David Maybury | Blog

Pope Benedict XVI has joined the ranks of celebrities writing children’s books… Gli Amici di Gesu (The Friends of Jesus) is to be the first book published by any pope.

The characters in the book include each of the original 12 apostles, including Judas Iscariot; Matthias, who replaced Judas after the betrayal, and St. Paul.

The 48-page volume produced for the youngest of readers is a “route that takes the reader to the origins of the Church, through the events of the first people who found Jesus and became his friends,” according to the publishing house.

Shelflife has the scoop – and puts the book in the same ranking as Madonna, Tim McGraw, Brooke Shields, Julianne Moore, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Jimmy Buffett and Whoopi Goldberg…

Let the puns begin!

As mentioned – there are only 4 sleeps until Christmas… and only 4 sleeps until the Gruffalo hits the small-screen! That very same monster makes the headlines in the Irish Independent, The Times (UK), Irish Daily Mail, The Times (UK) again and in The Guardian (with an interview with Susanna Rustin)

Any house with a small child will have a copy of The Gruffalo and if they don’t they should. It’s one of the most famous picture books in the past 10 years and the most popular in the past 20 or 30. “I’d challenge anybody to say another children’s picture book has sold more. – Dave O’Callaghan (on The Gruffalo)

Robert Dunbar and Geraldine McKenna join Pat Kenny on RTE to choose some of the best books for young readers this Christmas. Click to listen.

In sticking with things on-screen – Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials won’t be making it onto the silver screen. In good news – Lorenzo di Bonaventura has snapped up rights to produce Michael Scott’s six-part fantasy series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel.

And Steven Spielberg has nabbed the rights to produce Michael Morpurgo’s The War Horse!

Anna Carey reviews some favourite classics for the straightened times we find ourselves in – and Jan Ruffino has a look at the new RTE series – On the Block – with four different kids talking into their webcams.

John Mullan searches for the ten best child story narrators – including Tracy Beaker | Meg Rosoff reviews Wolf Erlbruch’s Duck, Death and the Tulip.

Outstanding books for young people have often proved difficult to categorise and market, and there seems little likelihood of this one taking over where sales of Guess How Much I Love You leave off. Erlbruch’s simple eloquence in the face of life’s most monstrous inevitability, however, suggests that Duck, Death and the Tulip will continue to occupy an important place in the literature of childhood long after today’s bestsellers have been forgotten. – Meg Rosoff

Jean Hannah Edelstein wants to put people right on Enid Blyton while Jenny Uglow looks at the best of old and new picture books.

Jeanette Winterson talks about why she became a children’s writer in the Guardian Author, Author series.

Nicolette Jones covers the year in Children’s Lit over at Book Brunch, Publishers Weekly covers some new picture books and Sam Jordison celebrates Terry Pratchett’s Unseen Academicals.

Are these the best films of 2009?

Where the Wild Things Are – the video game… a little jerky but sounds like a playable adaptation of the film

Publishers across Asia search for local talent to create picture books. Beverley Naidoo visits Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre.

The mandatory round-up from last week – and starting at home with some festive lists from some prestigious voices:

Robert Dunbar has his Christmas wishlist in the Irish Times. Celia Keenan has the YA market sewn up with a long list of great books while Sarah Webb hits the headlines elsewhere in the Irish Independent – with books kids will love this Christmas.

Nicholas Tucker in the Independent UK has his own list of Best Books this Christmas. Johnathon Hunt has his YA books of the year on NPR. And Julia Eccleshare has her own list of children’s and illustrated books in the guardian.

Kate Kellaway reviews some of the latest picture book releases – Daddy Lost His Head (Quentin Blake and André Bouchard), Who Wants to Be a Poodle? I Don’t (Lauren Child), Red Ted and the Lost Things (Michael Rosen and Joel Stewart), The Lion, the Unicorn and Me: the Donkey’s Christmas Story (Jeanette Winterson), Jack Frost (Kazuno Kohara) and Fairie-Ality Style: A Sourcebook of Inspirations from Nature (David Ellwand)

This year’s fiction for the 11-18 age group is striking for three things. The first is the degree to which modern stories and contemporary young adult concerns and anxieties are filtered through or reflected in older forms of story-telling such as folk and fairytales, sometimes to terrifying effect.

