Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Having already covered the recently departed legend Eric Carle, we figure it only makes sense (and is fair) to mention the other recently departed legend, Lois Ehlert. But which book to do? I will confess to you that 95% of my choice to do this book was based on a letter Bad Kitty author Nick Bruel once wrote to Ms. Ehlert, alongside a box of chocolates (read on this show). In this episode we insult one another’s mom, discuss a TikTok challenge, and determine the proper pronunciation of “xigua” and its origins.

Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, PlayerFM, or your preferred method of podcast selection.

Show Notes:

Total Number of Fruits and Veggies From This Book That Kate Has Eaten: 41

Total Number of Fruits and Veggies From This Book That Betsy Has Eaten: 47

Lois Ehlert could have made these blueberries uniformly one color, but the woman has a handle on her craft. Look at the skill with which she is able to correctly identify the varying colors of these berries.

Did dragonfruit appear in most American grocery stores when this book came out in 1989? Because when I compare this book to something like Go, Go, Grapes! by April Pulley Sayre, I find the choices limited. Changes in the U.S. grocery store offerings might be traced to differences between these two books. As it stands, D just looks like this:

Kate mentions that if you put a grapefruit in the microwave, it’ll spark. That, in turn, reminded me of this episode of Radiolab, which examines why fruits and veggies spark in the microwave and what it truly means.

Interesting. The mention of “Indian corn” inside the book is not replicated on the outside. Indeed, on the back of the book it is simply listed as “corn”. Any ideas come to mind as to what guided that decision?

NO! no.

Kate mentions the Tik Tok strawberry challenge. I didn’t watch the whole thing, so I cannot attest if this is safe for work, but the first few are okay.

As I mention on the podcast, one of the best reviewed picture books of 2021 is Watercress by Andrea Chang, illustrated by Jason Chin.

THAT is how you do a Glossary, people!!

Betsy Recommends: The podcasts Flash Forward (a podcast that examines the scientific possibilities of different outrageous futuristic situations) and The Marvel Reread Club (rereading Marvel comics and my husband is one of the hosts)

Kate Recommends: The board game Articulate

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate