit . . . seriously, you just have to listen. And not just because an Oakland newspaper said of James that, “Between his wardrobe choices and excited mannerisms, he had the familiar air of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in the Harry Potter film adaptations, only he was not a braggart.” I always think of him as more a Xenophilius Lovegood type, but maybe that’s just the Rhys Ifans talking.
- Man. I gotta apologize. Somebody somewhere alerted me to the Booktoss piece Say It With Me: Intersectionality and I’ve forgotten who they are. Mea culpa. In any case, this is a great piece of writing. From Beyonce at the Superbowl to Ben Hatke’s Little Robot. Not an easy connection, but Laura Jimenez manages it. Kudos.
- I think I failed to post this before, but Mike Lewis did a killer rundown of the CTTCB’s Social Media Institute in his piece Exiting the Echo Chamber. I am, however, a little jealous at the title. Wish I’d thought of it myself.
- Why, yes. I would like to attend a Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library. However did you know? But quick question: When did Wendell Minor illustrate the series? It makes me happy but I want to see that work.
- Things I’m Surprised More Publishers Don’t Do With Their Backlist: This. I guess it helps if you have a big recognizable name, but still. Now can we PLEASE discuss doing this with William’s Doll? You want money? I have money. (Fun Fact: I don’t have money – I just want to see it brought into the 21st century)
Pooh and friends pre-2008
Though it contains an image of the original Winnie-the-Pooh toys that has to be more than eight years old (Donnell Library!), the Huffington Post article Christopher Robin Was Real, And Other Facts About Winnie-The-Pooh’s Author has some nice items in it. Particularly point #2. H.G. Wells? Really?
- Here’s another one for the librarians. Booksellers too, as it happens. According to a recent Nielsen Report, Social Omnivores And Book Placement Majorly Influence Children’s Book Buyership. No surprises there. What is surprising is that when it comes to selecting books, “The shelf has more influence than the promotional table, window display, bargain bin, etc. combined by a very wide margin.”. Yep. Your displays may look all kinds of pretty, but nothing beats good old fashioned shelving when it comes to checkouts/sales. Who knew? Thanks to Carl Schwanke for the link.
- Word I Don’t Use Enough: Ostrobogulous. Disagree on peril of defining it (though this may help). Thanks to Phil Nel for the link.
- “Where are the children’s books that celebrate working-class values and voices?” is not a question being asked by many folks here in America. It is, however, being asked in The Guardian by Elen Caldecott. And it is a question I would very much like us to start answering over here as well.
Alison Morris, currently working as the Senior Director of Collection Development & Merchandising at First Book, is the cleverest crafty person I know. Years ago she showed me how to make F&Gs into birdhouses. Now she’s making classic children’s characters into marble magnets.
Want to make your own? Instructions can be found here. Cheers, Alison!
I’m just going to go ahead and assume you are all listening to Matthew Winner’s Let’s Get Busy podcast, but if you aren’t: get over there.
Matthew’s a librarian at an elementary school in Maryland, and he’s created the most spectacular hangout online for authors, illustrators, and other members in the kidlit crew. He’s smart and funny and easygoing, and I promise you’ll like him a bunch.
And what’s even cooler is that my best pal Julie Falatko and I joined him recently to talk about our favorite books from this first quarter of 2015. It was a chat full of oh yes that one and book love and laughs.
You can listen to it here.
And check out Matthew’s Busy Librarian blog and Julie’s website too.
Did we forget your favorites? I know.
#bookguilt
Happy listening!
by Connah Brecon (Philomel, 2014)
I fell hard for this book. Heart-itching, squeal-worthy, big time bulging-eyeballs-love.
The title is perfect, right? An ode to the impossibility of putting all of the teensy intricacies of a crush into words.
A girl. A hunt. But she doesn’t really know how to grasp this thing.
Because it’s all . . .
and . . .
Picture sparkles streaming out of a bottle and a warm kitty snuggle. Impossible for words. Only colorful bursts of feeling.
(click to enlarge)
I love her green dress/red hair combo. Strong complementary colors for a stronger girl. She says she’s not brave, but she’s doing just the opposite.
She leaves a trail of crumbs. Sets a trap. And waits.
It doesn’t work.
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
Good question, little girl. (I love that her love parade is marching down Hope Street.)
So when the rain drips down the sign and the marching band has marched on, she is sad. So sad.
I really want to share my heart but I just can’t find the right way to open it.
The thing is, she had. She did. This whole time. And that’s worth a bang-up ending. You’ll see.
Here’s a fun look at Connah and his creative process, and if you haven’t given the Let’s Get Busy podcast yet, start here.
This is a perfect thing for any Valentine of your very own.
by Matthew Winner
I think picture books rock.
Except for the ones that aren’t good and, as a parent, you dread reading even a second night in a row to your kid. And you try to sneak the book from his bedside stack and back into the library bag, but somehow he keeps pulling the book back out because heaven forbid our bedtime routine goes one night without a digger book. Oh, the digger book! With its droning text that stretches on and on without ever really saying a single thing. And is my kid actually paying attention to the words? Of course not! He’s looking at the pictures of the cool diggers. Yet we can’t skip a line of text because if there’s words then he wants to know what they say. Is it wrong for me to change the words on the page? What if I change the words on every single page?
Okay. Maybe I should rephrase that.
I think good picture books rock.
This is a reader who knows what ROCKS!
Except for the ones that are really good and you think to yourself as you read to your kid, “Ya know? I bet the other adults in my book club would really like this book. It’s got historical accuracy. It’s got no less than fifteen SAT words. Why, I feel like my kid should be pre-admitted to Harvard on the grounds alone that he has parents so adept at selecting reading material of such academic merit.” At which point you realize that your kid actually has a different book in his hands. And is sitting on the other side of the room because your reading aloud of the picture book clearly not meant for children is drowning out his ability to concentrate on something he’s interested in…wait a second. Is he reading that diggers book again? Where in the world did he get that book? I thought I put it back in the library bag.
Let’s try this again.
I think good picture books written with children in mind rock.
Except when they’re forgettable. Because nothing is sadder than getting to the end of a beautiful picture book and experiencing the dry, hollow “huh” of a story that has done little more than take up mental shelf space in your brain that you cannot reclaim. And while you read page after endless page, waiting for the story to pay off or for, oh my word, ANYTHING to happen in this book. I thought it was going to be our next favorite book ever. Its cover was so beautiful. The text was simple and poetic. The illustrations were… are you kidding me? The digger book? Again? You know what? I don’t think I can blame you. At least that one sends me to sleep thinking about operating heavy machinery I probably need a permit just to dream over.
Scratch it. Time for a new draft.
I think good, memorable picture books written with children in mind rock.
Oh, who am I kidding!?
You’re writing for these kiddos. Make it count. Make it AWESOME!
I think a good, memorable picture book written with children in mind that creates a connection with the reader through shared experiences, showing them something new, inviting them to play or interact with the story, entertaining them by making them laugh or think or be in awe or any combination of the three, or by in some way changing the reader through content that is thought-provoking, historically significant, or is just outright awesome ROCKS!
PiBoIdMo 2014 is upon us and whether you walk away from this experience with 30 picture book ideas or 300, it’s up to you to make sure you’re working on something that you think is awesome. Because if you don’t think it’s awesome, what’s the chance that idea has of growing into something more beautiful? I’ll answer that one for you. Zero chance.
To young readers, a picture book is a mirror. Readers see themselves and the people they know in the characters and situations that inhabit the story. In this way, readers expand their experiences by reading about things they may never encounter in their actual lives. They explore worlds they’ll never set foot on. They experience perspectives that build empathy for things they haven’t actually been through. They meet people who help them understand themselves better, and, more often than not, these people are complete works of fiction. It’s important that children of all ages are exposed to these diverse experiences so that they, in turn, can become better grown-up people.
And when you write a picture book, you’re committing an act that is profoundly important. It is an act that inspires awe and wonder to young and not-as-young children alike. And it all comes from a single idea. One that, perhaps fleeting, came to your subconscious.
Over the next month or so, listen to those ideas that tickle the back of your neck. The ones the bring on an audible chuckle. The ones that make your brain feel heavy. The ones that curl the ends of your lips. The ones that just won’t leave (and the ones the appear suddenly and clearly).
Just like the dots we create for International Dot Day, no idea should be overlooked. There’s a just-right idea for every reader out there. You’ve just gotta make the match.
