Library Visit

I just got back from the library.

I'm in Minnesota right now, visiting family and having a true vacation (I haven't checked my work email since I got here). Some of my friends questioned why I chose to come here for my week off (as opposed to going someplace more flashy like Mexico or Miami).

Family is a priority for me and since my sister just had her second baby I wanted to meet him as soon as possible. This week I'm here with both her 8 week old baby and his three year old brother. Believe it or not, it has been very relaxing.

During our trip to the library, Big Brother and I had the difficult task of picking out books from the library (which is part of the Hennipin County Library System).

In a matter of minutes, we had over a dozen books in our pile, many of which were Kane/Miller titles that I did not pick out. There were several Kane/Miller books that I came across while looking through the picture books but my nephew managed to add Yellow Umbrella (that was missing its CD) and My Father's Shop to our reading pile.

Yellow Umbrella

We did finally narrow down the number of books to six (My Father's Shop made it to the last round). Immediately, my nephew wanted to read them so he chose one to look at in the car on the way home and we read three more when we got back to the house.

My Father's Shop

The library is a great place to spend a hot summer day. It's also a great time for people-watching. There were families there with young children, young adults on the computers and adults of various ages enjoying quiet time with a book.

If there was anything I was meant to "get" out of my time here this week, it's that reminder that I need to take advantage of the San Diego library more often. My son has a growing library of books at our house, but it's not often enough that we experience what the library has to offer.

My son is with his dad this week on the East Coast, but I know that when we're both back in Southern California, one of the first places we'll head to is our local library and I'm looking forward to reading with him - one of the main things I miss when we're not together.

Best Gifts for New Babies

Do you love giving Kane/Miller books to parents of new babies? New siblings? Tell Oprah. Since she doesn't have kiddos of her own, she's relying on her viewers and parents to suggest the most unique gifts. Let her know why you think international children's literature should be included.

Illustration from
New Clothes for New Year's Day
by Hyun Ju Bae

Live from Los Angeles

Today marked the second day of this year's BEA annual event, held in Los Angeles. I met several new contacts during the past two days and have been introduced to great websites, bookstores and librarians who are just as eager to get quality books into the hands of readers as we are.

Every year, I come back from BEA feeling refreshed and excited about the future of international children's books and our role in bringing the children of the world closer together and it wouldn't be possible without the others in this growing industry:

Las Comadres is a nationally known Latina organization empowering women to be actively engaged in the growing Latino/Hispanic communities through on line and face to face networks. Their mission is to help connect and empower Latinas everywhere through community building/networking, culture, learning and technology.

The Blogabilities are Endless

Every time I blink, another blog is created. I continue to discover noteworthy blogs dedicated to children's literature or reading, in general. Each one is just as creative as the next since its the personality of the writers that make them each what they are.

Here are just a few blogs that I discovered in the last few days:

BITCHING ABOUT BAD BOOKS

This is quite fun. It's one reader's thoughts as she dissects the words she reads and what occurs in her mind as she reads them. Her site does come with a few warnings:

Some Warnings
Bad books and bitching combined can get mean. If you can’t stand it, don’t read it. Nobody forces you to. I do respect the determination and efforts of the authors who manage to finish and publish a book. But that doesn’t mean that the book is good. Nobody’s perfect and some people just can’t write.

I speak and write English pretty well but I’m no native. Errors and faulty grammar will occur.

I also got sidetracked on her other site (equally amusing).

On a completely separate subject, I also found READ TO ME, DAD, A Blog for that New Dad in all of Us to be quite entertaining. Check out this recent post about this dad's first full day with his daughter, Eva.

Don't you wish all dads were like this? My dad has never changed a diaper in his life. Seriously.

Favorites (Continued)

Continued from the Previous Post...

Picture Books
From Spain

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

This section - with over three dozen titles to choose from - was also a challenge for me to narrow down to just one book. Sebastian's Roller Skates really jumped out at me, however, in that it really can work with just about any reader (of any age, gender, background, etc).

Sebastian not only masters a new skill (roller skating, of course) but he also gets over his fear of public speaking and builds up his confidence to the point of finally being able to speak to Esther - a girl from school - which he never thought he'd be able to do at the beginning of the story.

We all have our little quirks (perhaps it is public speaking) that makes us feel not-so-confident or not as comfortable doing (maybe roller skating is one of them) so this book does really speak to readers of all ages and encourages us to try something new - even if it does require a helmet.

Picture Books for Older Readers
From Australia

Fox
Written by Margaret Wild
Illustrated by Ron Brooks

I need to tred lightly when discussing this title, because it is dark, sad, and ultimately, a tale of deception. I don't want to give away the storyline for those who have not read it, but it is certainly a book that will haunt readers and have you thinking about friendship, temptation and betrayal long after the book has been closed.

