
The Yarn
June 6, 2022 by Betsy Bird
This appears to be our first Raschka title, which is funny considering how many Caldecott Honors and Awards he's garnered over the years. Listen in if you want to hear the correct pronunciation of the title of Yo! Yes?, the choices made with the typography, and some truly awful bird calls.
May 24, 2022 by Betsy Bird
Any book that combines the vernacular stylings of Alice Faye Duncan, the intricate hand sewn and illustrated art of Chris Raschka, and the rhythm and music of the Mississipi Delta is a book you need to hear more about right now.
January 22, 2017 by Betsy Bird
Normally on a Sunday I like to do a light little Video Sunday piece, just highlighting the vids of the week. Not today. In light of yesterday’s record breaking marches worldwide, I’d like to pay homage to the children’s book illustrators that used their considerable talents to support the march, marchers, and more. In case […]
April 7, 2014 by Betsy Bird
Well, I am pleased to announce today’s Book Trailer Premiere, particularly since it is unlike every other book trailer I’ve ever put up. Credit that to the subject matter, really. Chris Raschka is one of those rare author/illustrators that can get away with presenting the hard subjects, particularly when it comes to jazz legends. Didn’t […]
January 16, 2014 by Betsy Bird
I begin today with news that is only tangentially children’s literature related. My excuse is that it makes me so happy I can hardly breathe. For Christmas I got the soundtrack of the musical Matilda, and I’ve been cooing over the brilliant lyrics and music ever since. Tim Minchin was the man behind said lyrics […]
April 25, 2012 by Betsy Bird
You’ve got your big-time fancy pants New York publishers on the one hand, and then you have your big-time fancy pants Boston publishers on the other. A perusal of Minders of Make-Believe by Leonard Marcus provides a pretty good explanation for why Boston is, in its way, a small children’s book enclave of its own. […]
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March 1, 2012 by Betsy Bird
It was kind of a kooky idea, I admit it. I’ve seen plenty of sites where artists will reinterpret someone like Maurice Sendak in their own styles. What I wanted was something a little different. I wanted to see what would happen if great children’s book illustrators illustrated one another. If a Lobel illustrated a […]
February 2, 2012 by Betsy Bird
And then it’s February. How the heckedy heck did that happen? Looks like 2012 is already establishing itself as the Blink and You’ll Miss It year. Well, let’s get to it then. First and foremost was the announcement of Battle of the Books 2012. Or, as I like to think of it, the place where […]
January 28, 2011 by Betsy Bird
Fortune Cookies By A. Bitterman Illustrated by Chris Raschka Beach Lane Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) $14.99 ISBN: 978- 1416968146 Ages 3-8 On shelves now In the old days, children’s librarians were viewed as the gatekeepers of quality books for youth. That meant that they had to divide the wheat from the chaff. […]
January 19, 2011 by Betsy Bird
Marketing yourself. Yeah, forget the hokey-pokey. We know what it’s really all about in this game. You poor authors and illustrators. Isn’t it enough that you sweat and strain to create the highest quality literature for the generation that will inherit the earth after we are dead and gone . . . and now you’ve […]
Heavy Medal
by Steven Engelfried
100 Scope Notes
by Travis Jonker
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