A reasonable response to an episode, or perhaps a lifetime of gluttony is a return to simplicity. I am, of course referring to gluttony of the eyes and I believe there is nothing wrong with this sort of extravagance per se, or at least I hope there isn’t as I am at all times surrounded by visual brilliance. Complex masterpieces line my walls and bookshelves, and in spite of my great esteem for the achingly lovely, it can be, on occasion, too much. A book such as The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss is like a lemon sherbet in a world of thickly iced chocolate cakes. It’s minimalist approach is just the thing for an overstimulated brain, and though it seems quaintly vintage in some respects, the sweet story and gentle illustrations make it timeless. It is still an extravagance, but it’s a whisper, not a shout.
Picks & Tweets from the Illustrated Word
The King's Crow
Spring has sprung, the grass is green(ish), and the air is full of birdsong and…what’s that? Oh yeah, the almost constant hum of Royal Wedding coverage. I have no opinion, really, about the monarchy, but I do enjoy a little princely entertainment now and then. Not so much the younger generation (sorry Wills & Kate), but those great English Kings and Queens of yore: Colin Firth, Jonathan Rhys Myers, and of course, our current monarch, Helen Mirren. I’ll keep this post short as I am off to bed in the somewhat futile hope that a sleep surplus will help me get up at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning to watch the Show. Please enjoy these crowning moments from Royal Web~
On April 26th, Google celebrated the birthday of John James Audubon with a Google doodle. Oh no. Now everyone will know about him. Happy Birthday Mr Birdman, your illustrations are gobsmackingly gorgeous! Other than his ubiquitous collections of art (and field guides), may I recommend a couple of novels~Creation by Katherine Govier (Random House), about his rather harrowing adventures in Labrador, Canada, and a new children’s book, which I’ve yet to read but looks very promising~Okay For Now by Gary D Schmidt (Clarion). Maybe this Audubon-related book will usher in a new cultural obsession~birds. Beats vampires (but not zombies, nothing beats zombies.)
Of Bunnies and Holy Men
It’s often quite difficult to find excellent seasonal picture books simply because the window of opportunity for sales is short and publishers tend to blast the shelves with quantity rather than quality. Also, few children’s writers and illustrators feel their creative juices flow when the subject matter is snake rustlers from Ireland and scenes of crucifixion (sorry Mel.) Of course, there are exceptions: Christmas, for example, inspires many beautiful picture books each year, and the better ones tend to sell throughout the year. When I was a bookseller, I always kept a row of Christmas books in stock, especially perennial bestsellers like The Polar Express and…um…mostly The Polar Express. Easter, on the other hand, can be a challenge. Christ or Bunnies? Personally, I’m not drawn to children’s books about public executions, Jesus or otherwise, and religious books in general leave me cold, but there is a place for this type of book at Easter. It’s not all about chocolate, apparently.
When Dogs Collide
“Life can be painless, provided that there is sufficient peacefulness for a dozen or so rituals to be repeated simply endlessly.” ~Kurt Vonnegut (Slapstick, 1976)
A very fine philosophy indeed, one shared by this blogger and a very particular mutt named Mister Bud, the star of the new Carter Goodrich book, Say Hello to Zorro! Wrapped in a warm blanket of habit and contentment, Mister Bud is blissfully unaware that his life is about to be turned upside down by the arrival of…well, I’ll save that for later.
As the youngest child in a large family, I have not personally experienced the trauma of being usurped from an established position within the family hierarchy, but I’ve certainly heard all about it from my older siblings. Or should I say, my next oldest sibling. Apparently, I was referred to as ‘it’ before my parents (eventually) intervened. I get it. Change sucks, and who wants to share the spotlight? Enter Mister Bud, a dog who has it figured out. Everything in the house, including the house, belongs to him, and governing all is the schedule, rigorously adhered to, comprising frequent meals, walks, ‘greet and make a fuss time’, cuddling, movies, backyard time, and of course, naps. Things are pretty good for this pampered pooch, until the day Zorro arrives; a tiny pug with a big personality, a pronounced underbite, and just a tinge of bossiness. Life in Budville will never be the same. Read More
Picks & Tweets from the Illustrated Word
A Posthumous Publication
Feeling under the weather of late. Something less than death, but more than a hangnail. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, which is the fancy word for nausea, and the distinct and terribly unpleasant feeling that a weasel has crawled into my right ear and is slowly exiting on the left. Enough whining (if that’s possible.) After all, not everything viral is bad. To wit~
Signs of the apocalypse ~ ‘My Beautiful Mommy: How a Picture Book Explains Liposuction to Kids.’ Wow. In my book-selling days, I used to scoff at the affliction/lifestyle-specific picture books, but this is cutting-edge (or sucking edge) pseudo-counseling at it’s most idiotic. The review is hilarious.
Shaun Tan wins the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize, announced in Bologna. Largest prize in children’s books. First an Oscar, and now this? What’s next, Sexiest Man Alive? For additional fun, here is a slideshow of Eric, a chapter in Outer Tale of Suburbia. Love this guy.
