Jules<\/strong>: Many thanks to Michael Foreman and Candlewick<\/a><\/strong> for this illustration today. Just look at this lovely image from Nicola Davies’ and Michael Foreman’s White Owl, Barn Owl<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (released this past April and reviewed here<\/a><\/strong> this week by Jules). This is a beautiful book — well-written, well-designed, and including both a fiction narrative and non-fiction facts about the common barn owl, these things merged together with eloquence and ease. And Michael Foreman’s illustrations are almost breathtaking, especially the ones showing the owl in flight. Have you ever really stopped to consider how seven-kinds-of-prolific this man is? Go here<\/a><\/strong> and scroll down a bit. My oh my, I bet he’s capable of way more than seven<\/em> impossible things before breakfast. <\/p>\n A huge heapin’ thanks to the honorable Mr. Foreman for letting us feature this gorgeous illustration today, the moment in which the young girl and her grandpa first spot the barn owl’s pale face in the nest box they have created for him. <\/p>\n On to our kicks then . . . By way of explanation for any new folks (who we hope will leave their lists), our weekly 7 Kicks list is the meeting ground for listing Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week (whether book-related or not) that happened to you. <\/p>\n Oh lordamercy, what oh what<\/em> did I do to deserve such a fabulous<\/em>, kicks-worthy week? Here we go:<\/p>\n I made some wonderful connections with folks whom I respect and admire this week (see below), but without a doubt, this just HAS TO<\/em> be Numero Uno on my list: <\/p>\n 1). My three-year-old daughter (very nearly 3.5) loves and adores All Things Winnie-the-Pooh. A good while ago I tried to read to her one of the original Pooh stories, as in A.A. Milne<\/a><\/strong>, and it didn’t go well. Not surprised. Gotta be able to sit and focus and listen. Very few pictures there. Etc. Etc. But, she is so crazy about Pooh and Heffalumps (and now she’s a bit older), so I tried again — with “Chapter Five, In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump”<\/a><\/strong> from Winnie-the-Pooh<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. And she sat and listened all wide-eyed and mesmerized and loved it<\/em>! Now, you have to understand here that, when I first found out I was pregnant, my one very particular joy and anticipation was the thought of reading the classics of children’s lit to my child. Every parent has that One Big Joy, you know? Maybe it’s dreaming of the child playing soccer and watching her games or taking ballet or football or what-have-you. For me, it’s reading Pooh<\/em> and Charlotte’s Web<\/em> and The Secret Garden<\/em> and The Hobbit<\/em> (though my husband wants to read that one to them), etc. So, that’s my BIG BIG BIG FAVORITE KICK of the week. We even read a few more, including “Chapter Three, In Which A Search is Organdized, and Piglet Nearly Meets the Heffalump Again” from The House at Pooh Corner<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. <\/p>\n Sorry that’s a long Numero Uno, but I find it very exciting. <\/p>\n 2). The Southern Festival of Books<\/a><\/strong> will be here in Nashville this October (the weekend after the fabulous 1st Annual Kidlitosphere Conference in Chicago<\/a><\/strong>). First, look at the great authors-who-will-be-attending list<\/a><\/strong>! I don’t want to single any authors out, but I’m excited about the opportunity to meet many of them. <\/p>\n Oh wait! YES! I am<\/em> going to single one of them out, and that would be Haven Kimmel<\/a><\/strong>, whom Eisha and I adore (and we’ve made that quite clear<\/a><\/strong> here at 7-Imp). I not only get to meet her, but I get to host her session<\/em> (this is most very quite possibly ninety-nine percent likely, but even if something changes later, I still can’t help but tell you about it now). And I couldn’t be more excited* or honored! What a great month October will be. I only wish Eisha could meet her with me, but alas and alack, she cannot make it. <\/p>\n 3). We get to interview** Naomi Shihab Nye<\/a><\/strong> this November for the upcoming Winter Blog Blast Tour, organized by Colleen Mondor<\/a><\/strong>! Remember when Eisha and I interviewed ourselves<\/a><\/strong>? And my response to the fantasy author wine\/coffee soiree was Maurice Sendak, Haven Kimmel, and Naomi Shihab Nye? Well, now I get to meet Haven, and I’ve already corresponded a bit with Naomi about the interview. And I’m happy to report that she’s brilliant (we already knew this) and<\/em> terrifically nice. We also have confirmed Phyllis Root and Gabrielle Zevin! How great will this be? How humbled are we? Very. <\/p>\n 5). I had a great brainstorming session with Eisha and Susan<\/a><\/strong> and Anne<\/a><\/strong> and a nice editor from The Poetry Foundation<\/a><\/strong> about feature ideas for their site. It was quite a thrill to talk to them all at one time. I really wanted to ask Susan about her chickens but figured that would be off the point. <\/p>\n 6). This report<\/a><\/strong> on coffee. OH YEAH, that’s<\/em> what I’m talking about, people. (And do you want an anti<\/em>-kick? Read this<\/a><\/strong>: “‘Anybody would rather have fun while they’re learning, instead of sitting there staring at a book, staring at a piece of paper . . . This is different, this is something that the kids love.'” HUBBA-WHA???? (Thanks to my friend, Missey, for both links). <\/p>\n * {I’m going to hug Shannon Collins’ neck so hard the next time I see him!}<\/p>\n ** {I’m going to hug Colleen Mondor’s neck so hard whenever I meet her!}<\/p>\n Sorry my kicks are so long this week. Excellent week for me. I’ll try to, uh, write a short haiku or something next week . . . I’m going to leave you with a 7\u00bd. My husband emailed me this video this week. Chris Thile<\/a><\/strong> is obscenely talented. Here he is covering “Morning Bell” by Radiohead<\/a><\/strong>. It’s long — a little over eight minutes. You’d have to be really interested in this kind of jammin’ to sit through it. But — if you are, as I am (there’s always been something about Chris’ voice that is extra kick-ass to me) — then enjoy: <\/p>\n![\"illustration](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/Pooh_Shepard1.jpg\")
Best of all, she’s been walking around with a copy of George Bernard Shaw’s<\/a><\/strong> Arms and the Man<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, which she found randomly on one of our bookshelves, and has been pretending to read Pooh<\/em> stories, making up nonsense narratives all involving Piglet and Heffalumps. You gotta love that — the lost George Bernard Shaw Pooh<\/em> tales. (Hmmm, Pooh as a Young Fabian<\/a><\/strong> would be intriguing, no?). We’ve also been building a lot of Very Cunning Traps for Heffalumps all week. She gets so excited that it’s a bit difficult to follow this game, but I just have to follow her and whisper “mystery” and “danger” a lot, as she does. <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/zoopa.jpg\")
4). I won a copy of Zoopa: An Animal Alphabet<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Gianna Marino<\/a><\/strong> from author Jama Kim Rattigan<\/a><\/strong> just for visiting her great new blog<\/a><\/strong>. Thanks, Jama! I just got it and can’t wait to read it. <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/penguin.jpg\")
7). Particularly great new review copies: Haven’s new novel<\/a><\/strong>; Barbara McClintock’s new illustrated picture book<\/a><\/strong>; Adam Rex’s new book<\/a><\/strong>; Polly Dunbar’s new picture book<\/a><\/strong>; Mo Willems’ two<\/a><\/strong> new<\/a><\/strong> Elephant & Piggie<\/em> beginning readers; Matt Phelan’s new picture book<\/a><\/strong>; and more. Whew, so much good stuff to read and not enough time. <\/p>\n