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By:
Betsy Bird,
on 5/19/2015
Blog:
A Fuse #8 Production
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When two people sent me this link I assumed that everyone must have already seen it. But when it didn’t show up on PW Children’s Bookshelf I decided that perhaps I might have a scoop. At the very least, it appears that when people think Nick Cave meets Dr. Seuss, I’m the logical person to send that link to. And they’re right. I’ve been hoping for years that some karaoke bar I wander into might have “Red Right Hand” on the roster. So far it hasn’t worked out but I live in hope. Thanks to Stephanie Whelan and Marci for the link.
- There was a nice obituary in SLJ about Marcia Brown, the woman who currently holds the title of Most Caldecotts Ever Won By a Single Person (though David Wiesner looks to be catching up). She’s a former co-worker of mine, if by “co-worker” you give or take 50 years (we both worked in the Central Children’s Room, now called The Children’s Center at 42nd Street). Jeanne Lamb of NYPL gave some great background in this piece. I did speak to someone recently who was surprised that the Shadow controversy hasn’t come up in any obituaries discussing Ms. Brown’s life. I suspect that has more to do with our shortened memories than anything else, but it may be an indication of folks wishing to remember her in the best light.
- You know, just when you think Travis Jonker has come up with all the brilliant posts he’s going to, something like this comes along and blows it all out of the water. You, sir, are a certified genius. You, and your little Aaron Zenz too.
- Work on Funny Girl, my anthology, continues unabated. In that light, Shannon Hale’s magnificent post Stop Shushing the Funny Girls is particularly pertinent. Consider it your required reading of the day.
- “Social fluency will be the new currency of success.” The Shelftalker blog said that Jewell Parker Rhodes’s closing keynote, “Diversity and Character-Driven Stories,” at this year’s ABC Children’s Institute was worth reading and seems they’re absolutely right. Downright inspiring too. Maybe this should be your required reading.
- Nope. I was wrong. Those two posts are your required reading, on top of this one from Art Director Chad Beckerman. His Evolution of a Cover post on Me and Earl and the Dying Girl makes you wish he wrote such things daily. It also clarifies for many of us the sheer amount of work a single book jacket takes.
- This is coming to America next year. As such, I must respectfully ask the universe to please make next year come tomorrow. I am willing to wait 24 hours. See how patient I am? I think I deserve a treat.
- Let’s say you work in a library system where, for whatever reason, you need to justify a massive summer reading program. And let us say that what you need, what you really and truly want, are some cold, hard facts to back up the claim that there is such a thing as a “summer slide” (summer slide = the phenomenon of children sliding back a grade or two over the summer if they don’t read during that time) and that summer reading prevents it. Well, thanks to the efforts of RIF, we now have research to back us up. So for those of you fond of cold, hard facts, tip your hat to RIF.
There’s just something about that Alligator Pie. When twenty-five graphic novelists were asked to name their favorite children’s books, not one but TWO of them mentioned Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee, illustrated by Frank Newfeld. Canadian to its core, it’s one of those classics that most Americans, heck most U.S. children’s librarians, just don’t know. Next time I’m in Stratford, Ontario I’m picking up a copy. After all, any book that influenced both Mariko Tamaki and John Martz has got to be doing something right.
Did you hear about the diversity survey Lee & Low has spearheaded? Did you read the comments on the article? And do you know whether or not any of the big five have agreed to participate yet? Inquiring minds want to know.
- Sure, this news already ran in PW Children’s Bookshelf, but hearing it more than once never hurt anybody. We all have our pet favorites. Mine just happen to be German sometimes:
NorthSouth Books’ Associate Publisher, Andrew Rushton, has acquired a second book by German author/illustrator Sebastian Meschenmoser. Gordon & Tapir, which tells the comical story of odd-couple housemates (a particular penguin and an untidy tapir), received a Special Mention at the Bologna Ragazzi awards (category Fiction) and is short-listed for the German Children’s Book of the Year Award. The author will be on tour in the US this June ending at ALA in San Francisco.
- I miss Peter Sieruta. I miss him a lot. Nobody else had his wit and timing and sheer, crazy historical knowledge in strange obscure areas. So it was with great interest that I recently discovered Second Look Books. Librarian Carol Matic highlights older gems each week, giving a bit of context and history along the way. Good for those still going through Collecting Children’s Books withdrawal.
