January is always a busy month around here, capped on the 26th with my twins' birthday. Happy Birthday, Jack and Lily!

They are NINE this year. And I know it's just an arbitrary number, but it is making me particularly sad this year.

Why, you might ask? Well, back in 2005 when I started writing picture books and sold my first one, they were four years old. Prime picture-book age! Technically, you know, picture books are for children aged 4-8. Give or take.

And today I officially no longer have picture-book aged children! Oh, so sad. We still share picture books around here, but I know those days are numbered now

I'll always read picture books because I love them, I'll read them because I write them, I'll read them for research, but it just won't be the same, will it?

(sigh)

Do you know these books? We have these books. I don't know where they came from. I don't know how we ended up with probably the whole series. They came out forever ago. They are hardcover. They are big and happy-looking and have all the art straight from the movies.

But these books, THESE books, are the longest freaking books in the universe. They take about as long to read as it takes to watch the actual movie! And the text is not exactly...ahh... inspired. I'd rather watch paint dry than read one of these again. These books do not make reading a Disney story a treat. And Disney tells a great story! So sad.

But wait. What's that?



THAT is a fabulous new version of Peter Pan, written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson with the original storyboard art by Mary Blair from the movie. Hyperion has issued several of these, based on different movies, written by wonderful writers like Jon Scieszka and Cynthia Rylant. I think I even posted about them a while back.

But I tell you what- THIS is the way to tell the Disney stories. Subtle, humorous, CONCISE storytelling with drop-dead art and impeccable design. And this is my favorite of these re-tellings so far! (sorry Jon- but I still loved yours too!) (you know, just in case (cough, cough) he's become a regular Life On The Bookshelf reader)(Ha!)

I digress. Anyway, this series is the one to share with your children- they are... luminous. Click on the book cover and go buy yourself a copy from indiebound. You will not regret it.

:)

If you are a children's writer and you are not reading Nathan Bransford's blog, you should be. Every one of his posts is accessible, informative, and just make so much sense. They are not always focused on the children's writing world, but I always learn something anyway. And it's fun watching him go from being an agent to being an author as well (he has an MG under contract)- although I bet his "author experience" is a little different from the rest of us. But it's nice to see occasionally how it is affecting his perspective in some ways.

His post right now about authors and marketing is a must-read. And unlike the thousands I've read that make me feel that I'm never doing enough promotion-wise (and lousy after I read them!), his made me feel like I just might be doing a few things right. Whew. Confidence like that is priceless.

:)

Dear 2010 Caldecott Committee:

Please choose a picture book that has words to read as well as lovely artwork to behold.

Thank you very much,

Boni Ashburn
Author

This is the book that made me want to write children's books. I didn't know it at the time.

I remember very few picture books from my childhood. Hello, Rock by Roger Bradfield. Corky by Patricia Scarry. A book called (I think) Pockets that had a turquoise cover and was about all the things you could put in your pockets. My parents say I loved to hear the same few books over and over and over and over- I loved the familiarity, I knew what to expect, I had every word memorized. I like to think I was studying structure and they just didn't know it at the time.

When I stumbled on The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales at a bookstore back in 1992, I was stunned. It was unlike any other children's book I had ever read. It took the "idea" of children's books and said, "Ha! So you think you know what a children's book should be?! You are wrong!" I bought it on the spot and it sits on my desk today.

The Stinky Cheese Man respected kids. It understood kids. It knew kids would find stinky cheese to be much funnier than gingerbread. It knew that kids could handle the Ugly Duckling growing up to be just a really ugly duck. Because, in truth, that happens sometimes.

The Stinky Cheese Man took the idea of traditional picture book structure and said, "Ha! We can do better than that!" and made the Table of Contents part of the plot. As far as I'm concerned, this book reinvented the wheel and the world is much better for it. In fact, I can't imagine a world without it.*

A Year Of Reading came up with this idea of honoring Jon Scieszka on Januray 4th, today, his last day as Ambassador. Great idea, Franki and Mary Lee! He has been a terrific first Ambassador For Children's Literature. His Guys Read initiative is so very important. And I think the next Ambassador has really, really, really big shoes to fill. I wish him or her luck!

:)

* Yes, I realize that Lane Smith and Molly Leach had a little something to do with the groundbreaking design of this book too. But this is Jon Scieszka's moment in the sun. They'll get their dues another day, in another post, someday... y'know, when they deserve it for being Ambassador or something ;)