MORE 'FUSE-8-N-KATE' POSTS
While many people remember all too well the title of today's book, its plot (such as it is) remains, for many, a mystery. My sister certainly didn't know what to expect and, to be fair, how could she have? Can anyone truly predict Clark or the Ying or Ned? Sweet sweet Ned?
In honor of Tomie dePaola, who left us last week, I wanted to do one of his possible classics. We had already done Strega Nona on the show, but one other book might qualify for "classic" status. Kate and I tackle a book with a tricky title.
For WEEKS Kate has been bugging me to find her a celebrity picture book. When I finally did, she found it deeply degrading to women. Why? As you'll see, today's book hasn't aged particularly well.
In this episode you will find a multitude of plover adjacent ideas, thoughts about developmental issues and when it's right to seek help vs. let things work out on their own, and why it's weird Leo isn't a lion. Like, not even a little bit.
Nothing! Kate gets introduced to Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury for the very first time. We take a deep dive into the bear's motives here. Amongst other things.
It's hard to be gloomy in the presence of this upbeat little number. Can you believe it's our first Bill Martin Jr. book on the show? We discuss a glaring mistake in the art, why kids desire to have parties on the tops of trees, and more on this week's episode of the podcast.
I did not expect my conversation with Kate about this book to devolve into a very long and intense argument over whether or not Frosty the Snowman dies at the end of his song. I say he doesn't, she say he does. It was like we were discussing the end of The Giver or something!
A book that isn't afraid to be a little weird is a book I can truly respect. Guest star Aaron Reynolds suggests this Peggy Rathmann classic, to the benefit of all.
With the full and present knowledge that monkeys in children's literature are problematic to the extreme, Kate and I tackle a book that involves a kind of animal that is professed to be a monkey but is, in fact, an ape, much like the problematic-in-his-own-way Curious George.
Today the book I bring is none other than that Reading Rainbow classic A Chair for My Mother. I talk about some of the good narrative choices made by this book, while Kate talks about some of the very strange illustration choices.