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I don’t know what it is about Mary Poppins, but drawing her sure cheers me up. I guess it’s just like they say in the song–“When the day is grey and ordinary…Mary makes the sun shine bright!” I hope this picture makes your sun shine bright today :)
Would YOU like to have a print of this stretching portrait?
My friends, you are in luck, because I’m giving away two prints of it!!
There are two ways to enter–First, you can comment on this post with the word, “WANT!” And you’ll be entered into a random drawing ^_^ Or, you can also enter by entering your email into that sidebar “Stalk Me More” box, and be randomly drawn from that list! —->
(Entering you email address there just means you’ll get story-monster blog posts to your inbox. I never used these addresses for evil, though many times I have wished to. Never fear; you are safe in my hands.)
If you both enter your email and comment “WANT!”, then you have double the chances of getting this tasty li’l print!
Winners will be announced when I post the next blog post next Monday ^_^
Happy Monday to you! You want the goods? I’ve got the goods. Or, at the very least, a smattering of interesting ephemera. Let’s do this thing.
First and foremost, you may have noticed the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards were announced. The BGHB Awards are some of the strangest in the biz since they encompass the nonexistent publishing year that extends from May to June. How are we to use such an award? No cash benefit is included. And traditionally it has been seen as either a litmus test for future book awards or as a way of rectifying past sins / confirming past awards. This year it’s a bit of a mix of both. Both 2015 and 2016 titles appear on the list. You can see the full smattering in full here or watch a video of the announcement here. And, for what it’s worth, I served on the committee this year, so if you’ve a beef to beef, lay it on me.
Since this news item appeared on Huffington Post I’m not sure if it is in any way true. If not, it’s still a lovely thought. According to HP, the cover artist of Sweet Valley High takes commissions. Just let that one sink in a little. I’m not interested, though. Call me when the cover artist of Baby-Sitters Club starts doing the same.
It’s odd that I haven’t linked to this before, but a search of my archives yields nothing. Very well. Whether or not you were aware of it, The Toast has The Giving Tree in their Children’s Stories Made Horrific series. Shooting fish in a barrel, you say? Not by half. It’s not a new piece. Came out three years ago, as far as I can tell. And yet . . . it’s perfect. The latest in the series, by the way, was a Frog and Toad tale. Sublime.
This Week in Broadway: Tuck Everlasting is out. Wimpy Kid is in.
In other news vaguely related to theater, Lin Manuel-Miranda is slated to star in a 2018 Mary Poppins musical sequel. And no, not on stage. On the silver screen. This, naturally, led to the child_lit listserv postulating over how this could be possible since P.L. Travers had a pretty strong posthumous grip on the rest of the Mary Poppins rights.
So I worked for New York Public Library for eleven years. Eleven years can be a lot of time. During my tenure I observed the very great highs and very low lows of the system. I like to think I knew it pretty well. Now here’s a secret about NYPL: They’re bloody awful at telling you about all the cool stuff they have going on. Always have been. For example, I’m tooling about the NYPL site the other day when I see this picture.
I stare at it. I squint at it. And finally I cannot help but come to a single solitary conclusion . . . that’s my old boss! There. On the left. Isn’t that Frank Collerius, branch manager of the Jefferson Market Branch in Greenwich Village? Yup. The Librarian Is In Podcast seeks to simply talk “about books, culture, and what to read next.” Frank co-hosts with RA librarian Gwen Glazer and they’re top notch. I haven’t made my way through all of them yet. I’m particularly interested in the BookOps episode since that’s where I used to work. And look! I had no idea that Shola at the Schomburg was on Sesame Street.
Howdy, libraries. How’s that STEM programming coming along? Care for some inspiration? Then take a gander at the blog STEM in Libraries where “a team of librarians with a passion for creating fun and engaging STEM programs for library patrons of all ages,” have so far created fifty-seven different STEM program ideas.
A helpful reader passed this on to me, so I pass it on to you: “The latest New Yorker magazine, dated June 6 and 13, may be of interest to you, if you haven’t yet seen it. It’s the Fiction issue, and in it are some essays by 5 authors, each subtitled “Childhood Reading”…with memories of the books, articles, package labels, events from their childhoods that shaped their idea of what reading is and can be. Having read a couple of these so far, I thought of you, and decided to mention them to you, in case you don’t regularly look at the New Yorker, and might not see them.” Thanks to Fran Landt for the link.
You know who won the Best Bookmark Left in a Library Book Award the other day? That’s right. This guy. Check it out:
Sure beats finding bacon. I was forbidden to own these guys as a kid, so I’ve placed this little fellow in a prominent place on my desk. Who wants to bet money that some executive somewhere is trying to figure out how to bring these back? Let’s see . . . the last time they were made they were illustrated by Art Spiegelman. So if Pulitzer Prize winners are the only people who can draw them, my vote for the 21st artist goes to . . . ah . . . wait a minute. Maus is the only graphic novel to ever win a Pulitzer?!?
