Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens

Nothing like a good old-fashioned rant to start off a podcast episode! Once I get THAT out of my system, we dive right in to a good spring picture book that somehow we’ve never done before. Even better, a Caldecott Honor title at that! We haven’t discussed Janet Stevens since we did Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock a little more than a year ago. Consider this the book that made vertical picture books cool (Mel Fell owes this title a hat tip of thanks). In this episode we discuss whether Bear is on Ambien, where this takes place (since the growing seasons is so long), and Kate’s theory about adirondack chairs (which I support).

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

Show Notes:

If you’d like to see the Janet Stevens website and its listing of all her pets, you can find that info here.

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture does recommend this book, but I was a bit amused by their cranky little review.

“Like a Playboy featuring vegetables. Sexy sexy vegetables.”

Give Kate a newspaper and inevitably she’s going to try to read it. This one? Elucidates the Louisville city council members and their hijinks. Stevens apparently lives in Colorado now, but was there ever a time when she lived in Kentucky? Maybe so.

The shutters of Bear’s house are a storyline in and of themselves.

Thanks to Kate’s research, I just learned that broguing is. It’s the little perforated holes in his shoes. “He doesn’t wear many clothes but the ones he does wear he wears well.”

Look at this magnificent stuffed bear that you can buy to go with this book. This is my second favorite children’s literature stuffed animal (this being my first favorite).

There was a sequel to this book, by the way, in case you’re interested. Check out The Donkey Egg, if you’d like more Bear and Hare adventures.

Kate Recommends: Mike Birbiglia and his show Please Stop the Ride

Betsy Recommends: Eddie Izzard performing Hamlet (all the parts!)

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate