• Across the Alley
• Angel Girl (ok, this turned out to be fictional but it’s a beautiful book)
• Janusz Korczak’s Children
• The Diary of Laura’s Twin (A Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers)
• You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

On this edition, Mark speaks with author/artist Hélène Boudreau about her contribution called Story Time, the complex art of story telling through illustration and the difference and similarities between her own childhood experiences with books and the experiences of her own daughters’.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

From skittery stalling to splendorous, sweet slumber, alphabet families do the bedtime wrestle in this fabulously illustrated preschool rhyme.

Other books mentioned:

• The Scrambled States of America Talent Show

More alphabet reading on JOMB:

• Carmine: A Little More Red
• Alphabetter
• A I  sn’t for Fox (An Isn’t Alphabet)

More bedtime reading on JOMB:

• I Need My Monster
• Ocean’s Child
• Go to Bed, Monster!
• Darkness Slipped In
• But If They Do…

Pop over to Tabatha A. Yeatts for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Doey eyes, gangly legs and silent, tangible devotion make this true tale of rescue, regret and release a thought provoking look at the value of life and freedom.

Other books mentioned:

• Saving Samantha: A True Story

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Warmth and well being radiate from stylized Inuit seascapes and gently lapping prose in this soothing bedtime confirmation of safety, connectedness and parental love.

More bedtime reading on JOMB:

• I Need My Monster
• Go to Bed, Monster!
• Darkness Slipped In
• But If They Do…

Pop over to Crossover for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

This delicately illustrated tale of travel and tragedy reminds us that today’s disaster just might be a necessary step towards the ultimate attainment of our heart’s desire.

Other books mentioned:

• The Farmer’s Wife
• The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal

More middle eastern reading on JOMB:

• Silent Music (A Story of Baghdad)
• Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story
• 52 Days by Camel
• My Friend Jamal
• The Butter Man
• Lugalbanda: The Boy Who Got Caught Up In The War
• The Rich Man and the Parrot
• Sanji and the Baker
• Interview with Suzan Nadimi

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show

The conference opened with award-winning radio producer Jowi Taylor telling the incredible stories behind his Six String Nation guitar project.  6SN, as it is sometimes called, is a guitar made from 64 pieces of Canada including a piece of Maurice “Rocket” Richard’s Stanley Cup Championship ring, wood from Pierre Trudeau’s canoe paddle and a part of the Golden Spruce.  This project has become so important that the Canadian Mint has pressed 30,000 commemorative guitar-pick shaped coins.  Jowi’s Six String Nation book was released over the weekend.  By the time his session was over, the PAB community was rushing to the front of the room for the opportunity to hold the guitar, meet Jowi and participate in an impromptu, community  fundraiser.  We estimate that the community raised nearly $2000 in less than 30 minutes.  We encourage you to become familiar with this project and do what you can to support it!

The weekend was filled with incredible sessions about digital legacies, storytelling, creative workflow, audio for the blind, videography, photography, life/work balance, authority and epic awesomeness.  There was also a series of five-minute JOLT!s which challenged the community to collaborate and discover a world beyond its comfort zone.

PAB is the kind of conference that you continue to attend even after everyone has dragged out their long goodbyes and found themselves back in their normal routines.  So, there will be no show, today.

We look forward to seeing you at PAB2010 in Ottawa.

Photos: Andrea and Mark with the Six String Nation guitar taken by John Meadows, PAB09 group photo taken by Bob Goyetche.

Clean lines, comical details and snappy, generous first person narration sweep us into this suspenseful tale of strategy, solidarity and overlooked superpowers.

Other books mentioned:

• Iggy Peck, Architect
• The Mysterious Benedict Society
• Miss Nelson is Missing

More independent thinkers on JOMB:

• Willow
• Odd Velvet
• Suki’s Kimono
• Ruby’s Wish
• Getting to Know Ruben Plotnick
• Silly Tilly
• more here.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Dexterous textile, text and recipe clipping collage are the pièce de résistance of this delectable adventure in talent, teamwork, travel — and sneaked treats!