8 Comments on Fusenews: Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of Garbage Pail Kids and kings . . ., last added: 6/6/2016
We’ve been wondering about the Mary Poppins rights. I haven’t looked at any of the online discussion…just heard a lot of outraged ranting from my son!
susan plott said, on 6/6/2016 8:20:00 AM
What are those bookmarks ? I want to find some info on them as you really piqued my curiosity saying Art Spiegelman illustrated them !! Whoa !!
Jean said, on 6/6/2016 10:25:00 AM
I had just talked my book club into reading The Lie Tree, so no beef on that pick.
Carl in Charlotte said, on 6/6/2016 10:58:00 AM
Now if an aritst could put me on a Bailey School Kids cover, I’d be in. Or maybe a Choose Your Own Adventure…
Elizabeth Bird said, on 6/6/2016 12:49:00 PM
Darn tootin’.
Elizabeth Bird said, on 6/6/2016 12:49:00 PM
Ach. Twas a bonny, heartily disgusting fad of the mid 1980s. During the height of the Cabbage Patch Kids a series of cards was released called the Garbage Pail Kids. This is one of the tame ones. The bulk were gross in a variety of different ways. There was even a truly unfortunate movie. I was the right age at the right time. And yes, Mr. Spiegelman made them in the early days. The more you know, kids!
Elizabeth Bird said, on 6/6/2016 12:50:00 PM
Oo! The possibilities are endless.
Ms. Yingling said, on 6/6/2016 1:27:00 PM
Children of the 1970s had Wacky Packages, also illustrated by Spiegelman. I know grown ups who will not part with them. Someone’s missing that book mark!
My mom read last week’s blog post, and reminisced upon a tale of a teeter totter, giant cacti, and my older brother Tom (3 years old at the time).
When I was 2, we lived in Tucson, Arizona. I don’t remember much except that the spiders were HUGE. (You don’t forget things like that.) But mom said there was a teeter-totter in the backyard, which I imagine looked like this:
One day Tom was playing on the teeter-totter
and got his leg twisted beneath it.
He had a good cry, and then refused to walk after that. Mom had to carry him everywhere.
For a week she carried him, and then worried that he might have actually broken his leg, she took him to the doctor.
The doctor looked at Tom’s leg, then went to his drawer
where he pulled out an uninflated balloon. (Hahaha. Those were the days.)
He said:
You guessed it.
I hear kids will do this to you your WHOLE LIFE.
Thank you so much, everyone, for entering the Mary Poppins coloring contest! There were some beautiful (and very creative) entries. My coworkers here at Disney Interactive were kind enough to make a decision:
Ages 0-11:
1st place – Leong Ton Yan
Honorable Mentions – Lucy S. & Anna Stein
Ages 12-19:
1st Place – Annie Anderson
Honorable Mentions – Vivian Vriend & Ruth
Ages 20+:
1st Place – Dale McCarthy
Honorable Mentions – Elizabeth Muennich & Patrice
We have a bonus honorable mention at the end for Chad Jemmett, everyone loved the Tim Burton-esque Mary Poppins.
I loved seeing so many different takes on Mary Poppins…we MUST do this again soon!
I had someone ask me for another Mary Poppins coloring page…and it reminded me that we haven’t had a coloring contest in a while! Well it’s high time!! Mary Poppins is Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
When you are finished, take a photo or scan it in, then email it to me at [email protected], with the words “Coloring Contest” in the subject line
Deadline is Sunday, April 13th
Sit back and wait for the prize money to come rolling in!
The entries will be sorted by ages 0-11, 12-19, and 20+, and won’t be judged by me, but by other artists who will see which ones stand out the most. Each category will have a main winner ($10 Amazon gift card prize), and two honorable mentions ($5 Amazon gift card prize).
Entries are open to international submissions. I can’t wait to see all the beautiful pages!
A couple of weeks ago, I had the craziest day Of My Life. OF. MY. LIFE.
It began at 4 am, when I ran a Star Wars-themed 10K in Disneyland.
I’d been so nervous about it, I hardly got any sleep the night before. In fact I kept on having nightmares that I had to stop in the middle of the race so I could finish household chores.
It didn’t help that at the seedy hotel where we stayed, I was sharing a bed with my sister. (The Taylor Swift one.)
(She really did say that.)
BUT I DID IT! I ran the 10k and didn’t stop ONCE to do my laundry!
Anyway. While it is crazy that I did any kind of outdoor activity, the REALLY crazy thing happened that night!
It turned out my friend, Christina (who’s as obsessed with Mary Poppins as I am!) was helping out at a Vantastix concert in California that same weekend!
The Vantastix is the acapella group that sings with Dick Van Dyke!!
And she asked if I wanted to come along!!!
I said yes…of COURSE!
I helped set up at the booth in the theater lobby, with CD’s and books and DVD DVD’s and things. I also met Dick Van Dyke’s wife, Arlene.
