Picture Book Month 2013: The Finale: Part 2 – Future Releases

2013-Text-Art

If you’re new to T.A.A. and missed our earlier posts during Picture Book Month 2013, check them out below- 

 

Picture Book Mania 

(Inaugural Post for T.A.A.’s participation in Picture Book Month 2013, and other more writer-centric events)

Picture Book Month Spotlight #1: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

Picture Book Month – Author Spotlight #2: Katie Davis

 

Picture Book Month – Author Spotlight #3: Two Lost Lights of 2013

You can also find our spotlights and more picture book treats and tributes on our Pinterest board-

http://www.pinterest.com/taureanjwatkins/taa-celebrates-picture-book-month-2013

 

If you missed Part 1-

http://talkinganimaladdicts.com/picture-book-month-finale-part 1

 

Today is the last day of Picture Book Month, and T.A.A. wraps up with whetting your appetite for picture books due out in 2014*-

 (*As with many things book related, the release dates listed here are subject to change, and not all titles have an eBook version at the time this post was originally written)

 

 

A Day with the Animal Mechanics

 

A Day with the Animal Mechanics 

by Sharon Rentta

Publisher: Alison Green Books

(An Imprint of Scholastic)

Pub. Date: May 1, 2014

For the little “Fixer Upper” in your life.

 

Sparky!

Sparky!

Written by Jenny Offill 

Illustrated by Chris Appelhans

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade

(An imprint of Random  House Children’s Books)

Pub. Date: March 11th, 2014

 

Kids with nontraditional pets will get a kick out of Sparky, a sloth that despite being slower than turtles, and more sedate than your eccentric cousin thrice removed after Thanksgiving has more to offer than what the cover image above leads you believe. 

UPDATE: Check out our full review!

 

DANGEROUS!

DANGEROUS!

By Tim Warnes

 Publisher: Tiger Tales/Little Tiger Press

Pub. Date: March 1st, 2014

 

Author-Illustrator Tim Warnes brings us cautionary tale with a twist. The “Old Chestnut” style to the illustration certainly helps my anticipation of this March 2014 release.

 

Jacob's New Dress

Jacob’s New Dress

Written  by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Illustrated by Chris Case

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company

Pub. Date: March 1st, 2014

 

As those who know me well know, I’m an advocate for N.T.B.M.

 

(Non-Traditional Boys and Men)

In the spirit of the song, “William’s Doll” (From “Free to be You and Me“) co-authors Sarah and Ian Hoffman bring readers a story that despite any potential controversy it sparks, touches on something every boy and man who was “Different” has to face, but all too often, in a negative and abusive context.

In a world where girls and women the world over are breaking boundaries and redefining what it means to be a girl or woman today, boys and men have been left behind (And LEFT OUT) of the local and increasingly GLOBAL conversation in this age of redefining their non-standard gender identity.

Even if your son/brother/nephew/etc. isn’t like Jacob, this book might be wise to keep on your eyes on when it launches early next year. Trust your Literary Rat on this one…I’m a non-traditional man and proud of it!

 

 

How-to-Cheer-Up-Dad-Hardcover-L9780803739222

How to Cheer Up Dad

By Fred Koehler

Publisher: Dial 

Pub. Date: March 20, 2014

 

We need more Father-Son Stories in general. Enough said. (Until I review it, of course!)

 

Here Comes the Easter Cat

 

 

HERE COMES THE EASTER CAT

Written by Deborah Underwood

Illustrated by Claudia Rueda

Publisher: Dial

Pub. Date: January 28, 2014

 

It seems dogs aren’t the only rivals for this cat given the title of the latest from author Deborah Underwood, best known for “The Quiet Book” and it’s companion “The Loud Book.” Easter may be many months away (At the time this post is being written) but it never hurts to plan ahead with seasonal titles.

 

UPDATE: Check our review!

 

The Driftwood Ball

 

 

 The Driftwood Ball

   By Thomas Docherty

    Publisher: Templar Publishing

     Pub. Date: January 1st, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Docherty’s next solo outing continues the grand tradition of “Going Your Own Way” by using the classic setting of a exclusionary social event with a fresh approach. This is one dance off I DON’T want to miss! (Says the Literary Rat with two left hind paws…)

 

For more on Thomas Docherty (And his author wife, Helen) check the links above for our author spotlight article featuring their previous solo and collaborative work.

 

Busy Bunny Days - In the Town, On the Farm & At the Port

 

Busy Bunny Days: In the Town, On the Farm & At the Port

By Britta Teckentrup

Publisher Chronicle Books 

Pub. Date: February 25, 2014

 

Think of Richard Scarry’s “Busy Town”

meets Disney’s “BunnyTown” and you have

a rabbit lover’s utopia in picture book form.

(Fun Fact: Your Literary Rat [Though not Chinese] was born in the “Year of the Rabbit” and I’ve had mixed feelings about that…)

 

Weasels

 

 

WEASELS

By Elys Dolan ()

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Pub. Date: February 25th, 2014

 

As loyal T.A.A. readers know, I’m working on a fairy tale style novel (Working Title: The Baroque Weasel) but while my weasel is a hero, this picture book by author-illustrator Elys Dolan uses their classic role as a gang trouble making upstarts who try to take over the world.