More gallivanting animals on JOMB:

• Safe and Sound
• Someday When My Cat Can Talk

More food on JOMB:

• A Medieval Feast
• The Butter Man
• The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza
• The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating
• The Tortilla Cat
• Too Many Tamales
• Treasure for Lunch
• Berry Magic
• Chopsticks
• Mammoth Pie
• On Top of Spaghetti
• Pumpkin Soup
• Sanji and the Baker

More kings on JOMB:

• The King of Capri
• The King’s Equal
• Rumplestilskin’s Daughter
• The Red Wolf
• Wenceslas

More dogs on JOMB here.

HOTLINE VOICES: Eden Spodek — who will be at PAB09 — has fabulous childhood and parenthood memories of Where the Wild Things Are (by Maurice Sendak)

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Incidentally, Daniele is part of the speaking program at this year’s PAB09 event, taking place in Kingston, Canada from June 19-21.

During a recent trip to Toronto, Mark spoke with Daniele about his contribution to our Love of Reading Gallery, Now This One, digital sketchbooks and the beauty of seeing eraser marks on real paper.

Related links:

• Daniele Rossi’s website
• Daniele’s Stuttering is Cool Podcast
• The Pen is Mightier than the Plug-in? interview of Daniele on On the Log
• New Yorker Cover Story: Finger Painting
• Podcasters Across Borders conference

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Catchy, four-line rhymes and an energetic animal cast aim to take the sting out of multiplication long before the onset of Times Table Torture.

More math on JOMB:

• On the Scale, a Weighty Tale
• Missing Math (A Number Mystery)
• A Very Improbable Story
• Full House: An Invitation to Fractions
• Interview with David Schwartz

Pop over to Critique de Mr. Chompchomp for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show

• Hana in the Time of the Tulips
• Up
• Enemy Pie
• Oh No, Not Ghosts!
• Ocean Wide, Ocean Deep
• The Bat Boy and his Violin
• The Outside Dog
• Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie
• Bird
• But If They Do…
• The Butter Man
• McFig & McFly (A Tale of Jealousy, Revenge, and Death — with a Happy Ending)
• Heroes of Isle aux Morts
• Mei Ming and the Dragon’s Daughter
• Before You Were Here, Mi Amor
• Dad’s Bald Head
• My Dad’s A Birdman
• The Penderwicks On Gardam Street
• The Mysterious Benedict Society
• Clementine’s Letter

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Gilded, stylized illustrations, scads of stats and lilting, laid back narration present an inspiring tale of persistence, power, poise and prevalent potential in this intimate look at the short but striking career of one of baseball’s greats.

More sports on JOMB:

• Baseball Hour
• Across the Alley
• Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer
• The Bat Boy and His Violin
• Baseball Saved Us
• Dino-Hockey
• The Magic Hockey Stick

HOTLINE VOICES: Radio Producer and Sound Artist Paolo Pietropaolo explains why he loves Fantastic Mr. Fox (by Roald Dahl).

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show

On this edition, Mark speaks with illustrator Roberta Baird about her contribution called Book Talk, the convergence of traditional and digital illustration, and her hope to one day write and illustrate her own children’s book.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Seems I missed a great day today at BookCamp Toronto.

If you didn’t, and are a Toronto BookCamper who is stopping in for the first time, Welcome! We hope you enjoy your visit to JustOneMoreBook! and that you’ll come back often.

As promised, here are some of the specific campaigns that Mark referenced during today’s session:

• The Graveyard Book and its video tour (Neil Gaiman)
• The Best Laid Plans (Terry Fallis)
• Pow! Right Between the Eyes (Andy Nulman)
• The Softwire (P. J. Haarsma)
• 30 Poets/30 Days (Greg Pincus)
• Rock Stars of Reading documentary series (Just One More Book!!)

You’ll find a post BookCamp Toronto post on Mark’s site tomorrow.

Happy Reading!

Today, we pause to consider how reading aloud to our children benefits us as adults, our family and our relationships with each other.

