Fusenews: Croquet and Pentanque (together at last)

Maybe half a year ago I mentioned that Ms. Lucy Knisley had created a cartoon poster for the first four Harry Potter books.  Now with the final Potter movie coming out, the posters are at long last complete.  They follow the plots of the books, not the films, but the look of the characters can be amusingly cinematic at times.  And for the record, if I were a tattoo-minded dame, I would adore getting this image of Luna Lovegood and her pop.

But that’s not really my top news story of the day.  How could it be?  No the top news story is that it is once again time for the Summer Blog Blast Tour.  Twice a year a cadre of bloggers for child and teen books gather together to interview some of the luminaries in the field.  Chasing Ray has the round-up, so seek ’em out and read ’em up.  I know I will.

When I lived in London for a time (it was like a little Intro to New York) I would periodically buy the newest issue of Time Out London and find interesting places to visit.  One day the mag highlighted a toy museum.  It was called The Museum of Childhood and it was fascinating.  I was too intimidated to take any pictures, though, so I sort of forgot that I even went.  Years have passed and I see that author/illustrator David Lucas has also been to that same museum and he has written about it in the post What do TOYS Think of Us? Stick around for the moment when he starts talking about panpsychism.  Looking at all those ragamuffin bits of much loved cloth and felt reminds me of my library’s own original Winnie-the-Pooh.  He is, after all, of the British persuasion.

• Birthday party themes for kids abound.  My heart, however, belongs to any kid who opts for the theme of “librarian”.  There’s even a section discussing what such a party consisted of.  Just in case you need some pointers.  Big thanks to Jan Godown Annino for the link!

• Yay, Sunday Brunch!  Over at Collecting Children’s Books my partner in writing crime (we’re doing a Candlewick book with Jules from 7-Imp) has a delightful post that is well worth your time.  My favorite parts include the childhood of a future Brat Packer, a reason why Erin E. Moulton’s Flutter is unique, and a vote for “The Year’s Creepiest YA Novel.”  Hooked yet?

• Marci, this is for you. Remember how we were trying to figure out how one would go about creating Quidditch croquet?  Well . . .

• And since this is turning into a Harry Potterish kind of post anyway, who would have predicted after seeing the first HP film that Malfoy would grow up to look kind of goofy (though maybe I shouldn’t say anything about a guy with a rap contract) while Neville . . . Wow.  Thanks to mom for the link.

• I’ve put off reviewing apps for the moment, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see them.  So I know personally that the SLJ review of the app for Hildegard Sings happens to be right on the money.  Probably because I happened to give it a little feedback prior to publication.  Go check it out!

• No summer SCBWI Conference for me.  For those of you attending, however, expect a fantastic Kidlit Drink Night that is open to one and all!

• In the annals of children’s literary history it would be nice if someday someone collected all the illustrations children’s illustrators have made of one another.  I’m sure Feiffer has doodled Sendak at some point in his life.  And how cool would it be to find an Ezra Jack Keats image of someone like H.A. Rey?  In the meantime we’ll be satisfied of pictures like this one Peter de Seve did of himself and Mo Willems playing Pentanque.  Love the concentration on display there.

• Actually, this is somewhat along the same lines.  In Britain a host of children’s authors were asked who their favorite fellow living author is.  Frank Cottrell Boyce and Mal Peet chose Yanks.  Great Yanks at that.

• Aw, man.  Bologna be damned.  I wanna be part of the excellent children’s literary road trip Mr. Schu and Donna go on.  I mean, I’ve never even been to The Reading Reptile like they have.  Looks pretty darn cool, though.  For a play by play on their adventures, best that you visit their blog pronto.

• Speaking of road trips, that great Greg Hatcher is at it again!  This week he introduces us, in the course of his travels, to a Hardy Boys knockoff series that, in his own words, did not, “even have the staying power of Whitman’s other teen sleuth Trixie Belden.”  Later he mentions the book Captains Courageous, which stirred something in the back of my cranium.  Is there a children’s book out this year in which a character reads that title?  Dead End in Norvelt, perhaps?  I can’t remember.

• This was heartbreaking.  A couple months ago I had a girl come into my library asking for books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  So I hauled out the usual fare, and spent a little extra time talking up my beloved Popularity Papers.  She looked interested and took it to read.  I figured my job was done.  Five seconds later she’s back with an apologetic look on her face.  “I can’t read this,” she said.  “It’s in script.”  Part of the book is written in cursive and the kid was convinced it was unreadable.  I remembered this moment when I saw the TIME article reporting that in Indiana cursive will no longer be taught.  Geez.  Thanks to Galleycat for the link.

• The site Imaginawesome reinterprets children’s drawings with professional artists. Neat, right?  Guess I’d be more impressed if I hadn’t seen it done two years ago (and brilliantly) by children’s authors for the work by the kids of Chicken Nugget Lemon Tooty.  Not that it isn’t a cool idea.

• Ah, Anne Carroll Moore.  Unfair that you’re primarily mentioned these days when it comes to the books you didn’t like.  Still, this NPR piece on How E.B. White Spun ‘Charlotte’s Web’ is pretty fun stuff.  Enjoy.  Thanks to Leesa Bird for the link.

• I never had a desire to become a teacher.  They’ve more guts than I.  This is probably for the best too since if I was a teacher I’d probably take an unholy pleasure in finding the plagiarists in my classes.  And I’d certain find a lot of ways to use the piece Tools for Tackling Plagiarism that SLJ put out.

• Gah!  I can’t stand it!  Must include more Potter links!  Links like this TIME piece on fan fiction called How Harry Potter Became the Boy Who Lived Forever.  Thanks to Marci for the link!

• It’s a veritable Dutch invasion!  From Cynopsis Kids:

That’s gonna be one big bunny! Production has begun on the new stop-motion animated, preschool/family aimed feature film Miffy the Movie, which is based on Dutch author/illustrator Dick Bruna’s popular white rabbit Miffy character and the puppet animated TV series Miffy and Friends.  Telescreen Filmproductions, a division of Telescreen B.V., which in turn is a subsidiary of the Germany’s m4e AG, and Mercis, which manages the rights Bruna’s work, have teamed for the movie with Warner Bros. Netherlands and Dutch pubcaster KRO Television.  Production of the movie is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and CoBO Fonds.  Media Programme of the European Community supported the development of the film.  Produced in collaboration with Denmark’s A.Film Production and a team of stop motion animators in Latvia, Miffy the Movie is being directed by Hans Perk, from a screenplay by James Still.  Production on the movie is slated to be completed in 2012, with plans for its worldwide theatrical release in 2013.

• My least favorite Newbery is definitely Daniel Boone (see The Newbery Project to learn why), but The Matchlock Gun makes for a close second.  Now 100 Scope Notes has come up with a new cover for it.  Ah well.
  

• Daily Image:

This has been an excellent year for book dresses.  The latest inclusion?

The bodice is made of typewriter parts.  See Some Like It Vintage for a close-up of the pages.  Thanks to Playing By the Book for the link.

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