You know, I didn't know that war could be "colorful." Oh sure, the first color people probably think of when they think of war is red, the color of blood. But today I found out that war could be yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, and even pink, when I stumbled across a coloring book published by Dalmation Press called, LET'S GET GOING! in the play area of the West Linn City Hall waiting room.
The LET'S GET GOING! coloring book is part of Dalmation Press' "Giant Book to Color" series. The cover shows three F-16-type jet fighters flying, so I assumed from the title that this coloring book would be about either airplanes, jets, or things that go (a very typical theme for toddlers).
Opening it for Little Scribe to color in, I was shocked to find two soldiers dressed in fatigues holding an "oozie" at the ready (not sure about the spelling of this, but I'm not a gun expert, so...) The worst part of all is that the soldiers were colored in stereotypical Crayola green, with a blue sky, red clouds, green grass, and black rocks.
Oh, and the oozie was colored pink.
THIS IS A TODDLER'S COLORING BOOK FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
What is the world of children's books coming to? To find out, I looked up Dalmation Press in my latest Publisher's Weekly, which just happens to be the new Children's Spring Books preview issue. Coming out this spring, ladies and gentlemen, are such graphic and gratuitous topics as a board book called, NOAH'S ARK, a picture book called HEAVEN ON EARTH, a retelling of the hymn, ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL in picture book form, and a new version of that ancient bestseller, THE CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATED BIBLE.
Due to the overwhelming amount of children's religious books being published by Dalmation Press this season, I have to ask the most obvious of questions-- What would Jesus think of their coloring book?
Don't get me wrong, I am completely for the First Amendment and totally against book burning, but this coloring book really tempted me to stray and chuck it into my wood-burning stove. I just cringe every time I imagine a little boy or girl coloring that oozie pink. This coloring book is totally aimed at toddlers and preschoolers, too. I don't feel that I am unpatriotic in having these feelings, just in favor of non-violent coloring books for our smallest of walking citizens, the toddler and preschooler set (and grade schoolers as well, but that's a pipe dream, I'm sure.)
Is this a lot to ask?
I'm assuming that this coloring book was published for children whose parents, other family members, neighbors, etc, are involved in the war in Iraq. Or, it could be that it was published just to praise our military forces. Great. Fantastic. I love our troops. But does it have to show dozens of weapons of war in order to make its point? I think children will be filled with pride for our military forces without a Navy Seal-type of soldier ready to fire (colored orange, by the way) or a soldier carrying that weapon of weapons, a missile (colored a festive spring green and yellow mix, with the soldier's face colored a Mardi Gras-esque purple and yellow.) What's next, showing a nuclear weapon dropping from a Stealth Fighter?
Come on, Dalmation Press. The graphic illustrations in LET'S GET GOING! should be, in the final words of Donald Crews' Caldecott award-winning board book, FREIGHT TRAIN,
"Going, going, gone....."
(And as far as the West Linn City Hall is concerned, I just hope that they plead ignorance...)
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Blog Boutique
I am attempting something new-- writing in my blog while Little Scribe plays at the Play Boutique. After his normal toddler play time from 9-11am (my sacred writing time) on Fridays, they have open free play until 12:30pm with two computers linked to the internet that you can use.
So I can sit here on a stainless steel stool, up high for careful viewing, and watch Little Scribe play while I muse about how far can one go in edgy Y.A., Richard Peck's latest middle grade novel, an upcoming talk with Jane Yolen in Washington state, whether or not fantasy has hit a plateau, and other children's literary topics.
Uh oh. Screamfest. Gotta go...
So I can sit here on a stainless steel stool, up high for careful viewing, and watch Little Scribe play while I muse about how far can one go in edgy Y.A., Richard Peck's latest middle grade novel, an upcoming talk with Jane Yolen in Washington state, whether or not fantasy has hit a plateau, and other children's literary topics.
Uh oh. Screamfest. Gotta go...
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Taking a Writing Break
After staying up until 2:00 am working on my submission to the Washington SCBWI retreat and conference in April, I am taking a writing break today during my son's time at the Play Boutique, his daycare, playschool, nursery-type of place. It's a very special place that takes drop-in toddlers three times a week and provides not only a play area but also art, music, and most important of all-- snack.