She was really sweet, and on the ball too. In fact, she hosted a Dick Van Dyke art show a couple of months ago! I’ve heard rumors there’s going to be another art show soon–all you artists who read this blog, get your Dick Van Dyke artwork gussied up!! I bet there’ll be a call for entries soon!
When the concert began, the stagehands even found me a seat, so I could see Dick Van Dyke himself in concert!!
He has still totally got it. He still dances! And sings amazingly and jokes around, and it was so much fun.
I loved it when he told stories between the songs.
He told about when he was filming Mary Poppins, he also played the Elder Mister Dawes. (You probably already knew this.)
Sometimes, when he was still in costume, he went out on the studio lot where buses full of tourists were being taken around the studio to sightsee.
The bus would stop to wait for him to cross the road…
and he would take…
…forever.
Then, when he finally passed, the bus would get going and he would kick up his legs and race the bus, hightailing it past all the stunned tourists! Hahaha!
I wish I coulda seen that :D :D
After the concert I helped pack up the booth, and Christina was like:
WHAAAAT
We followed a stagehand through a bunch of double doors, and there, at the end of the hall with the other Vantastix, there HE was!!!
Dick Van Dyke!!
I GOT TO MEET HIM!!
By george, I got my picture with him!!
We went back to the lobby to finish packing up the stuff, but I was kind of in a daze and don’t remember much.
But WAIT. It gets even CRAZIER.
…Because as we finished putting cleaning up the last of the booth, Dick Van Dyke himself came out into the lobby!! Just chatting and milling about and having a good time!
He saw me fangirling in the corner. And he began to dance.
I am not kidding!
He began to dance like this!!
He’s still totally, totally got it.
When everything was packed up, Arlene was like, “What places are open til late around here?” and the stagehand was like “Cheesecake factory is open until midnight” and Arlene to everyone was like
“Okay, let’s go!”
And lest my ears were deceiving me, Christina was like:
WAS THAT OK
THAT’S RIGHT
NOT JOKING
I WENT TO THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY
WITH DICK FREAKING VAN DYKE!!!!!!!
I still am trying to process this.
All through the restaurant, everyone was going nuts.
People were taking pictures and selfies.
Even the Cheesecake Factory waiters were geeking out!
Heck, the waiters…I was geeking out!
In case you were wondering…he’s exactly like he is in all those movies!! It’s so crazy how full of life he is. Just so bright.
He’d just look around the table and grin and everybody!
At one point, the waiter set a giant appetizer platter in front of him, with tons of leaves and fancy lettuce sticking up, and Dick Van Dyke was like:
(It really did look like weeds. Hahaha.)
At the end of the night, I ordered a lemon raspberry cheesecake to go (their best flavor) because I wanted to share with my sisters.
But when I asked for the bill…
I found out that Mr. and Mrs. Van Dyke were already paying it!
My word!!!!
(I probably would’ve only ordered a glass of water and napkin had I known this)
(But still…awesome :) :)
We all left the factory as a group.
Dick Van Dyke held the door open for me!!! (!!!!!!!)
Needless to say, it was an amazing night.
I showed up at our seedy hotel around 1 AM, excited to tell my sissies the story and to share our cheesecake…compliments of Dick Van Dyke :)
And we ate it up, every crumb.
Here’s my picture from that night:
It was…the best night of my life.
(I can only go downhill from here!)
BTW, if you share this post, be sure to tag The Cheesecake Factory. I’m trying to convince them to change the name of their lemon raspberry cheesecake to “Dick Van Dyke” cheesecake.
Because if someone like me can have dinner with Dick Van Dyke, anything is possible!
0 Comments on My Dinner with Dick Van Dyke as of 1/1/1900
A bit of an older video here. In my travels recently I discovered that the entirety of the Oliver Jeffers short film version of his book Lost and Found is apparently online. Bonus! I never got to see it. For your viewing pleasure then (and it’s 24 minutes long, FYI):
Shoot. Christmas is over but only now have I learned about this new collection of Walt Kelly’s Fairy Tales. Well, there’s always next year, I guess.
Cool. I’d heard that there was a children’s theater adaptation of Grace Lin’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, but didn’t know it had a little trailer too. Eh, voila.
And for the off-topic video, we’re not entirely off-topic. After all, Mary Poppins was a children’s book originally. Ipso facto a flash mob for Dick Van Dyke’s 90th birthday is . . . well it works for me.
0 Comments on Video Sunday: Wind’s in the East . . . as of 1/3/2016 1:14:00 AM
Dick Van Dyke (my favorite actor of all time) celebrated his 90th birthday this past week. I wasn’t able to go to the celebration in Disneyland, but I was still lucky enough to contribute! This limited edition print was given away at the Jolly Holiday bakery. I feel absolutely honored to have played a part in the event.