The second and one to be warmly welcomed is the increasing availability of really good visual material in terms of graphic novels, illustrated books or even picturebooks for this broad age group.

The third, also to be welcomed, is the increasingly frank embodiment of political ideas and concerns in much of this work. It is important that young people be offered something more than the narcissistic concerns with appearance and surface that much of popular culture seems to assume they want. There’s a lot out there besides handsome vampires! – Celia Keenan, Irish Independent.

Geraldine Bedell looks at the latest books lost in the shadow of Meyer – Fallen (Lauren Kate), Hush, Hush (Becca Fitzpatrick), Shiver (Maggie Stiefvater), A Trick of the Dark (BR Collins) and The True Deceiver (Tove Jansson)

Vampires? Werewolves? Pffft! They’re all past it – and far too soppy. Imogen Russell Williams knows that Dragons are where the fun really is.

What was the best theatre of the decade? Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse according to the Times UK. Best films of 2009? Coraline steals the ‘best charmer of the year’.

This adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s children’s book was the theatrical event of the decade, starring a life-size puppet of a horse. The story was sublimely simple: a farm horse, Joey, is drafted to the western front, and Albert, the boy who loved him, goes off to France to rescue him. The effect was beautiful and devastating.

Philip Pullman is going the way of the Beedle Bard – creating a limited edition charity book.

And is Harry Potter competing with the Twilight shirtless bonanza? It seems so – Daniel Radcliffe is taking his shirt off. (/swoon)

Lyn Gardner gives Room on the Broom the thumbs up while Laura Barnett just can’t hate Gossip Girl.

According to Australia’s HeraldSun – and research from Canada -  Thomas the Tank Engine is too conservative and under-representative of women.

Viv Groskop looks for the young readers guide to feminism – as we all know… Girls are boring.

Adidas are tipping their toe in the world of comics… | Popeye and EC Segar get a nod from Google | Pied Piper of Hamelin is getting the Hollywood treatment | A classic comic collection goes under the hammer – and could raise some eyebrows.

There’s plenty happening in the papers – starting at home… You know you’ve made it when… the Irish Times features a decade of you. Sarah Webb – this is your life! (And the good news is there will be lots more of Sarah on the YA and Children’s bookshelves)

Everyone’s favourite fantasy writer – well mine – Holly Black has signed a new 3 book deal. The first, The White Cat, will be on the shelves in June next year.

Sick of the ‘best of’ lists yet? Large Hearted Boy has a best-of-the-best-ofs… If you’re looking for that perfect present, then this could be the best-of list that meets your needs. (The Guardian’s Critical Eye has another round-up of the round-ups…)

And if you’re still not overdosed on lists -Alison Walsh has a list of some of the best children’s books of 2009. (Or you could review the last decade!) Maeve McLoughlin in the Sunday Business Post creates her own nativity wishlist.

Neel Mukherjee in the Times UK has a comprehensive list of graphic novels. and Nicolette Jones’ list the Children’s Books. And Claire Armiststead talks Logicomix on the Guardian Podcast (the same comic listed on the Times’ list)

Once ye get past the lists…

Olivia Laing reads Meg Rosoff’s The Bride’s Farewell – Rosoff specialises in feisty heroines, and her main character here, Pell Ridley, is no exception.

John Mullan reads Terry Pratchett’s Unseen Academicals and Justine Jordan reads Sue Townsend’s latest Adrian Mole. Jane Austen gets a lift – in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies:

But the other obvious problem with monster mash-ups is that the joke very quickly grows old. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is often very funny, but by the third or fourth chapter you’ve well and truly got the idea; by the time you come to Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, the novelty has thoroughly faded. – Stephanie Merritt

Mobile Art Lab has an interesting take on picture books on the iPhone screen. And Julia Eccleshare has a picture book round-up (miss this last week!)

Talking of picture books, Reading University has released research into using pictures to co-erce children into eating vegetables: “The children showed more interest in tasting unfamiliar foods if they had previously seen pictures of them…”

The Telegraph features a slideshow from Peter Hunt and Lisa Sainsbury’s Illustrated Children’s Books – with some great choices.