Little Scribe loves it. He attends on Tuesdays from 9-12:45pm, Wednesdays from 9-11am, and Fridays from 9-11am. My favorite part of the Play Boutique happens once a week on Friday night from 5:30pm-8:30pm. It's called "Happy Hour" and it's a drop-off playtime so parents can go out to dinner, see a movie, and just basically be "adults" again. I don't know what I would do without it.
I use these hours as my writing time, and since the Play Boutique is fifteen minutes away from my house, I write nearby at either Peets Coffee or Chuck's Coffee and Cookies (not a good thing to write where fresh, homemade cookies are being baked, though. I almost never leave without one for each member of my family, but at least Chuck's has free internet.) This personal time is precious to me, and I almost never waste it on errands, which usually leads to dragging Little Scribe to the grocery store, dry cleaners, or the dreaded Target. I despise running errands with him. It never fails that the trip ends up with some kind of breakdown, no matter how many snacks, toys, or how much sleep he's gotten.
What I really need is what Michael Keaton had in the movie, "Multiplicity," a "Mama Scribe #2" who would do all of my errands for me while I write. With my luck, though, the clone would be like #4 in the movie and never get anything done. (If you've seen the movie, you'll know what I mean.) Actually, I think in real life, now that I've become a mother, my brain is more like #4 than I want to admit!
And now, it's time to go eat a dolphin... I mean, pet a dolphin. (Another annoying movie reference, I know)
Little Scribe loves it. He attends on Tuesdays from 9-12:45pm, Wednesdays from 9-11am, and Fridays from 9-11am. My favorite part of the Play Boutique happens once a week on Friday night from 5:30pm-8:30pm. It's called "Happy Hour" and it's a drop-off playtime so parents can go out to dinner, see a movie, and just basically be "adults" again. I don't know what I would do without it.
I use these hours as my writing time, and since the Play Boutique is fifteen minutes away from my house, I write nearby at either Peets Coffee or Chuck's Coffee and Cookies (not a good thing to write where fresh, homemade cookies are being baked, though. I almost never leave without one for each member of my family, but at least Chuck's has free internet.) This personal time is precious to me, and I almost never waste it on errands, which usually leads to dragging Little Scribe to the grocery store, dry cleaners, or the dreaded Target. I despise running errands with him. It never fails that the trip ends up with some kind of breakdown, no matter how many snacks, toys, or how much sleep he's gotten.
What I really need is what Michael Keaton had in the movie, "Multiplicity," a "Mama Scribe #2" who would do all of my errands for me while I write. With my luck, though, the clone would be like #4 in the movie and never get anything done. (If you've seen the movie, you'll know what I mean.) Actually, I think in real life, now that I've become a mother, my brain is more like #4 than I want to admit!
And now, it's time to go eat a dolphin... I mean, pet a dolphin. (Another annoying movie reference, I know)
Monday, February 12, 2007
Early To Bed (In My Dreams!)
Tried to get Little Scribe in bed early tonight so I could work on my novel, to no avail! We started at 7:15pm, and the ordeal didn't end until 9:00pm, after crying it out inbetween, me going back in to change his diaper, and starting all over again. Aaagh! And what am I doing now? Procrastinating, of course.
So often I get really worked up to write, ready to hit those keys right after my son hits the pillow, only to be thrown off by his decision that no, it is not time for bed, Mama. It's time to play with Mama's hair, flip around a hundred times in her arms, and play with Mama's hair some more.
Don't get me wrong... I LOVE cuddling Little Scribe and feeling him play with my hair. But when I am in my writer's mode and feeling antsy to type, it drives me crazy when it takes much longer than I thought.
Ditto all of this for nap time, too. (Although today was a good day on that account. I got two and a half hours of writing time in during nap.)
Can't write a long post tonight. Got to catch up on my missed writing time (As the dirty dinner dishes sit on the counter and in the sink, but that's another topic for a later post...)
Off to the trenches...
So often I get really worked up to write, ready to hit those keys right after my son hits the pillow, only to be thrown off by his decision that no, it is not time for bed, Mama. It's time to play with Mama's hair, flip around a hundred times in her arms, and play with Mama's hair some more.
Don't get me wrong... I LOVE cuddling Little Scribe and feeling him play with my hair. But when I am in my writer's mode and feeling antsy to type, it drives me crazy when it takes much longer than I thought.
Ditto all of this for nap time, too. (Although today was a good day on that account. I got two and a half hours of writing time in during nap.)
Can't write a long post tonight. Got to catch up on my missed writing time (As the dirty dinner dishes sit on the counter and in the sink, but that's another topic for a later post...)
Off to the trenches...
Friday, February 9, 2007
Frailty, Thy Name is Hats!
Why is it that my son refuses to let me take a shower during the day? At first, when he was younger, I thought it was his age. Maybe the whole "separation anxiety" phase or what not. So, I stayed diligent and kept trying, bringing in toys, books, playing music, the whole nine yards, just so Mama could get clean and not have anymore playdough underneath her fingernails from two days ago.
Nothing worked.
My son cried and carried on, his screams at mezzo soprano level, reaching all the way to my husband's office upstairs, where Daddy was undoubitibly on a conference call to New York. I realized that I had to make a decision-- shower and let him scream, shower at night, shower during naps when I could be writing, or shower when my husband finished with work, usually around 4pm.
I decided to shower, well, whenever I could! This has led to extremely bad hair days and a propensity to throw on a hat no matter what the outfit, whether I get to take a shower or not, since even if I do get to in the morning or afternoon, I rarely ever have time to blow-dry my hair.
I have never been a fashionista or a DEVIL WEARS PRADA type of gal, but at least I used to match my hats a little better pre-baby! (Hats have always been a passion of mine. They are to me what shoes are to others.) Now, in the madness of trying to get washed, dried, dressed, and out the door for one reason or another, it isn't surprising if I wear a knitted Reggae-style beret with a plaid skirt!
To get through the horror of my endless bad hair and hat days, I've decided to just think of myself as an artsy writer/mama with barely enough time to write two pages a day let alone worry about her looks. I'm sure this leads to strange stares from mothers who are a little more (okay, A LOT more) together than me whenever I pick up my son from the play group he attends three times a week so can write across the street at Peets Coffee. But if the time I saved taking a shower at night, throwing on a hat in the morning, and rushing out the door with my washed, fed, and clothed toddler helped me to write two pages of my novel that day, then the "hat head" was well worth it.
Mama Scribe has to keep her priorities straight!
Nothing worked.
My son cried and carried on, his screams at mezzo soprano level, reaching all the way to my husband's office upstairs, where Daddy was undoubitibly on a conference call to New York. I realized that I had to make a decision-- shower and let him scream, shower at night, shower during naps when I could be writing, or shower when my husband finished with work, usually around 4pm.
I decided to shower, well, whenever I could! This has led to extremely bad hair days and a propensity to throw on a hat no matter what the outfit, whether I get to take a shower or not, since even if I do get to in the morning or afternoon, I rarely ever have time to blow-dry my hair.
I have never been a fashionista or a DEVIL WEARS PRADA type of gal, but at least I used to match my hats a little better pre-baby! (Hats have always been a passion of mine. They are to me what shoes are to others.) Now, in the madness of trying to get washed, dried, dressed, and out the door for one reason or another, it isn't surprising if I wear a knitted Reggae-style beret with a plaid skirt!
To get through the horror of my endless bad hair and hat days, I've decided to just think of myself as an artsy writer/mama with barely enough time to write two pages a day let alone worry about her looks. I'm sure this leads to strange stares from mothers who are a little more (okay, A LOT more) together than me whenever I pick up my son from the play group he attends three times a week so can write across the street at Peets Coffee. But if the time I saved taking a shower at night, throwing on a hat in the morning, and rushing out the door with my washed, fed, and clothed toddler helped me to write two pages of my novel that day, then the "hat head" was well worth it.
Mama Scribe has to keep her priorities straight!
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Raising Our Tea and Sippy Cups
Here at the Quill and Crayon, we raise a cup of English Breakfast tea and a sippy cup of milk to our latest books of the moment, THE REMARKABLE LIFE AND TIMES OF ELIZA ROSE by Mary Hooper, and the artist board book series by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober, published by Chronicle books.
I don't pretend to be a book reviewer, but I do want to share books on my blog that I have read or read to Little Scribe that particularly peaked my interest or that I greatly enjoyed. These are two of the latest in what I hope becomes a regular addition to this humble "cottage"of a blog.
Set in the mid-seventeenth century, THE REMARKABLE LIFE AND TIMES OF ELIZA ROSE is my most recent middle grade read, and one that I could not put down.
Eliza Rose begins her story locked in Clink prison, a place where most middle grade novels are never set. (Squalor is such a refreshing change!) Eliza has been kicked out of the house by her stepmother, and she travels to London to search for her father to tell him of the ordeal, only to be arrested when hunger forces her to steal a pasty from a vendor. After surviving for a time there, Eliza is released into the custody of Old Ma Gwyn, a local brothel owner and the mother of real-life actress Nelly Gwyn. After a stint playing a mermaid for Ma Gwyn as payment for her release, Eliza is taken away by Nelly and begins a new life as her companion and maid. She finds friendship in Nelly and becomes fascinated with life in the theatre as well as in the king's court when Nelly becomes Royal Mistress to King Charles II. A surprise ending explains the true events of Eliza's birth, the knowledge of which changes her life forever.
A few years ago, I read Mary Hooper's AT THE SIGN OF THE SUGARED PLUM, and loved it, so I had a feeling that her newest novel wouldn't disappoint. Her writing style flows easily, her descriptions are rich with detail, and she has a good sense of the language of the period. I especially like Hooper's setting descriptions, like this example of Eliza experiencing Clink prison for the first time.
"She now felt it safe to open her eyes. When she did so, however, the view before her was so disturbing that she immediately shut them again. In that instant she'd seen a long, low-ceilinged space, poorly lit by tallow candles, and some bedraggled and filthy creatures sitting around its walls, all of whom looked to be in a state of utter despair and dejection...
Eliza's eyelids flickered open again. To the left, not many inches from where she was lying, was a shallow channel which had been dug out from the hardened earth. There were neither windows nor ventilation in the room, and the stench from the channel- which was no more than an open sewer conveying filth and human waste, she realized- hung chokingly on the air of the room. Which wasn't a room at all, but a cell.
She was in prison."
Reading that certainly makes me happy to be sitting next to my wood-burning stove, wrapped in a sweater, all cozy and warm!
I really want to read PETALS IN THE ASHES, the book Hooper wrote right before this one, set in the seventeenth century during the Great London Fire. I'm hoping her writing style carries over to that novel as well.
Little Scribe's picks are a set of board books by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober, each about a different artist, and each a delight in its own way. So far, we have in our collection SUNDAY WITH SEURAT, SHARING WITH RENOIR, IN THE GARDEN WITH VAN GOGH, DANCING WITH DEGAS, A PICNIC WITH MONET, and A MAGICAL DAY WITH MATISSE. The books follow a poetic format, with each stanza describing a painting. Here is an excerpt from A PICNIC WITH MONET (picture each stanza next to a Monet painting):
"Cross a magical bridge to a place beyond,
where water lilies float on a purple pond.
Then find the way to a shimmering bay
where sailboats race the day away."
The poems are lyrical and really bring the paintings to life. Good, unforced rhyme, as well. Little Scribe loves these stories and wants me to read them over and over. It also helps to read them before going to an art museum, because then Little Scribe is used to seeing the art and can point out bridges, flowers, boats, etc, as we walk around together. (I also use the "find the kitties and puppies" method to get through art museums. It never fails!)
Hopefully you'll be able to check out some of these titles and add them to the piles next to your beds, too.
I don't pretend to be a book reviewer, but I do want to share books on my blog that I have read or read to Little Scribe that particularly peaked my interest or that I greatly enjoyed. These are two of the latest in what I hope becomes a regular addition to this humble "cottage"of a blog.
Set in the mid-seventeenth century, THE REMARKABLE LIFE AND TIMES OF ELIZA ROSE is my most recent middle grade read, and one that I could not put down.
Eliza Rose begins her story locked in Clink prison, a place where most middle grade novels are never set. (Squalor is such a refreshing change!) Eliza has been kicked out of the house by her stepmother, and she travels to London to search for her father to tell him of the ordeal, only to be arrested when hunger forces her to steal a pasty from a vendor. After surviving for a time there, Eliza is released into the custody of Old Ma Gwyn, a local brothel owner and the mother of real-life actress Nelly Gwyn. After a stint playing a mermaid for Ma Gwyn as payment for her release, Eliza is taken away by Nelly and begins a new life as her companion and maid. She finds friendship in Nelly and becomes fascinated with life in the theatre as well as in the king's court when Nelly becomes Royal Mistress to King Charles II. A surprise ending explains the true events of Eliza's birth, the knowledge of which changes her life forever.
A few years ago, I read Mary Hooper's AT THE SIGN OF THE SUGARED PLUM, and loved it, so I had a feeling that her newest novel wouldn't disappoint. Her writing style flows easily, her descriptions are rich with detail, and she has a good sense of the language of the period. I especially like Hooper's setting descriptions, like this example of Eliza experiencing Clink prison for the first time.
"She now felt it safe to open her eyes. When she did so, however, the view before her was so disturbing that she immediately shut them again. In that instant she'd seen a long, low-ceilinged space, poorly lit by tallow candles, and some bedraggled and filthy creatures sitting around its walls, all of whom looked to be in a state of utter despair and dejection...
Eliza's eyelids flickered open again. To the left, not many inches from where she was lying, was a shallow channel which had been dug out from the hardened earth. There were neither windows nor ventilation in the room, and the stench from the channel- which was no more than an open sewer conveying filth and human waste, she realized- hung chokingly on the air of the room. Which wasn't a room at all, but a cell.
She was in prison."
Reading that certainly makes me happy to be sitting next to my wood-burning stove, wrapped in a sweater, all cozy and warm!
I really want to read PETALS IN THE ASHES, the book Hooper wrote right before this one, set in the seventeenth century during the Great London Fire. I'm hoping her writing style carries over to that novel as well.
Little Scribe's picks are a set of board books by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober, each about a different artist, and each a delight in its own way. So far, we have in our collection SUNDAY WITH SEURAT, SHARING WITH RENOIR, IN THE GARDEN WITH VAN GOGH, DANCING WITH DEGAS, A PICNIC WITH MONET, and A MAGICAL DAY WITH MATISSE. The books follow a poetic format, with each stanza describing a painting. Here is an excerpt from A PICNIC WITH MONET (picture each stanza next to a Monet painting):
"Cross a magical bridge to a place beyond,
where water lilies float on a purple pond.
Then find the way to a shimmering bay
where sailboats race the day away."
The poems are lyrical and really bring the paintings to life. Good, unforced rhyme, as well. Little Scribe loves these stories and wants me to read them over and over. It also helps to read them before going to an art museum, because then Little Scribe is used to seeing the art and can point out bridges, flowers, boats, etc, as we walk around together. (I also use the "find the kitties and puppies" method to get through art museums. It never fails!)
Hopefully you'll be able to check out some of these titles and add them to the piles next to your beds, too.
Historical Fiction Isn't History After All
It's so nice to see that two of the Newbery Honor medals awarded this year went to historical fiction titles again. PENNY FROM HEAVEN, by Jennifer L. Holm, takes place in 1953 Brooklyn, while HATTIE BIG SKY by Kirby Larson is set in 1918 Iowa and Montana. I haven't read these books yet, but they are definitely on my list (and in that taller than the Empire State Building pile of books beside my bed.)
After hearing that historical fiction just wasn't selling well at quite a few SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conferences, I began to question my love for writing them. Should I continue? Or should I try to write something that I think will "sell" easier? Contemporary chick lit? High Fantasy trilogies? Edgy YA? But I've been sticking with what I love the most, hoping that my passion will carry over into my writing and woo an editor to publish it even if the genre isn't on the "it" list (and if my story is good, of course).
Looking back at the 2006 and 2005 winners, one title with historical fiction tendencies (really a fantasy, though) won the honor medal last year (WHITTINGTON by Alan Armstrong, set in medieval era) and two actual historical fiction titles won honors the year before (AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS by Gennifer Choldenko, set in 1935 on Alcatraz Island, and LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY by Gary D. Schmidt, set in 1912 in Maine.) So, it goes to show that a writer should not really take those talks about what is selling and what isn't too seriously. Historical Fiction is alive and well, as far as I can tell.
Now if only I can find the time between playing "puppet show" and "playdough time" with Little Scribe to read all these books! (I have read AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS, and I highly recommend it. Very funny and clever story, one of those ideas that I wished I had thought of.)
After hearing that historical fiction just wasn't selling well at quite a few SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conferences, I began to question my love for writing them. Should I continue? Or should I try to write something that I think will "sell" easier? Contemporary chick lit? High Fantasy trilogies? Edgy YA? But I've been sticking with what I love the most, hoping that my passion will carry over into my writing and woo an editor to publish it even if the genre isn't on the "it" list (and if my story is good, of course).
Looking back at the 2006 and 2005 winners, one title with historical fiction tendencies (really a fantasy, though) won the honor medal last year (WHITTINGTON by Alan Armstrong, set in medieval era) and two actual historical fiction titles won honors the year before (AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS by Gennifer Choldenko, set in 1935 on Alcatraz Island, and LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY by Gary D. Schmidt, set in 1912 in Maine.) So, it goes to show that a writer should not really take those talks about what is selling and what isn't too seriously. Historical Fiction is alive and well, as far as I can tell.
Now if only I can find the time between playing "puppet show" and "playdough time" with Little Scribe to read all these books! (I have read AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS, and I highly recommend it. Very funny and clever story, one of those ideas that I wished I had thought of.)
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Toddler Television Woes
Little Scribe's third viewing of "Curious George" in the past two days (due to a nasty case of the stomach flu that incapacitated him for a while) has me wondering if now is the time to find a toddler television show that he can watch once a week.
My husband and I followed the "no T.V. until age two" rule pretty well, except for special occasions like if I was sick, we were in a hotel room trying to get ready to leave or pack, or just recently whenever he was sick. We even completely avoided anything starting with the word, "Baby" and ending with the name of a famous composer, writer, or scientist.
Now since he's past age two, it would certainly be convenient to let him watch an episode of "Blues Clues" once a week so I could do some research on the computer or check email (which takes up my writing time) or cook more in the kitchen (my New Year's resolution) or, shock of all shocks, maybe even fold some laundry.
But, is watching that much television at this age good for him? Will I ruin all that I set out to do when I limited his television viewing to once every couple of months or so? Will I hinder his love for "stories" and books?
I guess once a week isn't all that bad. (Of course, I was even thinking twice a week.) I need to do some research on it. The last thing I want to teach him is to "watch television" instead of the learning what the shows are trying to teach him.
Any ideas? Please email me!
And now, back to Miss Plushbottom in her bathtub. If you've watched the movie, "Curious George" as much as I have, you'll know what I'm talking about. (I love that character's name, by the way. Has anyone noticed the "Tiffany & Co." paint color along her apartment's trim and on her door? Nice touch by the animators. It really adds to her character.)
I guess if Little Scribe has to love a movie, "Curious George" is, in my opinion, the best one out there for his age group. Great dialogue, unique story idea, and animation that really plays off the book's original illustrations. And it is, of course, based on one of the most beloved children's books of all time.
Other friends' kids loved the movie, "Cars," but I was very disappointed with the story. It was way too similar to the Michael J. Fox classic, "Doc Hollywood" (a particular favorite of mine, however.) Pixar, once a great innovator in story for animation, let me down with "Cars." Plus, I felt that the movie itself was for an older childhood crowd, and not for toddlers. That crash scene in the beginning is loud and scary! Little Scribe can barely handle when George tumbles to the ground inside the brontosaurus skeleton scene in "Curious George", and he's watched it upteen times. So I'm waiting to let him watch "Cars" for an indefinite amount of time. (Not too big of a fan of the Nascar scene, to be quite honest, either.)
