Elizabeth Bird

Fusenews: If It's Any Comfort, I Hate That Doggone Pop-Up Ad Too
May 8, 2008

The Donnell Library closes to the public on May 18th and then the first floor magically reopens in early June.  What does that mean for the Central Children's Room in which I currently reside?  It means that we will be closed to the public over the summer.  Make a note of that, oh ye who wish to see it before its final hours at this location.  I will continue to be here at the Donnell Library, at the heart of New York City (though not accesible), during the summer . . . . without air conditioning.  Expect sweaty sticky posts in the coming months.  We're currently trying to convince everyone here that kiddie pools and our office floors would be a perfect match.  And now, some news.

• You regular dose of movie news comes, as ever, from Cynopsis Kids:

Director Chris Wedge (Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who, Ice Age, Robots) will helm the live-action movie The Invention of Hugo Cabret for Graham King's GK Films , Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil and Warner Bros. , per Variety .  Based on Brian Selznick's book of the same name published by Scholastic Press, the screenplay will be penned by John Logan (The Aviator, Gladiator, Sweeney Todd). 

• Alison's calling it the single most divisive picture book ever written.  So.... wait.  People like it somewhere?  How fascinating.  Read the comments to this post.  I've always heard Love You Forever described as something that Munsch would satirize in public, but the illustrations don't support that particular thesis.  People bring up other books they dislike and I found some new ones mentioned that don't usually get a lot of play.  The Story of Ping is described by one reader as a book where, "You should let your family beat you, because that's better than being alone??"  And while branches #2 and #3 of the triumvirate of mediocrity make an appearance, LYF is still clearly the reigning king.

• I've speculated in the past as to why there isn't a site out there that collects all the book trailers for child and YA titles.  Well, faith and begordy, I'm out of the loop!  Take a trip over to the YA & Children's Book Trailer wiki, started by Rebecca Bartlett.  It's still up-and-coming but looking pretty cool.  If you've ever wondered what a book trailer looked like or needed inspiration for your own, check this site out.

• Laura over at Pinot and Prose presents here list of Foodie Books for Kids. I always loved the cupcakes in Tasha Tudor's "A Time to Keep".  Somehow or other cupcakes always look even more delicious when someone draws them.  *sigh*

• It's time to nominate your favorite librarian for the Bookpage 2008 Spotlight Award.  Nominate your preferred information specialist and they could win $2,500, which is a pretty nice way to say "thank you" to someone.  Plus, considering how much librarians make these days, I'm sure they'll appreciate it.  Entries must be in by May 15th.  Thanks to Cynsations for the link.
  
  
  

• In Brief: Gene Yang, creator of American Born Chinese, has a new book coming out with one Derek Kirk Kim.  It contains the following image:
  

Conclusion as I see it? Me want to see book.

• A bookclub where bad books are literally made to stand in the corner?  My kinda place.

• I am not crafty.  I mean, I'm crafty in a nefarious, scheming, plotting, take of the world sort of way.  Sure.  Who isn't?  Just not so much a gluing macaroni to cardboard way.  I don't feel that this is a personal failing, but it's not particularly pleasant either.  I know that some children's librarians live for the days when they can get bins of toilet paper innards and use them in programs, but they are not me.  Nor am I particularly inspired when I do do crafts (you can only make so many froggie visors before the kids start catching on).  So where can someone turn for continually help in the crafty area?  How about the blog Crafty Crows for a start? I particularly liked their information on homemade play-doh.  Homemade play-doh was, to my five-year-old mind, one of the four basic food groups.  You had breads, fruits, dairy, and homemade play-doh.  Yum! Thanks to Planet Esme for the link.

• Uh, hey?  American publishers?  If you're looking for something to bring here from overseas, might I be so bold as to suggest The Bog Baby?  Points In Its Favor: It's called The Bog Baby.  Really, I don't know what else I need to say here.  Bogs + Babies = Good.

• Former HMOCL Kenneth Oppel just won the Schwartz Award . Or, as Bookninja  put it, "Oppel wins Schwarward". 

• The 2008 ALSC Election Results are in!  Amongst the many names I was delighted to see:

2010 Caldecott Committee Chair

Rita Auerbach, New York, N.Y.

2010 Newbery Committee Chair

Katie O’Dell, Multnomah County Library, Portland, Ore.

2010 Sibert Committee Chair

Vicky Smith, Kirkus Reviews, New York, N.Y.

Well done, everyone!  Looks like it's going to be a magnificent year.

• Daily Images:
  
  Today full credit is going to Crooked House for the magnificent discovery of one Jan Von Holleben.  Holleben has created a photographic series called Dreams of Flying that shifts your perspective up and down, back and forth.  Be sure to check them all out.  My favorites included Peter Pan:
  
  

  

  
  A superhero:
  
  

  

  
  And the Ghostbusters:
  
  

  

  Enjoy
  

Posted by Elizabeth Bird on May 8, 2008 | Comments (1)