Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher by Molly Bang
“It’s Catch Me If You Can only with an old woman and a weird blue creature.”
I have found a doozy!!
Full credit today to Lisa Straubinger for today’s suggestion. Though we’d done the better known Molly Bang title When Sophie Gets Angry… Really, Really Angry on this podcast, we’d not done any other Molly Bang books. This was Molly’s first book that she’d written and illustrated herself and it’s . . . I already said “doozy” didn’t I? This is very much like nothing you’ve ever seen before. It’s use of negative space alone is worth its weight in gold. Plus, who exactly is the trickster here? There is much to discuss.
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:
Here is where Molly Bang recounts the incredible, name-dropping ridden story of how The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher came to be. It involves Ursula Nordstrom and Susan Hirschman and OH! It’s just a crazy series of events!
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I’m sure many an illustrator has been grateful to an Art Director, but how many have worked that person’s name into the art? We can account for Alan Benjamin, who helped get this book published in the first places, but I don’t know who Leon is. Anyone have a clue to his identity? Additional Note: How amazing is this dress?
I mean, she’s literally the background and he couldn’t be more obvious and evident.
Look at those backgrounds!
100 points for working in a lady on a skateboard with a bucket full of snakes.
Behold: The Strawberry Snatcher’s teeth. This is Kate’s selected tattoo. It would be very cool. It’s like he’s an escapee Blue Meanie or something.
Kate’s working on a theory where the Strawberry Snatcher is the disowned son of the man who sells strawberries, based on the hair alone.
I dunno. I think this is one of the best final two-page spreads of all time. The rainbow tights, man! RAINBOW TIGHTS!!
Kate Recommends: Transfigure Print Company and this t-shirt.
Betsy Recommends: St. John Bread and Wine
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 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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Always one of my personal favorites — first introduced to me by my sister who was a teen during the hippie/psychedlic late sixties. As a school librarian (now retired), I could never figure out how to use this in a lesson, especially before the days of computer projectors. Too much going on on each page. I can definitely see it working with visual art instruction. Thank you so much for reminding me of how brilliant this weird book is.