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• We’re diving right in today.  Check out this killer poster:

Now if you’re one of the lucky ducks living in NYC, or will be there on the date of 4/16, you now have your marching orders.  This is an event held at Bank Street College of Education and in wracking my brains I can’t think of anything more timely.  You can see the full listing of the events here.  Wish I were there.  Go in my stead, won’t you?

• New Podcast Alert: This one sports a catchy moniker that will strike some of you as familiar.  Kidlit Drink Night (which would also make a good name for a band, a blog, or a dog) is the official podcast of one Amy Kurtz Skelding.  There’s a bit of YA cluttering up the works, but enough children’s stuff is present to make it worth your pretty while.  Do be so good as to check it out.

• Hey!  Hey hey!  The Eric Carle Honorees were named, did you see?  And did you notice that amongst them Lee & Low Books was named an Angel?  Such fantastic news.  A strong year of nominees.

• So Phil Nel shared something recently that I’d like you to note. There is apparently a Tumblr out there called Setup Wizard which consists of the, “Daily Accounts of a Muggle I.T. Guy working at Hogwarts.” Phil suggests reading them in order. I concur. Thanks to Phil for the link.

• Ooo!  The Indies Choice / E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Finalists for 2016 were announced recently.  Fascinating choices, I must say.  Not the first books that would have come to my mind, but still good books.

• I have lots of favorite blogs, but Pop Goes the Page clearly belongs in the upper echelon.  Two posts by Dana Sheridan (the Education & Outreach Coordinator of the Cotsen Children’s Library at Princeton University) caught my eye recently.  Dana, as you will recall, is responsible for my little toilet paper tube profile picture on Twitter.  Well now she’s used her knowledge of all things cardboard to create the world’s most adorable subway system complete with Broadway posters.  In a different post Dana, in partnership with The Met Museum’s Nolen Library (the one for the kids), shows a killer display on taking care of your books.  It doesn’t necessarily sound interesting, until you see how they magnified a book eating buggy.

• So the other day I’m talking up Evan Turk and his new book The Storyteller, as per usual, and I mention to a librarian that the guy not too long ago did some killer sketches of Chicago blues musicians.  Naturally she wanted to see what I was talking about.  After all, I practically live in Chicago these days, so if there’s a talented illustrator going about making Chi-town art, it’s well worth promoting.  I took her to Evan’s blog and there, beautiful as all get out, is the art.  Then I thought I might share it with you as well.  This is just a tiny smidgen of what he has up so go to his blog to see more. The sheer talent of it all floors me.

• Do you know who is awesome?  Sharyn November, former Viking editor, is awesome.  So awesome, in fact, that she has her own brand of tea.  You can buy this tea, if you like.  I’ll put its description right here:

“sdn tea was created specifically for the punk goddess of children’s publishing, Sharyn November. This deity, who is all sharp angles, quick wit, and extraordinary fashion, is a fiery force of nature–literally and figuratively. She already has her own time zone, so it’s high time she has her own tea. This blend is strong and highly caffeinated. Almost impossibly fruity on the nose, it tastes of warm spice and goes extremely well with a piece of chocolate and a cigarette.”

• Do school librarians yield higher test scores?  You may have always suspected that was the case but a recent study out of South Carolina now has some facts so that you can put your money where your mouth is.  Are you a school librarian in need of justifying your existence to your employer?  You can’t afford not to read this SLJ piece.

• I dunno.  I get Neil Patrick Harris playing Count Olaf in the new Netflix series of A Series of Unfortunate Events.  That makes sense to me.  It’s Dr. Horrible without the songs.  Sure.  But Patrick Warburton as Snicket?  Last time we had Jude Law, and I’m pretty sure that was the right move to make.  Puddy as Lemony Snicket seems to lack the right panache.

• In America we have our Newbery and Caldecott Medals.  In England it’s all about the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Awards.  And unlike the States, they create shortlists.  Those shortlists have just been released for 2016 and (also unlike the States) they nominate books outside their nation.  So Canadians like Jon Klassen and Sydney Smith have a fighting chance.  I agree with Travis Jonker, though.  The alternate title for Sidewalk Flowers was a surprise.

• On the old To Do list: Meet Jan Susina, the Illinois State English Professor who also happens to be an expert on children’s literature.  In a recent interview he produced this marvelous mention of Beatrix Potter: “Potter once said, ‘Although nature is not consciously wicked, it is always ruthless.’ Peter Rabbit is a survival story, not a cute bunny story.”  How perfectly that quote could have worked in Wild Things.  Ah well.  The entire interview is well worth your time, particularly his answer to the question, “What is the greatest secret in children’s literature?”  The answer will surprise you.  Thanks to Phil Nel for the link.

• This Saturday I’ve a Children’s Literary Salon at 2:00.  Yet a couple months ago I hosted Jeff Garrett who spoke about his work with the Reforma Children in Crisis Project.  You can imagine how pleased I was to hear that ALSC will be donating $5,000 to the project as well.  Fantastic news.

