Book Buds Kidlit Reviews

Seth meets Scaredy (bonus: and Chester too!)

Okay, I didn't stick to my topic of "Scaredy, Past, Present and Future," which I'd made up anyway. Instead, for this very special stop on Melanie Watt's blog tour, I subjected her to the scrutiny of my son, Seth:

Seth: How did Scaredy Squirrel get into his nut tree?

Melanie: Scaredy Squirrel was born in his nut tree.

What happened to his Mommy and Daddy?

That's *TOP SECRET* information and we will surely find out in upcoming books!

Did he ever get his emergency kit out of the poison ivy? How did he do it?

Yes, he did, he waited and waited until it snowed and retrieved it in the spring.

Will Scaredy Squirrel ever have a girlfriend?

Maybe~ but he's very shy so it might take a while!

What happens to the fish in "Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend"?

He lives happily ever after with his other goldfish friend. Check it out~ You'll see, there are 2 goldfish in the fountain!

What's the doggy's name?

Buddy.

How did Scaredy Squirrel get the flamingo and all the gnomes for his pretend beach?

Scaredy Squirrel always has his stuff delivered to his tree by mail or by FedEx.

What happens next to Scaredy Squirrel?

Scaredy Squirrel will now be heading to the beach. And again, he will have to face his fears of mobs of lobsters, tons of falling coconuts and packs of pirates~ ARRGH! It should be fun!

Why does Chester always want to be the star?

Chester is just really convinced that he~s the best at everything, including writing and drawing children~s books! And therefore, he considers himself to be a SUPER STAR! Just watch and see in Chester's upcoming book: Chester's back! It will come out next fall~ and he's even more demanding than in the first book!

Why is Chester mean to the mouse?

Chester always wants to have his own way! It might come off as mean but it~s mostly because he really needs to work on his manners!

Blah Blah Blah!

You see!

Will the mouse ever get a whole book?

What I can tell you is that Mouse will be in the sequel whether Chester likes it or not!

NOT!

Where do you get the ideas for your books?

I get inspired by all kinds of things~ Like animals, people around me and memories from my own childhood. I like to sketch new ideas and focus on topics that interest me and that I think kids can relate to!

 

Don't Be Afraid!Writing with Honesty and in the Best Interests of the Child A Q&A WITH ROBIE HARRIS

S-E-X

Okay, now that I have your attention, let's talk to Robie Harris, who's not afraid to tell little kids about boy parts and girl parts and what they do.

She writes books about the emotional roller coaster known as childhood, and she's endlessly fascinated by how kids grow, both inside and out.

Her website yields all kinds of useful factoids, beginning with the first book she ever wrote--in kindergarten! She's on blog tour this week, and I snagged a topic near to my heart: Don't Be Afraid! Writing with Honesty and in the Best Interests of the Child.

Book Buds: In books as different as It's Not the Stork! and Maybe a Bear Ate It!, you address sensitive subjects with candor, but you also add some whimsy and humor. How important is the tone you set in writing for kids? 

Robie Harris: My take is that humor always matters — at least in writing, and I’d venture to say, in life. Humor is one way in which my family gets through the ups and the downs of daily life. And it is especially one of the ways we get through tough moments and times.  In my picture book, Goodbye Mousie, a book about death, after the young child in this book tells his mother he isn’t hungry, (his pet mouse has just died) he does become hungry. But now his toast is gone — all gone!  (His mother ate it, something I confess I did when my children were little, and of course, they always got mad at me when I did this and rightfully so…) And the little boy in this book shouts at his mother, “My toast!  Where’d it go?  Did it die too?”  This humorous, but serious line breaks the tension of sadness in this book and allows the child to move on the burial and leave-taking of Mousie.  And I have heard many a young child finally laughs when a parent or teacher reads this part of the book out loud.

ROBERT'S SNOW Oy, such a flake! Why you should buy "Jerusalem, City of Peace"

Psssst ... wanna buy a snowflake? Seriously, it's for a good cause. You bid on it, see, and then if you get it, you, umm. I dunno. You hang it on your, uh, Hanukkah bush?