You probably recognize the Chitty doll and the chimney sweep, but that smiley face is from a little-known movie called “Bye Bye Birdie”–in one of my all-time favorite songs ^_^ Dick Van Dyke is just stellar in every role he plays.
0 Comments on The Dick Van Dyke 90th as of 1/1/1900
Happy Thanksgiving! It snowed here and so we had a white Thanksgiving. I love the snow.
I also love digital painting. When I was a kid taking art, digital wasn’t a thing. All the art supplies were sooo expensive and messy, and if you messed up, you had to start all over again. Now you can try and do billion different styles and colors…I sure am grateful for that.
Anyway, here’s a piece that I’ve been meaning to do all year ^_^
I drew it for my sweet Instagram buddy, Nerdpoppins. She loves Mary Poppins as much as I do! You should check out her etsy shop–so many amazing MP things!
She was also the host of this year’s “Mary Poppins in the Park”–a Mary Poppins day at Disneyland. I went and it was so much fun. Every dressed Mary Poppins-y and THE Mary and Bert came (!!!) Everyone had a great time.
Nerdpoppins is on the right…my sis is in the middle, and I’m on Bert’s arm, dying. (Isn’t the skirt beautiful? It was sewn & hand-painted by Nerdpoppins. I’m in awe.)
Speaking of that event, I gave out a limited edition print to the attendees! And I have some left over!
Would you like this sweet little 5×7 print? I’m gonna mail it out to the first 50 commenters! Here’s how to play:
1 – Leave a numbered comment of something you’re grateful for. (So, if the comment before you says it’s #12, you would write #13.) (If you are reading this from tumblr, you’ll want to comment here, on the actual blog.)
2 – If your comment is below 50, send your mailing address to storyboarder{at}gmail.com (That’s me!) And I’ll send you the print right away!
I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was the best ^_^
0 Comments on Mary Christmas Season! {+Giveaway!} as of 1/1/1900
Over the years, I've written about children's books that were revised.
A few days ago I compiled links about revised books (some are mine and some are from others who work in children's literature) and inserted them in my post about A Fine Dessert. Today, I'm putting them on a stand-alone page. If you know of other changes, do let me know. This set of links will eventually appear at Teaching for Change.
We are rarely told why these books were changed, and we're rarely told when the change itself is made. Some changes are no-change, really, because the ideology of the book (writer?) is still there, beneath the words that get changed. Some changes--like the ones in picture books--are significant. All of them are, nonetheless, important to know about.
It’s here at story-monster.com. I liked my blogspot–a lot–and had it for nearly 9 years! But blogger is getting a little old, so I dusted up and moved here. Fancy, eh? If you go to the original site, it will forward you here quick fast like a bunny.
These blog posts will also crosspost to tumblr! So if you’re reading this from tumblr–glad to have you on board!
Even better news is that I’ll be posting more often! So stay tuned!
Here in New York we’re getting very excited. The 90-Second Film Festival is coming!! And soon too! Here’s a PW interview with James Kennedy about the festival and for those of you in the NYC area you can see it at NYPL on Saturday, March 7th at 3:00 p.m. In fact, now that I think about it, you could begin your day at NYPL at 2:00 p.m. at my Children’s Literary Salon Blurred Lines?: Accuracy and Illustration in Nonfiction. We’ll be hosting Mara Rockliff (author), Brian Floca (author/illustrator), Nicole Raymond (editor), and Sophie Blackall (illustrator/author) as they discuss the responsibility of an illustrator when working on a piece of historical nonfiction for kids and whether or not words garner closer scrutiny than pictures. Should be a fabulous day.
We all know on some level that when a book is adapted into a movie the likelihood of the strong female characters staying strong is negligible. There are always exceptions to the rule, but by and large it’s depressing not to be more shocked by the recent Cracked piece 6 Insulting Movie Adaptations of Strong Female Characters. I was very pleased to see the inclusion of Violet from A Series of Unfortunate Events too. Folks tend to forget about her.
At the beginning of February I had the infinite pleasure of hosting a Children’s Literary Salon at NYPL on Collaborating Couples. I invited in Ted & Betsy Lewin, Andrea and Brian Pinkney, and Sean Qualls and Selina Alko. You can read the PW round-up of the talk here, but before we hit the stage I had to ask Sean about this incident that occurred involving his book with Selina, The Case for Loving and W. Kamau Bell’s treatment at Berkeley’s Elmwood Café. We didn’t touch on it during our talk since it wasn’t pertinent to this particular discussion, but if you haven’t read the article I suggest you give it a look.
If I’m going to be honest about it, this perfectly encapsulates what I’ve always personally felt about the Elephant and Piggie books. This is because growing up I was the child that wanted everyone and everything in the universe to pair up. Sesame Street fed this desire to a certain degree but the only time Mr. Rogers got close was during the opera episodes. And don’t even get me STARTED on Reading Rainbow (no sexual tension = no interest for 4-year-old Betsy). Hence my perverse desire to see Gerald and Piggie become a couple. I know, I know. Clearly I need help.
