A collection of our favorite authors and illustrators sat down to help us tell the story of First Book:

The Story of First Book from First Book on Vimeo.

This past November I spent six action-packed days in Tokyo, lecturing about American picture books at the Japanese National Library and celebrating the November 30th release of the Japanese edition of DEAR GENIUS. What, you say, Ursula Nordstrom has Japanese fans—enough to warrant a full-dress translation of her letters to Maurice Sendak, E. B. White, et. al.? Indeed she does, and a great many of the books she published are beloved by Japanese children today. How did this happen?

Following World War II, Japanese librarians and publishers came to the U.S. to study our advanced methods for connecting children with books. Back home, they created scores of makeshift neighborhood children’s libraries and, to satisfy the growing demand, published a mix of children’s books drawn from foreign and homegrown sources. In time THE CARROT SEED, GOODNIGHT MOON, BEDTIME FOR FRANCES, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, and CHARLOTTE’S WEB—to name just a few of the classics Ursula championed—made their way to Japanese shores. Although Ursula herself was a walking caricature of the anxious, accident-prone traveler and rarely ventured far from New York, the books she was responsible for have circled the globe. Now, so have her letters.

Poster for the exhibition "The Golden Age of the Picture Book: History's Message to Children," in Ueno Park, Tokyo

Visiting Tokyo as the Japanese government’s guest is a very good way to go to Japan. I strongly recommend it! I was picked up at my hotel each morning and driven to a restaurant for lunch with a small party of guests: obento boxes one time, Japanese/French another. Then it was on to the day’s major event: tea and a conversation about digital publishing with the director of the National Library; a talk for the library’s staff about the state of American children’s book publishing and a library tour; a public lecture on the beginnings of the American picture book presented to mark the tenth anniversary of the library’s children’s literature division (which is known as the International Library of Children’s Literature). On view at the library just then was a major exhibition of picture books of the 1920s and 1930s from the United States, Russia, and Western Europe. The exhibition’s subtitle was a beautiful summing-up of why children’s books matter. It called them “History’s Message to Children.” I wish I had thought of that myself! Most of the displayed books came from the private collection of Tayo Shima, a past president of IBBY and a very Ursula Nordstrom-like figure herself—a shape-shifter and

Yeah, this week is party week, baby!  First I recap a Robert Forbes party alongside Cynthia von Buhler’s event of the year.  Now I turn my attention to a party beneath a bridge.  The 59th Street Bridge, if you’re going to be technical about it.  Picture, if you will, a glassed enclosure nestled sweetly beneath one of the city’s smaller bridges.  The place was Guastavino’s and the event The Eric Carle Honors of 2010.

You see, each year my favorite Museum (The Eric Carle Museum) honors folks in the children’s literary community that have made a contribution in some manner.  These honors are split into four parts.  You have your “Bridge”, your “Mentor”, your “Angel” and your “Artist”.  More on those later.

On this particular day I was flying in from Chicago, desperately hoping to get an early flight so that I’d make it to the Honors on time.  In point of fact I did finagle a flight and even managed to get home, dress up, and run hell-for-leather in the direction of the subway with enough time.  That doesn’t mean I didn’t walk limping and dripping sweat into the restaurant.  But I was a limping, sweaty, ON TIME individual and really, isn’t that what truly matters?

The party was hopping by the time I arrived anyway.  Lots of tiny food and, as readers all know, tiny food = excellent party.  Particularly when that tiny food involves prosciutto in some way.  Prosciutto is the cupcake of the meat world.  It’s like salty meat-flavored gum.  Delicious.

Each Carle Honor event tends to auction off original art by the luminaries in the children’s literary field.  I do not usually participate since auctions suggest disposable income and children’s librarianship suggests nothing of the sort.  Still, it’s a lot of fun to look and see what other folks are bidding on.  As I circled (and stared with great longing at my personal favorite, an Art Spiegelman work shown here) I thought about original art and where it belongs.  It has occurred to me that if I were an artist, a big time children’s illustrator of some sort, and I wanted to donate my life’s work to someone, I would probably want to give it to an organization like The Carle.  Giving my work to a big library or museum is all well and good, but I’d prefer to hand it over to a group that cares entirely about children’s art for the good of the whole and not as a side venture.