Books mentioned (and pictured to right):

• The Greatest Power (The Gecko & Sticky)

We’d love to hear how reading has benefited your family. Leave us a comment below or, better yet, leave us a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Happy Reading!

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Sunshine, shenanigans and loads of jingly rhyme make this cheery little board book a perfect preschool pick.

Other books mentioned:

• Kid Tea

HOTLINE VOICES: Twin sisters Rosie (6) and Ronnie (6) tell us about their favourite rhyming books, One Duck Stuck (by Phyllis Root and Jane Chapman) and Hop on Pop (by Dr. Seuss).

More pooch inspired poetry on JOMB:

• Don’t Lick the Dog
• Stella, Unleashed!
• Biscuits in the Cupboard
• Good Dog
• My Pup
• The Pound from the Hound
• Poodlena
• Safe and Sound
• Dirty Dog Boogie

Pop over to Read, Write, Believe for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

Just look for the tall, handsome guy in the Wild Rumpus shirt!

This week, almost one year to the day after our June 15, 2008 cutoff date, we were thrilled to receive this fabulous new submission from illustrator & author Peggy Collins (on JOMB). Thank you, Peggy!!

Over the summer, we’ll be catching up on our series of short interviews with each of the more than 50 contributors to our Love of Reading Gallery.

Details on how to submit appear at the top of our Love of Reading Gallery page.

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

One wisecracking lizard, one over-caffeinated monkey and 200 pages of action, attitude and assombroso alliteration transform run-of-the-mill read-aloud adults into comedy superstars. Talk about the greatest power!

You can check out Lucy & Bayla’s Sticky-inspired artwork here.

Other books mentioned:

• Clementine’s Letter
• Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger (Kevin Bolger on JOMB)

HOTLINE VOICES: Owen (9) and Riley (9) share their enthusiasm for Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show

All proceeds from the sale of the book go to The Raising Readers Literacy Program, a registered charity that supports literacy in early childhood.

On this edition, Mark speaks with illustrator Katie Davis about her contribution called Get Into Books and not being able to time travel.

Be sure to enjoy all of the amazing artwork in our Love of Reading Gallery.

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

With its chatty narrative, droll dialogue and playfully illustrated play-by-play, this plucky retelling of the traditional Slavic tale is practically bound theatre.

Other books mentioned:

• Brave Irene
• The Three Sillies
• Cupid and Psyche

More shady step-families on JOMB:

• Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave
• Cinderella Skeleton
• Smoky Mountain Rose (An Appalachian Cinderella)
• Ella’s Big Chance

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show

On this edition, Sheree Fitch is a guest of our home to talk about being shortlisted for the highest honour in Canadian adult humour — The Stephen Leacock award, the differences between writing adult fiction and children’s books, and the movie deal for her YA novel The Gravesavers.

Other books by Sheree Fitch:

• If I Had a Million Onions
• Mabel Murple
• I Am Small
• There Were Monkeys in My Kitchen

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Airy illustrations and sparse poetic prose paint a poignant picture of hope, help and healing in this unspoken invitation to dare to care.

Other books mentioned:

• “Let’s Get a Pup!” said Kate
• Michael Rosen’s Sad Book

Dreams of flying on JOMB:

• Fly, Eagle, Fly
• I Can Hear the Sun
• Falling Angels
• Tudley Didn’t Know

Six weeks ago yesterday, in Woodstock, Ontario, eight year old Victoria Stafford  finished her school day … then disappeared.  As the days turned to weeks, Canadians coast to coast came to know Victoria and her family as we watched mother Tara McDonald’s daily efforts to keep the search for her daughter fresh in our minds.  This despite mounting public criticism and suspicion of Tara herself.

Yesterday, we learned of Tori’s tragic fate … and of her mother’s innocence.

This episode of Just One More Book! is dedicated to little Tori Stafford, with heartfelt hopes for the healing of those she left behind.