Need I say more?
Jules, I thought of you. Thanks to Stephanie Whelan for the image.
#86 The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch (1980)
23 points
This is deeply satisfying to the children I read it to, and to me as an adult as well. She’s clever, she’s brave and she refuses to subordinate herself. The well placed use of the word “bum” adds a nice bit of levity to the ending. – Emily Myhr
#70 last time.
Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children’s Literature referred to The Paper Bag Princess as a “feminist fairy tale” (prefigured by The Practical Princess by Jay Williams, actually). There are many books that join it in this respect. The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke, The Princess Who Stood on Her Own Two Feet, etc. But in terms of sheer love… sheer devotion of the readership… I don’t think anyone holds a candle to this tale. It has even done so well that there was a 25th anniversary edition telling “the story behind the story.”
Of the various descriptions I’ve seen of the plot, Amazon.com probably summed it up best: “Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. Just when she is about to marry Prince Ronald, a dragon smashes her castle, burns her clothes with his fiery breath, and prince-naps her dear Ronald. Undaunted and presumably unclad, she dons a large paper bag and sets off to find the dragon and her cherished prince. Once she’s tracked down the rascally reptile, she flatters him into performing all sorts of dragonly stunts that eventually exhaust him, allowing her to rescue Prince Ronald. But what does Prince Not-So-Charming say when he sees her? “You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess.” (At least he has the courtesy not to mention that the princess’s crown resembles a dying sea anemone.) In any case, let’s just say that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Ronald do not, under any circumstances, live happily ever after.”
I just like the “dying sea anemone” line.
Though Mr. Munsch has written countless picture books for kids, his two best known works are this and Love You Forever (and did that book make this list? Only time will tell . . . )
Want a laugh? Look at what comes up when you go to www.thepaperbagprincess.com. Oh, irony. Want another laugh? Note the Paper Bag Princess photo shoot. But my personal favorite was this school photography project. At least somebody got it right.
The National Post called it, “A feminist manifesto in children’s book form, and even at six, I was enchanted… kick-ass story.”
By:
Annie Beth Ericsson,
on 1/18/2011
Blog:
Walking In Public
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Since writing my first post about My Princess Boy, I got to thinking about boys who wear pink, and other non-traditional gender roles. Was there a place for them in children’s books before this news story? Turns out, there was, and librarians and readers have been making lists for ages! Here’s my own list, with some personal favorites for boys and girls:
(Note: I also went to the bookstore and read My Princess Boy. My two cents? I’m not a fan of an illustration style with faceless figures, though I understand the attempt to be “universal” and androgynous, and I know others that liked it. Ultimately, though, I respect the point of the story, and that’s satisfying enough for me!)
Little Women – by Louisa May Alcott / There’s no contest: Louisa May Alcott, in the guise of her autobiographical protagonist, Jo March, is the original tomboy. She’s independent, stubborn, and refuses to accept the feminine societal norms that eat up the rest of her sisters’ time and energy. Women for generations have idolized the way she bravely cuts off her hair (her one beauty!), but fans were a little less content with her refusal to marry Laurie… or anyone at all. In fact, Alcott later wrote,
“Jo should have remained a literary spinster, but so many enthusiastic young ladies wrote to me clamorously demanding that she should marry Laurie, or somebody, that I didn’t dare refuse and out of perversity went and made a funny match for her”.
Listen to a great story about Jo March on NPR, here.
Hattie Big Sky – by Kirby Lawson / There are many wonderful contemporary novels featuring spunky historical heroines, but my favorite is “the one about the girl homesteader”, aka. Hattie Big Sky. Hattie is a 16-year-old orphan who winds up with a piece of land in rural Montana, and has to successfully farm it in less than a year to stay. I love Hattie’s unique voice and the community that she creates for herself within a harsh setting… she can’t help but have guts to stick through her situation!
0 Comments on My Princess Boy Part II: Books With Non-Traditional Gender Roles as of 1/1/1900
This past Sunday, I was able to live out every children's writer's fantasy, and talk with Robert Munsch! After performing for 1 1/2 hours, and signing autographs for 2 hours, he was wonderful enough to sit with me, and my children, as well as my two nieces, their mom, my mother-in-law and my husband, for an interview. I can verify that, yes, he really is that great. My children decided to make him an honourary cowboy and decorated an interesting cowboy hat for him, which he donned immediately. They happily spent the duration of the interview, raiding the cookies they made him, and Robert Munsch didn't seem to mind sharing.
I am relieved to anounce that my husband no longer thinks I belong in the looney bin. I have been to a few rock concerts in my day, and this event would most certainly compare. I tried to taks a picture of the crazy lineup, but even with panorama, I couldn't even start to fit it all in. It was nice to hear my husband say "wow! Is he really this big?" because to him, Robert Munsch just writes great children's stories. And then there were the hordes of screaming children, stretching their hands in the air for a chance to be in a story, never mind the endless autograph line. "See," I said to my husband. "It's not just me." He still thinks I am slightly more obsessive than the average parent ... and I porbably am.
Anyway, my hugest thanks to Robert Munsch and his very thoughtful and courteous staff. This household thinks that Robert Munsch is a fantastic person. I could not think of anyone who deserves success more. We will cherish the memory, forever.
What is your favourite book, by another author?
My favourite book by another author is a book called Blank Slate by Steven Pinker”
What is your favourite book that you have written?
Mortimer.
What book are you most proud of?
I think, Love you Forever.
Do you ever wish that you could go back and edit something in a book that’s already been published?
Oh yes. Sometimes I can get the publisher to change a book that is already out.
Do you have an example?
Mortimer, my first book, has five different texts, I think. Then the publisher said, “This is ridiculous. When they’re out, they stay out.”
Do you consider yourself a child masquerading as a grown up, or an adult who likes to be a child?
I consider myself an adult who likes to listen to children.
Was your childhood happy?
No.
Books like
Millicent and the Wind and
Stephanie’s Ponytail explore alienation and ostracism. Were you familiar with those, as a child?
Ah yeh. I didn’t do very well in school.You often paint teachers and principals in an ill light. They are quite often the butt of jokes in books such as
Show and Tell and
We Share Everything. Are you playing to your audience or expressing childhood...
I’m playing to my audience and also getting revenge.
Characters such as Jule-Anne and Moira are very clever. Did you often outwit the adults, or is that an expression of an alter-ego?
It’s pure fantasy.
Speaking of alter-egos, I have heard you are a Batman fan. I was wondering, which one of your books do you think he would like?
I think Batman would like Purple Green and Yellow.
What was the inspiration behind
From Far Away?
A kid wrote me a letter about her first Halloween in Canada. She had just arrived from the civil war in Lebanon and she freaked out. I used that letter to write that book.
Was there a specific thing in the story that touched you?She was just so upset, I think that when she cried and her dad had to come and get her. And she didn’t know how to ask where the bathroom was and she crawled under people’s desks and snuck out of the room.
Speaking of the bathroom, my son’s favourite expression when he has to pee is “I have to go peeEE”. I was wondering, as a parent and a former daycare worker, do you have any potty training advice?
Be patient.
How did A
Promise is A Promise come about?
I wrote it with an Inuit friend of mine, Michael Kusugak. I stayed with his family he told me about the Quallapilluit and we wrote that story.
Is that how Michael Kusugak got his start?
Yes that’s how come he got his start.What was the inspiration behind The Paper Bag Princess?
I was telling stories to kids about princes and princesses, but they were just regular stories. Then one of the mothers said, “have you noticed there are not many princes is in this stupid lumber town. You should change that story.” So, I changed it and the kids liked it very much.
It is considered culturally significant, both in its message of self-esteem and feminism. Was that completely by accident, or was some of that intentional?
No. That was not by accident, actually.
So, that was quite intentional to do that?
Yes.
Do you receive many letters from adults?
I don’t receive a whole lot, but that is obviously an adult favourite.
Do you answer the letters from the adults, as well?
Yes.
What advice do you have to offer other writers?
Get a job, first.
Did you have any advice for editing?
Nobody’s first draft works, on some level. It requires constant revision to get it to where it needs to be. But you have to know when to say enough is enough. I would say, you’ll never get it just right. There eventually comes a point when you have to say “stop”. It never gets good enough.
Did you always want to be a writer?
