Today in Writing History May 16, 1906: Margaret Rey was born. Rey was an author an illustrator of children’s books. She cowrote the Curious George books with her husband H.A. Rey. Born in Germany to Jewish parents, she studied art at Bauhaus and later worked in advertising. In 1935, she fled Germany to escape the Nazis, moving to Rio de Janeiro. There she met H.A. Rey, also a German Jew who had fled the Nazis. Many of us remember the Curious George stories fondly. George was a monkey, who was kind of like an adorable little boy. Yet in every one of the stories, he does something naughty that disappoints his “daddy,” (The man in the Yellow Hat), and has to win back his affection doing something dangerous. In one story, he is exploited by a cook and must wash dishes without pay. In another, he is hired as a window washer on a skyscraper. Even his origin story is fraught, with the Yellow Hatted Man kidnapping him from his home in Africa. In this video clip, hear Werner Herzog’s creepy satire on the stories:
Neat Nick’s Big Mess is an adorable picture book focusing on OCD and anxiety.
Chad Otis’ illustrations and story are charming and warm. I just fell in love with this friendly big dog. It is a wonderful story full of love and friendship that young readers, especially dog lovers, will adore !
Today in Writing History May 10, 1999: Shel Silverstein, American poet, cartoonist, singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright died on this day. His books have been translated into more than 47 languages and sold over 20 million copies Some of his most famous children’s books include “The Giving Tree,” “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” and “A Light in the Attic.” As a songwriter, he wrote the Johnny Cash hits "A Boy Named Sue" and “25 Minutes to Go,” as well as the Dr. Hook hit, “Freakin’ at the Freakers Ball.” He also composed hits for John Prine, Buck Owens, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, and Lester Flatt.
3/12/24 — Open 6-9p Mask recommended. No open drinks, please.
Featuring 12 of author & director Madeline Frank Brandeis' 20+ "Children of All Lands" children's stories from the 1920s-'30s. They're photo illustrated by she, featuring child actors in international garb & scenery.
Adults might read their favorite books a couple of times a year, but toddlers sometimes want you to plough through the same old story on 20 consecutive nights, and there aren’t many books that are enjoyable at the end of a run like that. LitHub has created a ranking system that takes in parent and toddler tolerability. See the results here (“Elephant and Piggie” fans, brace yourselves). Tell us your picks in the comments.
Trapped in a magical world, coming in contact with the same magical green bunny that saved his life, and a magical sword inside of a small pendant from a clan of heroic guardians. And you thought your life was far from ordinary.
Moonlight Blade chapters 1-6 are available exclusively at https://stevencapobianco.com. To continue spring 2024.
PS: It turns out to be a myth that Victorians covered piano legs for the sake of modesty. But one day people will hear that Floridians removed dictionaries from school libraries for the sake of modesty, or prudery, or protecting the children, and wonder whether it's a myth. The truth will be out there, but not in Florida libraries.
Sometimes censorship is so inane that it looks like self-parody.
A world where we only have #books that everyone approves is a world where we have no books at all. We need to trust professional librarians to make the best decisions, even when we don't always agree.