Fuse 8 N' Kate

Remember when Betsy said to Kate that she wanted to do a certain book for Mother's Day but would settle on doing it for the Halloween season instead? What book could possibly encompass those two holidays? Behold! The rare Mother's Day/Halloween crossover hit! Brought to you by the illustrator best known for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (though he'll always be the winner of the Longest Caldecott Award Speech to us), this is a marvelous combination of love for your mama and downright scares. What could be better? Today we discuss the man who typified the "controlled Jackson Pollock" look. For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/10/16/fuse-8-n-kate-monster-mama-by-liz-rosenberg-ill-stephen-gammell/

In spite of the fact that Ed Young recently passed away and, traditionally, when a master of the picture book form passes away, we do one of their books on the show, we decided to keep him on the backburner while we do our first Halloween picture book of the season. And we are VERY excited about this because today's book came out in 2003, which means we can finally do it on this podcast (we have a 20 year rule on books we consider). It wasn't Krosoczka's first picture book but it certainly was early. With its glow-in-the-dark letters on the cover and funny birthday/Halloween premise, we submit to you today Annie Was Warned. It's out-of-print but NOT in our hearts, and we would contest that we should bring it back. Find the complete show notes for this episode here: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/10/09/fuse-8-n-kate-annie-was-warned-by-jarrett-j-krosoczka/

Having recently read the new book Ready, Set, Run! The Amazing New York City Marathon by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Jessie Hartland, Betsy was reminded of the old chestnut The Philharmonic Gets Dressed. Then, suddenly, it occurred to her that she and Kate had never ever done this particular book on our podcast. It also appears to be this podcast's first Karla Kuskin and first Marc Simont on the show. Show Notes: For the full show notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/10/02/fuse-8-n-kate-the-philharmonic-gets-dressed-by-karla-kuskin-ill-marc-simont/

It seemed only fitting that since last week's podcast episode dealt so directly with the beginnings of life, why not focus on the end this time around? I'll tell you this much, though. If you'd informed Betsy, prior to this recording, that a 1971 picture book would be one of the best books she ever encountered on death, she would not have believed you. But she probably should have realized something was up when I saw that The Tenth Good Thing About Barney was by Judith Viorst. Today we deep dive into how good a name "Barney" is for a cat, whether the mom is trying to subtly regift her yellow scarf as a dead cat wrap, and whether this family's sodium intake is too high. For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/09/18/fuse-8-n-kate-the-tenth-good-thing-about-barney-by-judith-viorst-ill-erik-blegvad/

"Three dudes telling you how babies are made in 1968." The Fuse 8 n' Kate podcast focuses primarily on picture books of the past, but that focus means that we are subject to the past's limitations. Consequently, most of the books we've considered until now have been works of fiction. Well no more! Today we tackle one of our first nonfiction titles, this one dating back to 1968 and, we have no doubt, still circulating in libraries to this day. Yes, it's a book on human reproduction. So how did the denizens of the late 60s handle such a delicate topic for children? With cut paper, of course! We give credit where credit is due and shame where shame is most definitely due in this consideration of one of the more peculiar sex-ed picture books of the past. Buckle up! It's gonna be a bumpy ride. And if you didn't want to hear about paper cut dog penises today, then this may be the episode to skip. For the full episode please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/09/11/fuse-8-n-kate-how-babies-are-made-by-a

Featured today was DRUMMER HOFF. An odd mix of 1960s psychedelia meets Colonial woodcuts, in 1968 it was the ultimate Vietnam War bit of picture book commentary. NOT that the Emberley ever embraced that interpretation, but I am DANG sure the librarians had that in their minds when they selected it for a Caldecott Award. In today's talk we discuss our various interpretations of this book as well as what its ultimate contribution was to children's literature as a whole. For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/09/04/fuse-8-n-kate-drummer-hoff-by-barbara-emberley-ill-ed-emberley

Betsy's a child of the Generation X movement and, as such, at some point in her early education, the song "Gonna Die With a Hammer in My Hand", adapted by the folksingers of the 60s, was something she was well and truly familiar with. That said, at no point in her childhood did she ever encounter a single picture book retelling of the legend of John Henry. And though he's one of the great American Tall Tale characters, Kate hadn't even heard of him! This will not stand. So in response to the recent Bookriot piece The 20 Most Influential Picture Books of All Time, we're tackling one of their inclusions. Now we've done many Jerry Pinkney books on our podcast already. We've done Mirandy and Brother Wind, Little Red Riding Hood, and the previous Pinkney/Lester collaboration Sam and the Tigers. Now we're tackling our first tall tale by the duo, and the one that earned at least a Caldecott Honor (though it was beaten by Smoky Night, which has NOT aged particularly well, we must say). For the full Show Notes pleas

