In Which I Ramble About My Love for Picture Books
September 5th, 2012 by jules
As I’ve mentioned previously here at 7-Imp, Candlewick Press is celebrating picture books for one entire year, given their 20th anniversary, and they’re celebrating with a series of videos. Authors, illustrators, bloggers, and other book-lovers have made video tributes to picture books, and Candlewick will be sharing them at this site. (If you missed this video from my co-author, the entertaining Betsy Bird, and the one and only Travis Jonker, then drop everything now and watch it, ’cause it’s fun. They pretty much did it up as right as right can be.)
My video is up today. Here’s the link, or you can watch it above. If you’re going to watch it, you might want to grab a cup of coffee or a pillow, since I may or may not ramble a tiny bit.
Hey, ask a girl to talk about picture books, and that just happens.
EDITED TO ADD: Just found their thus-far video archives. Good stuff. Here it is.
Okay, these are WAY too much fun. And lucky pick, you with the Candlewick book! Random note: before writing A LA CARTE, I had no idea that RH had produced Julia Child’s books… having never paid attention… so when Lainey LOVED them, it charmed the editors because they felt it would also cause a new audience to seek out Childs’ work. Cool, huh?
Thanks for sharing this.
Go Jules!
That was lovely. I never heard your voice till now, I thought you might have a southern accent.
A child’s first art gallery. BRILLIANT! This also helps me answer the adult who wants to push kids out of picture books too soon. How can they deprive a kid of that exposure to incredible art? Thank you!
Jules,
Perhaps it’s unsurprising that you ‘ramble’ with such passion and obvious knowledgeable intensity–but I was so pleased to see the expressions and hand movements that go along with the verve I can usually feel in you writing voice. And yes, I’m going to crib the “child’s first art gallery” explanation too. It does capture something essential about picture books.
Enjoyed the vid! Happy Birthday Candlewick.
Wonderful video, Jules…and so nice to put a talking head to our email connection! I’d heard that quote about picture books being portable galleries and loved it (perfect!), and everything you say about why you love the picture book form: I couldn’t agree more. And…are those sagging book shelves I see there in the background, loaded with children’s books?? If so, you are girl after my own heart!
Yes, those are my sagging bookshelves. No doubt!
I’m glad you all think the video is passable! That was something like my fourth video take. It was not scripted, by any means, but I kept having to re-do it. Thus my very subtly furrowed brow at the beginning of this one. (I was annoying my own self with too much rambling and having to re-do it a few times.)
I am still so happy Candlewick is celebrating picture books ALL YEAR!