Will they succeed? We’ll have to wait for February 2014 to find out…

UPDATE: Check Out Our Review!

Babar on Paradise Island

Babar on Paradise Island

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers

Pub. Date: May 13, 2014

Much like other classic series such as Madeline and The Berenstain Bears, an extended family has carried on where the original creators left off, and the pachyderm who became King is off on yet another adventure, but will paradise turn out to be a foreboding misnomer?  

Zubert

Zubert

by Charlie Sutcliffe

Publisher: Tate Publishing

Originally Published: October 3rd, 2013 (U.K.)

(U.S.) Pub. Date: April 1st, 2014

 

First released in the U.K. in October 2013, Author-Illustrator Charlie Sutcliffe makes his picture book debut in the U.S. in 2014.

FINALLY, a potential male counterpart to Eloise and Madeline. Not sure it’ll rhyme as in the case of the latter…

 

Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century

Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century

by Jane O’Connor

Illustrated by

Robin Preiss Glasser

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pub. Date: April 8, 2014

 

 

The DIY Diva/Fashionista is back and fancier than ever.

What better than a wedding to bring the appropriate glam and big vocabulary to the table. Nancy may not always “Keep it Simple” but she always keeps things sensational!

 

I Am Otter

I Am Otter (@i_am_otter)

by Sam Garton (@SamuelGarton)

Publisher: Balzer + Bray 

(An Imprint of HarperCollins)

Pub. Date: April 29, 2014

Just like a certain “Wimpy Kid” this character began as a niche online experiment by author-illustrator Sam Garton, and is now entering the print book world in April 2014! Fans of Calvin and Hobbes and Katie Davis (The Latter of which was spotlighted for Picture Book Month 2013) will be in stitches when Otter struts in!

UPDATE: Check our review!

This is only a TASTE of the many picture books we have to look forward to in 2014. They’ll all available for pre-order now. (For those of you early bird shoppers)

If you’ve got an upcoming release that you’re excited for, or any comments on the books mentioned above, please share in the comments below. T.A.A. LOVES hearing from you, our precious readers.

Thanks for spending Picture Book Month with T.A.A. We’ll be back for 2014 and beyond. 

Regular blog posts will resume Monday, December 2nd, 2013. Until then, stay safe as Thanksgiving weekend in the U.S. continues, and as always-

May the fantastical fauna be with you.

PBMBADGE-AMBASSADOR-FB

P.S: Also take time to check out the 

OFFICIAL website for

Picture Book Month:http://www.picturebookmonth.com

 

UPDATE (12/3/13)piboidmo2013-winnerbadge-700x700

I got to 30 IDEAS in

PiBoIdMo 2013!

Letter From The Editor (April 2012)

Letter From The Editor
Lessons Learned, Lost, and Re-Learned 

From A Childhood Safe haven



While some things in life aren’t as fun the second time around, whether’s it’s changing tastes in food, clothes, etc, some things seem bring comfort and joy like nothing else does. Like a good book, movie or song, there are television shows that have that magic quality that can’t be easily defined and rarely can explain in words.

One such show for me: The Busy World of Richard Scarry.

This show was often what gave me the strength to face another day, and after I left home for preschool and first grade, I’d often try to program the VCR to record while I was away, often it never worked, which is more a commentary on how tech illiterate I was then compared to now. Which is why I was ecstatic when we got our first DVR cable box, no tapes, and setting up recordings was WAY easier, and unlike VHS tapes, they never wear out.
Later, you could even record shows with the television off. 

I used to wear out VHS tapes I had of this show (Don’t know what VHS is? Feel free to look it  up or call Mom, I’ll wait…) which I recorded or rented back when Blockbuster still had “Video” in their name, in the pre-Netflix era, when HDTV was still a pipe dream, at least for the non-millionaires.

Anyway (Sorry for going This Old Tech on you)Fast forward to last year, when the series started releasing on DVD, after being off the air (In the U.S. anyway) for over a decade, and I bought one, and happily, it’s as enchanting as I remembered it, but the reason this is a focus in my letter is not what you might think if you’ve followed T.A.A. for some time. 

We read books, not just to inform entertain, or both, but also to escape from the craziness that cane overwhelm our lives, and make us lose touch with others and ourselves. As I touched on in the start of this letter, gave me the opportunity to see a world I wished I could live in, a world where I had the freedom my grandmother and mother had when they were children. To best illustrate this, I will use a familiar song to prove my point-

Hey! It’s time to laugh and play (So have a happy day!)

If you think only baby boomers are stuck in the past, think again.

Those of you raised on 21st century luxuries may not understand where I come from, but there was a time when the happiest things in life didn’t come from the internet, or the latest Apple whatever.