You can see my problem. I want to join the fight against cancer, especially after losing my mother in August. But I usually associate snowflake decorations with -- oh my, let's give the War on Christmas a rest, 'kay? Not gonna go there.

So thank goodness for Ann Koffsky, a fellow member of the tribe who took a tiny canvass and  gave it an interfaith spin, while staying true to the seasonal theme. No mention of what a snowflake reminds me of, though. Just staying in the spirit, is all.

Click to enlarge these lovelies:

Did I pick it, or what? I mean, is this not the most stunning, inspirational -- and really, really small -- tribute to a beautiful place sacred to three great faiths?

And it can be yours.

First, let me introduce Ann Koffsky, who works wonders with an X-Acto knife:

(Just so you don't think I'm serious about the WoC, don't these round ball thingees look scrumptious? Ornaments! Yes, that's the word ...)

She's illustrated 20 books for children, many -- but not all -- with Jewish subjects, plus toys, calendars and Hallmark greeting cards. How cool is that? 

So, how does she work these minute miracles? From her "About Me":

First, I cut complex designs from one or more sheets of solid papers. I then shift them around, to create interesting shadows, or matting effects. I then create the painted layer. This part is the most fun, because it usually involves splattering, spritzing, and overall mess-making with vivid colors. To create the final look, I layer the cut out papers over the painted paper. The contrast of loose textures against the clean cut-lines create a visual dynamic that I really enjoy.

Ann graciously agreed to answer a few questions about her snowflake, and I tried really hard this time not to sound like a dork.

A Q&A with Jane Yolen

I'm taking a break from my policy of never doing Q&As, since I never know what to say and feel like a complete dork. I totally outdorked even my low standards this time, as you'll soon see, but it was for a worthy cause.

The Winterthur Museum in Delaware (the old du Pont estate) features American decorative arts, something about which I actually know a tiny bit. They're hosting a "K is for Kids" literacy exhibit and hosting a contest to see who can write their own ABC book:

The contest is intended to inspire a future generation of authors by encouraging them to write a book following the tradition first set forth by the New England Primer. First published in 1690, the Primer was the earliest instructional text in America to pair alphabet letters with pictures and rhymes.

They've asked Jane Yolen to judge, and she's serving as their honorary ambassador until the gala awards night in April. The entries must be postmarked between Jan. 15 and Feb. 1, 2008, so there's plenty of time for your future literary prodigies to polish their manuscripts.

In case you're not familiar with Yolen, she's the author of 250 books and counting, from the serious Devil's Arithmetic to the delightful How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? It's not just that she's prolific, but her writing consistently hits its mark no matter the age group.

So, if you have kids who want to enter this contest, listen up. Here's Ms. Yolen's advice, courtesy of a press release:

WRITING AN ABC BOOK: JANE YOLEN'S 7 RULES

1. First you must know the alphabet yourself. If you are a little forgetful, sing the alphabet song ‘till you remember it all.

2. Write the alphabet down the side of a piece of paper, one letter per line.

3. Think of a theme for your book. For example: an alphabet of fairies, an alphabet of dogs, an alphabet of kitchen appliances (this one is likely to be difficult), an alphabet of countries, an alphabet of pirates, an alphabet of sports. Any theme can make an interesting alphabet book.

4. Next to each letter, put an item from your theme. For example, in the dog alphabet: A = Airedale; B = Boxer; C = Chihuahua. Better yet, start with the most difficult letters: J, Q, X. If you can’t find a word for these, get a different theme. Though, of course, in a pirate alphabet at least two of the three difficult letters are really easy: X marks the spot, and J stands for jewels.

5. Decide if you want to try rhymes or just use the single word, filling everything else in with the pictures. Hints: Don’t try to rhyme if you’re not good at it, and don’t count on the illustrations if you hate doing art.

6. Find a good dictionary and a great encyclopedia and keep them close by.

7. Start. Have fun. Don’'t get discouraged. Ask for help if you need it. Enjoy.

Lucky for me, Ms. Yolen also agreed to answer a few questions, some related to the contest and others off the top of my addled head: