Showing posts with label Midweek Musing. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Matt Faulker and a Big-Headed Kid

Posted by Amazing People, on 3:00 AM
If you haven't seen Matt Faulkner�s new graphic novel, Gaijin:  American Prisoner of War yet, you should.  I�ve long admired his consummate draftsmanship and fluid use of color.  But I�m reading Gaijin now, and partially because of the virtuosity of the word/picture storytelling and partially because of the subject matter (Japanese-American internment camps during WWII), this book is hitting me the way Art Spiegelman�s Maus did when I first saw it, way back when.  The palette of warm browns and reds here, with an occasional splash of blue, is rich and welcoming, and pulls you right in.  As George Takei writes, in a blurb on the book�s jacket, �Powerful . . . Matt Faulkner tells his tale with fierce graphics and moving delicacy.�  And if the man who played Sulu likes it, well . . .

Today, Matt Faulkner answers the Midweek Musings question:  Who is one of your favorite children�s literature characters, and why?


Matt Faulkner:  I gotta be honest, I wasn�t a big reader as a kid. It wasn�t till I ventured into that rough patch some call middle school that I started to appreciate the fantastic gift that reading books became for me. But prior to that, I was first and foremost a guy who dug cartoons. One of my favorite characters was �Charlie Brown.�  Now, I also have to admit that I loved Charlie first and foremost because of his wonderful animated shows on t.v.  I recall nearly losing my mind when the t.v. guide reported in 1968 (I was 7 at the time) that �A Charlie Brown Christmas� and �The Grinch Who Stole Christmas� would be running back to back in early December. Of course, it didn�t hurt that �Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer� would be the chaser for these gems at 8 pm. I�m still recovering from the cartoon bliss I experienced that evening.

With that said, I want it also to be known that I still have a box of well-worn �Charlie Brown� books I gathered since the age of 5 or 6 and I also count my first copy of �The Grinch Who Stole Christmas� as a prized possession in my kid�s book collection. And, of course, I own all three animations� �Charlie Brown,�  �Grinch� and �Rudolph."
"Charlie Brown and the Alphabet"
by Matt Faulkner, 1st grade, 1967
So, you see, I consider Charlie Brown to be my first literary love. Why Charlie Brown? Fact is�I just dug him. I dug the way he was drawn by Mr. Schulz. I dug the zig zag design on his shirt. I dug his dog. I dug his round head, which I could never seem to make as perfectly round when I was drawing him. I dug his kite getting stuck in the tree and the way Charlie would talk to the tree as it devoured his kite. And I got the �why� of Charlie�s point of view, too. I saw that life had a way of dumping far too many lemons on him, yet, he kept at it. And, I loved how he kept himself, too, when everyone else wanted him to be someone else. And, I�m a little ashamed to say that, I also loved laughing at the never ending troubles which visited upon Charlie. I remember howling with laughter at the frames that depicted Charlie�s fountain pen dumping ink onto his book report, his desk, Snoopy and himself. Hilarious! In hind sight, I guess I'd say that it was his Buster Keaton/Charlie Chaplin quality that drew me to him. Or perhaps it was the Hokusai-esque economy of line that inspired me to copy and redraw Charlie, over and over again. 

Of course, I wasn�t aware of these reasons at the time. Back then, I just loved him.

                                               ���

Award winning children's book author and illustrator Matt Faulkner has over 35 illustrated books to his credit since he began writing and illustrating them in 1985. He enjoys working on projects of both historical and fantastical natures (and he concentrates very hard not to get them confused). His author/illustrated book A Taste of Colored Water (Simon and Schuster) was recently chosen by the School Library Journal as a significant book for sharing concepts of diversity with kids. And the San Francisco Chronicle calls his recently released graphic novel, �Gaijin: American Prisoner of War� (Disney/Hyperion) �superb!�

 Matt is married to author, national speaker on early literacy and librarian Kris Remenar and lives with their children in the lower right hand corner of Michigan. 

