Fuse 8 n' Kate

If we are to assume that the point of this podcast is to shine a light on "classic" picture books and ascertain whether or not they deserve that designation, it's a short walk to doing the same for books from other countries. What better then than to consider a picture book that is MASSIVELY successful in England, and only mildly recognized in the States? As a reminder, it was listener Rebekah Harris-Hughes who should receive full credit for suggesting today's book. So thank you, Rebekah!

Source Notes:

-If you follow no other links in these source notes, you MUST listen to the Deep In Bear Country: Episode 156. I have never heard such insightful discussions of bullying in children's literature: https://berenstainbearcast.wordpress.com/2018/07/14/episode-156-the-bully/

- Do check out the Dean Forest and it's rather adorable Gruffalo Trail: https://www.deanheritagecentre.com/whats-on/gruffalo-trail

- Further information on checking out the Gruffalo statues at Kilmardinny Loch: http://www.glasgowwithkids.co.uk/kilmardinny-loch-gruffalo-bearsden-glasgow-review/

- You'll have to pay YouTube to see the full film of this Best Animated Short nominee, but here are some clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHoyg_pwT2w

- It is possible that the Chinese folktale this book borrowed its idea from is the 1921 collection The Chinese Fairy Book. A bit vague on the origins there, though: https://www.worldoftales.com/Asian_folktales/Chinese_Folktale_26.html

- The Gruffalo website is a bit of a trip. Watch out for its theme song. It surprises you if you don't expect it: http://www.gruffalo.com/

- There really is a Gruffalo River Ride Adventure. Would we lie to you? https://www.chessington.com/gruffalo/

- And for those of you wondering, this is the tanuki. Awwww. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_raccoon_dog

- For the full Show Notes, please visit http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/07/24/fuse-8-n-kate-everyone-poops-by-julia-donaldson-ill-axel-scheffler

This week Betsy and Kate decided that scatological was the way to go. And so, they are pleased to announce that this is honestly the first Nonfiction picture book they've done on the show. Thinking about it, this may well be the most famous Nonfiction picture book in America. We'd be interested in hearing your alternative suggestions. The sisters get to talk about all SORTS of stuff too. Square wombat poop. Poor printing jobs on the book. And then there's that mystery animal that they simply could not identify. They might need your help on that one.

Source Notes:

- Check out Taro Gomi's website here. It's worth a gander to see what Japan's top author/illustrator does on his own website: http://www.gomitaro.com/

- Well done, Kirkus Reviews! Best professional review of this book to this day: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/taro-gomi/everyone-poops/

For the full listing of Source Notes, please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/07/16/fuse-8-n-kate-everyone-poops-by-taro-gomi/

Hope you like Kathleen Turner, because in this long delayed episode Betsy is clearly doing her best rendition of her. Apologies for the gap in the episodes. Fortunately, Betsy and Kate are back in style. This week they discuss a book that has a complicated history. It would be easier if this were a more straightforward case of racism. Along the way they also discuss the Wilder Award's name change, whether people care more about animal cruelty or corporeal punishment, and the names of Kate's blisters.

Source Notes:

Here's the Wendy McClure thread about the Wilder Award that Betsy referenced: https://twitter.com/Wendy_Mc/status/1011625742201950209

In terms of the cormorans, this is indeed a legitimate fishing method: https://en.wi

David L. Ulin wrote a very interesting piece for the L.A. Times called The Story About Ping and the Invention of Nostalgia: http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-the-story-about-ping-and-the-invention-of-nostalgia-20130730-story.html

If you're curious about The Good Place podcast, just come right here: https://art19.com/shows/the-good-place-the-podcast

For the full Show Notes, please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/07/09/fuse-8-n-kate-the-story-about-ping-by-marjorie-flack-ill-kurt-wiese/

The name of the game here is A Break From Brats. Betsy wanted to get Kate out of the realm of bratty children's book protagonists, so she thought the world's greatest friendship pair was the way to go. But before we get to that, the sisters do a rundown of the best and worst picture books they've ever looked at. As for the rest of the show, Kate writes down morals for every story in this book, and her interpretations aren't entirely canon. For Betsy's part, she gets to wax loquacious on her horizontal pupil theory of children's literature. Could you ask for anything more?

Show Notes:

- The Eric Carle exhibit was turned into a catalog, available for purchase. You can find Seeking a State of Grace: The Art of Arnold Lobel at the Eric Carle Museum's bookstore: https://shop.carlemuseum.org/seeking-state-grace-art-arnold-lobel

- We just want to say with sadness that apparently with the publication of The Merry Spinster, The Toast no longer hosts Daniel Ortberg's magnificent Children's Books Made Horrific. So we weren't able to provided a link here. Life is disappointment.

