Poor Kate. All she wanted was a halfway spooky picture book. Instead Betsy gives her a book from Team Gruffalo. This week's choice of book for the Halloween season has appeared year after year on the Bestseller Lists here in America. It's a book that features a kind of Mr. Gumpy's Outing meets There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly energy on its pages. Never read it? Never fear! We've done it for you and found some tidbits worth discussing.

Show Notes:

You may hear us mention that Julia Donaldson's career in picture books began because of a song she created called "A Squash and a Squeeze". Who are we to deny you a vision of her performing that song herself? https://youtu.be/MXa888kw7GY

Once we heard it was turned into a stop animation film, we had to check it out. Here are some scenes. We hate to say it, but this is utterly UTTERLY charming. Better than the source material, perhaps: https://vimeo.com/59083888

Betsy Recommends: The new NPR podcast Book of the Day

Kate Recommends: The H.H. Holmes Murder Castle Puzzle

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/10/11/fuse-8-n-kate-room-on-the-broom-by-julia-donaldson-ill-axel-scheffler/