Considering the fact that the movie of Lyle the Crocodile came out practically a year ago in October of 2022, it may seem a little late to be returning to this particular member of the family Crocodylidae, but what care we? This Lyle title was originally released in 1969. Remember that date. It puts the contents inside in a little bit of context. Today, Kate and Betsy discuss whether or not this lesser known Lyle title falls into the category of "forgotten gem" or "justly unmemorable bit o' fluff". We enjoy Kate's theory that Lyle's enemy in this book should by all rights be The Man in the Yellow Hat and we talk armless nuns, "piles of water," and the fact that the true moral of this story appears halfway through the book. For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/08/14/review-of-the-day-lovable-lyle-by-bernard-waber/

Today's discussion centers around whether our featured book bears more of a resemblance to Eloise or Last Stop on Market Street (and not in a good way). By the end of the talk you will come to the conclusion that this may, in fact, be both the most capitalistic and least capitalistic book of all time. Special Bonus: The cruelest Kirkus review we've read aloud on any of our podcast episodes. For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/08/09/fuse-8-n-kate-the-table-where-rich-people-sit-by-byrd-baylor-ill-peter-parnall/

When we're not talking about the unrealistic L.A. highway driving times in the Barbie Movie, we're discussing our favorite picture books and whether or not they're classics. I admit that we have done Helen Oxenbury on the podcast relatively recently, but due to its stature in the children's literature world, I felt that his was an egregious gap in our knowledge until now. Think of Farmer Duck as a variation on Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, but with a more revolutionary and less unionization tone. Power to the people (if the "people", in this case, are livestock). Come enjoy the happiest version of Animal Farm to date (now 100% pig free!). For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/07/31/fuse-8-n-kate-farmer-duck-by-martin-waddell-ill-helen-oxenbury/

Believe it or not, Syd Hoff's been in the news quite a lot lately. Not bad for a pronounced children's literature 1930s Communist, eh? You could be forgiven for not knowing a lot about Syd Hoff. Honestly, we'd managed to skate through a significant portion of my life remaining unaware of him apart from the fact that there was some racist stuff at the beginning of the original editions of Danny and the Dinosaur. Now that book series is being turned into a movie series and a book of his early Communist comics (which are, frankly, hilarious) are being reprinted with a new edition of The Ruling Clawss. Seemed to us like a perfectly opportune time to visit the dino in question. Show Notes: For the full show notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/07/24/fuse-8-n-kate-danny-and-the-dinosaur-by-syd-hoff/

Recently Betsy created a post of picture books that belie the idea that all picture book "classics" are by white people. Amongst these were books with Jewish content. But when you sit down and look at those titles you notice that most of these are Hanukkah-related titles. So at the suggestion of Lisa Brown we're doing the very last William Steig picture book that was ever published. This book was released in spring of 2003 and he died in the fall of 2003. Not too shabby. The man was a genius but how does this very last book hold up? We discuss it at length. For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/07/17/fuse-8-n-kate-when-everybody-wore-a-hat-by-william-steig

Have you ever wanted to listen to an episode of our podcast but thought to yourself, "This is good, but what would it sound like with more background noise?" At last! Now you have your answer! At the most recent American Library Association Annual Conference in beautiful downtown Chicago, Illinois we bring to you the first LIVE recording of Fuse 8 n' Kate! And what book could be deemed worthy enough of this recording? That would have to be Hippos Go Beserk! by Sandra Boynton, published in 1977. The first of Ms. Boynton's books, the title has since been republished (and re-illustrated) in 2022. Today, we consider the original (Sandra Boynton's first book for children) and its updated edition to determine whether or not it deserves "classic" status or not. For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/07/10/fuse-8-n-kate-hippos-go-beserk-by-sandra-boynton-live-from-ala/

We had the honor of recording a guest post earlier in the week with none than the irascible, charming Jerrold Connors! Jerrold is the creator of the massively creative Donut Project which contains hilarity and collage-created donuts. Jerrold is also the creator of what I would call the most interesting picture book biography of James Marshall I've ever seen. But, of course, Jerrold is a longstanding fan of our podcast, so he knew pretty well what kind of recommend. What ensues is an in-depth discussion of elements of a title that have, and notably have not, aged well. Show Notes: For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/06/26/fuse-8-n-kate-weslandia-by-paul-fleischman-ill-kevin-hawkes-with-guest-host-jerrold-connors/

