Just One More Book!!

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Here’s something unusual… there’s a series of books, 17 strong, that have been growing in popularity in more than 24 countries since the first book came out in 1994.  And, would you believe, these books are just now becoming available in the United States.  The biggest market in the world is one of the last major markets to get on board.

Francesca Simon, author of the Horrid Henry books, joins Mark for what may be one of the most important interviews we’ve ever done on Just One More Book!! as they talk about books with universal themes, the penalty of growing old enough to read by yourself and Storybook Dads — breaking the cycle of crime through a literacy and family connection program for convicts in a high-security prison.

Mentioned in the interview:

• Simon James
• Ian Whybrow
• Tony Ross

Two of the Horrid Henry books are mentioned in our 500th episode, Chapter Book Chatter.  By the way, we’re 9 episodes away from 600, now (not including our 21 part Rock Stars of Reading series).

We encourage you to learn more about the Storybook Dads program.

Photo: Francesca Simon’s website

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His art has graced the New York Times, Time Magazine, The New Yorker and the Wall Street Journal as well as record sleeves, theatre posters, annual reports and advertisements. His most important work, though, has been as an illustrator of children’s picture books.

Raul Colón’s illustrations together with Richard Michelson‘s engaging storytelling earned the 2009 Sydney Taylor Book Award for their book As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heshcel’s Amazing March Toward Freedom.

Illustrator, Raul Colón, joins me during a quiet moment at the Association of Jewish Libraries 2009 Convention to talk about illustrating the intersection of two lives in one event, getting excited about a book project and striking the balance between fact and fantasy.

MORE RAUL COLON: Click here to listen to Raul Colón talk about arming yourself with inspiration and exercising your creative muscles.

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The 44th annual convention of the Association of Jewish Libraries took place July 5-9, 2009 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel. I was honoured this year to be part of the speaking program having been invited to talk about the role of social media in promoting Jewish literature.

On this edition of Just One More Book!!, follow Mark as his audio recorder captures forgiveness, education and pop-culture, how Jewish books have evolved and become exciting for young readers.

Segment 1: April Halprin Wayland is the author New Year at the Pier, a book about forgiveness which is rooted in the the Tashlich ceremony of the Jewish New Year celebrations of Rosh Hashana.  This segment includes April reading the beginning and end of her book, New Year at the Pier.

Segment 2: Librarian Toby Rossner shares her approach to creating educational programs about universal values using picture books including Chicken Man, a book about someone who made the most out of any job he did.

Segment 3: Ann Abrams is a musical librarian who serenades us with her own songs and sings a musical parody using a popular song for which she rewrote the lyrics — both to help get children excited about Jewish children’s books.

This episode includes two brief excerpts of Mark’s session on using social media to raise awareness of great Jewish literature using social media, presented at AJL09.

Thanks to the Association of Jewish Libraries, Heidi Estrin and Cheryl Banks, Esme Raji Codell and our interview guests author April Halprin Wayland and librarians Toby Rossner and Ann Abrams.

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As part of the second anniversary celebrations of the Just One More Book!! children’s book podcast, we invited illustrators to submit artwork that promotes a love of reading. Now, as we head towards our third anniversary, we’re in the process of catching up on our series of short interviews with each of 51 contributors to our Love of Reading Gallery.

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.

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Author: Kenneth Oppel (on JOMB)
Illustrators: Steve Johnson (on JOMB) &
Lou Fancher (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Harper Collins (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0060753722

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.

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You meet a lot of talented people in the podcast community.  Daniele Rossi, illustrator and producer of the Stuttering is Cool podcast, is a perfect example.  We became good friends after meeting at the Podcasters Across Borders conference in 2007 and that led him to respond to our open invitation for illustrators and artists to contribute to our Love of Reading Gallery.

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

As part of the second anniversary celebrations of the Just One More Book!! children’s book podcast, we invited illustrators to submit artwork that promotes a love of reading. Now, as we head towards our third anniversary, we’re in the process of catching up on our series of short interviews with each of 51 contributors to our Love of Reading Gallery.

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

As part of the second anniversary celebrations of the Just One More Book!! children’s book podcast, we invited illustrators to submit artwork that promotes a love of reading.  We are now catching on our series of short interviews with each of 51 contributors to our Love of Reading Gallery.

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.

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In one of our very early interviews on Just One More Book!!, Sheree Fitch shared her thoughts on writing for children, the Theology of Nonsense and the power of poetry (A Conversation with Sheree Fitch).  A few months ago she returned to talk about bringing back a classic children’s book that had been out of print for 5 years (Sheree Fitch: Reviving Sleeping Dragons).

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

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

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Authors Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple (Jane’s daughter) tell stories about the good writing genes in their family, growing up with Jane Yolen as a mother and how Jane and her late husband David Stemple inspired their three children (all now working in the children’s book world).

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)

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Listen to author/illustrator Mordicai Gerstein tell Mark about his turbulent career, imagination and his idea that children’s books as the perfect combination of film, theatre and drawing.

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