These thoughts swam in my head in part because I learned tha

Back from the delights and inspirations of Bologna. The books, the events, the meetings, the socialising, the food... where to begin?

Yes, Bologna was good this year, skedaddling away to Italy was a tonic to my work and outlook, a week of frenetic activity in a city and Book Fair that never ceases to inspire and encourage. Publishers seemed quietly optimistic compared to the gloom of last year, I sensed a real tone of confidence in the air from all around. For me Bologna was good before it even began, over these last weeks the approaching Fair was a deadline to focus my energies, hone my stories and produce some new book dummies.

This was my third visit to Bologna (the last time was in 2008), now as then SCBWI ran a biennial Conference/Symposium and had a Stand throughout the book fair. As one of SCBWI's volunteer "Team Bologna" the pace was hectic from the moment I arrived in the city.

First up was the SCBWI Conference on Monday. SCBWI Chairman Steve Mooser started proceedings with Why We're Here, a summing up of the Society, it's aims and goals, unfortunately co-chair Lin Oliver was recovering from illness and unable to make the trip from the US.

http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/exhibitions/curiousgeorge

Every month the Library of Congress hosts numerous events through The Center for the Book. Yesterday, a colleague and I were able to listen to Leonard Marcus, one of America’s most respected authorities on children’s literature, along with special guest author Jon Scieszka, who is currently the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Leonard Marcus began the discussion by talking about his new book Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy. In this book Marcus interviews thirteen favorite children’s book authors and asks them “what makes funny, funny?”

The book details stories from authors such as Judy Blume, Daniel Handler and Jon Scieszka who explain their first experiences with humor, their sources of inspiration, and how comedy has played a role in their lives. Jon and Leonard discuss the many different types of humor and how capturing the essence of humor on paper is a difficult, and often undervalued, skill. If you are interested in finding out what makes funny, funny – check out Leonard’s book today!

“A joke isn’t a joke if you need to explain it,” notes Leonard S. Marcus, on his upcoming new release, Funny Business [available October 2009 from Candlewick Press].

“Even so, the hidden clockwork of comedy… has long been considered one of the great riddles of life.” A hilarious documentation on the genius of comedy, Marcus’ work shares advice from thirteen wily writers on the inspiration needed to make a reader laugh out loud.

First Book President Kyle Zimmer was honored to talk with Marcus, the esteemed historian of children’s literature, about the pearls of wisdom he uncovered from literary giants the likes of Judy Blume, Daniel Pinkwater, and Carl Hiassen. From using humor as a device to navigate life challenges like bullying or divorce, or uncovering the secret of why girls giggle to read about boys, Marcus traces humor as part of the children’s genre from the earliest roots of American storytelling. “American humor had its start in tall tales, [like Paul Bunyan], where the hero wakes up and drinks a whole river for breakfast,” Marcus laughs.

For any aspiring writers seeking acclaim as a funny man (or woman!) for Funny Business, Vol. 2, Marcus has some advice as well: “…trust your own voice. Everybody has a voice. I think there’s a tendency to think that writers have voices and that you, the undiscovered writer, don’t. But you do, and the closer you come to finding that voice, the more you have to say. I think it’s a great way to know yourself.”

To hear more about Funny Business, including what book got Marcus hooked, check out the podcast recording:

On Tuesday night, First Book had the incredible pleasure of attending the third annual Carle Honors event, held at the University Club in New York City!

The Carle Honors, sponsored by the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, is a unique set of awards designed to recognize four distinct forms of creative vision and long-term dedication to the art of the picture book and its vital role in supporting art appreciation, early literacy, and critical thinking. This year’s amazing list of honorees included Maurice Sendak (Artist), Vanita and Jim Oelschlager (Angels), Susan Hirschman (Mentor), and Jim Trelease (Bridge).

And what an amazing evening it was!  Everywhere one looked, there was an author or illustrator standing nearby – people like Chris Van Allsburg, Jon Scieszka, Rosemary Wells, Eric Carle, Kevin Henkes, Ashley Bryan, Matthew Reinhart, Robert Sabuda, Leonard Marcus, and Lois Ehlert, just to name a few in attendance. It was incredible to encounter so many talented people gathered all in one room!