Little Scribe's other favorite films are "Mary Poppins" and the newly introduced "Bambi" (first watched yesterday and extremely edited due to mother's death scene and fire). The dancing penguins are a hit in "Mary Poppins" and so is the wise old owl and Thumper in "Bambi." After noticing the name, Felix Salten, as the writing credit for the original story of "Bambi," I looked the name up online and found out that Felix published the story, BAMBI: A Life in the Woods, in 1926 in Austria. According to Wikipedia (not exactly a professional journal or completely trustworthy site, but a start), the story was translated into English in 1928 and became a Book-of-the-Month club hit.
My analysis? Stick to movies based on children's books! (If done well, that is. Exception is Gail Carson Levine's ELLA ENCHANTED, an unhappily-ever-after remake that veers much too far away from the Newbery award-winning novel.)
I do want to show Little Scribe the Wallace and Gromit movies someday, though. Now those are clever stories not based on a book! Give me flying bunnies inside a vaccuum cleaner, a smart dog, and Wensleydale cheese anyday!
My husband and I followed the "no T.V. until age two" rule pretty well, except for special occasions like if I was sick, we were in a hotel room trying to get ready to leave or pack, or just recently whenever he was sick. We even completely avoided anything starting with the word, "Baby" and ending with the name of a famous composer, writer, or scientist.
Now since he's past age two, it would certainly be convenient to let him watch an episode of "Blues Clues" once a week so I could do some research on the computer or check email (which takes up my writing time) or cook more in the kitchen (my New Year's resolution) or, shock of all shocks, maybe even fold some laundry.
But, is watching that much television at this age good for him? Will I ruin all that I set out to do when I limited his television viewing to once every couple of months or so? Will I hinder his love for "stories" and books?
I guess once a week isn't all that bad. (Of course, I was even thinking twice a week.) I need to do some research on it. The last thing I want to teach him is to "watch television" instead of the learning what the shows are trying to teach him.
Any ideas? Please email me!
And now, back to Miss Plushbottom in her bathtub. If you've watched the movie, "Curious George" as much as I have, you'll know what I'm talking about. (I love that character's name, by the way. Has anyone noticed the "Tiffany & Co." paint color along her apartment's trim and on her door? Nice touch by the animators. It really adds to her character.)
I guess if Little Scribe has to love a movie, "Curious George" is, in my opinion, the best one out there for his age group. Great dialogue, unique story idea, and animation that really plays off the book's original illustrations. And it is, of course, based on one of the most beloved children's books of all time.
Other friends' kids loved the movie, "Cars," but I was very disappointed with the story. It was way too similar to the Michael J. Fox classic, "Doc Hollywood" (a particular favorite of mine, however.) Pixar, once a great innovator in story for animation, let me down with "Cars." Plus, I felt that the movie itself was for an older childhood crowd, and not for toddlers. That crash scene in the beginning is loud and scary! Little Scribe can barely handle when George tumbles to the ground inside the brontosaurus skeleton scene in "Curious George", and he's watched it upteen times. So I'm waiting to let him watch "Cars" for an indefinite amount of time. (Not too big of a fan of the Nascar scene, to be quite honest, either.)
Little Scribe's other favorite films are "Mary Poppins" and the newly introduced "Bambi" (first watched yesterday and extremely edited due to mother's death scene and fire). The dancing penguins are a hit in "Mary Poppins" and so is the wise old owl and Thumper in "Bambi." After noticing the name, Felix Salten, as the writing credit for the original story of "Bambi," I looked the name up online and found out that Felix published the story, BAMBI: A Life in the Woods, in 1926 in Austria. According to Wikipedia (not exactly a professional journal or completely trustworthy site, but a start), the story was translated into English in 1928 and became a Book-of-the-Month club hit.
My analysis? Stick to movies based on children's books! (If done well, that is. Exception is Gail Carson Levine's ELLA ENCHANTED, an unhappily-ever-after remake that veers much too far away from the Newbery award-winning novel.)
I do want to show Little Scribe the Wallace and Gromit movies someday, though. Now those are clever stories not based on a book! Give me flying bunnies inside a vaccuum cleaner, a smart dog, and Wensleydale cheese anyday!
