Fuse 8 n' Kate

In the hopes of recognizing some Asian and Asian-American picture books that don't, for a change, contain horrible stereotypes, Kate and Betsy wanted to look at a good book. Trouble is, they have a 20-year rule when it comes to books they consider. That means no Bee-Bim Bop and no Henry and the Kite Dragon. They're too recent! Betsy eschewed The Name Jar since it was a little too close to the content of last week's Chrysanthemum. But why not do the very first Grace Lin picture book? So she snagged the ten-year anniversary edition. We compare aspects of this to The Little Red Hen (eat yer posies, neighbors!) and speculate as to whether or not Grace Lin might want to become a vegetable seed supplier if this whole writing-award-winning-children's-books gig doesn't work out.

Show Notes:

- Not for the kiddos, here is a link to Amy Schumer's carrot. It is . . . far worse than you imagine: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/amy-schumers-hilarious-thanksgiving-carrot-has-2020-written-all-over-it.html/

- Here is where you can go to find the obscure stories that didn't make it into Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature. Just keep scrolling down and they will eventually reveal themselves to you: http://wildthings.blaine.org/

- Betsy Recommends: The Pop Culture Happy Hour episodes on the Muppets here: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/01/983488978/top-10-muppets-as-voted-by-listeners

- Betsy Recommends: The podcast Anglophilia: https://www.anglophiliapodcast.com/

- Kate Recommends: Our dad's poem A Homily in the Church of Baseball: https://fetzer.org/blog/homily-church-baseball?fbclid=IwAR2Uaw4isUMKfneMk-ppTT7Lzs46CNznUkph4Xwevp9xDVFc7b9klwihWqc

For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/04/05/fuse-8-n-kate-the-ugly-vegetables-by-grace-lin/

Her children mocked MOCKED Betsy, I say, when she informed them that she and Kate had not yet discussed Chrysanthemum on the podcast. Why the shock and horror? Well, apparently they've done 176 episodes and yet completely failed to acknowledge what could arguably be called Kevin Henkes's most famous picture book. Why the bold claim? Well, insofar as we can tell, 21st century children find themselves being read this book MULTIPLE times during the course of their school career. And why not? This is peak Henkes, back when he was in the thick of his mouse-related picture books phase. And now, Kate and Betsy are able to right a great wrong. And they have so many questions! Why does Victoria always wear gloves? What's that furry thing coming out of Chrysanthemum's pocket? Where else would Mrs. Chud like to be? And finally, could this book really be written today?

Show Notes:

- One thing that Betsy failed to mention in the course of this podcast is that Kevin Henkes has a new novel out this year. Billy Miller Makes a Wish, the sequel to The Year of Billy Miller, is out April 6th. So, soon!

- To read the only interview with Kevin Henkes I was able to find about writing Chrysanthemum, go here: http://www.judynewmanatscholastic.com/blog/2019/08/author-interview-kevin-henkes-chrysanthemum/

- And finally, this book came in at #66 on the Top 100 Picture Books Poll, back in the day: https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/05/23/top-100-picture-books-66-chrysanthemum-by-kevin-henkes/

To read the full Show Notes please visit us here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/03/29/fuse-8-n-kate-chrysanthemum-by-kevin-henkes

St. Patrick's Day comes early this year! Is it the worst classic-picture-book-holiday of all time? That's Betsy's take. But Kate challenged her to find such a beast, so she figured she'd cut her losses and hand over two to choose from. She didn't anticipate that Kate would choose BOTH! Betsy mostly chose one because it was the first time she'd seen that particular author/illustrator pairing. She chose the other because libraries pull it out every single year for their displays. No spoilers, but in the end Kate prefers the one chock full of physical violence and bodily harm. Can you blame her?

Show Notes:

If you don't understand what Kate and Betsy are doing with poor Danny Boy, behold their source material: https://youtu.be/OCbuRA_D3KU

Kate's Grown-Up Thing We Like: Smart House's Dryer Vent Cleaner Kit. It's like a drain weasel for your dryer vent!

Betsy's Grown-Up Thing We Like: Nomadland, the film starring Frances McDormand, now streaming on Netflix.

For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/03/15/fuse-8-n-kate-st-patricks-day-in-the-morning-by-eve-bunting-tim-otoole-and-the-week-folk-by-gerald-mcdermott/

And to think we had never read this book before. When we heard that the Dr. Seuss estate was pulling six relatively obscure Seuss titles from publication due to offensive content, we thought we might try one on for size. We'd already done the worst of the bunch (inarguably If I Ran the Zoo) but since we just did Eric Carle's very first illustrated picture book last week, why not do the very first Dr. Seuss circa 1937? That was a while ago. Beatrix Potter liked it, but will we? Mmm.

