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

November 29, 2021 by Betsy Bird

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall, ill. Barbara Cooney

November 29, 2021 by Betsy Bird   Leave a Comment

Starring . . . OUR MOM!

Yes indeed. Susan Blackwell Ramsey herself has come to guest star. Thanksgiving arrived and Kate had the brilliant notion that we should take advantage of our #1 fan and finally do one of her favorite picture books with us (the one we’ve always avoided). So, if you’ve ever listened to our podcast and thought to yourself, “These two ladies sound too similar. I wish there was a THIRD voice that sounded a lot like both of them to join in,” then your prayers have been answered! Mom’s been asking us for years to do Donald Hall and Barbara Cooney’s The Ox-Cart Man, and I’ve eschewed it because I worried Kate would be bored. Was I right? Or was I really really right?

In short, if you’d like to hear two daughters ribbing their mom, this is the podcast episode for YOU!

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:

Mom and I discuss this Slate article that provides a rather magnificent rundown of the history of Donald Hall’s poem and its transformation into a book. It does not, however, include the info about his Caldecott Room loo.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Here’s the Reading Rainbow episode where Lorne Green reads Ox-Cart Man:

Quoth Kate: “If I remember NOTHING in this book, it will be that sheep are sheared in April.”

I’ll give Kate this one. In this illustration it is clear that the daughter and son ran down the hill to wave goodbye to their dad while the mom said something along the lines of, “I am not running down that hill. No way. If I do, I’ll just have to climb back up!”

Does anyone have an idea as to what “Charles Porteous” is referring to here?

Kate is convinced that this kid is stealing apples and that these other two have “shifty eyes.” I love her trust issues.

This is the part Mom feels is the most unrealistic. No human would do this. I don’t care how much you loved that ox.

So mom was able to confirm that Barbara Cooney did a stand up and cheer job with this spinning wheel and the mom spinning linen. Cooney and Zelinsky are two of the rare illustrators that know how to illustrate this particular tool.

“Sheep shearing is a specialist’s art and this man is a generalist. We’re lucky that stuff is coming off at all.”

Mom Recommends: Ted Lasso, now streaming on Apple Plus

Betsy Recommends: Happy Lemon (which I mistakenly call “Lemon Boy” on the recording.

Kate Recommends: ICON Park’s ferris wheel

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Donald HallFuse 8 n' KateOx-Cart ManSusan Blackwell Ramsey

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

September 2023

Fuse 8 n' Kate: The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst, ill. Erik Blegvad

by Betsy Bird

September 2023

Fuse 8 n' Kate: How Babies Are Made by Andrew C. Andry and Steven Schepp, ill. Blake Hampton

by Betsy Bird

September 2023

Fuse 8 n' Kate: Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley, ill. Ed Emberley

by Betsy Bird

August 2023

Fuse 8 n' Kate: John Henry by Julius Lester, ill. Jerry Pinkney

by Betsy Bird

August 2023

Fuse 8 n' Kate: Lovable Lyle by Bernard Waber

by Betsy Bird

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

The Bestselling Children’s Books of the Week

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

On Quiet Protagonists: A Guest Post from Jack Cheng

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Exclusive: New Sibling Adventure Story from Papercutz | News and Preview

by Brigid Alverson

Heavy Medal

Memoirs, big families and road trips, oh my: Wednesday Roundup: Graphic Novels

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Book Review: The A&A Detective Agency: The Fairfleet Affair by K. H. Saxton

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Peter Brown Visits The Yarn to talk about The Wild Robot Protects

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

44 Stellar Books, Including Hi-Lo and Graphic Novels | Starred Reviews, September 2023

SLJ Reviews 4 Video Games to Transport Players to Fantasy Worlds

Prepare for Liftoff: 17 Picture Books for a Child’s First Flight | Milestones

7 Books that Take on Back-to-School Mayhem | Picture Books SPOTLIGHT

Tarot, Witchcraft, and Divination: Teens and tweens seek reassurance from the universe | Great Books

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.

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

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 © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023