• Daily Image:

I was dumpster diving in the donation bin this week when an old book caught my eye.  Hate to say it, but this thing seriously disturbs me.  They just don’t make ’em like this anymore (phew!).

Run, girl, run!!  Or rather . . . skate, girl, skate!

The childhood thrill of make believe looms large for Dublin-based artist P.J. Lynch, 2X winner of England’s Kate Greenaway Medal for Illustration. He may not come out and say this. But you can’t not feel it in his illustrations and murals, his YouTube videos and his lectures about art and painting in Ireland and the U.S. He puts [...]

Daylight Saving (not “Savings” I just learned) has arrived and you know what that means?  It means babies have a terrible sense of telling time.  Just awful.  And that, in turn, means I’d better crank out a lickety-split Fusenews before I hear the telltale sound of little eyelids opening.

First up, The New York Times Best Illustrated Books of 2011 were announced.  I like to keep a tally of what I managed to review in time vs. what got missed.  The winners were:

• “Along a Long Road,” written and illustrated by Frank Viva (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

• “A Ball for Daisy,” written and illustrated by Chris Raschka (Schwartz & Wade)

• “Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures,” written by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton (Chronicle Books)

• “Grandpa Green,” written and illustrated by Lane Smith (Roaring Brook Press)

• “Ice,” written and illustrated by Arthur Geisert (Enchanted Lion Books)

• “I Want My Hat Back,” written and illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press);

• “Me … Jane,” written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

• “Migrant,” written by Maxine Trottier, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (Groundwood Books);

• “A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis,” written by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Dial)

• “A New Year’s Reunion,” written by Yu Li-Qiong, illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang (Candlewick Press)

Well, three out of ten ain’t . . uh . . . ain’t all that hot, come to think of it.  Next year I shall vow to do better!  I liked Travis at 100 Scopes Notes and his reaction too.

• Amazon has just put out their list of the Best of 2011 too.  I’ve read eight out of ten and reviewed five of those.  Much better.

• While I’m thinking of it, there was announcement of the Carnegie Medal and Kate Greenaway Medal nominees over in Jolly Old England.  The Carnegie (their version of the Newbery) nominees include a couple Americans, a couple titles we’ve seen stateside, and a lot of surprises.  I’ll be rooting for Tall Story by Candy Gourlay, The Cardturner by Louis Sachar, and The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh.  On the Greenaway (their Caldecott) nominee side I’ll
  10 Comments on Fusenews: In which I get to use the term “mankiest”, last added: 11/10/2011
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  Molly said, on 11/9/2011 1:51:00 AM
  

  Bad news for your 2011 Carnegie/Greenaway horses: those books were on the longlist for the 2011 awards which were announced in June, 2011. (To satisfy your curiousity, Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness and FArTHER by Grahame Baker-Smith were the winners). This year’s longlists were announced on November 4th and can be found at: http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/pressdesk/press.php?release=pres_nom_car_2012.html
  and:
  http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/pressdesk/press.php?release=pres_nom_green_2012.html

  The award covers books published from 01.September to 31. August of the year before the award. Thus the 2012 longlist is for books published in 2010 and 2011 – just a little confusing and perhaps a bit after the phenomenon has passed, I thought when I was nominating.

  And for the record, my money’s on A Monster Calls for the Carnegie, but the Greenaway is any librarian’s guess.

  janeyolen said, on 11/9/2011 4:46:00 AM
  

  As I will be at the magical Connecticut Children;s Book Fair in Storrs, Ct at the UConn campus this weekend, presenting and signing books along with a boatload of other authors including my gorgeous daughter Heidi Stemple, I will be buying loads of books. Thanks for the head’s up, though! LOL

  Jane Yolen

  Elizabeth Bird said, on 11/9/2011 4:54:00 AM
  

  Oops! I’m way behind the times, it seems re: Carnegie/Greenaway. Thanks for the heads up!

  Jennifer Schultz said, on 11/9/2011 6:18:00 AM
  

  Oh, the best lists are coming out…good times.

  (PS-we’re in standard time. Daylight Saving begins in the spring and ends in the fall. Regardless, bum times for babies and new parents!.)

  Jennifer Schultz said, on 11/9/2011 6:19:00 AM
  

  (However, folks in AZ and HI don’t deal with the back and forth fol-de-rol.)

  Sarah said, on 11/9/2011 6:20:00 AM
  

  Thanks so much for doing the interview Betsy! You are so right on about the greek myth dilema. And I think I’m going to have to start requesting Mexican Wrestler books too- I’m too curious not to!

  Kathryn Fredrickson said, on 11/9/2011 7:01:00 AM
  

  At least the time doesn’t depend on where you are…in your house!

  http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/2011/08/i-say-fast-time-you-say-slow-timelets.html

  Also, I might be in love with that Lucy bear!

  DaNae said, on 11/9/2011 9:31:00 AM
  

  Dang! For a minute I thought that filing cabnit cover was a piece of wall art I could purchase.

  I want the funny books! I also want the Scieszka Pirze up and running in this country! PDQ!

  Scope Notes said, on 11/9/2011 10:25:00 AM
  

  Oh, man – the New Covers guy is at Candlewick? They’re going to do some amazing things together.

