Just One More Book
By Kathy Ishizuka -- School Library Journal, 1/1/2007
A Web site that features podcasts devoted to children’s books is pretty terrific on its own. But “Just One More Book” goes beyond that, soliciting feedback from all comers in its stated mission to build “a lively, interactive community” connecting children’s book authors and illustrators with readers, both parents and children.
After dropping their daughters at school, site creators Andrea Ross and Mark Blevins, who live in Ottawa, Canada, head to the local java shop to discuss their favorite children’s books. With the whirr and clatter of the espresso bar in the background, the resulting podcasts are both charming and informed. Posted three times a week, they form the backbone of the site. Interviews with children’s book creators include a conversation with Shane Evans, illustrator of Bintou’s Braids (Chronicle, 2004), who discusses the treatment of social justice issues in his work.
A highlight of the site is listener feedback, which is solicited in many forms, from posted comments to messages via MyChingo, an audio response system. But best of all are the homemade MP3 reviews from parents and their children, who steal the show, of course.
