Video Sunday: “We’re keeping food fresh till the end of days!”

I’ve been clutching this video to my chest for months, just waiting, waiting, waiting for September to come around.  Children’s literature related?  Not unless funky puppets count (that puppet makes me laugh every time).  Just consider this something to get your groove on today.  September is here (yipes!) and if your weather is anything like New York’s right now then you are dwelling in sweet 62 degree heaven.

Close your eyes.  Now think of the best book trailer produced between January 1, 2006 to July 1, 2010.  Can you think of it?  Fantastic.  Now go and read Joyce Valenza’s post about the New Book Video Trailer Awards that are coming up.  Not only can you nominate your favorites but you can also vote for the winners in each category.

Teen trailers will not be considered, so this next series of videos wouldn’t quite make the cut.  To be honest, I’m not certain how I missed this on the first go-around.  I suppose because they’re YA to a certain extent but since (A) Adam Rex usually works in the world of children’s literature and (B) They star Mac Barnett who is CLEARLY picture book and chapter book related, these count.

What’s important here is that you recognize the mad acting skills at work.  Ye gods.  Here’s where the cool kids are at.  The cool kids with oddly slicked back hair.

Can you believe that as of this posting some of these have only gotten 526 views?  What the heckedy heck?

Speaking of book trailers with shocking low views on YouTube, 368 right now for what may well be the most movie-like book trailer I’ve ever seen.  And that is saying something.  Production value city going on here.  Wow.

Thanks to @molly_oneill for the link.

And now, a little catchy boon to English teachers everywhere.  Elementary school teachers too, I’d wager.

Thanks to bookshelves of doom for the link.

Long ago and back in the day when I first began blogging I decided to get some attention for my tiny little blog by creating a series that I called The Hot Men of Children’s Literature.  It was a rousing success, but had to be cut off for a variety of reasons (primarily because when you receive a submission from a fellow or his wife, there is no good way of telling them “I’m sorry but you’re just not hot”).  But who was the very first Hot Man of Children’s Literature?  Little known fact but it was this fellow here.  One Philip Nel.  Nel is one of the best children’s literary scholars in the nation, and as you can see by today’s video he is entirely and utterly charming when discussing the nature of metafiction in children’s literature.

I am very pleased by the presence of Scribble in the background, by the way.  That one flew entirely too far under the radar for my liking, back in the day.  Monica Edinger was the one who discovered this so you should definitely check out her post on the video as she includes many links to things like Nel’s Curator’s Note and the post on Mr. Nel’s blog with title suggestions.  Here’s hoping he produces many many more videos in the future.

And for our off-topic video, over at ShelfTalker this week Elizabeth Bluemle was so charmed by this video that she made an entire post about it.  It practically constitutes a short film.  I misunderstood the first time I saw it and thought it was a short that ran on Saturday Night Live.  Rather, it was created by Saturday Night Live actress Jenny Slate (who is also Marcel’s voice).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TL3oaHKCko&feature=player_embedded

Phew!  Good batch this week.  Thanks, everybody!

Filed under: Videos