Fuse 8 n' Kate

Today, to make up for the missing episode last week, you get a twofer. You see, there’s a bit of a problem with old Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Most people remember the title of the second book in the series, but are we to ignore Book #1? Betsy gave Kate the chance to decide which one to do, so what did she decide? To do both, of course! In the course of things the sisters discuss alligators vs. crocodiles, who exactly this “Salt Bae” person is, the interior decorating schemes of the early 60s, and (they can both agree) the fact that Hector P. Valenti is a serious jerkwad.

Show Notes:

– Betsy should have mentioned to Kate, when we were debating the location, that this has to be NYC because you see ice skating at Rockefeller Center in Lyle, Lyle.

– Here are the two 2019 crocodile/alligator books Betsy has read this year and has particularly enjoyed: The Truth About Crocodiles by Maxwell Eaton III and Beware of the Crocodile by Martin Jenkins, ill. Satoshi Kitamura.

– How big are a crocodile’s feet and could you fit a pair of ice skates on one? The mystery lives on.

– Okay, clever readers. You figured out the road flares in Harry the Dirty Dog. You determined the use of the open flame on the cover of Doctor DeSoto. What does it mean to “signal the alarm” when there is a fire?

– As I mentioned, there was a 1987 TV special for HBO. I never saw it, but you can see a low-quality view of one of the songs here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmNs_0u-2wk

– Compare it then to The Lifeline Theatre production: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPs3LppTIFQ

– Hat tip to Ms. Yingling for identifying the bombs in Harry the Dirty Dog as road flares. Here is what they look like: https://www.etsy.com/listing/266819083/smudge-pot-road-light-vintage-road

- For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/03/11/fuse-8-n-kate-lyle-lyle-crocodile-and-the-house-on-east-88th-street-by-bernard-waber/

Kate got a dog! A doggy dog of her very own. And you know what goes together well, like peaches and cream? Dogs and picture books. So Betsy had to figure out a classic dog picture book. And lo and behold she realized that in spite of its relative fame the show had never done a book about this particular dirty dirty dog. In the course of things Betsy and Kate solve the mystery of why Harry never rolls in mud. Meanwhile, this is a VERY springtime-related book. We hope you appreciate the robins and the daffodils. Here in February, our eyes are hungry for any and all spring things.

Show Notes:

- Here's an obit for Margaret Bloy Graham: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/books/margaret-bloy-graham-harry-the-dirty-dog-illustrator-dies-at-94.html

- And another article about her from WBUR: https://www.wbur.org/artery/2015/04/17/margaret-bloy-graham

- The book was #43 on the Top 100 Picture Books Poll: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/05/29/top-100-picture-books-43-harry-the-dirty-dog-by-gene-zion-illustrated-by-margaret-bloy-graham/

- Curious to see the Complete Listing of All Public Children's Literature Statues in the United States? Well here it is: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2017/03/28/updated-the-complete-listing-of-all-public-childrens-literature-statues-in-the-united-states/

- And at Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan, WI you'll find this adorable little Harry. You can clean him. Look at that adorable guy!! http://www.bookwormgardens.org/

- I wasn't wrong. The Scottish Granny did read I Need a New Bum. Here, you can watch her yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQoYjU2Fh0M

For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/02/25/fuse-8-n-kate-harry-the-dirty-dog-by-gene-zion-ill-margaret-bloy-graham/

"If you've got a Leo Lionni book you're not going anywhere very fast, but you're gonna get there eventually."

The old Ant and the Grasshopper fable got the Lionni touch back in 1967 when the four time Caldecott Honor winner chose to put a new spin on an old classic. So how successful was this book in the end? Is it a product of its age (the tune in and drop out 60s) or something that stands the test of time? In the course of things the sisters discuss the fact that Frederick would have made a fantastic lawyer, how he progresses from emo to hipster, and whether or not that poppy on the cover has a special significance. Plus they get to mention Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and that ALWAYS makes for good podcast talk.

Show Notes:

- Yay, Cybils! We're so pleased with the winner of the Picture Book category. Here's the full list of Cybils winners, if you're curious: http://www.cybils.com/2019/02/2018-cybils-winners.html

- Regarding the Leo Lionni sculpture housed at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, they say, "The sculpture, titled Imaginary Garden, was created in 1978 and was previously housed at The Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art in California. The Imaginary Garden captures Lionni's love for botany, evident in the attention given to flora and fauna in his picture book illustrations, as well as his book of fictional plants from 1977, Parallel Botany. The sculpture is a blending of the organic and the abstract, giving the piece a fantastic, otherworldly appearance."