- Couldn't find an ideal video of it, but here's the original Broadway recording of the Toad looks funny in a bathing suit song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FetfyMbGnXo

- This isn't an ideal recording, but this singer is the strongest Snail we were able to find on YouTube, so in it goes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpuoog92e2Q

- As is mentioned, this book came in at #15 on the Top 100 poll: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/06/15/top-100-picture-books-15-frog-and-toad-are-friends-by-arnold-lobel/

-The Aaron Zenz version of Frog & Toad is, by far, superior to almost all others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=mq8Hz8Xv_z0

-Still, we harbor affection for this delightful French-ish version of The List: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvNLKeaeQ7w

- Read the full Source Notes here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/06/11/fuse-8-n-kate-frog-and-toad-are-friends-by-arnold-lobel

It's very special episode time! Very special for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that Kate took five hours to edit this episode down from two and a half hours to a svelte, sleek 47:41. It was also special because it features two guests from fellow podcast Go Your Own YA. So a big time thank you to Carey and Marie for taking time out of their schedules. Finally, it was special because Kate and Betsy finally got to tackle one of the big books they've been skirting around for months. That's right. Eloise is in the house and the results are priceless! Along with a bit of random Eloise trivia, I hope you're prepared for a surprise fact. The four women were actually able to locate a joke in the original book that was excised from editions printed today. And it involves dragging a fellow children's book character through the mud. See if you can guess who it is.

Source Notes:

- Here's a link to the Go Your Own YA podcast which you most certainly must search out: https://www.goyourownya.com/

- The great Eloise heist is mentioned in this article at NPR: https://www.npr.org/2017/07/11/536655235/eloise-at-the-museum-tells-the-story-behind-the-beloved-mischief-maker

- We couldn't find any videos that have someone singing Nanny's song, but we did find this recording featuring Kay Thompson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYqqLeM2qZQ

- You can find the rest of the Source Notes here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/06/04/fuse-8-n-kate-kay-thompsons-eloise-by-kay-thompson/

I don't think Kate and Betsy expected to get into an in-depth conversation about Miss Nelson's cosplay as Viola Swamp, and why precisely she chooses to do so, but that's the kind of podcast this is. Along the way the sisters get into what the Wicked Witch of the West might have been wearing under that dress, the fact that butterflies were angry about the gas crisis in the 70s, and whether or not Viola Swamp talks like Katharine Hepburn (special bonus: Kate and Betsy may do the worst celebrity imitations of all time).

Show Notes:

- Here's a link to the website that discusses James Marshall's gravestone. https://wandervogeldiary.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/james-marshall/

- Betsy and her co-writer Julie Danielson spoke about it at length at the Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature website here: http://wildthings.blaine.org/?p=157

- The Reading Rainbow episode is completely available here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5laqhx

-Here's the New York Times review of There's a Mystery There by Jonathan Cott: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/books/review-theres-mystery-there-maurice-sendak-jonathan-cott.html

- For the complete Show Notes, please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/05/28/fuse-8-n-kate-miss-nelson-is-missing-by-harry-allard-and-james-marshall/

Betsy and Kate would like to offer a word of warning to their mother with this one. Somehow, this ended up being their longest episode. If she listens to this on the treadmill, she might do herself a serious injury. It's a whopping 48:17 (and that's edited down!). I guess it's not surprising when you do a book as long as SCM. And boy howdy do they come up with all kinds of stuff to discuss here. A smattering includes . . .

Source Notes:

- Here's the Children's Book-a-Day Almanac link from Anita Silvey that discusses The Stinky Cheese Man: http://childrensbookalmanac.com/2011/10/the-stinky-cheese-man-and-other-fairly-stupid-tales/

- This is the ridiculous Stinky Cheese Man stuffed toy. Betsy loves him so much! He is, as she suggested, from YottoY: https://www.yottoy.com/collections/the-stinky-cheese-man

- And here's a video of someone making it run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV_7KfCt5AE

- Here he is at #91 on the second Top 100 Picture Books poll: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/05/16/top-100-picture-books-91-the-stinky-cheese-man-and-other-fairy-stupid-tales-by-jon-scieszka-illustrated-by-lane-smith/

