Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack, ill. Kurt Wiese
Hope you like Kathleen Turner, because in this long delayed episode I’m clearly doing my best rendition of her. Apologies for the gap in the episodes. Fortunately, we’re back in style. This week we discuss a book that has a complicated history. It would be easier if this were a more straightforward case of racism. Along the way we discuss the Wilder Award’s name change, whether people care more about animal cruelty or corporeal punishment, and the names of Kate’s blisters.
Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or your preferred method of podcast selection.
Source Notes:
– Here’s the Wendy McClure thread about the Wilder Award that I referenced.
– Run on sentences across pages are the WORST!!
– I was dead right about the cormorans, by the way. And this is indeed a legitimate fishing method.
– It seems so strange to me that the guy who did You Can Write Chinese, which looks like this:
– Is the same guy who did the art in this:
– And here’s what we’re talking about in terms of the skin color. This book can have both this one moment:
– And then this the next:
But have the colors of the skin tones been changed since it’s original publication? We don’t know.
– Man, I struck out on finding any of the videos I mentioned. No Shari Lewis. No Sesame Street. And I couldn’t even find the clip from Louie.
– Everything I say is a lie. Space Ghost rules!
– David L. Ulin wrote a very interesting piece for the L.A. Times called The Story About Ping and the Invention of Nostalgia.
– If you’re curious about The Good Place podcast, just come right here.
Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate

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.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
Notes on September 2023
Cover Reveal: My Book and Me by Linda Sue Park, ill. Chris Raschka
Exclusive: New Sibling Adventure Story from Papercutz | News and Preview
Debating Decades: Cast your votes in our survey of the best Newbery (and non-Newbery) books of the 2010s
Book Review: All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr
The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving
ADVERTISEMENT