With Kate newly mommified, we try out recording our podcast with baby in tow to see how it goes. So if the episode is a little burbly this time around, you'll understand why. Along the way we also decide to do our VERY FIRST Emily Gravett title. Her debut no less! In reading it, Kate has to deal with this unexpected Kate Greenaway Medal winner and all that that entails. Now we know that a lot of you have been asking us to do Orange, Pear, Apple, Bear for some time. Be patient, my lovelies. We can't touch that one until 2027.

For the Show Notes for this episode please go here: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/05/27/fuse-8-n-kate-wolves-by-emily-gravett/

Periodically on the podcast we'll consider picture books that could be called "cult classics" in some manner. You know the type. Who Needs Donuts? The Lonely Doll. That sort of thing. They're books that may not be a part of the cultural zeitgeist but for a significant contingent of readers, they mean the world. Bill Canterbury was recently interviewed on Betsy's site in conjunction with the release of his new picture books, and he later sent me some suggestions for the podcast. As such, we thought we might try my hand with this one. We've never done a Seibold before, and we were curious to see how this 1993 publication held up. Turns out... it sure as heck couldn't have come out any year BUT 1993, that's for sure. We discuss the muted palette, busy pages, outsider art, and how this is only one of three books in the same series.

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/05/19/fuse-8-n-kate-mr-lunch-takes-a-plane-ride-by-j-otto-seibold-and-vivian-walsh/

It's baseball season! And baby season! Kate just had a baby (her first!!) almost a month early, and now that she has her brain back in order, we're finally tackling a baseball picture book for the spring. Now to our minds, this book is significant because as a work of historical fiction, it was one of the first picture book titles for kids to address a moment in American history that we, as a nation, are not proud of. It's definitely our first Lee & Low book, and spurned on many other books for kids to come. Stay tuned for copious recommendations for readalikes to this title. For the full Show Notes please visit here: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/05/12/fuse-8-n-kate-baseball-saved-us-by-ken-mochizuki-ill-dom-lee/

Recently Kirkus Reviews came up with their own list of the Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far). And it seemed to Betsy that it would be a good idea if we tackled one of those books that neither of us knew. Looking into it, they included the 2005 title Martha by the illustrious and highly talented Gennady Spirin. This autobiographical title was never placed in the nonfiction section of any library, but it would fit in there perfectly by today's standards.

Listen as we repeatedly mispronounce the creator's name (and then sloooowly get it correct), compare him to Hodor (but with better hair), talk fussy eating, and how if this book was produced today there would definitely have some backmatter urging you not to pick up crows.

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/04/28/fuse-8-n-kate-martha-by-gennady-spirin/

"I want to do something with my life, but with minimal effort." "He's the hero our children need today." Today, there is a mystery at work. For the past two years this 1983 beginner book publication has hit #1 on the Publishers Weekly list of top selling picture books around Easter time. But why? What caused this particular P.J. Funnybunny book to become quite so popular again? We endeavor to find out as we tackle today's title. It's not very Easter-y, but I guess bunnies will be bunnies. Along the way, we talk about the potentially damaging narrative at work here and how this book is, in its way, the complete opposite of a title like Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn.

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/04/21/fuse-8-n-kate-its-not-easy-being-a-bunny-by-marilyn-sadler-ill-robert-bollen/

It's been a day or two since we did a Mo Willems book on the podcast (and you can believe I'm counting down the days until one of those Elephant & Piggie books turns 20). What absolutely kills me is that we did today's title in complete ignorance of the fact that it was recently adapted into an incredible looking stage production in D.C. with a Chicago-based theater company.... which just closed. Doggone it. This book is interesting for a number of reasons. First off, Mo Willems had already done a Pigeon book (square) and a Knuffle Bunny book (horizontal), but this marked his first vertical book. We discuss our future picture book Steampunk Monster, how Sam's got sass, baby Wild Things, and more.

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/04/14/fuse-8-n-kate-leonardo-the-terrible-monster-by-mo-willems/

Kirkus released its list of the Best Picture Books of the 21st Century and we wanted to do one of the books they included! So Betsy went to GREAT LENGTHS to get her hands on today's book. Folks... she had to go all the way.... to Skokie. That doggone beautiful library system. But it was worth it! Our very first Lauren Child is on the podcast!

We talk about how Charlie and Lola were the Bluey of their day, weird Girl Scouts, and we'll tell you that our own picky eating definitely comes to the fore.

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/04/07/fuse-8-n-kate-i-will-never-not-ever-eat-a-tomato-by-lauren-child/

It's the 20th anniversary of the publication of Llama Llama Red Pajama, and you know how we've chosen to celebrate? With none other than Anna Dewdney's own daughters, that's how! Berol and Cordelia Dewdney join us as we explore a Llama Llama book for the very first time.

For the full show notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/03/31/fuse-8-n-kate-llama-llama-red-pajama-by-anna-dewdney-with-special-guest-stars-berol-and-cordelia-dewdney/

Remember when I was constantly trying to find picture books with tidal waves in them for Kate? Somebody somewhere (forgive me for not writing it down) suggested we try good old Ducky from 1997. It's been a day or two since I picked up the book, so I gave it a whirl and discovered that it would definitely be an interesting title for the old podcast here. As such, we're talking rubber ducks, plastic waste, cut paper, and shark sympathy on the old podcast today. Also, this has GOT to be our most miserable protagonist to date. Talk about not appreciating the adventure you find yourself on. Oy!

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/03/24/fuse-8-n-kate-ducky-by-eve-bunting-ill-david-wisniewski/

Happy St. Patrick's Day! You know, this year our library decided to reassess their holiday section and in the course of things St. Patrick's Day got booted from the roster. Why? Because, to be perfectly frank, the number of decent St. Patrick's Day books that come out for kids in a given year is next to none. Smaller than small. For that reason (and because we've covered SO MANY of the usual suspects on our podcast already) Betsy decided to turn once again to the classic fable of Finn McCool or Fin M'Coul or however you like to spell it. Episode 307 was the last time we tackled this particular folktale, and that book was Finn MacCoul and his Fearless Wife by Robert Byrd. How will this book differ? Is it better? Worse? The same? Find out!

For the Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/03/17/fuse-8-n-kate-fin-mcoul-the-giant-of-knockmany-hill-by-tomie-de-paola/