  Lee Bennett Hopkins said, on 11/10/2011 4:47:00 PM
  

  Dear Bird:

  I thought I was missing you. How do I get on your e-listings for Fuse #8? Hope
  you and the baby are doing fine with the time change. Love-ness…Lee

  Add a Comment

The 2009 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Winners have been announced! Two years after her untimely death from breast cancer at the age of 47, Siobhan Dowd’s fourth and final novel, Bog Child, has been awarded the UK’s premier accolade for children’s writing: the CILIP Carnegie Medal. Edinburgh-based illustrator Catherine Rayner has won the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, the UK’s most prestigious award for children’s book illustration, for her book Harris Finds His Feet. Click here to see photos from the award ceremony. Also, be sure to check out the latest issue of PaperTigers which focuses on Children’s Book Awards.

…that’s a fear of solitude or “I don’t like being alone, or in the dark”, as Little Mouse puts it in Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett, which has just been awarded the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal. While bedtime itself can be such a cosy, reassuring end to the day, with a story and a cuddle, there often comes a time when children don’t want to be left alone in the dark. Logical reassurances go unheeded and sometimes the turning-out ritual takes on the stuff of the very stories they’ve been laughing at, as monsters are chased from under beds and spooks are ousted from wardrobes… This is where Little Mouse comes in.

The book’s template is a self-help book for people to log their own fears: and each pair of phobias on a double page is cleverly interlinked.

“Each page in this book provides a large blank space
for you to record and face your fear using a combination of:
Drawing
Writing
Collage.

REMEMBER!
A FEAR FACED IS A FEAR DEFEATED.”

Only, what we have here is Mouse’s personally completed copy – and what a timorous wee beastie he is! He has filled in every page, from Entomophobia, a fear of insects, through monsters, yes, to, well, everything (that’s Panophobia!). In fact, Mouse has chewed it and glued it; and with all he goes through, it’s amazing that both he and his pencil survive until the end.

There is genius behind this book – every time I look at it I am struck by the lightness of touch Gravett has brought to this tricky subject. There is so much humor (not least in the way it ends) and this provides a very real opening for children to talk openly about their fears, however irrational – and, in fact, not just their own: my Arachnophobia (though I’m loathe to acknowledge it by its proper name) was pounced upon gleefully by my two…

The artwork is stunning, right down to the tiniest detail of a dog-eared page corner. As well as the holes and torn edges, there are collages with flaps, some terrifying feathers and an annotated “Visitors’ Map of the Isle of Fright”. This is a book to be drooled over - though perhaps not literally. Button and Mr Moo, the rats to whom the book is dedicated, have already done their business… In fact, some of the illustrative techiniques involved seem set to cause a furore – but that mustn’t be allowed to detract from the quality of the book itself. I go along with The Ultimate Book Guide’s comments about the publishers too – Macmillan are indeed to be congratulated; and I can only envy Daniel is preview peek at Gravett’s soon-to-be-published The Odd Egg!

Here’s a link to yesterday’s interview with Emily in The Guardian and do look at her own website, including this activity to “Make Your Own Collage of Fears”. She was also recently selected as one of The Big Picture campaign’s ten Best New Illustrators in the UK, as announced at the Bologna Book Fair. You can read The Big Picture’s interview with her here.

And a little PS – we will be featuring three of The Big Picture’s longlisted artists in our Gallery in our next PaperTigers update…

The Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals have been announced. Guy Dammann reports for the Guardian, "Philip Reeve has won the 2008 Carnegie Medal for children's books with his searching re-examination of one of England's national legends, Here Lies Arthur. Emily Gravett, meanwhile, has won the Kate Greenaway Medal for the second time in three years with her latest illustrated tale, Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears."

Tonight I made Pad Thai for dinner. A few months ago my friend Sunaree who is Thai and her husband had my husband and I over for dinner and she cooked Pad Thai for us. I have to tell you it was the most amazing and delicious experience. I didn't take a photo of dinner as it was the first time we had dinner together and I thought it would be rude. The food was incredible and the presentation so colorful. Her husband loves her cooking too and is her perfect match.

Yesterday Sunaree brought me some rice noodles and I tried my first hand at it. I bought a sauce mix ( I know, not very original) however I am going to try making the sauce on my own when I have more time. I only have about an hour in the evening during the week so cooking quickly is often a must. My husband and I had seconds and we'll both have some left over for work tomorrow. Yum!

This is the closest photo to what Sunaree served us for dinner that night (an exceptional photo of Pad Thai I might add!). Pim used a few different ingredients than Sunaree did and I used a packet of sauce picked up at the store which my husband and I both found quite good. I also substituted the shrimp for chicken and left out the egg as we are watching our cholesterol which is a good thing but fresh shrimp with this meal is incredible. I'll save the times to have it with shrimp when Sunaree is doing the cooking. Visually, hers looks so much more vibrant.

I can't say enough about Sunaree, she is an amazing cook and so sweet too, I can't wait until she cooks for us again. After all, why have a copy when you can have the real thing! :)