MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Upcoming Events for Children's Librarians
NEWS AND NOTES
Dr. Laura Bombs
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, popular radio talk show personality who villifies libraries and librarians, debuted her new television talk show. Heavily protested by Gay and Lesbian activists in response to her comments against gays, the show suffered low ratings and a lack of national companies as advertisers.
The only major brand name that bought advertising time on the show was Scott bathroom tissue. Nearly all of the other commercials were for merchandise like diet aids which are sold by 800 numbers. The program is syndicated by Paramount Domestic Television.
Fairfield School Wants Book Ratings
Several Fairfield (California) School trustees are asking for movie-style ratings to go on any book on the schools' reading lists. This demand was created by two books on the high school reading list: Isabel Allende's House of the Spirits and Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane.
Allende, a local award-winning author, wrote her best-seller on three generations of one South American family. The book is on the California Department of Education's recommended reading list. Mathabane, also an award-winner, wrote his autobiographical account of growing up under South Africa's apartheid system. The trustees assert that the movie-style ratings would alert parents to a book's inclusion of sexual content, violence, drug use, etc.
Professional Reading for Children's Librarians
Bang, Molly. Picture This: How Pictures Work, Seastar Books, a division of North-South, 2000. $19.95, ISBN 1-58-717-029-9.
Every children's librarian who reads, reviews, and/or enjoys picture books will want to read this slim volume, revised from Bang's 1991 book, Picture This: Perception & Composition, Bulfinch/Little Brown, 1991.
The concept is relatively simple: using the well-known story of Little Red Riding Hood, Bang shows very simple pictures illustrating the story to demonstrate perspective, the importance of size, shape, and color, and other aspects of children's book illustration. She encourages readers to cut out shapes from construction paper to duplicate her examples, so the reader can replicate the examples and expand on them. The illustrations are made up of just four colors: black, white, red, and lavander, and simple shapes like triangles, rectangles, and circles.
The book itself is simply but beautifully designed, from the lavander endpapers to the muted mint green pages with black text. The illustrations have fine black borders, and are set on the mint green pages with plenty of surrounding space.
The previous edition had many of the same examples and much of the same text, but the information is held in a much smaller, rectangular shaped book. The newer book is much more inviting. However, if you have the first, you don't necessarily need this new edition.
The information is very easy to grasp but really opens a window on the elements in an illustration. Those of us who review picture books will find Bang's remarks and examples quite enlightening, and I find I am looking at illustrations in a new way.
Penny Peck,
San Leandro PL
MEDIA WATCH
"Daffy Dave - Git Down & Funny: Singalongs, Stories, Americana," by Daffy Dave Mampel, 2000. CD $15.00. For ordering information, phone (650) 326-3711 or visit www.daffydave.com.
Popular children's entertainer Daffy Dave Mampel has recorded his first CD containing 26 comedy songs. Daffy Dave is one of the rare performers who appeal to adults and children equally, and this CD falls into that category as well. When listening to it in the car or at home, adults will find themselves singing along as well as the kids.
Many of the songs on the CD are Dave's original tunes, like "Nanny-foof-N-Nanny" and the story song "(What Shall We Do With a) Scarey Monster?" These will appeal most to kids who have seen one of Dave's numerous shows in the Bay Area. There are also several traditional songs, including "Wheels On The Bus" and "Cottonfields." Dave's tenor voice is clear and solidly on key, and it invites listeners to sing along as he sings in a very accessible key. Listeners will hear children on the CD who are singing along; it was recorded in front of an audience at the Penninsula Jewish Community Center in Belmont, California.
Most of the musical accompaniment is acoustic guitar and backup percussion, flute, and other "real" instruments. Too many recordings for children depend on electronic instruments which have a sterile quality. This recording captures what it is like at one of Dave's live concert shows.