Random House to publish new Dr. Seuss book collecting stories previously published in magazines. From the truly awesome (and newly discovered) Where the Best Books Are blog, here’s a sneak-peek.
Under African Skies
Funny. I live in one of the most northern cities in the world. As I write this, the landscape is bleached of colour, the snow is piled higher than in recent memory, and in spite of the arrival of spring a few days ago, the temperature refuses to inch above zero.
And yet, one of the finest African picture books, from one of the finest African storytellers originates from this winter city. Flipping through the pages of The Orphan Boy, a book that has been in my possession for almost twenty years, I am once again beguiled by the poetry of Tololwa Mollel’s words as he recounts the Maasai legend of the planet Venus. It is enough to warm my blood, but in unison with Paul Morin’s wondrous paintings of Africa, I feel spirited out of my down-filled parka to the arid farmlands of Tanzania, gazing up at the star-filled night in the company of an old man who is destined to meet a very unusual boy.
Picks & Tweets from the Illustrated Word
Da Man (otherwise known as Chris Van Allsburg)
Hmm…nothing much has changed since my last Picks & Tweets post two weeks ago. It’s still winter here in the great white north, with no discernable signs of spring, other than the few unfortunate Canada Geese I’ve spotted dipping their feathery nether regions into the frozen North Saskatchewan River. However, in spite of winter’s frigid hold on this city, I refuse to use this blog to whine! It’s immature, unsavoury, exceptionally futile, and more to the point, it’s what my other blog is for…
So, without further delay, here are a few signs of hope, rebirth, and whatever else spring supposedly promises~
From School Library Journal, via the Andersen Press (UK), Chris Van Allsburg (Polar Express) talks about his new book QUEEN OF THE FALLS. More CVA, as well as a little Patrick McDonnell (and Jane Goodall), courtesy of Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
Carl Hiaasen on Florida, crime, and writing children’s books. I love this guy so much I’d read his comments on bicycle repair, wound management, and dryer lint, if I had to, but I’m glad it’s mostly book-related stuff.
In The Company of Wolves
If I wasn’t already in love with this series of picture books by Nadine Brun-Cosme and Olivier Tallec, I would have picked up Big Wolf & Little Wolf, Such a Beautiful Orange, the third and final book in the trilogy, for the title. Or the promise of the title. What could be more tantalizing than a perfect piece of fruit? If not for the title, I would have added the book to my collection based solely on the cover. That wolf is killer, and I don’t mean this in a predatory sort of way. The long and amply-snouted Big Wolf is a wonderfully inspired creature, unlike anything else in contemporary picture book illustration. All of this is, of course, immaterial; there is no reason to single out one attribute from another. Big Wolf & Little Wolf, Such a Beautiful Orange is perfection from beginning to end, and I am so very glad to have been in the company of wolves, these wolves, over three extraordinary books.
But just how beautiful is this orange? Plenty beautiful, as you’ll see…
My Plant, My Pet
I have a fern that is about 15 years old. Maybe 20. It’s not particularly attractive, at least in comparison to my other plants, and because it is rarely moved, the plant is lopsided; lush on one side (the public side) and bald on the other. I’ve named it Sideshow Bob because it sprouts dreads like Krusty’s infamous sidekick on the Simpson’s, but unlike the cartoon character, my Sideshow Bob possesses few, if any, homicidal inclinations. I should have turfed this plant a long time ago, but I have grown rather fond of ol’ Bob. My point? Anything can engender love — including plants, and books about plants.
From the moment I first laid eyes on the dirt-trailing, long-snouted stump of green foliage walking across the cover of Plantpet, I was in love. Like Bertie, the solitary, never-out-of-his-slippers human with the Don King hair in Elise Primavera’s story of unexpected friendship, I could not resist the charm of this tiny sprout, abandoned in a cage amongst Bertie’s junk. But is it a plant, or a pet? And is there a name (or treatment) for this type of love?
Picks & Tweets from the Illustrated Word
Exactly
Month seven of the winter of 2010/11, and the third month of a raging case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I’m experiencing all the usual symptoms: shivering thumbs, poker face, chapped brain, random acts of obesity, Criminal Minds marathon-induced paranoia, and of course, mange.
Normally I feel rather jolly about winter, but here in the frozen north it’s been exceptionally snowy and monumentally cold. I’m exhausted. Still, it’s not all about weather reports and opening veins. Here are a few moments of hope and warmth from the interwebs~
And the Oscar goes to...
A great big CONGRATULATIONS to illustrator Shaun Tan, who picked up an Oscar for his short animated film, The Lost Thing on Sunday night. Other than seeing Colin Firth’s face on a 55 inch TV screen, this was the highlight of the evening. The film is absolutely charming, and the stupidly gifted Tan is well-deserving of this honour. Rather conveniently, The Lost Thing is also downloadable from iTunes. For additional Tanian diversions, may I suggest these two posts: The Rabbits and Tales From Outer Suburbia.