Shane Hegarty reads Mr Tayto’s biography:

the “autobiography” itself is gently humorous, rampantly nostalgic and makes sure to turn Mr Tayto into a Forrest Gump-like figure, popping up alongside major figures of the past few decades. It is also more readable than a book about a pretend crisp should ever be.

And some more interesting links -

Enid Blyton joins the DS Flips ranks – alongside Eoin Colfer, Cathy Cassidy and the Too Ghoul for School gang! | Neil Gaiman talks audiobooks on npr – have you heard any good books lately? | Philly.com reviews Stephanie Meyer’s Female Force – a biographical comic about the original twerd. | CBR has a sneak peek at the Mighty (11) – and it looks like fun! (And the Independent UK have my Christmas list prepared!) | Keith Stuart has the top 10 PS3 games for Christmas – Uncharted 2 and Modern Warfare 2 take the top post.

Just when you thought it was safe… another award announcement!

This time it’s from the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards – who are looking for your votes in the Never Too Young category (and in total bias we recommend voting for Niamh Sharkey’s The Ravenous Beast)

So get voting for your favourite! (You know who that is, right? )

Great to see Robert Dunbar back in the Irish Times – this time he’s talking picture books, including some favourites: Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman, Gordon Snell and Axel Scheffler.

OF THE IRISH picture-book writers and illustrators who have come to the fore in recent years Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick has emerged as one of the most accomplished and most versatile. – Robert Dunbar

Sadly – Louise Cooper passed away aged 57 last week – the Guardian has an obituary from her former editor Emily Thomas.

It always struck me that Louise was gloriously content, that she relished, savoured life. She was a wonderfully warm person, kind and interested.

Patricia Cornwell talks to Hilary Fannin in the wake of publishing her 17th novel while Philip Ardagh is celebrated for his win at the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in the Independent UK. (Who knew he was 17ft tall and looks like ZZ Top?)

The Evening Echo features our own Olive O’Brien – solicitor turned children’s writer and in the Guardian Shirley Dent talks book choices – from fact to fiction.

In the Guardian – Linda Buckly-Archer reviews Mary Hoffman’s Troubador and Comica Comiket hits the shelves – a UK alternative to McSweeney’s?

Hoffman has written an enthralling and well-paced tale whose conclusion is at once unexpected, poignant and satisfying. Troubadour is not a joyous story but it is a compelling one. – Linda Buckly-Archer on Troubador.

Emma Cook talks to Sophie Smallwood – the granddaughter of Enid Blyton on writing in Blyton’s shadow (for the 60th anniversary of Noddy) and Mathew Dennison talks Richmal Crompton, Miss Swinton and William in the Times UK.

The folks at Little, Brown and Egmont have nabbed Daniel Handler (Mr Lemony Snicket and bassist for the dulcet Magnetic Fields) for a new 4 book series in 2012. And Salman Rushdie is writing a sequel to Haroun and the Sea of Stories called Luka and the Fire of Life – expect to see it hit the shelves late next year.

And Alison Flood breaks the news that Andy Warhol’s illustrated interpretation of Little Red Hen goes on sale in December. And in the Independent UK lists it’s first 50 best winter reads – with Joe Craigs on the panel!

Amazon are publishing 3 self-published books early next year – including Zetta Elliott’s A Wish After Midnight and Rob Fahey defends video game violence – (Call of Duty) Modern Warfare 2 ‘aint for kids.

In movies:

Does anyone get Astro Boy? ‘Astro Boy is a Japanese superhero whose backside fires bullets. How cool is that?’ – maybe Sam Leith does.

With the impending release of New Moon next week – Stephanie Meyer picks up a billion odd headinlines – including the news (via Oprah) that she is tired of vampires.

Fantastic Mr Fox hit the shores of the US last weekend, Disney is laughing all the way to bank – with a climb of 18% in profits, despite poor movie revenues. And finally – Christmas blockbusters made easy with Peter Bradshaw.