One aspect of the CD I really appreciated is that several of his original compositions are spoofs of popular kids songs - like a younger child's version of Weird Al Yankovic. For example, "Don't Wake The Baby" is sung to the tune of "Twist and Shout." "Twinkies, Twinkies, Candy Bars" is a reworking of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
Two songs will work well with environmental storytimes, "Nature Is The Place For Me" and "Save The Trees, Please!"
Several of the songs will get listeners up and dancing (or, if they are in the car, at least they can clap along), including "The Hop-Hop Song." In "Elvis Pokey" Dave imitates Elvis while singing "The Hokey Pokey," and he invokes Bob Dylan when singing "If You're Happy and You Know It." This recording will be a sure fire hit with a wide age range, and will appeal to audiences who have seen Daffy Dave, and will create a demand for new audiences to have Dave visit their libraries.
"Far Away and Close To Home," by Noa Baum, 2000. Cassette. Phone (530) 753-7430 for price and ordering information.
Now living in Davis, California, Noa Baum was born are raised in Israel. She brings stories from her Jewish heritage and pairs them with stories from around the world in her recording "Far Away and Close to Home." Even though she did not move to the United States until 1990, she speaks perfect accentless English and comes across in her crystal clear voice in this recording.
Many libraries will be interested in having Baum come for a storytelling performance, but this recording will work for car trips or as a reminder of her live concerts. The eight stories on this cassette were recorded before an audience, which you can hear chuckling in the background. There is also some subtle musical accompaniment, which flavors the stories without overpowering them.
The first story, "My Grandmother's Gefilte Fish" is a personal family story. That is followed by the traditional story "Yankel and the Sabbath Fish," based on "Joseph: Keeper of the Sabbath." An popular African story, "The Lion and the Rabbit," is next.
An unusual riddle story, "The Innkeeper's Clever Daughter," comes from Czechoslovakia.
"The Turkey and The Mayor," and American story that Baum sets in the California Gold Rush, has a recurring verse that listeners will chant along with the storyteller. This story is very funny and will be the favorite of many listeners.
It is followed by "The Hunchback Brothers," a Yiddish story from Russia. Another Russian story, "The Girl and the Moon Man," comes from the Siberian Chukchi people. The recording concludes with "Treasure Under The Bridge," the Jewish version of a tale found throughout the world. In the cassette's liner notes, Baum does include the written source for a story if it is available; some of her stories were learned from family members or other storytellers.
Baum is available for both storytelling performances and workshops, including a concert of California stories and songs, and workshops on storytelling and creative drama.
Penny Peck,
San Leandro PL
WEBSITES WORTH BOOKMARKING
http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com
For an author who has done only one children's book, Cynthia Leitich Smith has constructed a very useful, attractive website on children's literature. Her welcome page promotes her picture book Jingle Dancer, Morrow/Harpercollins, 2000, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, concerning a young girl's joy in participating in a Native American dance performance. Smith herself is a member of the Muscogee-Creek Nation, and lives in Austin, Texas. Her website has all the pertinent information regarding library or school visits.
Her bibliographies and links are the strength of the website; there are a wealth of links. She lists several topics, such as "Interracial Families," which begins with a brief personal essay. She mentions two adult books on the subject, then has a selective annotated bibliography, broken down by picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, YA novels, and nonfiction. Other topics include books on Texas, Native Americans, favorite books by age group (picture books to YA), and other similar topics.
Another useful listing are the different awards given in each state. Her list is arranged alphabetically by state, which leads the searcher to the official website on each award. Unfortunately, only the California Young Reader Medal is listed, not the Beatty Award, under California.
There is a similar list of children's authors and illustrators, which then links to the subject's website. This is quite handy as the list puts these all in one place.
The website's design is quite pleasing, using a light turquoise blue for the background, and a good-sized black typeface set on the light blue. The left side features a toolbar of all the different topics, so the user doesn't need to use the back or forward button very often. Everything is right at your fingertips. If available, the different annotations include links to author interviews, award sites, and other relevant information. An exemplary effort.