SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

January 29, 2019 by Betsy Bird

Unexpected Jolts of Children’s Literature: Seusses and Ludwigs and Baums (oh my!)

January 29, 2019 by Betsy Bird   1 comments

Now that we’re done with the award announcement delights of the 2018 season, I’d say it was high time to start thinking about something completely different. And what could be more different than cases where adult books mention children’s books and children’s book creators in some way? As you may know, my day job is as the Collection Development Manager of a library system, and that means keeping up-to-date with the latest in adult publications. In my travels I ran across the following books. Keep your eyes peeled for them in the coming months! You might not know what you’ve missed otherwise:


 

Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination by Brian Jay Jones

BecomingDrSeuss

Is it just me, or does it feel a little strange when anyone other than Phil Nel writes about Seuss? With the relatively recent death of Seuss’s wife, Audrey Geisel, I can’t be alone in wondering what’s in store for the Seuss name and brand. This particular biographer, Brian Jay Jones, has done books about Jim Henson and George Lucas in the past. It feels like a pattern (like something from the British quiz show Only Connect). Henson. Lucas. Geisel. What’s the next name in this pattern?

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT


 

The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon

EnchantedHour

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Wall Street Journal reviewer discovers the benefits of reading aloud to children!  If Gurdon’s name sounds familiar to you, it may be because she’s been in the news over the years as the WSJ‘s primary children’s book reviewer. Remember the article she wrote in 2011 about YA fiction being “too dark”? Quite the controversy, that. Time has passed and Ms. Gurdon, who has five children, has penned this book about the benefits of reading aloud. The Library Journal review says that “Gurdon advises families how to read aloud every day, providing an alphabetical list of more than 100 titles and additional suggestions divided by topics such as bedtime, kindness, fairy tales, and classics for older listeners.” Naturally, I’d like to know what’s on that list. To the library!


 

Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts

FindingDorothy

I have learned, over the years, that it is fairly easy to identify those adult novels that have been design to appeal to a certain book-reading demographic. This cover is a perfect example. If I could name this color scheme I’d call it “bookclub”. It’s a rather interesting subject for a novel, though. We meet Maud Gage Baum, wife of L. Frank Baum, on the set of The Wizard of Oz. She’s trying to retain his vision, but gets waylaid by her concern for Judy Garland. Meanwhile there are flashbacks to her early life, when she and Frank were just struggling to get by before he hit it big. No one’s calling it the world’s most brilliant book, but Library Journal and Publishers Weekly both liked it quite a lot. It’s a fun idea.


 

George MacDonald in the Age of Miracles by Timothy Larsen

GeorgeMacDonald

Old George MacDonald isn’t quite as remembered here in the States as he might be. Still, his influence on children’s literature was undeniable. Sendak was a fan, after all. According to this publisher description, the author, “considers the legacy of George MacDonald, the Victorian Scottish author and minister who is best known for his pioneering fantasy literature. Larsen explores how MacDonald sought to counteract skepticism, unbelief, naturalism, and materialism and to herald instead the reality of the miraculous, the supernatural, the wondrous, and the realm of the spirit.” I just like the font they used for Larsen’s name on the cover here. Very Frank Lloyd Wright.


 

Helen Oxenbury: A Life in Illustration by Leonard S. Marcus

HelenOxenbury

Oh, that IS nice. A new Leonard Marcus book, and one about a very favorite children’s illustrator. Years and years ago she came to the States with Mem Fox, and that was the one and only time I ever saw her in person. I was awed, but it wasn’t until I’d had my own children and had read them countless Oxenbury-illustrated titles that my true admiration for her came through. This book will be out in April so be sure to look for it then.


 

Ludwig Bemelmans by Quentin Blake and Laurie Britton Newell

LudwigBemelmans

I was weeding my library’s adult Fiction section the other day, when I ran across a number of novels by Ludwig Bemelmans. Not many folks are reading his work for grown-ups these days (and he wrote multiple personal memoirs, to varying degrees of accuracy as well). It gave me an idea. I think I’ll make a display, one of these days, of adult works written by children’s authors. Shouldn’t be hard to fill up. There’s a lot of crossover out there. As for this book, according Thames & Hudson, this is, “A title in the new series, The Illustrators, which celebrates illustration as an art form, Ludwig Bemelmans offers a visually rich view into the life and work of this much-loved artist and writer, and includes exclusive sketches and photographs from the Bemelmans archive that have never been previously published.”


 

The Man in the Willows: The Life of Kenneth Grahame by Matthew Dennison

ManInWillows

Do you remember The Bathroom Book? There was a flash-in-the-pan craze if ever I saw one. I remember, years ago, running across the strangest little facts about Kenneth Grahame in one of those books. I read that his had been a rather sorrowful life, what with his mother dying young, his guardian convincing him to work in a bank rather than go to university, and his son dying young of suicide. Kirkus isn’t a fan of this particular biography, but if you’re in the mood for something recent, this could fit the bill.

Filed under: Unexpected Jolts of Children's Literature

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Dr. SeussGeorge MacDonaldHelen OxenburyKenneth GrahameLudwig BemelmansUnexpected Jolts

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

Related Posts

April 2022

Unexpected Jolts of Children's Literature: 2022 Debut!

by Betsy Bird

August 2021

Unexpected Jolts of Children's Literature: Now Extra Jolty!

by Betsy Bird

June 2021

Unexpected Jolts of Children's Literature

by Betsy Bird

June 2021

Unexpected Jolts of Children's Literature

by Betsy Bird

May 2021

Unexpected Jolts of Children's Literature

by Betsy Bird

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

The Yarn LIVE at ALA 2022!

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Publisher Preview: Ellen Myrick (Part Three!)

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Review | Red and Rover: Fun’s Never Over

by Mike Pawuk

Heavy Medal

Mock Newbery Update – Our List of First Half Suggestions

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Book Mail: Dachshunds, monsters, magic, climate change, and more!

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Shark Week, Vanilla Ice Cream, and the Honda CRV: Bob Shea and Brian Won Team Up for ADURABLE

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

37 Titles Exemplary Picks, Including Audiobooks and the Latest from Traci Sorrell & Tae Keller| Starred Reviews, April 2022

26 Titles to Read This Caribbean American Heritage Month and Beyond

Five Filipino American 2022 Titles for Kids and Teens

Five Titles For Young Readers Enjoying Olympic Figure Skating

21 Middle Grade and YA Novels in Verse for National Poetry Month

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. Carl in Charlotte says

    January 29, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    One of my favorite books is Sendak’s illustrated version of The Light Princess by George MacDonald.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2022


    COPYRIGHT © 2022