Kane/Miller Kidlit: January 2008

Thursday, January 31, 2008

K/M Kidlit Drink Nites

Now that our conference schedule is posted online for the first half of 2008, I'd like to request that those of you attending the following events Save the Date for an official Kane/Miller Kidlit Drink Nite.

Illustration from

Jukebox

PLA - Minneapolis, MN

Wednesday, March 26th

IRA - Atlanta, GA

Wednesday, May 7th

BEA - Los Angeles, CA

Thursday, May 29th

ALA - Anaheim, CA

Friday, June 27th

Details and venues will be announced on the official invites which will be posted to the K/M Kidlit blog.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Have You Found Your Other Half?

With Valentine's Day two weeks away, folks are either asking themselves what to give their loved ones this year, or when they'll ever find their other half. I'll leave it up to you to decide which question is more prominent on my mind this year!

For those of you who are lucky enough to have someone to share your days (and nights) with, you'll understand the fright - followed by relief - felt by the main character in Gusti's Half of an Elephant. When the world suddenly splits in two and elephant finds half of himself missing, he searches the world over to find a replacement - with no luck.

From Mexico

Half of an Elephant
by Gusti

When the world suddenly returns to normal and his missing half is found, both halves recognize that while they could manage on their own, being part of a whole has its benefits (and they undoubtedly learn not to take one another for granted).

Readers will enjoy the off-the-wall art that Gusti created with his own "found" objects. Come V-Day I'll be reading this one, along with other picture books, with my other half (my son, who knows all too well what the world is like when something - or someone - goes missing).

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

One More Story

One More Story is an online library of the best of children's classic and contemporary literature. Through a simple point and click process, children can choose a book, see the illustrations and have the book read to them whenever they want.

They've just created a blog which is a great place to learn more, add suggested titles and discover different ways to use the site, whether you're a parent, teacher, or librarian.

Kane/Miller is pleased to have a growing list of titles available at One More Story:

From France

Tibili
Written by Marie Léonard
Illustrated by Andée Prigent

From England

This is the Tree
Written by Miriam Moss
Illustrated by Adrienne Kennaway

From South Korea

While We Were Out
by Ho Baek Lee

From Taiwan

Guji Guji
by Chih-Yuan Chen

From France

The Costume Party
by Victoria Chess

From Australia

Fox
Written by Margaret Wild
Illustrated by Ron Brooks

From Spain

Sebastian's Roller Skates
Written by Joan de Déu Prats
Illustrated by Francesc Rovira

(Coming Soon)
From Japan

Singing Shijimi Clams
by Naomi Kojima

Monday, January 28, 2008

Record Set in Germany (1938)

Driver Rudolf Caracciola set a new land-speed record (not recognized by all organizations) of 268.496 mph on the German Autobahn between Frankfurt and Darmstadt. His record remains the highest speed ever achieved on a public road. Later in the same day, a young driver named Bernd Rosemeyer died in a crash on the Autobahn in an attempt to surpass Caracciola's record.

While we don't have any car books from Germany, we do have a few picture books that automobile enthusiasts will certainly enjoy (at any speed).

From Australia

Crazy Cars

From England

On the Road

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Australia Day

On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. After overcoming a period of hardship, the fledgling colony began to celebrate the anniversary of this date with great fanfare.

In 1818, January 26 became an official holiday, marking the 30th anniversary of British settlement in Australia. And, as Australia became a sovereign nation, it became the national holiday known as Australia Day.

We have over two dozen titles from Australia and are pleased to have been able to work with such amazing authors and illustrators, such as Robert Ingpen, Colin Thompson, Julie Vivas, Tina Burke, Alison Lester, Elizabeth Stanley, Margaret Wild, Ron Brooks, Mem Fox, and Beth Norling (to name just a few).

The following books from Kane/Miller were originally published in Australia, winning numerous awards and honors both in the U.S. and in their native country.