Moomins! Ballet! Moomins in ballet! Sorry, do you need more than that? Thanks to Marci for the link.
It’s fun to read this look at the Mary Poppins Hidden Relationships Fan Theory, but I’ve a bone to pick with it. Correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t the book of Mary Poppins make it very clear that yes indeed Mary Poppins WAS Bert’s nanny back in the day? Or am I just making stuff up? I thought this was cannon. That other stuff about Bert’s relationships is particularly peculiar as well.
Perhaps you feel, as I do, that you’ve read every possible Harry Potter related list out there devised by the human brain. Still and all, while I had seen a bunch of these, there are still some lovely surprises in the BuzzFeed list 21 Times “Harry Potter” Was the Cleverest Book Series Ever.
Speaking of Harry Potter and BuzzFeed, new term alert: Racebent. Didn’t know it, but this piece has actually convinced me that it is entirely possible that Hermione Granger isn’t the white-skinned schoolgirl she’s often considered to be. Recall if you will that it was only ever made explicit that Dean Thomas had dark skin when the Harry Potter books were brought over to America (a fact that is not usually mentioned in these stories).
Oh, what the heck. May as well get as Harry Potterish as possible today. Look! Cover animations!
For years I’ve yearned to go to TLA (the meeting of the Texas Library Association). State library meetings are always fun, but Texas takes their own to another level. So far I haven’t had an excuse, but I was reminded of this desire recently when I read the rather delightful piece on how an abandoned Texan Walmart got turned into the ultimate public library. McAllen? You’re good people.
Let It Be Known: That every author and illustrator out there that makes school visits on a regular basis should take a very close look at Nathan Hale’s School Visit Instructions and replicate PRECISELY what he has done on their own websites. Obviously you cannot all draw so in terms of visuals he has you beat. However, this information is perfect and you could certainly write it down in some form yourself. Let it also be known that his upcoming book about Harriet Tubman, The Underground Abductor, is AMAZING. Here’s the cover:
David Wiesner created an app? Yep, pretty much. It’s called Spot and it is now on my To Buy list.
Oh! I don’t know if any of you folks actually know about this. Were you aware that there is a major children’s book award out there for math-related titles? Yep, there is. It’s called the Mathical Award and it’s a project that has come out of a collaboration between The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) and the Children’s Book Council (CBC). Those of you producing such books should look into it. Could be very very useful to you.
Daily Image:
I’ve been meaning to get back to work on updating my post of the Complete Listing of All Children’s Literature Statues in the United States for a while here. There are definitely some sections that need work. However, one image I will not be adding is this statue of what might be the world’s creepiest Cat in the Hat. Not because I don’t like him (oh, I do, I do) but because it’s on school rather than public property. That doesn’t mean I can’t share him with you anyway, though.
Many thanks to Paula Wiley for bringing him to my attention. Wowzah.
9 Comments on Fusenews: Starring the World’s Creepiest Cat in the Hat!, last added: 2/26/2015
I really wish I lived in NYC for stuff like this. I attended a Salon a few years ago and it was fantastic! I just can’t do the tolls and parking all that often. I HATE missing this great stuff. You mentioned the Feb. one with the Lewins and Pinkneys, now this great panel on April 11th. Salivating! lol
kim baker said, on 2/23/2015 8:41:00 AM
I got to see the McAllen Library last month while I was there for some school visits. It’s completely awesome. And going by the librarians I met on my trip, TLA must be ridiculously fun and inspiring. Can’t wait to go someday,
Nathan Hale said, on 2/23/2015 1:30:00 PM
Thanks for the plugs! My author visit comic is a month old and it already needs an update. After working with my publicist, and hearing complaints from more than one school that they “didn’t have iPad connector dongle or a 20 foot cord” I realized these instructions were still confusing. Revised clarifications incoming.
Carl in Charlotte said, on 2/23/2015 1:45:00 PM
You got a disruptive child in your classroom? You want to make him/her behave? Sit that child in that chair next to that Cat for half an hour with those eyes staring at him or her. That child will be an angel the rest of the year! (would probably work for adults too!)
Genevieve said, on 2/24/2015 6:28:00 AM
I don’t think the Mary Poppins books allude to Mary having been Bert’s nanny. I read them all as a kid, and re-read them, and that does not ring a bell.
Mara said, on 2/24/2015 6:56:00 AM
I always thought the Cat in the Hat was pretty terrifying, actually.
So excited to see the 90-Second Newberys after our panel! And James Kennedy! And Ame Dyckman!
Elizabeth Bird said, on 2/24/2015 6:59:00 AM
Right-o. Apparently my brain was aligned with this particular fan theory, then.
Kirsten said, on 2/24/2015 8:59:00 AM
Thank you very much for sharing the incident that happened in Berkeley with W. Kamau Bell.
And for these always enlightening, entertaining posts. I don’t miss one!