Learn more about Matt and his work here:

Matt�s upcoming books, both 2015:

�  Groundhog�s Dilemma by Kris Remenar (Charlesbridge)
A fun tale that shares the travails of Groundhog as he works to tell it like it is and make his friends happy!
�  Elizabeth Started All the Trouble by Doreen Rappaport (Disney/Hyperion)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth- just a few of the American Super Heroes you�ll read about who fought for the vote for women and so much more in this dramatic book!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Midweek Musing� Elizabeth O. Dulemba and Someone Who Won't Take "No" for an Answer

Posted by Amazing People, on 3:00 AM
My guest for Midweek Musings this week is Elizabeth O. Dulemba, author and/or illustrator of many picture books for children.  She has just published her debut novel, a historical fiction mid-grade book, A Bird on Water Street.  

Response to the book has been terrific�it has already picked up three awards:  a Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Okra Pick, a Gold Mom's Choice Award, and it is THE 2014 National Book Festival featured title for Georgia!  

Elizabeth, who goes by �e,� has generously offered one signed and dedicated copy of A Bird on Water Street as a giveaway prize in connection with her Midweek Musing here.  You can enter the giveaway and read more about e after her answer.

BL:  So, e, welcome to Getting Into Character.  Who would you describe as your favorite character in children�s literature?

e:  Gosh�it�s hard to choose just one character that I love the most in children�s lit! And what an interesting exercise you set me upon. In looking through my picture book collection (I limited my choice to one genre), I realized most picture books are story-based rather than character-based. 

Of course, the ones that are character based are especially strong and we all heard of them: Skippyjon Jones, Pigeon, Olivia, Fancy Nancy, Mrs. Biddlebox. In fact, oftentimes, the books with strong characters are named after the characters. That's an interesting thing to keep in mind as I write. Hm! 

But you asked me to choose just one, which is a nearly impossible task. So I�ll talk about one that I'm enchanted by right now. 

That would be Lucy from Peter Brown�s YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND. Lucy sets out with a goal, and nothing will get in her way. In trying to make a friend, she forces the matter, making for some extremely awkward situations instead. It�s when she finally stops trying so hard that luck comes her way in the form of a friendly flamingo. 

I can so relate to Lucy. I�ve always been goal-oriented and ambitious. I�m a go-getter, I make things happen! And it works for me. But I've always thought it would be nice to be the sort of person who sits back and lets things come to them. I consider those to be the cool kids. I am not cool. I worry�what if they never come!? I�m not one to wait. It�s why I work as hard as I do and reach out as much as I do. I don�t have any regrets, as I think my way is a valid approach to life. But it is nice when Flamingos surprise me sometimes, like with Lucy. I get her.

BL: I�ve sometimes wished I had Lucy�s unbridled enthusiasm myself.  She's a real force of nature!  Thanks for stopping by, e.


���


About A BIRD ON WATER STREET:
When the birds return to Water Street, will anyone be left to hear them sing?
A Bird on Water Street is a coming of age story about Jack, the son of a miner growing up in a Southern Appalachian town environmentally devastated by a century of poor copper-mining practices. After a tragic accident and a massive company layoff, the miners go on strike. When nature begins to flourish as a result, Jack fights to protect it, but the cost could be the ruin of everything he loves.





Elizabeth O. Dulemba is an award-winning children�s book author/illustrator with two dozen titles to her credit. She is Illustrator Coordinator for the SCBWI Southern region, a Board Member for the Georgia Center for the Book, and a Visiting Associate Professor at Hollins University in the MFA in Children�s Book Writing and Illustrating program. A BIRD ON WATER STREET is her first novel (Spring 2014, Little Pickle Press). Learn more at http://dulemba.com.







Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Midweek Musing�David Lubar, a Decision, and Some (S)wordplay

Posted by Amazing People, on 3:00 AM

illustration by Adam McCauley
�It�s no fun having your heart ripped from your body, slammed to the floor, and stomped into a puddle of quivering red mush.  It�s even less fun when it happens three times in one afternoon.?

