There may be no such thing as a flattering definition of doodling, but according to Sunni Brown, Doodling can assist information processing, has been an important precursor to certain cultural pieces (such as the Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi) and has a profound positive role in visual literacy.
Who knew…
I love these TED talks. They point you in directions you never would have thought of. Thanks Patricia Storms for the heads up. I have always been a doodler. It helps me think.
And if that isn’t enough, there is story connection…even the guru of screenwriting, Robert McKee is a doodle fan.
An amazing number of bloggers are book fans, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise when the CYBILS were born (the first CYBILS Awards go back to 2006).
FYI, the 2011 CYBILS Finalists have been posted along with summaries and min-reviews. You can’t beat these folks for dedication and breadth of expertise, not to mention that they are all volunteers!
from Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by his wife Lillian Hoban
I was saddened when reading about the death of one of children’s literature greats, Russell Hoban in the New York Times. The author will live on in his Frances books, which my children absolutely adored and which adults never tired of reading. Having grown up in a family of non-readers, I was first introduced to Hoban through his exquisite writing in The Mouse and His Child when took a children’s literature course in university. Hoban, who wrote more than 50 books for children (from tots to teens), went on to write for adults. Two of his better known books include: Turtle Diary (it was made into a movie of the same name) and his futuristic, critically acclaimed Riddley Walker which was once in the book pile on my bedside table, but which I never did get around to reading.
I’m a huge fan of Michael Morpurgo and was once fortunate enough to host him for a talk as well as tour he and his wife around Victoria. His books tend to be of the universal rather than age-dependent sort which is one of the things I like best about his writing. Dear Ollie remains one of my all-time favorites, but he’s written so many others that I have enjoyed. In fact, I don’t think I’ve read a Morpurgo book that I didn’t like. He recently posted writing tips in The Guardian are well worth checking out. I particularly liked this one.
The most important thing is to live an interesting life. Keep your eyes, ears and heart open. Talk to people and visit interesting places, and don’t forget to ask questions. To be a writer you need to drink in the world around you so it’s always there in your head.
Here are two of my most recent favorite Morpurgo reads.
The New York Public Library has recently been featuring a series of Children’s Literary Salons that has me wishing I lived a tad closer to New York. The lastest was a panel on humor in kid’s books that included: Laurie Keller, Nick Bruel, David Roman, and Jules Feiffer. Elizabeth Bird moderated. Although I have zero talent, I have nothing but admiration for writers who can make their audiences laugh. So, I was delighted to see an article in Publisher Weekly, “The Good, the Bad, and the Funny: Authors Talk Humor in Children’s Books”. It’s well worth a gander, even if you’re like me and haven’t a funny bone in your body.
If you have a thing for picture books, as I do, you’ll want to check out The Guardian’s list of recommended picture books. It’s rather different than the NYT’s list. Here are two of the books for the list.
Ok, to be fair, these were the only two books that featured ahem…bodily functions. But I found it quite interesting that Harvey, The Boy Who Couldn’t Fart and The Pop Up Book of Poo where chosen alongside Mother knows Best! and A River of Stories. Some of these titles almost seem to come out a different time and place…
And Christmas Eve At The Mellops’ is actually a reprint from the 1970’s. What an interesting mix of sensibilities.
According to the UN Human Rights Declaration, All people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. This is not conferred by governments but is a birthright of all people. “Because we are human, we therefore have rights. Because we have rights, governments are bound to protect them.”
One of the great accomplishments of the last century came on the tailcoats of one of the our history’s greatest shames…In order to protect the humanity and dignity of all people, on December 10th, 1948, the UN Assembly voted in favor of adopting the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
Although a few abstained, there wasn’t a single vote that opposed this important declaration which was carried by an overwhelming majority. Have a listen to Hillary Clinton’s landmark speech to the UN. She couldn’t be more clear. She has never been more persuasive.
You may have noticed a few changes to the children’s section of the New York Times Book Review over the last year; expanded pages devoted to children’s books, short thematic book review groupings on Sundays, and a weekly, in depth on-line picture book review. Pamela Paul, children’s book editor, is the driving force behind these changes and she has more improvements planned (the expansion of the Notable Children’s Book List from eight books to twenty-five is one change in the works but there are others). While many newspapers are shrinking their children’s book coverage in favor of covering technology, Paul has no difficulty seeing the wonder and magic in books for young people. She expects to “… to provide expanded coverage of everything from board books and middle grade stories to young adult fiction and nonfiction. There are so many ways to tell a story. I’m trying to make room for them all.”
So, if you haven’t checked out the children’s book pages of the New York Times Book Review lately, it’s time to stop by. I guarantee that you won’t regret it. Their breadth of coverage of children’s and young adult literature is refreshing.
An amazing number of bloggers are book fans, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise when the CYBILS were born (the first CYBILS Awards go back to 2006).
Sheryl McFarlane 