The drive home from Northampton was the longest eight hours of our lives not because of the weather (we experienced sun, clouds and a spectacular if short snow storm) or the traffic (there wasn’t much) but because of the amazing memories that we collected and friends we made and how we seemed to be going further away from both.  Fortunately, those friendships remain and the memories are still with us; they have helped shape the way we enjoy and understand children’s books.

In this final installment of the Rock Stars of Reading we reflect on the what we experienced and consider the impact those experiences will have on us.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Afternoon in the Sun by John Williams (from Long Ride Home) found on Magnatune

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Earth toned preparations and pastel pomp treat us to a slightly slighted little sibling’s view of what seems like a very cool coming of age tradition.

Other books mentioned:

• The Lime Green Secret
• Jamela’s Dress
• The Fisherman and the Turtle

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.

To download the PDF of the May 2009 edition of our featured children’s book list, click on the image immediately to the right of this text.

To download your very own Just One More Book!! bookmark, click on the image of the bookmark that appears just below the image of our brochure in the left sidebar of our website.

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Hard-core horror meets sumptuous simile in this gripping exploration of siblinghood, self-destruction and sanitized sameness.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487.

It’s customary for interviewers to ask authors and illustrators to share their advice for aspiring book creators. During the 19th Annual Children’s Illustration Show at the R. Michelson Gallery, Mark instead asked authors and illustrators to offer advice for aspiring readers. Everyone was willing to pitch in. This video features responses from Jeanne Birdsall, Diane de Groat, Tony DiTerlizzi, Jane Dyer, Paul Jacobs, Norton Juster, Jarrett Krosoczka, Jeff Mack, David Mazor, David Milgrim, Barry Moser, Lesléa Newman, Shelley Rotner, Ruth Sanderson, Heidi Stemple, Mo Willems and Jane Yolen.

Also included is an interview with David Mazor, Founder and Executive Director of Reader to Reader — a non-profit organization that distributes books to schools and libraries in need. Reader to Reader honoured author Norton Juster for his generosity and passion in promoting literacy.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Timber and Wood by Xavier Rudd (from To Let), used with permission

Books by Jane Yolen you may recognize…

Books by Heidi Stemple you may recognize…

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Tractor Part by Zubot and Dawson (from Tractor Parts: Further Adventures in Strang)

Books by Mordicai Gerstein that you may recognize…

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Soon Enough by John Williams (from Dusty Porch), found on Magnatune

Books by Jane Dyer you may have seen…

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Razorback by Robert Farrell (from Elegant Chaos)

Books you may have seen by Paul Jacobs…

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Funky Instrumental by Steffen Coonan found on the Podsafe Music Network

Author/poet Lesléa Newman, author of the groundbreaking book Heather Has Two Mommies, talks to Mark about seeing in words (not images), writing for adults and children, and treasures in our brains.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Red Mood by Jami Sieber (from Hidden Sky), found on Magnatune

  

• Author/Poet Lesléa Newman (May 4)
• Author/Poet Paul Jacobs (May 5)
• Illustrator Jane Dyer (May 6)
• Author/Illustrator Mordicai Gerstein (May 7)
• Authors Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple (May 8)

We will return to our regular book talk publication schedule next week.

We spent a lot of time becoming familiar with the creative process of illustrators during our trip. So, it was exciting to spend time in Richard Michelson’s (on JOMB) studio getting introduced to his writing process.

During the hour he and I spent in his studio, Richard showed me the working papers for books including Tuttle’s Red Barn and As Good As Anybody and shared some of the valuable lessons he’s learned from reading and writing children’s books.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Gruncharsko by Panacea (from Songs and Dance Music of Europe East and West), found on Magnatune

Hospital bills are high and health insurance doesn’t cover everything. That’s what inspired Jone MacCulloch to organize a fundraising auction for Bridget.

We’re participating in the auction by offering audio production and creative direction services for a single ten-minute audio production.  Depending on the type of work Mark does with the winner, the value will range between $450 and $1000.  Bidding begins at $100.  To read the details of our auction item or to make a bid, follow this link and leave a comment.

For more about about Bridget Zinn, click here.

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Earthy tones and textiles of Tanzania softly serve warm embraces and learned love in this beautiful tale of motherhood mimicry and the joy of nurturing.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487.