So begins David Lubar�s My Rotten Life:  Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie.  You think fifth grade is tough?  Try going to school after a science lab accident turns you into a half-dead zombie.

Anyone who has read David Lubar�s funny and quirky books has to assume that he has a quick and acerbic wit.  Anyone who has met David Lubar in real life knows it.  The author of thirty books for young readers and teens, he thrives on (s)wordplay, wielding words like an �p�e�poking, prodding and feeling for the funny bone.

Today, David Lubar visits �Getting Into Character� to reflect on choosing one of his favorite characters in children's literature.

Freddy the Pig:  books by Walter R. Brooks,
illustrations by Kurt Wiese
David Lubar:  Whenever I�m asked to name my favorite childhood book or character, my reflexive response is, �Freddy the Pig. He was a pig who lived on a farm, wrote poems, solved mysteries, and managed to avoid becoming anybody�s smoked breakfast meat.�

While all of this is true � I loved that series as a kid � there�s a problem. I just told you everything I remember about Freddy from my dim, ancient days as a voracious young reader. I can�t recall anything else about the little porker. Happily, I�ve had two more shots at spending time with kid�s books since then: Once, for a decade or so, as a parent reading bed-time and other-time stories to my daughter, and now, for several decades, as a writer for young readers. So I have no excuses. I�ve met slews of characters recently enough that the impressions linger. 

There�s also the problem of whether to be honest, or to try to be impressive. When I see one of those READ posters, with a celebrity holding a book, it�s usually pretty obvious whether we are in the presence of book love or ego (War and Peace? Really? Yeah, right.).  I could pick the Mad Hatter, and cite his philosophical statements. That would make me look deep. Or I could dig up some obscure character nobody has heard of, to make myself look like a kidlit expert. But I want to keep this authentic.

 From In the Night Kitchen,
by Maurice Sendak, 1970
So, who to pick. As I ran some father/daughter favorite bedtime stories through my mind, a chubby face leaped out, and I knew my search had ended. One of the bakers from In the Night Kitchen looks exactly like Oliver Hardy. In my youth, Laurel and Hardy movies were as ubiquitous on TV as Law and Orderis today. But a lot funnier. Stumbling across that beloved face in baker�s garb in the middle of a milky fantasy brought back a lot of happy memories. So, yeah. That�s my pick. The nameless baker with the tiny mustache. Because I know that as soon as Mickey zooms away, a skinny baker with a derby on his head will somehow spill the milk, kill the yeast, and set the oven on fire. And then, he will apologize.



���

Thanks for stopping by, David.  I�m looking forward to reading Wipeout of the Wireless Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales!







David Lubar�s thirty books for teens and young readers include the novels  Hidden Talents and Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie.  His comic zombie story, My Rotten Life, was recently optioned by Minds Eye Entertainment. His popular Weenies story collections have sold more than two million copies.  Each book contains thirty stories that have been described as �Twilight Zone for kids.� The newest book, Wipeout of the Wireless Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales, shows the horrors that can happen when you wear the wrong hat to the bus stop, forget to clean the litter box, play a practical joke with a coffin, or spend too much time on the phone.  

To learn more about David Lubar and his work� including his latest book, Wipeout of the Wireless Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales, check out these links:

Web site:  www.davidlubar.com
Twitter:  @davidlubar 

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Midweek Musing #3�Julie Danielson and a pair of eccentrics

Posted by Amazing People, on 3:00 AM

I'm delighted to have Julie (Jules) Danielson visit today�among her many accomplishments in the world of children's literature, she's the creator of Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, and she has interviewed hundreds of children's book authors and illustrators there. I was a guest on "7-Imp" once, and it was one of the most interesting and fun interviews I've ever done (see it here). If you want to get a sense of who's doing what and what's going on in children's literature today, her blog is a great place to start.   If you're not a "7-Imp" devotee already, check it out.  You will be.  

