Publications about books for children and young adults
In time for Presidents’ Day observations, these new books give elementary-age readers insight into three towering figures in American history. In George Washington’s Birthday: A Mostly True Tale, Margaret McNamara debunks the famous cherry tree fable plus others, intermingling them with real facts to imagine Washington’s seventh birthday. Boxed notes distinguish truth from fancy, and [...]
Our Salley Mavor swoon-fest continues: check out her blog post about how she created the stunning cover for the January/February 2012 issue of The Horn Book Magazine. Salley’s also offering a poster giveaway–get over there and get in on the action!
Copies of the January 2012 issue of The Horn Book Magazine were just delivered to the office, and Salley Mavor’s cover art (a preliminary image of which you can see here) is absolutely breathtaking to behold. Until you can actually feast your eyes on your own copies, we’ve posted Salley Mavor’s acceptance speech for the [...]
Here’s how K. T. Horning begins her review of The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth in the November/December 2011 Horn Book Magazine: “If ever there were a twentieth-century children’s book that deserved an annotated edition, it’s Juster and Feiffer’s masterpiece, first published fifty years ago.” And what did the Horn Book have to say about said masterpiece [...]
Three new picture book biographies feature a visionary puppeteer, a world-renowned clown, and a young lighthouse keeper who would later be dubbed the “Bravest Woman in America.” Jim Henson’s imaginative early life served as the foundation for his later creative efforts, a connection author Kathleen Krull and illustrators Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher bring to [...]
No surprise, here’s the line I liked best from Wednesday’s Twitter party: “Not so fast on the demise of the print book (says the tech editor, no less).” –tweeted by SLJ’s technology editor, Kathy Ishizuka I immediately thought of Mo Willems’s 2011 Zena Sutherland Lecture, “Why Books?” which will appear (in print!) in the November/December 2011 issue of [...]
On Wednesday night, Katie and I attended (virtually) Ruckus Media and SLJ’s Librarians and Digital Storytelling Twitter Party, a lively hour of fast-paced discussion on the practical uses of e-books and apps. Read Ruckus’s wrap-up (linked above) or relive the event at #ruckusslj on Twitter. Many thanks to our hosts for organizing and for the invitation to participate. The discussion provided much food for thought. Katie and I [...]
Speaking on ”The Picture Book as an Act of Mischief,” editor and writer Patricia L. Gauch will deliver the first annual Barbara Elleman Research Library Lecture at the Eric Carle Museum on October 22, 2011. To whet your appetites, read Patti’s essay, “What Makes a Good Newbery Novel,” from the July/August 2011 Magazine. It’s adapted from a speech she delivered at the [...]
Three notable children’s-book illustrators bring their own histories to life. Marisabina Russo tells a story based on her mother’s experience in wartime Italy in I Will Come Back for You: A Family in Hiding During World War II. A young Jewish girl lives in Rome with her family until Italy joins forces with Nazi Germany [...]
Oceanhouse Media’s Once upon a Potty app is true to the original. The focus is on the text and illustrations; digital enhancements are used sparingly and effectively. There are some polite potty sound effects and humor, and though I’m sure the urge was strong (get it?!) to make more of a splash (it’s too easy!), the producers wisely kept the intended audience in mind. The narrative’s reassuring tone, nonthreatening pictures, and unobtrusive music help distractible toddlers focus on the important information.