Show Notes:

- Should you wish to read it, you can find the New York Times piece Dr. Seuss Books Are Pulled and a Cancel Culture Controversy Erupts here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/04/books/dr-seuss-books.html

- Kate mentions in the course of things that Universal has a If I Ran the Zoo section. We then discovered the newspaper article Universal Orlando 'evaluating' future of Seuss Landing, named after yanked book: https://nypost.com/2021/03/03/universal-evaluating-area-named-for-yanked-dr-seuss-book/

-Recall that this book came up as problematic in the past. Grace Lin called this one out years ago. As recently as 2017 she saw that it was part of a mural at the Dr. Seuss Museum and brought it to national attention: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjgsrzd35_vAhWKbs0KHUPTCVwQFjAAegQIARAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2017%2F10%2F06%2Fus%2Fdr-seuss-museum-mural.html&usg=AOvVaw2WtK9WMmdZR69L6rQeL-72

- Kate's Grown-Up Things She Likes: Nightstalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer -https://www.netflix.com/title/81025701

-The Podcast: My Favorite Murder - https://myfavoritemurder.com/

-Betsy's Grown-Up Things She Likes: My Heritage, Deep Nostalgia. https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia

For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/03/08/fuse-8-n-kate-and-to-think-that-i-saw-it-on-mulberry-street-by-dr-seuss/

Our very first screw up! Huzzah! Betsy walked into the recording with Kate safe in the knowledge that they hadn't done Chicka Chicka Boom Boom before. Never mind that they actually did do it almost exactly a year ago. Whoops. So in a pinch Betsy decides the time is right to do a different Bill Martin Jr. It's the very first book that Eric Carle ever illustrated and he's redone it something like five times. In the course of things Kate puts forward the theory that this is the picture book version of Rockwell's I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me. Kate and Betsy also view it through the lens of post-McCarthyism and Kate has an under the radar discussion of what's really going on with the Black Sheep.

Show Notes:

So actually it was powdered gelatin that the Horse of Another Color was covered in. Don't think too hard about what the gelatin was made of: https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Horse_of_a_Different_Color

Like we say, check out the Eric Carle Museum here, if you get a chance: https://www.carlemuseum.org/content/current-exhibitions

For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/03/01/fuse-8-n-kate-brown-bear-brown-bear-what-do-you-see/

If for nothing else, you should listen to Kate's story at the beginning of this episode because it will be the craziest dang thing you've heard in a while. A truly great story.

Now last week Kate challenged Betsy to do something in honor of Black History Month. So Betsy dove deep into the Coretta Scott King winners of the past and discovered a gaping hole in our roster. How we hadn't done this book already is beyond us but we think a book that takes place in the steaming hot days of a NYC summer is precisely what we need in dreary February. Bonus: Betsy finally gave Kate a story that makes sense, has color, and doesn't contain 500 words per page.

Show Notes:

I mention a somewhat strange cat fact about the heights at which they can survive. If you're curious about it, check out the Wired article How Can a Cat Survive a High-Rise Fall? Physics! https://www.wired.com/story/how-can-a-cat-survive-a-high-rise-fall-physics/

Here you can watch Faith Ringgold reading the book in 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9RKJleFdBU

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/02/22/fuse-8-n-kate-tar-beach-by-faith-ringgold/

If one were to attempt a Valentine's Day podcast episode (or, in this case, a day-after-Valentine's-Day-post) involving romance, what picture book would you choose? Or, to be a little more precise, what classic picture book best embodies the spirit of Valentine's Day? We're pretty sure it wouldn't be this book, but that's just because sentient candy oinkers aren't really an American thing. We've done two Russell Hoban books on this podcast already (Bread and Jam for Frances and Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas) so why not just top it off with a third? The most notable aspect of this book? We think it finally broke Kate's brain.

Show Notes:

In the show, we promise to show you Posankka, the mix of a marzipan pig mixed with a rubber ducky. We're including it here, but even seeing it here just . . . it just . . . wow: https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/files/2021/02/Posankka.jpg

Betsy references the very odd film adaptation they made of today’s book. As she says on the podcast, she used to show this to the small children around Valentine’s Day at the Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL. She couldn’t find the full film online, but she has at least found the beginning. This gives you a taste of its strange and wonderful start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=EqFmxJgUfnwFuse 8 n’ Kate: The Marzipan Pig by Russell Hoban, ill. Quentin Blake

February 15, 2021 by Elizabeth Bird Leave a Comment (Edit)

If one were to attempt a Valentine’s Day podcast episode (or, in this case, a day-after-Valentine’s-Day-post) involving romance, what picture book would you choose? Or, to be a little more precise, what classic picture book best embodies the spirit of Valentine’s Day? We’re pretty sure it wouldn’t be this book, but that’s just because sentient candy oinkers aren’t really an American thing. We’ve done two Russell Hoban books on this podcast already (Bread and Jam for Frances and Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas) so why not just top it off with a third? The most notable aspect of this book? I think it finally broke Kate’s brain.

Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, PlayerFM, or your preferred method of podcast selection.

Show Notes:

In the show, I promise to show you Posankka, the mix of a marzipan pig mixed with a rubber ducky. I’m including it here, but even seeing it here just . . . it just . . . wow.

When I think of this Pig, I think about how it wants to be eaten like the cow in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Tell me your day isn’t at least slightly improved by this Quentin Blake image of an owl dancing in the street.

Not good enough? Try a dancing bee then!

I reference the very odd film adaptation they made of today’s book. As I say on the podcast, I used to show this to the small children around Valentine’s Day at the Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL. I couldn’t find the full film online, but I have at least found the beginning. This gives you a taste of its strange and wonderful start:

And this is the link from listener Erin of two sisters going through real estate listings. Thanks, Erin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJqycg_KcuU&list=PL9X_hxn7HlqV_UkOFFsJugCuO7BwrRHkB

For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/02/15/fuse-8-n-kate-the-marzipan-pig-by-russell-hoban-ill-quentin-blake/

In lieu of anything romantic, what with Valentine's Day on the horizon, Betsy thought she'd treat Kate to a wordless picture book chock full of more details than she could ever shake a stick at. Mitsumasa Anno died on December 24, 2020 and Betsy realized they'd never done one of his books on the show. The sheer amount of intricate dots in this title would make Peter Sis blush. Will Kate like it? Let's just put it this way: When she comes back from reading it she says it's full of, "Duels, clowns and butts!" Everything, in fact, a person might want in a picture book. We should warn you, though. There is just SO MUCH going on in this book that we had to leave a lot out. So if you're sad that we didn't mention the love story, the toy boat on the river that keeps popping up, the Aesop fable of the dog and its reflection, the slowly filling painting of the glass of wine, etc. we know they're there. There's only so much time in the day.

Show Notes:

- Should you ever be intrigued by the Mitsumasa Anno Art Museum, you can find information on it here: https://visitkinosaki.com/things-to-do/the-wakuden-woods-art-museum/

For the full Show Notes please visit us here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/02/08/fuse-8-n-kate-annos-journey-by-mitsumasa-anno/(opens in a new tab)

Are you ready for a thoughtful consideration of some very angry feelings? YES YOU ARE! This week Betsy shows Kate a book that, in many ways, really inspired the plethora of books about strong emotions (and how to deal with them) that so many books replicate today. A lot of us are feeling like Sophie these days. It's funny how you can not think directly about a book for a long time and then see it and suddenly have wild opinions about it. But are Betsy's opinions pro or con? Are Kate's? There are many thoughts swirling around this title. Take a listen and see what theirs are.

Show Notes:

Here is the aforementioned heckuva good website that Ms. Molly Bang runs, particularly the part about Sophie: https://www.mollybang.com/Pages/sophie.html

For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/02/01/fuse-8-n-kate-when-sophie-gets-angry-really-really-angry-by-molly-bang/

On this most auspicious day in which the Newbery and Caldecott winners are announced (amongst many other fine and wonderful awards), we thought it might be a nice change of pace to do a cult classic. In other words, a book that never had a chance of winning a literary award a day of its life. This book, which Betsy has in her possession was a gift from her friend and fellow co-writer on Wild Things, Peter Sieruta. It is not in print. Good luck finding a copy. But if you'd like to read it for yourself, you can find the full text online here: https://www.scribd.com/doc/24325132/Suzuki-Beane

Show Notes:

Much to Betsy's great delight, she found that Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy by Louise Brody contains the most thorough history of the creation and intentions behind Suzuki Beane you have ever seen. DO consult it, if you want to know more about this book and maybe not the Wikipedia entry which, for whatever reason, quotes Betsy.

The Columbia Journalism Review has a wonderful piece called Hip: What's In a Name? on the birth of the term "hipster", that I highly recommend you check out: https://www.cjr.org/language_corner/hipster_whats_in_a_name.php

Check out the full Show Notes at: https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/?p=41201