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Fuse 8 n' Kate

May 19, 2025 by Betsy Bird

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Mr. Lunch Takes a Plane Ride by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh

A cult classic picture book with a distinctly 1993 bent is the focus of our discussion today. How has Mr. Lunch aged in the intervening 32 years? We aim to find out.

May 12, 2025 by Betsy Bird

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, ill. Dom Lee

This title is definitely our first Lee & Low book on the podcast, and after its publication would spurr on many other historical titles for kids to come.

April 28, 2025 by Betsy Bird

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Martha by Gennady Spirin

Kirkus declared today's book to be one of the Best Picture Books of the 21st Century (So Far) but neither Kate nor myself had ever read it. We correct that error today!

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More Recent Posts

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler, ill. Robert Bollen

April 21, 2025 by Betsy Bird

Repeatedly a bestseller around Easter-time, Kate and I tackle this 1983 beginner book and attempt to figure out why it's become so popular this late in the game.

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

April 14, 2025 by Betsy Bird

Today on the podcast we discuss our future picture book "Steampunk Monster", how Sam's got sass, baby Wild Things, and more.

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child

April 7, 2025 by Betsy Bird

It's our very first Lauren Child on the podcast! We talk picky eating, weird Girl Scouts, and how Charlie and Lola were the Bluey of their day.

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Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney with Special Guest Stars Berol and Cordelia Dewdney

March 31, 2025 by Betsy Bird

"Honoring the hearts and minds of little people." It is our infinite honor to host the daughters of Anna Dewdney to tell us some stories about their mom and about the book itself.

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Ducky by Eve Bunting, ill. David Wisniewski

March 24, 2025 by Betsy Bird

Meet the world's most depressed duck. Somehow he ended up as the hero of this 1997 Bunting/Wisniewski collaboration.

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Fin M’Coul, the Giant of Knockmany Hill by Tomie de Paola

March 17, 2025 by Betsy Bird

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today I decided to turn once more again to the classic fable of Finn McCool or Fin M'Coul or however you like to spell it.

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Maggie B. by Irene Haas

March 10, 2025 by Betsy Bird

"To sail for a day / Alone and free, / With someone nice / For company." It's been a while since Kate and I disagreed this much about a title. Hear us have it out!

Read More Posts »

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