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Becoming "Marmee"
After reading GOODNIGHT MOON to my son for the thousandth time, it dawned on me that I have suddenly made a significant character shift in Margaret Wise Brown's beloved classic picture book.
I have become "the quiet old lady whispering hush."
No longer am I the bunny who will not go to sleep!
When and how did this happen? Oh sure, I know it "officially" occurred when my son was born, but when did the change happen in my heart?
This got me to thinking about all of the other children's stories in my life that have famous "motherly" figures in them, and, without thinking, I decided to test my theory and choose characters I could currently relate to the most from a sampling of these books.
To my amazement, I always chose the mothers (or the motherly figure).
Mrs. Mallard in Robert McCloskey's MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS, Mama Monkey in Eileen Christelow's FIVE LITTLE MONKEY'S JUMPING ON THE BED, Miss Clavel in Ludwig Bemelmans' MADELINE, Baba in Jan Brett's THE MITTEN, Mama Cat in Judy West's HAVE YOU GOT MY PURR? (not a classic, but one of Little Scribe's favorite's) even the Man With the Yellow Hat in H.A. Rey's CURIOUS GEORGE AND THE ROCKET. These are just a few of the characters that have moved into my neighborhood.
And of course, my all time favorite--Marmee in Louisa May Alcott's LITTLE WOMEN.
I have officially joined the ranks of literary mothers.
Should I feel sad about this?
Surprisingly, I feel more of a sense of accumulation than of loss, because a part of me will always be that feisty little bunny in GOODNIGHT MOON, not wanting to fall asleep and miss out on all the fun...or George blasting off into space...or Madeline recooperating in the hospital with flowers, candy, and her friends surrounding her bed...or Jo yearning for adventure and scribbling away in the middle of the night...
Maybe that's what defines mothers who are also children's writers. We refuse to let go of both our ducklings and our bunnies, all the while still jumping on the bed!
I have become "the quiet old lady whispering hush."
No longer am I the bunny who will not go to sleep!
When and how did this happen? Oh sure, I know it "officially" occurred when my son was born, but when did the change happen in my heart?
This got me to thinking about all of the other children's stories in my life that have famous "motherly" figures in them, and, without thinking, I decided to test my theory and choose characters I could currently relate to the most from a sampling of these books.
To my amazement, I always chose the mothers (or the motherly figure).
Mrs. Mallard in Robert McCloskey's MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS, Mama Monkey in Eileen Christelow's FIVE LITTLE MONKEY'S JUMPING ON THE BED, Miss Clavel in Ludwig Bemelmans' MADELINE, Baba in Jan Brett's THE MITTEN, Mama Cat in Judy West's HAVE YOU GOT MY PURR? (not a classic, but one of Little Scribe's favorite's) even the Man With the Yellow Hat in H.A. Rey's CURIOUS GEORGE AND THE ROCKET. These are just a few of the characters that have moved into my neighborhood.
And of course, my all time favorite--Marmee in Louisa May Alcott's LITTLE WOMEN.
I have officially joined the ranks of literary mothers.
Should I feel sad about this?
Surprisingly, I feel more of a sense of accumulation than of loss, because a part of me will always be that feisty little bunny in GOODNIGHT MOON, not wanting to fall asleep and miss out on all the fun...or George blasting off into space...or Madeline recooperating in the hospital with flowers, candy, and her friends surrounding her bed...or Jo yearning for adventure and scribbling away in the middle of the night...
Maybe that's what defines mothers who are also children's writers. We refuse to let go of both our ducklings and our bunnies, all the while still jumping on the bed!
Back in the Blog Seat Again
Here I am, once again attempting this phenomenon known as "blogging." Don't know if I will survive this go around, but here goes nothing...
As you can see, this is a much different topic than my last blog. It is one closer to my heart, which may lead to a harder blog to write, as I am more unwilling to merge my two different lives of writing and motherhood together. But, then again, if what I am going through can help another, then my blog will have succeeded.
And now, on to blogging!
As you can see, this is a much different topic than my last blog. It is one closer to my heart, which may lead to a harder blog to write, as I am more unwilling to merge my two different lives of writing and motherhood together. But, then again, if what I am going through can help another, then my blog will have succeeded.
And now, on to blogging!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)