Jules<\/strong>: It’s almost Halloween, and here’s a festive illustration for you all from Leslie McGuirk’s<\/a><\/strong> new title, Tucker’s Spooky Halloween<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. This one’s about a very determined and rather risk-taking dog who wants to scare the pants off you already<\/font> this Halloween instead of being dressed up all cutesy-like, as his devoted owner would have it. My wee daughters are drawn to this book like they are drawn to their safety scissors and cutting up the closest piece of paper they can find into tiny, miniscule, barely-perceptible bits of paper that are then strewn all over the kitchen floor and that are infuriatingly difficult to find and then they start over with the next available piece of paper in their vicinity and . . . wait. Where was I? Yes, they really like this book. <\/p>\n Here’s what Leslie had to say about the book: <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tucker was my real life West Highland White Terrier. He deserves to be a famous book character because he was truly a magical dog. Now I live with two Norfolk Terriers and one “Gremlin” Terrier. They are my current models. I love watching them play, sniff, walk, and express their emotions through their eyes and tails. I think of doggie tails as being like little antennas. They register all feelings and display them for everyone to see. I literally have to say to myself, “How would Tucker move if he is thinking such and so?” Sometimes Tucker sticks out his little tongue to show displeasure. Other times his ears go way back. My artwork is very compact . . . just like Tucker’s little body. I think that is why children love my books. The art style is perhaps similar to the way they draw. Children can sense Tucker’s emotions in the drawings, and they can relate to those feelings. <\/p>\n With Tucker’s Spooky Halloween<\/em>, I wanted to show Tucker’s “I can do anything” attitude. Halloween is such an important holiday for children. It is the only time of the year they can be something other than themselves. And there is power in wearing costumes and dressing up . . . especially if you find just the right costume! One of my favorite pages is the one where he tries to make himself into a ghost. It’s always a joy to draw Tucker and his impish ways. Just wait until you see what happens to him on St. Patrick’s Day! Lucky Tucker<\/em> is coming in early 2008 by Candlewick Press<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Thanks to Leslie! Now on to our kicks . . . <\/p>\n 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 1* Okay, well, remember that wedding I went to last Sunday? It was awesome<\/em>. It was my first Jewish wedding, and they did the whole works just like I’ve always seen in movies, with the chupah (wedding canopy) and the ketubah (marriage contract), both of which were beautifully created by the bride’s mom; and the bride and groom circled each other (which I think is a lovely symbol) and stomped on the glass. And later people danced the hora and put the bride and groom on chairs and lifted them up in the air. It was so fun. There was even a pinata for the kids (maybe because the bride was actually born in Peru? Or maybe just because? Who cares?). <\/p>\n I want a do-over on my own wedding.<\/p>\n 2* Jules and I finished (we think) the final edits on a writing project we’ve been working on for months.<\/p>\n 4* I seem to have passed the first hurdle in the application process for a job I’m trying to get, because they sent me a formal questionnaire with a lot of questions about my educational background. Woo!<\/p>\n 5* The place where I’ve been temping passed its yearly audit. This is a very good thing, because if they hadn’t it could have been partly my fault, since I was organizing and filing a lot of the documentation they were checking for. And now that it’s over, everyone is a lot more relaxed.<\/p>\n 6* They also told me I’ll probably be needed at least through early November.<\/p>\n 7* This weekend B. and I are celebrating our 8th anniversary early, so I’m typing all this Saturday morning before we head out for a day of local attractions, such as the Book Barn of the Finger Lakes.<\/strong><\/a> ‘Cause seriously, we need more books.<\/p>\n 1). The Blogging for a Cure effort had a successful Week One. Excellent. <\/p>\n 2). Robert Plant<\/a><\/strong> and Alison Krauss<\/a><\/strong> — yes, the two of them together — have a new CD, “Raising Sand<\/a><\/strong>,” coming out very soon. Now, though I think that Alison Krauss is loaded with talent and though I love bluegrass, I don’t normally buy her CDs. But I’ve heard some of this CD. It’s very good. Sounds like they’ve both stretched themselves musically. And they cover a BRAND NEW Sam Phillips<\/a><\/strong> song, “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us,” and it’s beautiful. Here is a video about the making of the CD with the two of them and the savagely, uber-talented T Bone Burnett<\/a><\/strong>, who produced it (so, damn, you know it’s good). The video’s over eight minutes long. You’d have to be really<\/em> interested in this CD to watch it, but in case you are, here goes: <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/tucker.jpg\")
{Note: Please see the post below this one for today’s Robert’s Snow schedule}<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n
3* I finally read Billie Standish Was Here<\/em> by Nancy Crocker, and it is every bit as good as Jules said it is<\/strong>.<\/a> If you haven’t already, read it.<\/p>\n