If you think the process of creation is sometimes painful and collaborative and ultimately fun, this book is the first that I’ve ever seen to express that idea. You want to get to yes? Then you gotta slog through no.
About Elizabeth Bird
Elizabeth Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
Review of the Day: A Thousand No’s by D.J. Corchin, ill. Dan Dougherty
October 1, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Meeting a Need: An Interview with Christine Mapondera-Talley, Founder of Global Kidz House
September 30, 2020 by Leave a Comment
“I want my children and their friends to be able to read stories set in a big city like Lagos, Nigeria, a small-town high school in Norton, Zimbabwe, a suburban playground in Cairo, Egypt, a beach town or even a rural town anywhere.” A talk with Christine Mapondera-Talley, founder of the publisher Global Kidz House.
Above the Rim: An Interview with Jen Bryant and Frank Morrison
September 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
At a time when athletes take a stand by sitting or kneeling down, this biography of Elgin Baylor, the first NBA to boycott games, has rarely been so timely. I talk with its creators about the quiet man that effectively changed the sport of basketball.
Fuse 8 n’ Kate: It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach (with Special Guest Erica S. Perl)
September 28, 2020 by 2 Comments
“Some days you’re the girl in the soup and some days you’re the chicken under the chair.” Special guest Erica S. Perl joins us this Yom Kippur to discuss what should be considered the official picture book of 2020.
Trailer Premiere & Interview: Becoming a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery
September 24, 2020 by 1 Comment
She writes for children. She writes for adults. She writes and she writes and she writes. Now she has a new book out and a new trailer. I talk to Sy Montgomery about what it really takes to be a “good creature” in 2020.
Space Operas and Feline Martial Arts: An Interview with Yehudi Mercado
September 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment
In a publishing market where I can count all the Latinx comic creators for kids on one hand, artists like Yehudi Mercado are more needed than ever. Now he has two books out in 2020 with more on the way, and I just gotta ask the guy one thing: Star Wars or Star Trek?
Author Fan Face-off: A Steve Sheinkin Video Production
September 22, 2020 by 1 Comment
Librarian Stacey Rattner and author Steve Sheinkin bring you the game show we’ve all been waiting for. Now answering the ultimate question: Who knows their books better? Authors? Or fans?
Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman
September 21, 2020 by Leave a Comment
This week, Kate delves real deep into the marital status of dear Mr. and Mrs. Bird here (including Mr. Bird’s “extracurricular activities”, if you get my gist). We discuss how this is like a “very small version of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds” (their reign of terror is swift and tiny). We wonder about color layering, and we get to sing the “Toldja So” song.
Review of the Day: I Wish by Toon Tellegen, ill. Ingrid Godon, translated by David Colmer
September 17, 2020 by 1 Comment
I Wish isn’t going to sit quietly in a category. It’s the kind of book that would rather wander off and make up its own categories, expecting you to follow dutifully behind. And you will, because it is strange and wonderful and ultimately very very memorable. Can many other books out there say half as much?
The Zhou Brothers: When You Have the Chance to Paint Your Own Story
September 16, 2020 by 1 Comment
“People think that collaboration is about harmony, but that’s wrong.” A book release party like none other, I attend the celebration for Flying Paintings by Amy Alznauer and The Zhou Brothers.
Cover Reveal & Interview Extravaganza: Stroller Coaster, illustrated by Raúl the Third & Elaine Bay
September 15, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Are you ready for a ride? Raúl the Third and Elaine Bay have illustrated the 2021 title Stroller Coaster, and set it in a town that’s, “equal parts El Paso and Boston with a bit of Toon town thrown in for a splash of impossibility.” Check out the cover and read an interview about creating a book for pint-sized speed demons.
Return of the Classics: An Interview with Don and Audrey Wood
September 14, 2020 by 1 Comment
“They’re not arguing. They’re writing.” Two classics by Don and Audrey Woods are out this year, remastered entirely. An unflinchingly honest look at publishing in the past, republishing today, and the logistics of remastering a beloved classic or two.
Fuse 8 n’ Kate: My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson & Ryan Elizabeth Peete, ill. Shane W. Evans
September 14, 2020 by Leave a Comment
I can say with complete confidence that this was the first picture book about a Black kid on the autism spectrum I had ever seen when the book was first published in 2010. Recently Kate saw a list from Black Education Matters listing several books that featured Black children with disabilities and she asked if any were possible for our podcast. And lo and behold, we found one,
Review of the Day: Planet Omar – Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian, ill. Nasaya Mafaridik
September 11, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Let’s hand Omar to as many kinds as we can name. Because as far as I’m concerned, funny books that also prove to be smart and socially conscious (not to mention anti-racist) might help us get out of the mess this world is in.
A Thousand Glass Flowers Is Never Enough: An Interview with Evan Turk
September 10, 2020 by 1 Comment
Early Renaissance feminism? Evan Turk delves deep in a talk about that precise topic, as well as informational fiction, Venice, glassblowing, and the art of using oil pastels and colored pencils on top of vivid watercolors.
Recent Comments