Write them down. No matter how you feel about them at the time, write them down. Those words are gifts. And they are important. Some will become stories. Some will change and dance about and change some more. Some will lay still on the page, perhaps just to mark a moment in time where those words felt important or necessary.
And even if those words are “Hector was a nasty fartbutt,” you write them down. Because, know it or not, there’s a kid out there who needs to hear that Hector was a nasty fartbutt. Because those words will mean something greater than you may have been able to anticipate.
Picture books are full of moments exactly like that. Ones that the author couldn’t have ever anticipated would be so transformative or powerful or meaningful or poignant.
And that’s why picture books are important.
Matthew Winner is an elementary school teacher librarian in Elkridge, Maryland. He’s the author of the Busy Librarian blog and the host of the Let’s Get Busy podcast, where he interviews authors, illustrators, kidlit notables, and everyone in between. Follow Matthew on Twitter at @MatthewWinner and Like the Busy Librarian on Facebook.
Matthew is giving away two mystery picture books that are AWESOME! Two winners. Two mysteries. Two totally awesome and amazing picture books.
To enter, leave ONE COMMENT below. Two random winners will be selected at the conclusion of Pre-PiBo!
Good luck!
Speaking of radio, have you guys all heard James Kennedy (of 90-Second Newbery and The Order of Odd Fish fame) on Matthew Winner’s Let’s Get Busy podcast? If you listen to no other interview on that show (and I include my own when I say that) listen to this one. The two guys basically hit it out of the park right at the start when James mentions the plethora of The Call stories as they relate to ALA Award committees. The dog church bit . . . seriously, you just have to listen. And not just because an Oakland newspaper said of James that, “Between his wardrobe choices and excited mannerisms, he had the familiar air of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in the Harry Potter film adaptations, only he was not a braggart.” I always think of him as more a Xenophilius Lovegood type, but maybe that’s just the Rhys Ifans talking.
Thanks for mentioning my post. I’m going to do a follow-up post soon with specifics about how the actual sessions have been going. Just to show how incredibly observant we need to be when doing this with kids, to never assume, to find ways to check in, and so forth.
Here’s one example (and sorry for the length of this). As part of a lesson that featured a look at Bunce Island (a fort off the coast of Sierra Leone where enslaved rice farmers were especially desired to bring to Charleston) I showed the children a primary source image of an ad for a sale (http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slavery/details.php?categorynum=6&categoryName=&theRecord=71&recordCount=75) that states “”To be sold. . . a cargo of ninety-four prime, healthy Negroes”; men, women, and children from Sierra Leone.” I heard gasps and discovered it was because of the word “Negroes.” It was then I realized some had not encountered the word before, some thought it was the n-word they’d vaguely heard about.
And so yesterday I followed up, discussing where the word came from (Spanish and Portuguese — one student who speaks Spanish knew this immediately), read excerpts from speeches of famous folk over the years containing the word (from Wade Hudson’s excellent Powerful Words), we talked about what it means to define people by words this way, and more. At one point we were discussing other words for white and a child whispered something that I couldn’t hear and the child who knew Spanish next to him laughed. I took him aside later and at first he was reluctant to tell me what he had said. Finally he whispered to me, “Blanco.” I told him that was a good word to have said, not a bad one at all. And then I spoke to the little girl who had laughed, wanting to be sure to validate her response too. Her laughter had been one of surprise and nothing more. All was fine, but it made me realize yet again that I need to pay such close attention, check in regularly, and follow-up anytime I sense confusion. (Btw, I have a fairly diverse class, so kids of all ethnicities and backgrounds are engaging with this, each in their own way.)
I am always uncomfortable with aged lists. As I scrolled down the Brightly list I was struck by the fact that the vast majority, but not all, were books that my children read and enjoyed at much younger ages.
You will note, then, that there was a huge range in reading levels there. Picture books as well as chapter books like Charlotte’s Web. That’s what I like about the list. It’s for kids of all reading levels but with age appropriate content.
It’s always a treat to get mentioned on Fuse #8 — but it’s a double treat when my ramblings make it into the headline. Thanks, Betsy! (And thanks to Mr. Winner for having me on his podcast!)
Thanks, James. It is, upon retrospect, an odd little title. Hopefully folks understand that it comes from your interview.
The Daily Image with the marble magnets has a pattern below it that makes me think of Sophie Blackall’s work. The pattern is the same one used in Finding Winnie.