NOT our first Mercer Mayer! Previously we did his book There's a Nightmare in My Closet but it's hardly the man's most famous book/series. Meet Little Critter! At last, he makes his debut on our podcast! The two books we're discussing today originally came out in 1975 and 1983 and then went on to spawn the series we know so well. So once again we have to ask: How come they're moderately well known but not household name known? Interested in how we made these podcasts, by the way? Well, I would like to note that our podcast will be recording at 2:30 CST on Saturday, June 24th in the School Library Journal booth on the ALA Conference floor. If you'd like to hear us do a show, stop by and see us! Show Notes: For the full show notes, please visit us at: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/06/19/fuse-8-n-kate-just-for-you-i-was-so-mad-by-mercer-mayer/

Here on the podcast we are constantly in search of those children's books that represent a variety of backgrounds and identities that have not been sufficiently praised in the past. Today we're dipping into the BBC's list of 100 Greatest Children's Books of All Time and as a result we're doing our first Helen Oxenbury title. Bonus: It's also our first Trish Cooke! This book works as a magnificent readloud as well as a lapsit book. And, as Kate so often requires, the art is packed full with tiny details you might otherwise miss. Woot! Show Notes: For the full Show Notes please visit: fuse-8-n-kate-so-much-by-trish-cooke-ill-helen-oxenbury

In today's podcast Kate expertly cut out the earlier part of the show where I presented a book to her only to find that we'd done it already. 20 minutes later I was back, and the book I had in hand was today's title, Anatole by Eve Titus, illustrated by Paul Galdone. This is our first Titus and our second Galdone (we did The Tailypo for Halloween one year). We talk about why Anatole never reached the same heights of fame as such series as Madeline or Eloise, why this is the less famous of Eve Titus's fictional rodents, and this book's connections to Ratatouille. This is a Post WWII-France where if you want to feed your family you have to create your own job in the marketplace. Some of us can relate. Show Notes:Here's the BBC's 100 Greatest Children's Books of All Time. The very very white list. Many a fine book is on here BUT . . . whaaa? https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230522-the-100-greatest-childrens-books-of-all-time In case you doubt me, there was indeed an Anatole TV series. And its animation wa

Could there be any connection between "Harvey" Potter and "Harry" Potter? No! This delightful picture book was released in 1994, long before the world appearance of the boy wizard. You know how we're always talking about finding classic children's books of the past written by Black creators that exemplify Black Joy? I submit the following for serious consideration. Strange hardly covers it. This book was a marvelous example of the strange and unusual placed in a dull setting. And how about that ending? Here we have a story about someone in middle America going against the norm, facing censors, and coming out triumphant. Sounds like a book we might very much need today. Show Notes: Want to connect to Jerdine Nolen on social media? Find her on Twitter at @jerdinenolen1. Betsy Recommends: The Instagram account @ksrhoads Kate Recommends: The documentary Still, streaming on AppleTV+ For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/05/22/fuse-8-n-kate-harvey-potters-balloon-farm-by-

You know what the problem is with Mother's Day picture books? Not enough of them are truly horrifying and scary, that's what. So we must credit listeners Lindsey Foat & Sara Hudson for coming up with today's suggestion. Certainly, Audrey and Don Wood have been on this podcast before. We recall having done King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, The Napping House and even The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear in the past. Now we tackle that universal problem of what to do when your child has been turned into camembert. In short, we talk about the ultimate mama bear story. Let's just say that this book passes the Bechdel-Wallace Test with flying colors and we really hope that someday there will be a Heckedy Peg 2: The Heckoning. Show Notes: Good old Reading Rockets was good enough to find Don and Audrey Wood and interview them about the creation of many of their books, including this one. You may see their talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaWoJ8S18DA&t=2s&pp=ygUYbWVldCBhdWRyZXkg

Hat tip to Nick Bruel (our other other brother from another nother mother) for today's suggestion. He asked if we'd done any Ezra Jack Keats before and we said, "Sure! We did The Snow Day". Then he asked if we'd done Apt. 3 and we had NOT! Plus, Betsy had recently highlighted on her blog the new Keats bio for adults, Becoming Ezra Jack Keats, so this seemed particularly apropos. In this episode we discuss how this book is like Only Murders in the Building, how, from a color-perspective, this book is quite muted, compared to previous titles by Keats like Whistle for Willie, and why you should never follow someone when they ask, "What's the matter - scared?". Show Notes: And here, we are so pleased to show you, is the original 1971 Kirkus review of Apt. 3. It is, as is often the case with this publication, delightful: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ezra-jack-keats/apt-3/ For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2023/05/08/fuse-8-n-kate-apt-3-by-ezra-jack-keats/(opens