Chapters.ca bn.com

Happily sloppy artwork and perfectly picked words and pace present the first-person ponderings of a young girl as her once spunky grandmother slips into forgetfulness in this sweet, sad tale of coping and compassion.

Update: Mark mentions the documentary film and supporting website, Forgetful not Forgotten.

More grandmothers on JOMB:

• The Grandmother Doll
  
• Getting to Know Ruben Plotnick
• When-I-Was-a-Little-Girl
• The Gardener
• The Lotus Seed
• Snow
• Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie
• Treasure For Lunch
• Falling Angels
• The Clay Ladies
• Healing the Wounds of World War II
• A Gift For Gita
• Carmine, A Little More Red
• Petite Rouge, A Cajun Red Riding Hood
• Grandma’s Feather Bed
• Bintou’s Braids
• Seven Brave Women
• Suki’s Kimono
• The Not-So-Only Child
• A Very Unusual Dog
• Aunt Claire’s Yellow Beehive Hair
• Mama’s Saris
• Mr. Hiroshi’s Garden
• I Am Small
• Before You Were Here, Mi Amor
• The Party

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487.

Mark, Richard Michelson (on JOMB), Tony Diterlizzi and Scott Fisher spoke for three hours about almost everything related to children’s books and the publishing industry.  It was a very cerebral conversation, much of which revolved around print and digital books, the future of the industry and competing with technology for reader attention.  There were light moments, too, like when they did an analysis of Jon Scieszka’s (on JOMB) reign as the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Skittles at Buckley Bay & Mischief in the Garden by Jaime RT (from Reach)

  

  

  

Take note of the name Jeff Mack. He’s a relative newcomer to children’s books and has a very bright future. His stories are endearing and his illustrations inviting. We had the chance to see him in action and better understand his creative process as he coached Lucy and Bayla through sketching, mixing paint and painting their own illustration.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Drive Thru by Music Inside (from Outside Forces), found on Magnatune

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Rhyming triplets and edge-to-edge smile-inducing illustrations follow the carefree foolishness of an unconventional goose and remind us to savour the spice of life.

More independent thinkers on JOMB:

• Willow
• Odd Velvet
• Suki’s Kimono
• Ruby’s Wish
• Getting to Know Ruben Plotnick
• more here.

Pop over to Under The Covers for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487.

Perhaps more intriguing than books themselves is the story behind them; how they were conceived, how they were picked up by a publishing company and how they were edited.  Author/illustrator Jeff Mack has many incredible stories to tell from his young career and he took the time to share many of the stories and explain his creative process to us.

We particularly enjoyed how he engaged with Lucy and Bayla and how they may have had an influence on a creative decision for his upcoming book, Dog Wants to Play, due out September 3, 2009 (author: Christine McDonnell).

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Sunshine and Starlight by Bjork Ostrom (from Sunshine and Starlight), found on the Podsafe Music Network

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Dazzling light glows against darkening shadow as this warmly told memory of friendship and fortitude peeks into a dim chapter in Canadian history.

Other books mentioned:

• Gleam and Glow
• Naomi’s Tree
• Naomi’s Road
• Baseball Saved Us

For more information about the Japanese Internment of 1942-1945, visit Vanishing British Columbia, Canada: A People’s History, and Canadian Nikkei.

You can read about more of our favourite Canadian, Asian-themed children’s books in this essay by Andrea at Paper Tigers.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487.

After a short walk in a light rain and lunch at Atkins Farms, we arrived at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.  Nick Clark, the museum’s Chief Director, gave us a private tour and allowed us to film specific parts of the gallery.  He shared the history of the museum, and walked us through Eric Carle’s book creation and illustration process.

The Carle was the first museum we’ve been to that specifically promotes and celebrates creativity.  Besides the amazing art, multilingual library and a customer-centric book shop, the gallery boasts the always-open Penguin Art Studio where children and adults of all ages can create art of any sort.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Illustration and Fine Art by John Meadows (written specifically for Just One More Book!!)

