And All Our April Fool’s of Yesterday
It sort of defeats the purpose to write a post that reminds folks that it’s April Fool’s Day in the post’s very title, doesn’t it? I guess I can’t go about claiming wild and wacky things, like Peter Sieruta used to. Remember his 2012 post on “Selznick syndrome” or 2011′s Charlie Sheen Lands Children’s Book Deal or 2009′s Graveyard Book to Be Stripped of Newbery, or (my personal favorite) his 2008 Ramona piece de resistance? No? Then go read them. The man knew from pranks.
This year pranking is doing very well in the middle grade category. Mac Barnett and Jory John put out that great The Terrible Two (reviewed best by Travis Jonker). I’d count The Tapper Twins Go to War by Geoff Rodkey as a great prank book as well. And if we want to look at books that have come out in the past, I was always fond of Kim Baker’s Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School and M3: Sir John Hargrave’s Mischief Maker’s Manual by John Hargrave.
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Today, I bring to you a specific picture book prank so light and airy and sweet that it can hardly be called “prank”. It’s the kind of thing you might expect from the film Amelie or Color Me Katie. It’s from last year and called More Bookish Prank Fun. And to give you a hint of which picture book it references I shall leave you with just a single photograph.
Happy April Fool’s!
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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 Kirkus, 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 BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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I always miss Peter on this day.
Gosh, “Tuesday” is just the greatest book. Someday I want to frame a print of the spread of the guy eating the peanut butter sandwich in the middle of the night (I mean the image doesn’t SHOW PB, but he’s drinking milk and what else would you eat in the middle of the night anyway??) – it’s one of my favorite images in any picture book. Great prank!
I recently read A Fine Dessert, and ended up posting my review the day *before* April Fool’s Day. After I did so, I realized I jumped the gun by a day. After all, what better time to think about Blackberry Fool? Anyway, I finished up the batch I made Monday on April Fool’s Day. I think it’s going to be my new, tasty April Blackberry Fool’s Day Tradition.
Oh man. You make me feel ashamed that I didn’t realize that a Blackberry Fool book should naturally be reviewed on April Fool’s Day. Brilliance!!
I know!!! Because it was mere coincidence that I posted my review the day before. Then on April Fool’s Day, I was thinking, what review should I post — Doh!!!!!