Several middle school teachers - upon first reading Fox - mentioned the story's similiarities to Shakespeare's Macbeth and several of these teachers use Fox in their classroom as an introduction to this classic work.

Whether you're dealing with playground disagreements or boardroom arguments, this book is an emotional and startling look at the realities of life and working or dealing with others.

First Fiction
From Australia
Jack Russell: Dog Detective
(Book 4): The Lying Postman

The Lying Postman is - by far - my favorite book from the Jack Russell series. Involving a new postman to Jack's route, and a "he said," "she-said" situation, Book #4 in this canine caper series keeps readers guessing until the end as to whether or not the postman is telling the truth.

Also introduced in this mystery is a new character - Ralf Boxer - a little chihuahua who surprises Jack with his courage and shatters every stereotype that Jack has regarding these small dogs.

Gift Books
From Australia

Could You? Would You?
by Trudy White

Trudy has made a fine book for readers of all ages with Could You? Would You? I've personally used this book as a discussion starter with both my four-year-old son and with adult friends. Others that I know have used this book in writing workshops to help get through writer's block.

Be careful though - many of these questions will bring up childhood memories which may have you longing for the times when you could cuddle in a sheet-made fortress under the stars or thinking about what you'd like to do with the time you have left.

What's your favorite Kane/Miller book?

What's Your Favorite K/M Book?

People often ask what my favorite Kane/Miller book is. That's an impossible question to answer since - as a small company - all of our office staff has a chance (and plenty of time) to fall in love with every book we release.

I've thought long and hard about this question and have finally decided to select one title per catalog section just so I cover all the bases. It's only fair that I answer the question. Selecting favorites from these sections was not easy but I'll explain my reasoning behind each choice.

All of my "favorites" are great books for readers of any age in that they speak to both children and adults in very different ways (the mark of a great illustrated book, in my mind).

Frontlist Titles (March 2008)
From France

Jukebox
by David Merveille

For anyone who loves music (don't all children?) this book is wonderful! It covers over a dozen different musical genres which means that there is - most likely - something for everyone. But what it also highlights is that music is something that inspires people, allows us to reach into our imagination (very child-like), reminds us of times past, or enables the listener to reach outside of their (ordinary) every day life.

For young children who may not be familiar with each type of music mentioned, this book will give them the opportunity to perhaps pick their favorites and be introduced to new and different ways to enjoy active listening.

Libros del Mundo
From Japan

¿Quién se esconde?
by Satoru Onishi

From the Spanish language edtions of fourteen K/M titles, I chose the translation of Who's Hiding? based on the fact that it is an excellent book for beginning Spanish readers - of any age - to use as a way to learn colors, animals, and questions that may be useful (Who's crying?, Who's hiding?, Who's backwards?) or not.

Non-Fiction / Concept Books
From Slovenia

Why?
by Lila Prap

Another book featuring animals and questions, Why? answers many questions that I know my son will eventually be asking me. I am prepared ahead of time and can help him learn more about the specific creatures - typically found in a zoo - such as zebras, lions, giraffes, and monkeys (to name just a few).

Board Books / First Picture Books
From Belgium

The Nights of the World
Written by Corinne Albaut
Illustrated by Arno

This was a tough choice to narrow down this section to just one book, but since young ones like books that "do" things, I selected this one with its picture-changing shutters that show day and night on alternating windows. The fact that it represents children from five different regions aound the world as well as being a comforting, gentle book about bedtime makes it a great pick for all of these reasons combined.

To Be Continued...

Literacy Festivals Around the World

In preparation for Kane/Miller's upcoming participation in publishing events such as IRA, BEA, and ALA (among many others) it occurred to me that I'm not aware of all of the international literary events that take place.

After some quick research (What would we do without Google?), I found a link and listing of Six of the Best Literary Festivals (according to Harper's Bazaar). I won't be attending any of them - at least not this year - but it's good to know what's happening in the literary world, nonetheless.

1. Galle Literary Festival, Sri Lanka
2. Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias, Columbia
   
3. Wexford Book Festival, Ireland
4. Festa Literaria Internacional de Parati, Brazil
5. Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Bali
6. Hay Festival Segovia, Spain
   

Don't miss FLIGHT 001 - for all your travel needs.

Bon Voyage!

Reading Challenge

If you're reading this, you probably already know that reading to children on a regular basis, and starting at an early age, benefits them greatly and gives them an advantage when they start school.

A recent article highlights the Early Reading Challenge that is to take place over the next few months in Broome County (NY).

I've sent this article to my co-parent (a.k.a. ex-husband) so that too can try to reach the goal of reading 100 books with our son between now and March 1st. We're going to be keeping track of the titles as we work to complete this challenge. I'll be posting about our progress until then.