In celebration of 2008’s Carle Honors recipients, First Book is happy to announce that we will be donating 5,000 new books to children in need in New York and Western Massachusetts. We’d also like to take a moment to thank our wonderful friends at the Carle, especially Museum Director Nick Clark, Assistant Director Rebecca Goggins and Board Member Leonard S. Marcus for their amazing support of First Book’s mission and for continuing to help bring the magic of books to children everywhere!

Children Should Be Seen:
The Image of the Child in American Picture-Book Art

Last night, I had the immense pleasure of listening to leading author and children’s literature historian Leonard Marcus read from his newly published work, Minders of Make-Believe: Idealists, Entrepreneurs, and the Shaping of American Children’s Literature (Houghton Mifflin Co.) at one of DC’s most popular bookstores, Politics and Prose.

The near-capacity crowd listened intently as Leonard expertly guided us on a whirlwind trip through the decades that shaped children’s literature as we know it today. Afterwards, a lively chat followed between the author and the audience, covering topics such as the merits of the graphic novel and the rise of publishing’s “Potter Phenomenon.” It was both a fascinating and fun evening, and I would encourage anyone who has an interest in the history of children’s literature in America to pick up a copy of the book – it’s a terrific read! (And if you would like to find out more about the book, please check out First Book’s recently recorded podcast interview with the author!)

A special thank you goes out to the wonderful Gussie Lewis of Politics and Prose for coordinating such a memorable event… and extra special thanks to Leonard for so patiently signing that stack of books I bought!

I recently had the immense pleasure of chatting with historian and author Leonard Marcus about his newly published title, Minders of Make-Believe: Idealists, Entrepreneurs, and the Shaping of American Children’s Literature (Houghton Mifflin Co.) Over fourteen years in the making, Minders of Make-Believe tells the fascinating story of the development of children’s literature in America from its earliest beginnings to the advent of Harry Potter and beyond.

Do you know the full history of how Children’s Book Week came to be? Or who Leonard would put his money on in a battle of wills between New York Public Library’s trailblazing librarian Anne Carroll Moore and Harper’s Editor Beyond Compare, Ursula Nordstrom? (True confession: they both scare me a little.) Listen to the inside story of the events and characters that shaped the classics using the link below!

And, if you plan to be in the Washington DC area on June 19th, don’t miss Leonard’s upcoming talk and book signing at Politics and Prose!

Happy Children’s Book Week!

P.S. Have a favorite author or other publishing figure you’d like to see featured in a First Book podcast? Feel free to email us with your suggestions!

Hmmm.

The blog lists the Children's Book Council under "support." Do you think that means Titlepage.tv will feature a few children's and YA authors in their online "passionate conversations about books"?

If they do, I hope it's later on, when the show has worked out its kinks. Look at this detailed critique of the first episode...

I'm not much of an intrepid reporter, so I hope Fuse 8 is on this. Or maybe Colleen, since she writes for Bookslut, and they're also listed on the blogroll. Betsy, Colleen, any idea why the CBC is sponsoring this? Bring us the scoop!

In the meantime, if you need a really superb interview, the old-fashioned, written way: Anita Loughrey (via cynsations) talks to Leonard Marcus, one of my heroes. I love this man, and I love him more after this interview.

We’re stretching our definition of multicultural just this once to include the imaginary worlds that offer so much creative solace to young children in difficult straits. In Julia Glass’ 2006 novel The Whole World Over, Greenie and Alan are parents of a precocious 4-year-old, George. Set in 2001 as the couple weather a serious marital crisis, the story moves from New York City and Maine to a ranch outside Santa Fe, and back, and throughout, the estranged parents each read to George. Wherever he is, the ritual of choosing from among his treasured favorite books (often subtly appropriate for his immediate situation) gives him security and stability.

Glass even folds a review of Owl at Home into her novel. Greenie is reading to George:
He leaned against her for all five tales, which related the neurotically foolish mishaps of a character who was a literalist yet also a romantic. In Greenie’s favorite, Owl made himself a pot of tear-water tea by thinking up, laboriously, as many sad things as he could: chairs with broken legs, forgotten songs, clocks that had stopped, mornings that no one witnessed because everyone was sleeping. More than sad, they were invisible, neglected, or simply lost to memory.

What better book for a little boy whose mother has just driven across the country from Santa Fe to reconcile with her husband in the intense confusion following 9-11?

Other books read to George in the novel include the Dr. Seuss books and (more…)