According to pen.org, PEN is an association of writers working to advance literature, defend free expression and foster international literary fellowship.  There are chapters all over the world and not long ago, we connected with author Fran Manushkin (on JOMB), regarding an event of the New York PEN group of which she is co-chair.  

A member of the group audio recorded the March 16, 2009 presentation by Jason Low of Lee and Low Books (on JOMB) and we are lucky to include excerpts of Mr. Low’s talk — anecdotes of the origins of Lee and Low, the amazing story behind some of their award winning books and insight into the term “multicultural”.

Thanks to Fran Manushkin, Paul O. Zelinsky, Susanna Reich, Betsy Bird and Lyn.

Books mentioned:

• Baseball Saved Us
• Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story
• Su Dongpo: Chinese Genius

Be sure to listen to our interview with Lee and Low co-founder, Philip Lee (now retired).

Photo: Lee and Low website

Did you know that the first children’s picture books featured illustrations produced from wood engravings? Technology made way for lithographs and drum rollers and eventually computers which aren’t just part of the printing process — they figure prominently in the creative process.

Jarrett Krosoczka (on JOMB) shows us how he’s using his laptop computer for his new Lunch Lady graphic novel series, the first two editions of which will be available on July 28, 2009.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Bullet Drive by Robert Farrell (from When the Banks of the Mississippi Run Dry)

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Outrageously bright and pointy, stylized illustrations and catchy how-to rhyme deliver digestible tips for canine encounters of the friendly, yappy, growly, wary, jumpy, licky, snappy kind.

More dogs on JOMB:

• May I Pet Your Dog?
• How Smudge Came
• Rosie: A Visiting Dog’s Story
• Dr. White
• Heroes of Isle aux Morts
• Doggie in the Window
• Owney the Mail-Pouch Pooch
• Night Running: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog
• Stella, Unleashed!
• Little Lions, Bull Baiters & Hunting Hounds: A History of Dog Breeds
• Biscuits in the Cupboard
• Good Dog
• “Let’s Get a Pup!” said Kate
• My Pup
• The Pound from the Hound
• Poodlena
• The Trouble with Tilly Trumble
• The Outside Dog
• Lady Lupin’s Book of Etiquette
• Dogs’ Night
• I Want A Dog
• Safe and Sound
• Dirty Dog Boogie

And if you’re a fan of dogs, kids and literacy, you may be interested in the Reading with Rover and D.R.E.A.M. (dogs for reading, education, assistance and more) programs.

Pop over to Becky’s Book Reviews for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487.

It was like picture-book-boot-camp.  We had an 8am workshop and our training officer, one Jarrett Krosoczka (on JOMB), didn’t waste any time.  After a quick introduction to his pug Ralph Macchio and his fantastic creative environment, Jarrett demonstrated his illustrating and painting technique.  Before long, Lucy and Bayla were rolling up their sleeves and trying out what they had just learned; prepping the illustration paper, mixing paint and shading to create three dimensions.  At the end of the whole process, we had an original Krosoczka/Ross-Blevis painting to bring home.

Oh yeah, it was when we finally arrived at Jarrett’s (after being coached to his place over the phone) that we decided we weren’t going to get lost en route to any more of our scheduled appointments.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• PF on Tour Interlude performed by Punk Farm

Chapters.ca

Colour drenched, stylized illustrations, carefully selected quotes and simple, informative text open our eyes and imaginations to the creativity, curiosity and commitment of this explorer, inventor, filmmaker extraordinaire.

More eye-opening biographies on JOMB:

• One Beetle Too Many — The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin
• Marco Polo
• Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum
• Buffalo Music
• Priscilla and the Hollyhocks
• The Value of Believing in Yourself: The Story of Louis Pasteur

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487.