Kirsten
Sondy said, on 2/26/2015 3:46:00 PM
A math book award! A math book award! I wonder how I would go about getting on that panel… Though perhaps instead I should work on writing a book that would be eligible….
"Is this haunted room actually...stretching? Or is it your imagination, hmm?" Actually, I think this room is getting cuter, it makes me kinda wish the Haunted Mansion was themed Mary Poppins. They could call it "Mary's Mansion" and they could turn on all the lights and there would be flowers everywhere and people would ride umbrellas over rooftops. Why is this not a thing? Someone make this happen.
I spent my Christmas vacation drawing this, which means it was the best vacation ever :) :) Hope you all had a jolly holiday!
0 Comments on Haunted Mansion Mary as of 1/6/2015 4:23:00 PM
This month marks the 50th anniversary of Disney’s beloved film Mary Poppins, starring the legendary Julie Andrews. Although Andrews was only twenty-nine at the time of the film’s release, she had already established herself as a formidable star with numerous credits to her name and performances opposite Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, and other leading actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Mary Poppins would earn Andrews an Academy Award for Best Actress and serve as a milestone in a career that continues today. Herewith are some of our favorite songs from Andrew’s illustrious career.
“I Could Have Danced All Night”
Andrews belted out this song in the 1956 Broadway performance of My Fair Lady. Andrews proved her singing capabilities playing Eliza Doolittle opposite Rex Harrison as Professor Higgins, although she was replaced in the film version (with Audrey Hepburn acting and Marni Nixon dubbing).
“Camelot”
Andrews performed the play’s title track during its 1960 performance on Broadway. The actress played Queen Guenevere – a title she was apparently comfortable with, later playing Queen Renaldi in Disney’s Princess Diaries – opposite Richard Burton as King Arthur.
“Impossible; It’s Possible”
Starring in another royal role, Andrews played the title character in CBS’ 1957 production of Cinderella, written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.
“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
People are still reciting this tongue twister performed by Andrews in Disney’s 1964 hit film Mary Poppins. In addition to earning her an Oscar, Andrews’ role as the angelic English Nanny cemented her name in silver screen history.
“My Favorite Things”
Hot on the heels of her success from Mary Poppins, Andrews starred as Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music, expanding her international fame and branding herself as a singer to be reckoned with in Hollywood and on Broadway.
I forget how many years ago it was, but in the not so distant past (I’m going to go out on a limb and say it was 2009) I had the pleasure of hosting children’s author and storyteller Carman Agra Deedy in my Children’s Center. Talk about a storyteller! She will hold you riveted from syllable one onwards. I had no idea that back in 2005 she did a TED talk. Had I known, I would have posted it long before now. Here goes:
Thanks to Aunt Judy for the link.
Clever move, author Sue Fleiss. One thing I would like to point out about this video before you watch it is that it involved picture book related hand jive. No easy task.
Catchy.
I’ve decided that the last great children’s literature world to delve into and learn more about has got to be the world of collecting. I don’t know much of any children’s book collectors and I think they’d be fascinating folks to mingle with. That in mind, when I heard that Travis Jonker had gotten this Antiques Roadshow clip from John Schumacher it all seemed to click. I wish I knew what made a children’s book valuable. I tremble when I think about the titles we handle on a regular basis in my office.
It’s probably no surprise to you to hear that a fair number of folks contact me about including videos of their authors or illustrators on this site. I don’t always say yes, but I always watch to see if the videos are honestly interesting. And brother, this brief interview with Fred Bowen is precisely that. I’ve always been a bit sports allergic myself, so to hear him pinpoint the value of the “culture” as he (rightly) puts it is good for me.
Don’t think I’ll actually embed anything from this site, but it’s worth knowing about in any case. Storyline Online is is odd little online streaming video program where you can watch various members of the Screen Actors Guild read old children’s books. As of right now the readers include Betty White, Melissa Gilbert, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Jason Alexander, Ernest Borgnine, James Earl Jones, Robert Guillaume, Tia & Tamara Mowry, etc. I have to assume they haven’t done many recently, if only because the books themselves are pretty old. At any rate, its an interesting smattering. Thanks to Aunt Judy for the link.
Well. This is . . . just the more frigging adorable thing. Check it.
Sort of combines all my favorite things. Cute kids speaking languages other than English and world-renowned cartoonists we’ve never heard of. Liniers. I’ll remember that name now.
In other book trailer news, it’s awful nice when your illustrator not only creates the art for your book but comes up with some catchy song tie-ins as well. Case in point:
And now some thoughts.
1. There is a Roald Dahl bio by Michael Rosen and it’s not available in the U.S.? This thing cannot be right.
2. The following video is 45 minutes long and rather worth it. This is a vid that was streamed live on Tuesday.
3. Rosen. He doesn’t flub. Not a word, not a syllable. This man is a practiced pro. I would rather like to be him when I grow up. I wonder if he’s ever done a TED talk . . .