No. I wanted to be anything but a writer. I couldn’t spell in school. My boss made me be a writer. I put off writing but my daycare boss told me he would fire me if I didn’t try writing down a story.
How important do feel it is for a children’s writer to immerse themselves in childhood culture?
I don’t know the answer to that. Dr. Seuss who wrote such wonderful books had virtually no contact with children. I on the other hand, have lots of contact with kids and that works for me, but I don’t think there is a general rule about that.
Do you have any advice on how writers can immerse themselves in children?
Go visit a daycare centre.
Are you an organized person?
No.
Do you write down your ideas or do you store them in your head?
When I start getting a story that I think works, I put it on a list. But that’s about it.
Do you write down the children’s names to remember them? [Robert Munsch uses real children as characters in his books]
No. I just call it, if it’s about Shelly, I’ll remember it as Shelly’s story. Then if I think it’s going to be a book, I contact Shelly so I can contact her. I write a draft, then five years later when it becomes a book I can say, “hey, you’re going to get a book”. Then I send her an autographed copy.
Do you have an agent?
No.
Do you think that it’s beneficial to maintain loyalty with one publisher?
Yes because the more books you have with a publisher, the more work they will do for you. If you scatter yourself all over the place, you’re not that valuable, unless you’re Stephen King.
Do you still receive rejections?
I just went with one publisher, but we don’t agree on what stories to do. I have lots of stories and it’s hard for me to get the ones I want out. Like I have over one hundred and fifty to choose from, now, on file with my publisher.
I heard that
Love You Forever was one of those.
Yes, Love You Forever was one of those. My first publisher rejected that.
To what do you attribute the success of
Love You Forever?
The depth of love between children and parents and families. You can love people and you can be driven crazy by them. There is a way of saying you like someone without being smothering. And it’s about life and death.
I have a few questions for the children readers.
Do you have any hobbies?
I like to walk my dog, I like to take long walks in the woods and I like to climb trees.What are you afraid of?
Bees.
Who is your favourite person?My favourite person? Hmm. My children.
Do you have a favourite food?
That changes a lot. I think right now, it is Indonesian coconut soup.
Do you watch T.V.?
I don’t have any shows that I like to watch.
Are you often recognized by children?
No, although I am in bookstores.
What is something that people would not know about you?
I used to yell at my kids and they would yell back. I was not the perfect parent.
I think people would be very relieved to know that. With more than one hundred stories on file with your publisher, what can we expect next?
Two books a year for a long time.
No hints on the next one?
The next one is going to be called One More Goal. It’s about a girl named Sierra, from Hay River, in the North West Territories. It’s a hockey story. I’ve written many books, but never any hockey stories.note: Unless you are a grade school student doing a class project, any reproduction of this interview, by any means, is prohibited without the written permission of Robert Munsch, as well as the author of this site.
Morton Keller is the author of America’s Three Regimes: A New Political History, in which he argues that while most historians popularly categorize America’s history into short periods of time (most “eras” or “ages” lasting no longer than a decade) the truth is quite contrary. In the post below Keller, Spector Professor of History Emeritus at Brandeis University, looks at how our past informs our polarized present.
As the election cycle heats up, and political punditry spreads over the land like kudzu grass, the prevailing assumption is that to understand what is happening we should focus on the present and the near future, and ignore the past. Matt Bai observes in his new book The Argument that most bloggers regard the Clinton impeachment of 1998 “as ancient … as the underlying causes of the Peloponnesian War, and about as useful.” (more…)
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Why can’t I find The Princess Who Stood on her Own Two Feet at the NYPL OR on Amazon?!?
Oh that book has LONG been out of print, I’m afraid. Your best bet is to grab a copy of Phil Nel’s Tales for Little Rebels where he includes the full text and some of the pictures. Unless a miracle happens that book will ne’er see the light of day. Too bad about not being on Amazon. Try Alibris maybe?
This one was on my top 10, so obviously I’m over-joyed to see it make the list. I am young enough that this book was popular when I was a child. And now my six-year-old niece is going through a phase where she will just sit and read this book over and over and over and over! Thankfully, it is also one of the books featured on Tumblebooks (though it does part ways in some respects with the original), so my niece can also listen to it for hours if she’d like!