Mark spent two amazing hours at a table with Jeanne Birdsall (on JOMB), Jane Dyer, Jarrett Krosoczka (on JOMB) and David Ezra Stein, sharing a common love of children’s books and talking about how each found their way into writing and illustrating, children’s books vs. traditional publishing and what keeps them in an industry that isn’t known for generating a lot of wealth for the people in it.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Cliffhanger by the Eternal Jazz Project (from Season), found on Magnatune

On this edition of Just One More Book!!, Robert Paul Weston talks to Mark about his long history with marble tracks, writing an entire book in rhyming accentual verse and the publishing industry’s reaction to it, and the emotional connection readers experience with Zorgamazoo.

Exciting news!!! Zorgamazoo is on the E. B. White Read Aloud Award shortlist (official information).

Relevant links:

• Official site of Zorgamazoo
• Robert Paul Weston’s blog
• Review of Zorgamazoo on Just One More Book!!

Listen in as we grab a spot of floor in the home office of author Corinne Demas to talk about books and how stories are researched, the similarity between poets and picture book creators and the best job in the world.  Lucy started us off with a read-aloud of Corinne’s new book, Always in Trouble, and Corinne explains the origins of Lucy’s favourite phrase from the book “quiet as a goldfish”.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Dragondance by Art Turner (from Jade)

Humour, grimaces, gluttony and grime cleverly deliver a bonanza of not-soon forgotten feudal facts in this rhyming rundown of Medieval careers.

Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Other books mentioned:

• A Medieval Feast
• Stella, Unleashed!
• The Ghost of Nicholas Greebe
• One Witch

Pop over to Carol’s Corner for today’s full menu of poetry offerings. Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487.

If you are feasting this holiday week, Bon Appétit!

Author/Illustrator Diane de Groat walks us through the digital process of putting dogs in poses they don’t do — like lounging on a couch with a newspaper — for her upcoming book (with Shelley Rotner), Dogs Don’t Brush Their Teeth (coming in August 2009).  She also shows us how she adds digital colour, then real paint to her illustrations.  Lucy and Bayla particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to sketch using Diane’s digital tablet.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Arlechinno by Paul Bourdeau (from Wild Rice, performed by Paul Bourdeau and Shane Simpson)

Be sure to check out Diane’s contribution to our Love of Reading Gallery.

In the final of three parts that feature Author/Illustrator Lane Smith (on JOMB), we go through Lane’s archives to see ten years worth of idea development for his amazing book John, Paul, George and Ben.  Then, we hit the road for Northampton with a fun stop at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Scultpure Gardens in Springfield, Massachusetts.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Song About You by The Birdinumnums (from She Say Go, found on the Podsafe Music Network)
• The Swaggering Dragon by Zubot and Dawson (from Tractor Parts: Further Adventures in Strang)

On this edition, author Troy Wilson reflects on how his own book would have impacted him when he was a child, doing pro bono work and making ends meet as he builds a career for himself and comparing his own experiences to those of Michael Maxwell MacAllum, the main character in his book, Perfect Man.

Author/Illustrator Lane Smith (on JOMB) walks us through his thought process and style decisions for two books he’s working on that will be published in 2009 — Princess Hyacinth (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated) with Florence Parry Heide due out September 22, 2009; and The Big Elephant in the Room due out July 7, 2009.  He also demonstrates how he takes original sketches, imports them into Photoshop and turns them into digital, production-ready artwork.

MUSIC

• Theme: Woolly Mammoth by Robert Farrell (from Sun House Fury, part 1)
• Subtle Groove by Ehren Starks (from Depths of a Year, available on Magnatune)

Bloggers and podcasters take note of the interview segment with Lane during the end credits!

Are you swayed by background of or connection with a book’s creator (geographically, culturally,..)? If so, does this in turn impact your young listeners’ enjoyment of a book?

Authors, illustrators and books mentioned

• Lee Edward Fodi
• Barry Root
• Kimberly Bulcken Root
• The Storytelling Princess
• Jeanne Birdsall
• The Penderwicks

Pictured, Love and Roast Chicken, which we enjoy with more bittersweet fondness knowing the spunky, adventurous spirit of author, Barbara Knutson, and that she passed away so young, so suddenly after this book was published.

Leave us a comment or a voice mail message to let us know. Leave us a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487.