4. If you would like to hear musical performances from shows like Matilda, you can see the Matilda song around 15:30. 19:44 is where you’ll find the backstage peek into the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical. No live performances there, sadly.
And for our off-topic video of the day, this would be the video that garnered the most alerts to my attention from family and friends this week. There are people that say it’s the Gangnam Style of 2013. Don’t know about that, but it is rather children’s literature friendly (so maybe it’s only 85% off-topic). Thanks in particular to Kate and Marci for the link.
2 Comments on Video Sunday: Itching powder out of rose hips and other Dahlian artifacts, last added: 9/16/2013
Ah Betsy! You’ve enabled my week to start early on on a Monday morning with a big smile! Love the last video, and adore Rosen (we’re seeing him next month – can’t wait). He did a great Proms concert this year themed around Going on a Bear Hunt – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039bd23
Here’s the trailer for Saving Mr. Banks, the fictionalized Disney-produced account of the relationship between Walt Disney and Mary Poppins creator P.L. Travers. The film, which stars Tom Hanks as Disney and Emma Thompson as Travers, is scheduled for release on December 13. It’s unclear what the studio is attempting to achieve by making this film, but if the cornball trailer is any indication, it’s unlikely to make a dent in addressing the studio’s Walt Disney image problem.
Hahaha Andy you make me laugh! The food is probably complimentary for Mary Poppins. For the rest of us, I'm guessing not. I am hoping for raspberry ice and cakes though.
My father-in-law just told me about this last Sunday and I flipped!! I'm going to be so annoying when I go there and tell the cashier, "Hmmmm...I'll start with raspberry ice, and then some cakes and tea..." I can already see them rolling their eyes at me. Awesome!
So Mary Poppins put on her white gloves and tucked her umbrella under her arm–not because it was raining but because it had such a beautiful handle that she couldn't possibly leave it at home. How could you leave your umbrella behind if it had a parrot's head for a handle? Besides, Mary Poppins was very vain and like to look her best. Indeed, she was quite sure that she never looked anything else. --Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers
I've finally finished the Mary Poppins doll. Well except for the umbrella... I'm still thinking about that. Don't worry, I do know it's important.
Of course I made a few changes, so I will show you the details. From the top, I absolutely love how her hat turned out. The pattern has a hat sewn from felt but I had the notion that I would like to make a straw hat for her.
Then one afternoon I just happened to be in a dollhouse shop in Cambridge (as part of a birthday treat day trip that included my favourite flea markets). And I found a tiny packet that had very dark navy blue miniature hat straw braid. There was only one colour, only one size and it was absolutely perfect.
So I looked it up online and sewing up a straw hat is pretty simple in the end. You can look it up yourself and find a tutorial that suits you, but the main tip, the thing I didn't know before, is that straw hat braid has a thread inside it that you can pull so that it curves.
The hat band is a tiny brown scalloped trim that was described in the dollhouse shop as "fairy lace". Now how on earth could I resist that?? Then I added some tiny white flowers I had already which I trimmed to look more like daisies.
The scarf was crocheted from pearl cotton with a tiny crochet hook. I matched the colours to the movie scarf rather than the pattern suggestions. That was a very finicky job that took a long time but as I often do I just worked on it while watching movies in the evening.
The boots are meant to be made from felt but they just turned out too bulky. So I copied the foot pattern and sewed it from black cotton fabric, hemmed the top, then embroidered the scallop edge and added the tiny black beads for buttons. The foot for this pattern has a funny shape but it's kind of charming in a way so I kept it that way.
This blog could use a little love. If I were a better artist I could probably give it some. Whatever. New header!
I think Bert might be my soul mate. Bert likes to draw...I like to draw...Bert loves to laugh...I love to laugh...Bert likes to dance like a penguin...I like to watch him dance like a penguin...
swoon
AND--many thanks to you all who are entering the coloring contest! I can't respond to everyone but I'm getting them and am delighted with them all. Yowza ^_^ So many talented people.
9 Comments on Conference tasty, last added: 4/6/2011
Great header, and profile picture (my 2 1/2 year old and I love Tangled). I just finished Entwined last night and loved it! Thanks for writing such a wonderful fairytale to devour. Are you planning on writing more fairytales or another type of book next?
Anonymous said, on 4/5/2011 11:31:00 AM
Cindy Petersen I just finished reading your book Entwined and loved it. It was absolutely amazing and very well done! Thanks for a great book! PS you need to get on goodreads.com
@Aaron - No way! I actually didn't know that...though I thought it was great how he's left handed (didn't notice that before)
@Cindy & Jessie - Wow, thank you so much for your kind words! #^_^# Definitely the book was a team effort, with much help from the editor, and agent and writing group. I feel very grateful for them.
As far as novels go, I'm not planning on doing another fairy tale for a while (next book is more action-oriented, with evil clowns, oh boy!), though I definitely would love to do a fairy tale via picture book, or poems or comic books. There's a lot of richness and history in them I think.