- Here is the Frederick page on the site Teaching Children Philosophy: https://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/BookModule/Frederick

- Thank you again, Benji Martin, for the faux and very kind award! Betsy and Kate received The 2019 Kid Lit Podcast Award: https://elementaryschoollibrarian.wordpress.com/2019/02/12/the-2019-kid-lit-podcast-awards/

- For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/02/18/fuse-8-n-kate-frederick-by-leo-lionni/

This week, Betsy found a nice calm little book and discussed it in a nice calm little way. Fear not, though. There is PLENTY to pick apart. The fact that a Dude In Distress can be simplified to: "The D.I.D." Who you would cast as the dragon in the movie of this book (which, let's admit it, it's a little weird that it HASN'T been turned into an animated full-length feature film yet)? And how exactly do you pronounce "Munsch"? All will be made clear.

Show Notes:

- Kudos to Mr. Munsch for including all kinds of wonderful information for each of his books on his website. With that in mind, here's his page for The Paper Bag Princess: https://robertmunsch.com/book/the-paper-bag-princess

- I think we had the image of the princess punching Ronald in the nose in an early draft of Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature: http://wildthings.blaine.org/?page_id=32

- We dunno. We think we kind of want to see the version of this where the princess takes Ronald's clothes when he criticizes her.

- This is the great school photography project photograph that we love so very very much: https://www.deviantart.com/fit51391/art/The-Paper-Bag-Princess-144606128

- It comes in at #86 on the Top 100 Picture Book polls: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/05/18/top-100-picture-books-86-the-paper-bag-princess-by-robert-munsch/

- We quote from Tales for Little Rebels. Can't help but always recommend this book. It was ahead of its time when it first came out: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2009/02/16/review-of-the-day-tales-for-little-rebels-by-julie-l-mickenberg-and-philip-nel/

- Here is what The Toast had to say about The Paper Bag Princess: http://the-toast.net/2015/05/12/they-didnt-get-married-after-all-robert-munschs-the-paper-bag-princess/

- For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/02/11/fuse-8-n-kate-the-paper-bag-princess-by-robert-munsch-ill-michael-martchenko

It just seemed to make sense to do a book this week that could kill two birds with one stone. Betsy and Kate haven't done any picture books by Muslim-American (or, in this case, Muslim-Canadian) authors. So Betsy took a look at New York Public Library's 100 Children's Books, 100 Years list and selected Big Red Lollipop. And who did the illustrations? The latest double Caldecott Award winner, Sophie Blackall. Of course, this is a sister book. Betsy is the older sister. Kate is the little sister. So how exactly are they going to take this book of younger sister brattiness? The two also consider what ungodly suburban mom came up with the idea of goodie bags in the first place, Betsy gets to yell, "REVENGE!!!" several times, and Kate keeps bringing up Ariana Grande.

Show Notes:

- Correct us if we're wrong, Canadians. Are your goodie bags called "loot bags". And when, gentle readers, did gift bags become a standard presence at birthday parties?

- This the video of Rukhsana Khan telling this story from her (the little sister's) point of view. You have to watch this. Heck, skip listening to this podcast and just view this instead. Then let's find places for her to speak publicly here in the States, because we want to see her talk NOW. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8UQWdhhy8s

- Betsy believed that her mother said that the odd board game she remembered from my youth was called Count Your Chickens. We have since discovered that this is not true. It was actually called (and you can understand why none of us remembered the name) A Chicken in Every Plot. It was sold by a company called Animal Town which specialized in these odd little games that had names like "Madison Avenue", "Dam Builders", and "Save the Whales". Remember, this is why we invented the internet, people.

- A cookie to anyone who can name me a villainous elephant in a children's book. Go!

- For the complete Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/02/05/fuse-8-n-kate-big-red-lollipop-by-rukhsana-khan

It's the Memento of the 1980s! Take a trip back in time with us to 1980 on the nosey. An era when children apparently eschewed backpacks for satchels and school lunches were just as elaborate as those in Bread and Jam for Frances. Don't believe me? Then you haven't taken an up close and personal deep dive into one of Kellogg's most famous stories. Kate had never seen a Steven Kellogg book on the show before, so Betsy figured they'd give this one a go. It's perfect for them since Kellogg was the master of the peculiar detail. He's an illustrator that rewards close readings and, for this, we salute him.

Show Notes:

- If anyone out there can tell us what the 1980s cooperative board game of Betsy's youth involving chickens was, we invite the information.

- We only knew about this book back in the day because of Reading Rainbow. Take a trip back in time with us, kids!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76xzBWjS2dg

- For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/01/28/fuse-8-n-kate-the-day-jimmys-boa-ate-the-wash-by-trinka-hakes-noble-ill-steven-kellogg

And we're back to the classics. So far on this podcast, Kate and Betsy have tackled only one William Steig (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble). As per usual, Kate notices things. She notices that the initials of Doctor De Soto are DDS, which is a dental detail Betsy had never thought of before. She notices a rather lovely umbrella stand bedecked with dragons. She notices mouse dentures (and how creepy mouse dentures would be in real life). For Betsy's part, she gets to imitate the sound of a rotten tooth being removed from a fox's mouth (there's a distinct pop at the end) and the two debate whether or not the old No Cavities Forever solution is legit or not.