More recently, Jules has teamed up with children's lit bloggers and commentators Elizabeth (Betsy) Bird, Travis Jonker and Philip Nel to create The Niblings, a sort of "Fantastic Four" of commentary, on Facebook and Twitter.  You'll find more links at the end of this piece.

Since I had so much fun preparing my answers to the questions Jules asked me, I thought I'd see if she would be willing to play along here.  She said yes.  Today she answers the Midweek Musings question:  who is one of your favorite characters in children's literature, and why?

Jules Danielson:  As a fan of the work of author-illustrator James Marshall, I�m fond of many of the characters he created. I could whip up an entire ode to Grandfather Stupid. I�ve shared before at my site my abiding love for him, primarily for this moment when the lights go out in the Stupids� living room; they all decide they�ve died and must be in heaven; and then Grandfather Stupid comes flying into the living room on his motorcycle, saying, �This isn�t heaven. This is Cleveland.� Here�s to good old-fashioned common sense.




However, with apologies to Grandfather Stupid, I think my favorites of Marshall�s characters are the glorious hippos, George and Martha. In 1997, Maurice Sendak wrote an incisive tribute to these characters, as well as �the fertile genius� of Marshall, in the Foreword to George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends.  In it, he wrote that in the George and Martha stories there�s no �shticking, no nudging knowingly, no winking or pandering to the grown-ups at the expense of the kids.� It�s true. It�s one of the things I love the most about Marshall�s books.

Best of all, though, is the fact that George and Martha are such good friends. They have their arguments. Lots of them. There�s the day that George, a peeping tom, spies on Martha in her bathtub. He ends up going home with the bathtub on his head, Martha angrily shaking her brush at him and saying, �We are friends. But there is such a thing as privacy!� Collectively, they possess a whole host of neuroses, Sendak even referring to Martha in the aforementioned Foreword as �unstable.� (This makes me laugh; who among us isn�t at least a little bit unstable?) But they remain true blue friends.

It�s good to have at least one true blue friend in life. If you don�t like your friend�s split pea soup, for instance, and that is precisely what she�s serving for dinner, tell her as politely as you possibly can. Don�t pour the soup into your hippo-sized loafers under the kitchen table when your friend is out of the room. Also remember: If your friend is roller-skating to your house, falls, breaks his favorite tooth, and has to get it replaced with a gold one, tell him how distinguished it looks. Friends always tell each the truth, after all.


It�s also �wonderful to have a friend who knows how to make you laugh,� George tells Martha one day on his birthday. For this, their wry humor, as well as their sense of mischief, their follies, their kindnesses, their wickedness, their fun�all of which make these hippos very human�I tip my hat to George and Martha.


���


Julie Danielson (Jules) conducts interviews and features of authors and illustrators at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a children�s literature blog focused primarily on illustration and picture books. Julie received her Master�s in Information Sciences, with a focus on children�s librarianship. She has juried for the Society of Illustrators� Original Art Award, as well as the BolognaRagazzi Awards for the Bologna Children�s Book Fair in Italy. She writes about picture books at Kirkus� website, she writes picture book reviews for BookPage, and she teaches a picture book course for the School of Information Sciences' graduate program at the University of Tennessee. Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature, written with Betsy Bird and the late Peter D. Sieruta, will be published by Candlewick Press in August 2014. 

Twitter links:
The Niblings:  @TheNiblings4
7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast:  @SevenImp

Facebook links:
Julie Danielson:  (https://www.facebook.com/julie.danielson)
The Niblings:   (https://www.facebook.com/TheNiblings);

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Midweek Musing #2� guest blogger Barbara O'Connor

Posted by Amazing People, on 3:00 AM



Today's guest blog comes from a writer who always cracks me up�Barbara O'Connor.  She creates distinctly delightful and odd characters who could only exist in the American South.  They carry names like Earlene, Stumpy, Preacher Ron, or Miss Delphine, they compose earnest lists of things they should do (or painful lessons they've learned), and concern themselves with abandoned babies, spelling bees or one-legged pigeons.

