Mercer Mayer Skypes with a school, a new Little Critter stuffed animal and more!

In the "Cool News" category of the month, Mercer Mayer did a Skype session with some students at Van Meter and Amana Elementary schools in Iowa on February 13, 2013.  Some very lucky kindergarten through third grade students now have an amazing memory that I hope will stick with them for life.

Shannon McClintock Miller arranged the whole thing with Mercer Mayer and the rest is something most of us can only imagine.  She created an awesome video about the event here.  She also blogged about it here (which includes lots of pictures of Mercer Mayer and the kids enjoying themselves...plus a video of Mercer Mayer drawing Little Critter). 

Sadly, the "Just Me and Little Critter" book that the kids all created at the start of the school year is gone from the Little Bird Tales website. It was here (it is possible that they moved it).

If you haven't "Like"d Mercer Mayer's official Facebook page, go for it here: http://www.facebook.com/MercerMayer



Also in recent Mercer Mayer news:

An official Little Critter Stuffed Animal (er... stuffed critter)!  You can see it behind Mercer Mayer in the picture above (it is the lower smaller one).  Amazon has it available now for a little over 30% off.  Merry Makers is making it, but it isn't available on their site yet.

The Little Critter stuffed critter is available here.


A brand new Little Critter book is due next month
Just a Big Storm

Official write-up: "When a big storm passes over their house, Little Critter^® and his family lose power! What will they do without it?"

I'm sure this will be a great companion to Just a Thunderstorm.


Coming in May:
Just One More Pet

Official write-up: "Little Critter discovers a lost doggy hiding in the bushes. He isn't sure who the doggy belongs to, but he tries to take very good care of him until his owner shows up. When the doggy goes missing, Little Critter gets worried. Can Little Critter handle just one more pet?"

 

A new My First I Can Read book is coming in November:
Just a Little Love


(no pictures or description released yet)


That's all for now.  Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the zipperump-a-zoos bite!

Goodbye Maurice Sendak, RIP June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012: A Rememberance and a Tribute

I cried this morning when I heard that Maurice Sendak died. I was at work and my wife texted me the news.  My imidiate response to her was, "Oh, God...no."  I then left my cubical to be alone and wept for about 10 minutes. Afterword, I cleaned myself up and returned to work...but  I never stopped thinking about it.

I can remember my mom reading me every book in the Nutshell Library (Pierre, Chicken Soup with Rice, Alligators All Around, and One Was Johnny). I remember her hamming up Chicken Soup with Rice the Most...especially October, "WHOOPIE once. WHOOOOOOOPIE twice! WHOOOOOOOOOOOPIE chicken soup with rice!"  I read that to my son for bedtime, and I read it like my mom read it to me.  He laughed and looked at me like I was insane... his insane but loving father.

The first "long book" I read to my son was The Griffin and the Minor Canon which was illustrated by Maurice Sendak (written by Frank R. Stockton).  My son was 1, but he didn't budge, his eyes were transfixed on the illustrations.

You Cant Get There From Here by Ogden Nash was a staple of my childhood too.  I constanly pulled it off my father's bookshelf and enjoyed its' Maurice Sendak illustrations and hilarious poetry.

Most people will remember him for Where the Wild Things Are.  I love the illustrations in that book, but it never touched me as much as The Nutshell Library books and In the Night Kitchen did.

To Maurice's family: I am so sorry for your loss.  To fans everywhere: I am so sorry for our loss.  His work will live on in reprint after reprint.  I suggest seeking out more books by him and illustrated by him and putting them in your libraries.

Maurice Sendak was a man who would tell it like it is.  There are some jaw dropping and truly funny interviews with Maurice Sendak out there.  He may not be the Mr. Rogers-type, but I have bucketloads of respect for this man. Steve Carell's 2 part interview with Maurice Sendak a few months back is HIGHLY recommended.

And now... I'll leave you with some pictures of books he illustrated, wrote, and wrote & illustrated from my collection... not all of them, but a good smattering.

What Do You Say, Dear? by Seslye Joslin

What Do You Do, Dear?  by Seslye Joslin

Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present by Charlotte Zolotow

Hector Protector and As I Went Over the Water

Little Bear's Vist by Else Holmelund Minarik

Little Bear's Friend by Else Holmelund Minarik

A Kiss for Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik

In the Night Kitchen

In the Night Kitchen: Coloring Book

Dear Milli by Grimm

The Miami Giant by Arthur Yorinks

Nutcracker  by E.T. Hoffmann 

Pleasant Fieldmouse by Jan Wahl

Higglety, Pigglety, Pop or There Must Be More to Life

The Cunning Little Vixen by Rudolf Tesnohlidek

I'll Be You and You Be Me by Ruth Krauss

The Big Book of Peace by Ann Durell

Swine Lake with James Marshall

Kenny's Window

The Griffin and the Minor Canon by Frank R. Stockton

What Can You do with a Shoe? by Beatrice Schenk de Reginers

I Saw Esau by Iona Opie

A Perfect Friend by Reynolds Price

Hurry Home, Candy by Meindert deJong

You Can't Get There From Here by Ogden Nash

Fly By Night by Randall Jerrell

Shadrach by Meindert deJong

The Juniper Tree and Other Tales From Grimm (Single Volume Edition) - by Grimm

The Wheel on the School by Meidert deJong

Dwarf Long-Nose by Wilhelm Hauff

The Animal Family by Randall Jerrell

The Wonderful Farm by Marcel Ayme

She Loves Me... She Loves Me Not... by Robert Keeshan (AKA Captain Kangaroo)

Chicken Soup With Rice

Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer

No Fighting, No Biting! by Else Holmelund Minarik
Open House for Butterflies by Ruth Krauss

Where the Wild Things Are

The Velveteen Rabbit (Best in Children's Books Volume 35)

Rest in peace, sir.   Good night, sleep tight, don't let the zipperump-a-zoos bite.

Other Maurice Sendak related books missing from the above pictures (most are must haves):
Atomics for the Millions by Dr. Maxwell Leigh
Outside Over There by Grimm
The Moon Jumpers by Janice May Udry
One Was Johnny
Alligators All Around
Pierre
The Singing Hill by Meindert DeJong
Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik
Seven Tales by H. C. Anderson by Hans Christian Anderson
Let's Be Enemies  by Janice May Udry
The Sign on Rosie's Door
Seven Little Monsters
AND MANY OTHERS!

Mercer Mayer's Terrible Troll vs. The Bravest Knight

My latest blog, "Terrible Troll vs. The Bravest Knight," is up... but not here.

It is up over at Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves, right HERE.

Mercer Mayer Interview and more at Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves

There is an excellent BRAND NEW interview with Mercer Mayer over at my favorite blog, Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves.

Go check it out!


Here is part 1 of the interview:

http://www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com/2012/03/meet-mercer-mayer.html

They are also posting a lot of Mercer Mayer reviews of his classic books.  You may even see a familiar person doing a guest post soon...

Good night, sleep tight, don't let the Zipperump-a-zoos bite!