At last - birds, grass, decent temperatures. Things are looking UP in Maine. Put the fence up over on the big field (in winter the snowmobile path goes across it) and turned out our horses. There was galloping and bucking and BIG farts. (They do that when they are happy). Me, I just do the galloping and bucking bit.
Last weekend I trotted off to Boston with some girl friends. We had a blast, the sun shone and it was 50 or so degrees. Even the daffs were flowering! Stayed at a lovely little hotel (John Jeffries House on Beacon Hill.) It was good to get away from the studio, see some sights and people, eat (too much) at nice restaurants and browse in galleries. One of the fun things is getting on the DownEaster Train in Portland and cruising to Boston North Station. Nice not to drive, kick back and relax, have a drink ;-).
Saturday night we went to the Opera House and saw Mary Poppins, the Broadway cast. Just stunning! Great set, singing and an escape from reality. I particularly enjoyed the sets, which were very illustrative and made to work like a doll's house. Of course Disney always but on a great show, love' em or hate 'em. Well I loved it and took some inspiration from it.
More inspiration on Sunday - Boston Museum of Fine Arts. One afternoon is far too little time to do it properly - and viewing fatigue sets in after a while. It was good to sit and contemplate amongst old masters, the paintings old friends from books and posters, from essays written at college and lectures received. So I mused among the Impressionists and spent a while with John Singer Sargent and his beautiful brushwork. Roamed in the Egyptian room and pootled in the new Art of the Americas wing. Totally missed the musical instruments and costume though. Rats.
And in breathing the atmosphere it reminds you that this is still just paint on canvas, one brush stroke, one observation at a time. Take that home and recall that what you do is not so much different.
Meanwhile back in my real life ... still trying to throw off the kidney stone episode with has left me pretty exhausted. I am deep in to the compositions for 'Hidden New Jersey' for Charlesbridge. There is a lot of detail and research for each spread ... they are packed cock-a-hoop full of history. Hopefully I can share them here soon. There's a lot of work to do before then though!
Good news also this week - 'How to Talk to an Autistic Kid' goes on sale from Free Spirit Publishing. I received my copy and it looks fab! You can buy it now on Amazon If you have a child who is in contact with an Autistic child, perhaps at school, or just to educate them that an Autistic child acts a little differently but is highly intelligent, this is a great book. Also if your feeling generous, purchase a copy for your school or library. If you would like a signed copy, please let me know and I will try to arrange it.
Okee. The blog is back up for human consumption. Went through a bit of rockiness, so I'm really, really glad I could have the time to pull back and be neurotic reflect in isolation.
Here is a picture: ☺♫♪♥♥ Bert ☼ ♥☺☼♫
Also: take a close look at this clip:
Apparently Walt Disney was a chimney sweep in the "link your elbows" part! ...or so they say. I can't spot him. Can anyone guess?
YAY, welcome back to the world of public blogging! I guess sometimes you just need to step back. What a delightful onslaught of artwork to find coming through my reader. Woot!
Kapuschati said, on 3/16/2011 2:38:00 PM
Yeah, welcome back! I'm lucky to read you again! :)
As for Walt Disney, I figure he's whichever one looks least able to pull it off. Unless, maybe, he was a professional dance guy and I just didn't know it. Maybe he's not one of the elbow guys, but is in the background?
Today Grade 6 students attended a matinee performance of Mary Poppins. Our seats were Row A and B in the balcony section. After the show we headed to the backstage door to get our showbill signed. We got to see Kelsey Fowler who plays Jane Banks. We got an autograph from Nick Kepley who plays the statue. We then headed for Blue Fin and had a rich and creamy hot chocolate and smore cake. We enjoyed a subway ride back to the school.
We have plans in the works to go to the Lion King in October 2009!
A special thank you to all the parents that helped out!
0 Comments on A SPOON FULL OF SUGAR WITH MARY POPPINS! as of 1/1/1900
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We’ve been wondering about the Mary Poppins rights. I haven’t looked at any of the online discussion…just heard a lot of outraged ranting from my son!
What are those bookmarks ? I want to find some info on them as you really piqued my curiosity saying Art Spiegelman illustrated them !! Whoa !!
I had just talked my book club into reading The Lie Tree, so no beef on that pick.
Now if an aritst could put me on a Bailey School Kids cover, I’d be in. Or maybe a Choose Your Own Adventure…
Darn tootin’.
Ach. Twas a bonny, heartily disgusting fad of the mid 1980s. During the height of the Cabbage Patch Kids a series of cards was released called the Garbage Pail Kids. This is one of the tame ones. The bulk were gross in a variety of different ways. There was even a truly unfortunate movie. I was the right age at the right time. And yes, Mr. Spiegelman made them in the early days. The more you know, kids!
Oo! The possibilities are endless.
Children of the 1970s had Wacky Packages, also illustrated by Spiegelman. I know grown ups who will not part with them. Someone’s missing that book mark!