I was a late 20th century kid (Later an Early 21st century teen) who longed for the past. Back to a time when you could have adventures in your backyard, a tree house with secret handshakes and candy bars where even the strictest of parents would never find them. To hang out with my posse of friends without it needed triple strength parental supervision, and needing a ride wasn’t a way of life.


Even today, what small towns lack in trendy malls and gourmet food stores (Which I would miss, being a foodie) it more than makes up for in freedom and exploration that many kids, especially in cities or strict parental eyes, rarely experience outside books, or movies, and even video games.

Lots of things to do and see (It’s so much fun to be…!)

Part of a world where you don’t need a carpool to explore your neighborhood.

Nowadays, it seems the time to enjoy being a kid grows shorter and shorter, and the pressure to grow up gets more and more intense, and if strict parental upbringing wasn’t hard enough, pressure from teachers and society doesn’t help, and while some students need that extra help, we shouldn’t force it in a way that makes an already trying stage of life a living nightmare, and I hope there are parents, teachers, and other caregivers or education insiders who get the real  dangers of pushing academics, however valid, to the extreme.  


Cracking the whip on academics doesn’t mean parents or teachers have to “Crack a kid’s resolve in half!” it should never mean that. We’re trying to inspire and raise future generations of responsible and respectful adults, not turn them into neurotic, bottom line, money- grubbing megalomaniacs, am I right?


I’m not a parent, and I am definitely not a teacher, and as much I as I don’t want to unfairly tread on toes of those who are, as someone who didn’t get the benefits of having two sane parents, a home that was welcoming and comforting, however small, and siblings you lucked out in liking to be with, you come at this from a different (No LESS valid) perspective.


As much as I hated living the opposite of so many around me, it made me the writer I am today, because I can see what folks thrice my age really don’t get, or even care to get, which is really distressing for the kids they’re trying to teach.


Since many of the mom writers I know are the opposite extreme to my mom, and they know who they are, I have hope that my greatest fear mentioned above will not be the epidemic that seems to be more common with each passing year in this century thus far.

We’ll keep your spirits soaring (While we’re exploring—our busy world…)

During my teen years, when the whole “dark” aspects to life seemed to be glorified to the 11th degree, in the books and movies aimed at my demographic, I was still watching the kids shows on PBS and early Nick Jr. stuff (Pre-1999-2000, just before Dora exploded on the scene). I also became more interested in pleasure reading at that time, but instead of classic Judy Blume or some ambitious “adult” novel, I was reading middle grade fiction, and the occasional picture book, and my own original fiction writing began some time later.

You can make a lot of friends (The good times never end!)

Sadly, I made few real offline friends, and those I did either moved away or grew apart, or whose parents hated me and forbade me to play with them (But that’s another story for a different Letter from the Editor), and often I have to be my own friend, not always easy, and not the same, but it can be done. This often results in feeling awkward at social events, the few I’ve outside school, so the less invasive nature of the internet made it easier to connect, and while people sometimes misread me, at least a lisp or talking faster than a chipmunk auctioneer helped.

Each adventure and surprise (Will open up your eyes…!)

While I continue my struggle to embrace this concept in real life, in my imagination it’s second nature.


One (Arguably, ONLY!) advantage to being a loner is you get to know yourself in a way some extremist extroverts may not be in tune with, and while no one likes a self-obsessed prick (Or selfish grump, to be more kid-centric) there are time when focusing on you does others as much good as it will you.


I had to live in my head a lot growing up. Before I was a reader, it meant throwing myself into the television shows and movies I loved. I was also into gaming, especially RPGs, whether that was an early sign I’d be a storyteller later on I’ve yet to figure out, but I didn’t become the reader I am today until my teen years.


While I knew I wasn’t the only odd one out, it wasn’t until I began my writer’s journey this started to sink in.


I (virtually) met my support team of writers who remind me that I didn’t suffer alone, for they also weathered their storms of family troubles, crushed dreams, and constant identity reinvention.


While many of them weren’t trapped in their homes as I was, and in some ways still am, they persisted and earned whatever flexibility and successes they have, whether that’s a book deal, getting an agent, or just moving out of the house, none of which I can say yet. I can only hope to be half as helpful to someone else one day.

Every day there’s something new (And you’re invited too!)

No matter if your 2 or 22, 10 going on 30, 25 going on 50, or whatever’s in-between or beyond, for most people, life got better later, so maybe that’s the path I’m on now. 

I haven’t arrived at my major destinations yet, and despite what some timeless sayings preach, the journey to get there’s simply is FAR from a joy in itself in my case, so I cling to what little optimism I can most days, however illogical. We’re not robots, you know.

Still, there are days when I wish I could upload a “Anger Free” program into myself, and would anything to turn off my “Envy-Inferiority to other writers” switch.

Many great poets often say something to the effect of “No one lives without suffering.”


Here’s what I say, “Suffering may be part of life, but we’re not given life to only know suffering, for that’s a life I wish on no one.”


So, in closing, say it with me-

IT’S TIME TO START THE SHOW! (The Show of Life, that is.)

Best Wishes and Cheesecake,
From your busy editor and literary rat,
Taurean