Fuse 8 n’ Kate: A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

To my amazement we have somehow never done this particular David Shannon book before. Tis possible? Tis! It is, as Kate says, “The trippiest book,” which is part of why I respect it. I freak out over the fact that this came out the same year as No, David (how often does an author/illustrator have two classic books come out in the same year?). Meanwhile Kate freaks out over the creepy guys lurking on this poor girl’s lawn. But the important thing? We debate whether or not you can buy lima beans in cans anymore. Your votes on the matter are much needed.

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:

We’re trying to figure out why hair and eyes are the only parts of Camilla that don’t get striped. It’s not organ-based. What are the rules here, people?

This marks two blood pressure cuffs in two picture books in a row on this podcast. Can I possibly find a third?

I’m trying to figure out if David Shannon was trying to say something about over-medicated kids in the late 90s. The fact that she turns into an actual pill seems a bit on the nose.

In the sequence where the news vans pull up in Camilla’s yard to document her changes, this guy is lurking in the crowd. This guy is terrifying. What was going on here? His eyes are hollow pits of darkness!

Kate says that she looks like the infected people in The Last of Us. I say, she ain’t wrong in that assessment.

Personally I’m getting some serious Pee Wee’s Playhouse vibes from this two-page spread. And, as I always say, “I love it when the children’s books get weird!!”

And for the record, I was looking through my old records of this blog and was delighted to find this Halloween costume from lo these many years ago:

Kate Recommends: The Original Disney+ series MPower.

Betsy Recommends: Buying stuff (not useful, I know). But Kate insisted that I include the shirt in the podcast. I ain’t modeling it though.

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate