Elizabeth Bird

Fusenews: Eggs and Manbabies. Just Your Usual Day.
May 15, 2008

• Roger Sutton, editor of Horn Book Magazine, has a new game and you're all allowed to play.  Says Roger, "I also have a new game inspired by my allergic reaction to the title of Jerry Spinelli's latest book, Smiles to Go . It got me wondering why children's book titles seem to tolerate more sugar than do books for adults, and that got me thinking about what adult books with children's-book titles would be like."  So far his readership has let rip with the talent.  My person favorites include an Anonymous's "The Higher Power of Lucky by Elmore Leonard: A small time crook from Chicago makes it big as a gunrunner in Las Vegas."  Or Rachel's, " The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe : a vicious tell-all about the marriage of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor."  The selections prove much funnier when the titles aren't changed.

• Interesting Fact of the Day: Oliver Jeffers is hot.  As Bookwitch says, "and not just because of the biker looks and the designer stubble."  Seconded.

• The Open Fields School Egg Auction is happening this very weekend, for those of you with access to the Hanover, NH area.  As Grace Lin describes it, "Eggs painted by illustrators such as Thatcher Hurd, Ashley Bryan, Ed Young, Emily Arnold McCully (and little ol' me) are up for auction to benefit the Open Fields School, in honor of Caldecott great Trina Schart Hyman who founded the event. Here is the schedule:

Free and open to the public Gala Opening: May 16 (Fri)7-9PM
Public Viewing: May 17 (Sat) 9-11 AM
Doors Reopen for Auction 1 PM
Auction Begins 1:30 PM
All events in the Hayward Lounge, Hanover Inn, Hanover, NH"

If I'm not too mistaken this may well be the third or fourth mention of Trina Schart Hyman made on this blog in the last week and half.  Clearly May is Hyman Month.  Thanks to Blue Rose Girls for the link!

• I wonder.  How long before people start asking illustrators to just go and directly tattoo their works of art on them personally?  I can't help but think that someone somewhere has already gotten the request.  It's odd enough for an artist to see their work on your body anyway, I suspect.  Speaking of Tony DiTerlizzi, have you seen his recent posts on his upcoming book Kenny and the Dragon?  The one about his influences is a particularly nice selection of countryside animals taking a pint or two on the side.  Well worth checking out.

• There's a Wanda Gag Book Award?  Well will wonders never cease.  Thanks Mo man.

• There is yet another death-of-the-picture-book article up over at The Independent.  Actually, it's more of a Slowing Down of the Picture Book article, but you get the gist.  I swear, if the Death of the Picture Book people and the Death of the Novel folks ever get together, they could wreck some serious damage. Thanks to Sara O'Leary for the link.

• Oh I am sooooo going to get in trouble for linking to this.  You know what?  Why don't you just save yourself some time, not click on the link, and send me an angry email about how inappropriate this is to put on a children's book blog.  Am I wrong for thinking of storytime when I saw it?  Clearly I am without shame.

Daily Image:

It's hard to compete with a manbaby, but this image goes out to every librarian that has ever wandered through their own stacks, trying to remember what they came out to pluck from the shelves.  Enjoy.

Posted by Elizabeth Bird on May 15, 2008 | Comments (6)