- A House That Once Was is a true Caldecott contender. Find it!! http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/04/13/review-of-the-day-a-house-that-once-was-by-julie-fogliano-ill-lane-smith/

- And here's a link to the mentioned Astronuts from Jon and Steven Weinberg: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/76310-rights-report-week-of-march-12-2018.html

- Did you miss Battle Bunny? Don't! Read this review and enjoy!: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2013/07/10/review-of-the-day-battle-bunny-by-jon-scieszka-and-mac-barnett/

-And here's the book that came out last year that makes fun of Lane Smith's name. SO GOOD! http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2017/11/10/review-of-the-day-im-just-no-good-at-rhyming-by-chris-harris-ill-lane-smith/

-Yep. The Berenstain Bears podcast Deep In Bear Country is really remarkable stuff. Highly recommended. Though, and we say this with deep and abiding regret, we cannot find them doing Berenstain Bears and the Bully. https://berenstainbearcast.wordpress.com/

-The Florida bookseller who gets tattoos from artists is Becky Quiroga. Publishers Weekly did a piece on her years ago. That said, her Lane Smith isn't Stinky Cheese Man after all. It's the ape from It's a Book. Here is the PW story on her: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/48874-characters-ink-a-children-s-bookseller-s-tattoos.html

For the full Source Notes, please go here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/05/21/fuse-8-n-kate-the-stinky-cheese-man-by-jon-scieszka-and-lane-smith/

When it comes to selecting books for the podcast, the sisters tend towards those books that have lots of details. And this one, as Kate was quick to learn, could go head-to-head with Where's Waldo in terms of hidden details. Alas, no clowns this week but they make up for it in other ways. Along the way they manage to identify The Ghost of Christmas Present, Chekov's plug, and the degree to which this book is like the movie Splash.

Source Books:

- Yeah, they never got to Kate's old blog, but it really it was one of the greatest things. It was called How To, How Hard, and How Much and on it she would find online How To's and try to do them herself. There was great stuff on there. Not the gingerbread Tartis, though. No no. Not that: http://katokula.blogspot.com/

- The Naked Cowboy wasn't actually by Adam Rex. That wasn't even the title. It was The Dirty Cowboy (which he just illustrated) written by Amy Timberlake.

- The blog mentioned by listener was Don't Read This to My Kids: http://www.drttmk.com/

- It included this video review of The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings. For the record, this review is AWESOME!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSOI8ZVIi4E

- For the full Show Notes, please visit us here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/05/14/fuse-8-n-kate-king-bidgoods-in-the-bathtub-by-audrey-wood-ill-don-wood/

What does making sushi and reading Margaret Wise Brown's second most popular picture book have in common? Betsy and Kate are doing both in one night! They're trying to do a couple more ladies than they've done in the past. This week they talk about whether or not this book has Fellini aspects to it, Bunny Protective Services (the BPS), and a furthering of Kate's ghost grandma theory (which Betsy kind of loves but don't tell her). Extra Bonus: You get to hear Betsy's cute little bunny voice, which she only gets to whip out once in a while.

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

Show Notes:

- You can read Monica Edinger’s telling of the Margaret Wise Brown tea here: http://medinger.wordpress.com/2010/05/24/margaret-wise-browns-100th-birthday-party/

- Read Brenda Bowen’s own telling here: http://bowenpress.blogspot.com/2010/05/margaret-wise-brown-birthday-party.html

-Read the full Show Notes for this episode here: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/05/07/fuse-8-n-kate-runaway-bunny-by-margaret-wise-brown

After promising Kate that they'd do a book by a lady, Betsy had to determine the best possible choice. Her idea was to look on her old Top 100 Picture Books Poll and see who the top women on there were. #1? Margaret Wise Brown. #2 was Judith Viorst and this book. You know, you never know which books are going to provide you with a plethora of information. This book? Kate had to edit every "um" and "uh" out of the recording to winnow the yammering down to a mere 45 minutes. Still was fun, though.

Show Notes:

- Betsy couldn't conjure up the name on the spot, but the Boxtrolls movie was based on Here Be Monsters by Alan Snow.

- Here's the Viorst bio on Wikipedia. Betsy still finds it oddly charming: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Viorst

- Is Ray Cruz dead? No, but it was difficult to find that information online. If you look at the webpage dedicated to his papers at the de Grummond collection, they state that "Cruz lived in New York City until his death." http://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/degrum/public_html/html/research/findaids/DG0240f.html

-For the full Show Notes please visit http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/04/23/fuse-8-n-kate-alexander-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day-by-judith-viorst