And�full disclosure here�I've been in a critique group with Barbara O'Connor for many years, which means I've been part of a lucky group who gets acquainted with these characters before anyone else does (as those characters might say, thumbs in ears and fingers waggling, "Neener, neener!").

So here is Barbara O'Connor, answering the question, "Who is one of your favorite characters in children's literature, and why?"

One of my favorite characters? Easy! Cletus Underwood from Cynthia Rylant�s amazing Missing May.

[BL interruption:  for those who have not yet had the pleasure of reading Missing May, here's a brief synopsis from Amazon.com:
When May dies suddenly while gardening, Summer assumes she'll never see her beloved aunt again. But then Summer's Uncle Ob claims that May is on her way back--she has sent a sign from the spirit world.

Summer isn't sure she believes in the spirit world, but her quirky classmate Cletus Underwood--who befriends Ob during his time of mourning--does. So at Cletus' suggestion, Ob and Summer (with Cletus in tow) set off in search of Miriam B. Young, Small Medium at Large, whom they hope will explain May's departure and confirm her possible return.]


Barbara O'Connor:  I�ve expressed my love for all things Rylant for years and have credited Missing May with being my ultimate inspiration.

While I certainly love feisty, determined Summer and dear old heartbroken Ob, Cletus is the dude who grabs my heart from the get-go.

I�m not going to call him �quirky� because that term seems too stereotypical to do him justice. More appropriately, he is unique, oddball, nerdy, smart, honest, whacky, and lovable.

Rylant�s skill is evident when she shows the character of Cletus through Summer�s eyes, yet the reader is able to see him more clearly and honestly. Despite Summer�s somewhat mean-spirited view of him, his goodness shines through.

Summer introduces him this way:

I swear. When Ob spotted him snooping around the old Chevy last fall I warned Ob to have nothing to do with him. I�d been riding the school bus with Cletus for a year, since his family moved up from Raleigh County, and I had decided he was insane.

How can you not love Cletus�s potato chip bag collection, his beat-up vinyl suitcase filled with photographs, his ability to create stories from Brylcreem ads, his hat with ear flaps, and his straight black hair that Summer calls �slimy.�

But most of all I love his heart. Summer worries that Ob�s belief that May is returning from the dead is going to make him �sick or crazy.�  But Cletus responds, �Least it gives him something to do. Gets him out of bed in the mornings.�

And while I loved Cletus from the minute he showed up snooping around that beat-up Chevy on the mountainside, it took Summer longer to see his true character.

In pure Rylant language:

The front door opened to us, and standing there was Cletus. And I knew, in an instant, that this was not the same boy who had been coming to us with his battered old suitcase all these weeks. This was a different boy, and I knew, even before I set one foot inside his house, that here in this place, he was a much-loved boy. It�s funny, how you can know something like that right away. How you can see in someone�s face the he feels completely safe and full of power and love, and suddenly things between you become so easy.

Sigh. Love that, Cyndi!!!!

And then, of course, Rylant ices the cake with this:

May would have liked him. She would have said he was �full of wonders,� same as Ob.

So there you have it: a character �full of wonders.� A character I adore in a book I adore written by an author I adore.

���


See Barbara O'Connor's blog on Cynthia Rylant: Greetings from Nowhere:  My Best Friend, Cyndi

Barbara O�Connor is the author of award-winning novels for children, including How to Steal a Dog, The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis, and On the Road to Mr. Mineo�s. Drawing on her South Carolina roots, Barbara�s books are known for their strong Southern settings and quirky characters. In addition to six Parents Choice Awards, Barbara�s distinctions include School Library Journal Best Books, Kirkus Best Books, Bank Street College Best Books, and ALA Notables. She has had books nominated for children�s choice awards in thirty-eight states. Barbara is a popular visiting author at schools and a frequent speaker at conferences around the country.

Learn more at her website: www.barbaraoconnor.com.



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