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March 10, 2009 by Betsy Bird

Fusenews: “Can’t you send the police to arrest the author?”

March 10, 2009 by Betsy Bird   4 comments

Since I started organizing the Children’s Literary Cafes here at the Humanities Library I’ve been wracking my brain to try and think up interesting topics and speakers.  And here’s one topic that would never have occurred to me in a billion trillion years: "the relationship between wallpapers and books created for children."  Nope.  Never would have crossed my mind.  But clearly it has crossed the mind of someone over at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.  Their exhibition Wall Stories: Children’s Wallpaper and Books is up until April 1st.  And since it has been showing since October, I’d be interested in hearing from anyone who has already been to this particular show.  Thanks to Children’s Illustration for the link.

  • I mean, if you aren’t faithfully reading your Collecting Children’s Books on a regular basis by this point then I can only assume you are a small children’s literature-minded hermit who has just crawled out from under a rock, unaware of the wonders in store for you.  With that in mind, I direct you today to Peter’s last post which was named one thing but which I have renamed GIRL FINDS MESSAGE FROM DEAD MOTHER…ON AMAZON.COM because I liked the tabloid feel of the sentence.  Other pieces of interest include clever thoughts on the early Newbery members’ lamentable notetaking skills and speeches both charming and lamentable by Newbery/Caldecott winners over the years.  Amongst other things.


  • Though I wouldn’t want to be on the judging committee, I would rather like to see an American equivalent to the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, which gives an award to an unpublished children’s novel.  This year’s winner is the book Threads by Sophia Bennett.  As I say, wouldn’t want to be on the committee, but I would like to see the winner.  And yes, I do prefer to eat my dessert first at each and every meal.  Thanks to Omnivoracious for the link.


  • I’ve gotten girlier in my old age.  As a kid you couldn’t have gotten me to so much as glance at shoes, dresses, or the sweet lacy things that girlfolks are supposed to love.  Age has changed my mind on this subject.  That and a distinct lack of new clothing in my closet (doggone winter), so it was with rather Pavlovian drooling that I saw the clothes featured on the blog Blaze Danielle.  In Storybook Fashion the clothes of Mary from The Secret Garden, Lucy from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Nancy Drew from The Secret in the Old Attic are updated and located at various stores, creating quite remarkable outfits for adult women.  Storybook Fashion II goes a little older, and a little stranger (but no less accurate) with updated versions of Ramona, Meg from A Wrinkle in Time, and Pippi Longstocking.  Do Harriet the Spy next!  Do Harriet the Spy next!  A thousand strangled thanks to ShelfTalker for these links.


  • Remember the other day when I lamented that I had never known that actor James Franco was the son of children’s book author Betsy Franco?  And in the midst of my temper tantrum I pouted aloud, "Why did nobody tell me?".  In any case, someone did tell me, of a fashion.  Cast your mind back in time to the distant age of November 2007.  President Bush was still in office.  Heroes was already getting old.  People were dancing a fast jig to the newest Timberlake tune, and James Franco appeared on the Disco Mermaid blog.  Says hugely-popular-in-his-own-right author Jay Asher about the event, "He was there, apparently, because his mom works at the school.  So whenever he’s in town, he drops by and gives the teens free acting lessons.  Even though I was freaking out, all the students were totally cool with it.  In person, he is a very nice guy!"  Thanks to Jay Asher (who is in the New York Times today in a feature, if you can find it) for the link. 

  • Here’s a site for the process junkies out there.  Chad Beckerman goes through the creation, step by step, of the book John Brown: His Fight for Freedom over at his blog Mishaps and Adventures.  A magnificent peek into how a cover evolves and emerges over time.  Just great.


  • And this will make your day if nothing else will.  It’s Publishing 911.  Are you an author?  Are you a reader?  Are you having a bad day?  Read this.  Thanks to Nathan Bransford for the link.


  • As for your theatrical news of the day, according to Mr. Mo, "Thespian toddlers beware, today the Kennedy Center in DC announced the inclusion of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical on their 2009-10 schedule ."  I hadn’t a clue such a thing was even in the works.  One wonders if it will incorporate both Knuffle books as one.  Hmmm.  Thanks to Mr. Mo for the link.


  • That reminds me… if you still haven’t sent me your Top 10 Picture Books of All Time, it’s not too late.  I hunger for opinions.  My stomach verily growls for lack of consensus.  Even if it’s Love You Forever, I don’t mind!  Tom at Omnivoracious just did his own list and it’s magnificent.  I’m always delighted to see Stamaty getting love.  Sadly Go, Dog, Go is an easy reader and won’t make the cut, but as you can see he has plenty of back-up titles in reserve.  Send me what you like at Fusenumber8@gmail.com !


  • Daily Image:


I could see more than one author allowing fans to poke and prod about their personal writing space in this manner.  Probably the only reason you can do it with Mr. Dahl is because he is dead, but don’t let THAT little detail get in your way.  Just go here and you can sneak about Roald Dahl’s "writing hut".  Not too dissimilar from J.K. Rowling’s messy desk website, when you think about it.  People do love to pry.
 

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Thanks to Boing Boing for the link.

Filed under: Fusenews

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. tanita says

    March 10, 2009 at 6:26 am

    I am just loving the Secret Garden and Ramona outfits — I definitely think Harriet should be next!

  2. mhg says

    March 10, 2009 at 7:03 am

    Oh no! This is my joke come true. That we female book people are thought of as sitting in a garden sipping tea and wearing Laura Ashely and big brim hats. Pfft! These clothes are cute but what am I to do with my awesome new fake tiger skin car coat? Dang! Or my wardrobe of comfy work in my house clothes? Shall I wear Barbie chiffon to paint in? Why play a role to look like a writer, artist, etc. That’s called posing. Just become one and wear whatever you like. Happy Women’s History month and do what feels natural.

  3. Eva M says

    March 10, 2009 at 9:54 am

    I always think of Ramona in saggy overalls with no shirt underneath. Come to think of it, my little sis used to dress that way, too.

  4. tim b says

    March 11, 2009 at 5:59 am

    Oddly, went to the Cooper-Hewitt show just yesterday and go by all means if you can. Not only are the wallpapers themselves very interesting, they have cases of associated books on view as well: Crane, Caldecott, Milne, Greenaway. All lovely, but I have to say the papers themselves are great in ways you’d never think of (this could be said of every show I’ve ever seen at the C-H). Three particular favorites: a dreamy, romantic Lindbergh-themed paper with the Spirit of St. Louis almost lost in clouds; a sweetly serious circle of children dancing around giant stylized fruit trees and a freakshow sample of very sad-looking children bearing the motto – in German – “Work makes life sweet.” That one’s worth the trip uptown all by itself.

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