Unexpected Jolts of Children’s Literature

Figured I’d get one more of these in here before the end of the year. Just to remind you, this series is primarily focused on adult titles that have some connection to the world of children’s literature in some way. It could be the focus of the book. It could be the author. It’s wide open, so let’s dive right in and see what we have!

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Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah, illustrated by Christopher Myers

They’ve changed the pub date on this one, actually. Originally, it was slated to come out at the end of this year. Now they’ve moved its release to October 15, 2024. Part of what that means is that this cover may not be the final by that time. That said, I’m including it because that’s our old friend Chris Myers doing the art. Why are there illustrations? Well, here’s the publisher’s original description:

In the tradition of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse comes a gorgeously illustrated fable about a young child’s journey into the world beyond the shadow of home, a magical landscape where he discovers the secrets of solidarity, connection, and finding peace with the people we love. Infused with the author’s signature wit and imagination, in collaboration with visionary artist Christopher Myers, it’s a tale for readers of all ages—to be read aloud or read alone.

No word on why they pushed back the release date, but if I were to speculate (based on literally nothing at all) I’d say they may have held it back so that it comes out closer to the release of the filmed version of Born a Crime. Just a hunch.

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Begin Again by Oliver Jeffers

Uneasy lies the children’s literature crown on the head of Oliver Jeffers. Truth be told, the man has always straddled the adult art world alongside the world of picture books. This book was released as recently as October 3rd and it’s his story of humanity. In an author’s note, as I learned from Kirkus (who called the book, “A beautifully rendered, determinedly optimistic, zoomed-out meditation on the human condition”), Jeffers also contextualizes his views on nationalism and violence within his personal history of growing up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ultimately it’s a hopeful little beastie, and PW said it was, “the perfect gift for anyone at a turning point in their own life,” so consider that as well.

The Goth House Experiment and Other Stories by S.J. Sindu

While the name S.J. Sindu may not ring any bells for some of you, for others you may recall that a rather lovely graphic novel was released this year called Shakti. In fact, it would probably be more proper to say that this genderqueer Sri Lankan American novelist has been more established in the adult literary world than the children’s at this point. Nevertheless, I’ve been appreciative of the work I’ve seen so far, so let’s consider this person a rising star in a multitude of age ranges.

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The Superhero’s Journey by Patrick McDonnell

I think it’s fairly safe to say that I did not see this one coming. I knew that Caldecott Honor winning creator McDonnell was inspired by Krazy Kat (of course he is) and when I read Mutts in my Sunday paper I always like to note his other influences as well. But Marvel? In this book, it is described as, “Using the Marvel Universe as avatars, McDonnell muses on how comics changed his life and inspired him to become a cartoonist, instilling a moral sensibility that he carries through his work and his life.” Darndest thing.

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Local Fauna: The Art of Peter de Sève

I acknowledge that it’s been a number of years since Peter de Sève gave us another picture book, but who cares? Now and forever, that’s what I say. And this is an ideal gift to hand to anyone who happens to enjoy a good New Yorker cover from time to time.

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The Lamb Cycle: What the Great English Poets Would Have Written About Mary and Her Lamb (Had They Thought of It First) by David R. Ewbank, ill. Kate Feiffer

This one’s kind of a twofer. You get art from Kate Feiffer, so that’s a children’s literature connection right off the bat, but also the postulations on Mary Had a Little Lamb. Here’s the plot description (since I haven’t been able to find any reviews of it, and it was released back in April of this year):

“In The Lamb Cycle, David R. Ewbank achieves the unthinkable—he writes so convincingly in the style of the great English poets that one could be lulled into thinking that Shakespeare himself was inspired to muse upon the subject of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Ewbank captures not only the style of each of the poets he chooses, but also their preoccupations and subject matter. So D.H. Lawrence’s Mary longs for her lamb as any woman longing for her lover, whilst T.S. Eliot’s Mary is recollected by an old man looking back on his life. Alexander Pope writes an “An Essay on Lambs,” and Tennyson’s lotus eaters become “The Clover Eater.” Brilliantly written, sophisticated, and laugh-out-loud funny, these poems, enhanced by Kate Feiffer’s charming illustrations, will enchant anyone who has ever read an English poem.”

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Rebecca, Not Becky by Christine Platt and Catherine Wigginton Greene

Finally, name me any other adult novel that happens to have blurbs on its jacket from Jason Reynolds AND Jacqueline Woodson. Can’t be done! Until now, of course. Christine Platt is the author behind this year’s early chapter series Frankie & Friends. Here, she and Greene write a tale of two housewives of two different races. It’s slated to come out December 5th and PW said, “the social satire smoothly evolves into a propulsive page-turner.”

Filed under: Unexpected Jolts of Children's Literature