Show Notes:

- This book was definitely was published after Sylvester, by the way. Sylvester came out way back in 1969.

- Why DID people wrap their heads up with handkerchiefs when they had toothaches?

- Can you think of a classic fox book where the fox is heroic rather than sneaky and sly?

- This book came in at #57 on the Top 100 Picture Books Poll: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/05/25/top-100-picture-books-57-doctor-de-soto-by-william-steig/

- The animated short of Doctor De Soto that was nominated for an Academy Award does not appear to be online. Unless, of course, it's this Weston Woods video with its simply marvelous narratorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGDz1orKRY8

- Read the full Show Notes here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/01/21/fuse-8-n-kate-doctor-de-soto-by-william-steig

Last year Kate and Betsy discussed three potential Caldecott winners, and two would later receive medals. This year, the two discuss Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, Blue by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, and We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins. And, as per usual, Kate brings up stuff Betsy never considered before. Questions like, how exactly does Penelope Rex eat her classmates so quickly (does she unhinge her jaw?). What does "caminantes" mean? And does the guy in Blue rename his girlfriend's dog? Kate has a violent reaction to one of the three books that Betsy finds deeply amusing. Then they out that Frances, from Bread and Jam for Frances, was originally supposed to be a vole, and Betsy's mind. Is. Blown.

Show Notes:

- Actually Pete Seeger is Laura Vaccaro Seeger's husband's uncle, not her own. Uncle-in-law, let's say.

- Here is the PW interview Yuyi Morales and Neal Porter that gave a lot of great background information to Dreamers: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/77766-in-conversation-yuyi-morales-and-neal-porter.html

- Here is the Horn Book interview with Laura Vaccaro Seeger that discussed Blue: https://www.hbook.com/2018/12/publishers-preview-picture-books-five-questions-laura-vaccaro-seeger/

- And here is the PW interview with Ryan T. Higgins about We Don't Eat Our Classmates: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/77167-q-a-with-ryan-t-higgins.html

- Kate was completely right, by the way. The Triceratops and T.rex were contemporaries. Here's the article I was thinking of when I said the T.rex was farther from the Stegosaurus than we are from the T.rex: https://gizmodo.com/less-time-separates-us-from-t-rex-than-t-rex-from-stego-1614025559

- You can find the link to the Frances / Debbi Michiko Florence, Jasmine Toguchi series here, as spotted by Emily Schneider: https://imaginaryelevators.blog/2019/01/06/jasmine-toguchi-what-was-a-talent-anyway/

- Glynis Johns read all the Frances books?!? This is huge news!

- And here is Kate's board game. Sadly, less one Madame Mim: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/256382/villainous

- Be sure to stay for Kate's um-num-num-num-num.

- Find the full Show Notes here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/01/14/fuse-8-n-kate-2019-caldecott-contenders

Hungry? With the new year comes a whole set of resolutions. Not knowing that Kate is on the Whole30 again, Betsy forces her to read a book where bread plays a major role. Bread, heck. This is a book that could turn children into bonafide foodies. In spite of the fact that all badgers are born in February, we've decided to do this book in January. And then, in the course of things, Kate starts looking up what the USDA recommendations are for children, we consider the wackadoodle utensils of the Badger household, what exactly a lobster salad sandwich is, etc. As Kate points out, this is a perfect New Year's Resolution book because in the story you are encouraged to try new things and break out of your comfort zone. Justification!

Show Notes:

- If you're curious about the interview Betsy conducted with Russell Hoban in 2010, you can read the transcript here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/04/24/discovered-in-the-archives-an-interview-with-russell-hoban-2010/

- Is Frances actually the most famous badger in children's literature? The only other contender that comes immediately to mind is Badger from The Wind in the Willows but how many American children can remember him off the tops of their heads?

- The book showed up at #27 on the Top 100 Picture Books poll: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/06/05/top-100-childrens-novels-27-bread-and-jam-for-frances-by-russell-hoban-illustrated-by-lillian-hoban/

- You can hear the entire text of the book here in this video. And you have to admit, that's a better egg song than the one Betsy came up with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-KggLPnRYg

For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/01/07/fuse-8-n-kate-bread-and-jam-for-frances-by-russell-hoban-ill-lillian-hoban/

"I can always be called upon to remember a Snurp".

Merry Christmas! Let's celebrate with a book that has absolutely nothing to do with the day in question whatsonever. So I know you're all wondering what elements Kate chose to focus on with this book. Would she like it more than Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus? Less? Well, we'll sum it up for you. We discuss at length the proper way to wash a pure white bra, the genetic dominance of a character's eyes (or lack thereof), and the proper way to pick up a sack of screaming, flailing meat when it is your child.

Show Notes:

- Came in #7 on the Top 100 Picture Books Poll: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/06/19/top-100-picture-books-7-knuffle-bunny-a-cautionary-tale-by-mo-willems/

For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/12/25/fuse-8-n-kate-knuffle-bunny-by-mo-willems