It’s Monday again (already!?) The weekend papers at home were packed with best-sellers and heart throbs… Darren Shan got up close and spooktacular with Brian O’Connell while John Connolly has praise heaped upon him in the Irish Independent. On the topic of Irish papers and heart throbs… Fiona McCann talks longingly to Aidan Turner and ‘his Heathcliff hair and eyes the colour of mahogany.’

My latest book, Hell’s Heroes , has been my strongest in the UK and Ireland for 10 years, so I am still picking up steam here. It’s a word of mouth process,” he says, “Certain things break the mould suddenly, like Harry Potter, but for the rest of us it is a longer process. I mean it took Roald Dahl 10 or 15 years to get established. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released in the US almost 10 years before it was published in the UK. – Darren Shan, Irish Times

Lucy Mangan reads Judy Blume’s Are you there God and likens it to the Gossip Girl of her generation. Josh Lacey gives Carl Hiaasen’s Scat the once over while Amanda Craig tackles two younger readers -  Lucy Cousins’ Yummy and Judith Kerr’s One Night in the Zoo. Will Self talks Roald Dahl, Wolverine gets dark  and Asterix turns fifty! In the New Yorker, Daniel Zalewski collides the world of picturebooks and parenting and Alison Flood investigates why parents are reading less and less to children.

Like the novel or the sitcom, the picture book records shifts in domestic life: newspaper-burrowing fathers have been replaced by eager, if bumbling, diaper-changers – Daniel Zalewski, New Yorker.

There were some large PR stories this week too – Eoin Colfer’s And Another Thing has been released into the wild (reviews in the Guardian, Times UK) And then there are the impending film adaptations of The Fantastic Mr Fox (Gdn, Times), Cirque Du Freak and Where the Wild Things Are – Gdn,  Times UK, Independent and the guardian again).

Colfer has achieved a perfectly calculated adaptation: a novel which serves as a fitting memorial but also has a life of its own. – Mark Lawson, Guardian.

Now… deep breath for the finish line:

Enid Blython writers from the grave, Toy Story 3 goes on the chopping block, Logicomix gets the third degree, Super Thursday fails to get up upand away, book awards have the curtains pulled open, New York Review of Books gets blogging, Chinese comics see sales surge – just no sex or separatism thanks, life is a fairytale – and who could forget the Cheltenham Festival?!

There’s been plenty of talk about ebooks lately – last week Sony launched their new eReaders and the PSP got some decent comic releases – and there are a few ereaders on the Nintendo DS too..

And then there is the iPhone/iPod to consider too… though admittedly it is out of the price range for most young readers, for now.

At the minute, the children’s book market seems to be focusing on picture books – something for parents to give younger children temporarily, but not as a permanent book. As Josh Koppel, co-founder and chief creative officer for ScrollMotion, recently noted during the launch of Curious George books for the iPhone:

I see parents hand their iPhones to their kids. We’re feeling the iPhone is the place to define the products and define the experiences before we move them into other places.

It is a short term idea that could throw up some very useful test data for later projects. (Working on the presumption that smartphones with book software will be widely available, and less prohibitively priced, in the next 3-5 years)

Publisher, retailer and author investment into application development has increased hugely – the last few months have seen the launch of more than a dozen picture book applications for the iPhone/iPod including MobiStories, Winged Chariot, Panelfly, ICDL, and PicPocket. And Japan is testing a live-captioning tool for deaf children.

And while the argument over cost rages on elsewhere – ebooks don’t need printing or distribution (though these are far less expensive than other aspects of publishing) The news that Bob Burke’s The Third Pig Detective Agency is listed at number 21 on Waterstone’s digital bestseller list will be bolstered by the great price that the book is selling at – it helps of course that the book is great fun and Bob has a strong digital presence too!

There’s plenty more to come in digital publishing – and it’d be great to see a platform for Irish books being developed (perhaps multiple publishers all through one application??)

I’m back with plenty of embarrassing stories to tell -  but for now… jumping right into the deep end.

From home first – irishtimes.com notes the 80th anniversary of Tin-Tin and the Irish Independent dedicates a note to teachers past, the Mr Chips of the world: ”that teacher who leaves a mark on his or her school lives.’

In the Sunday Tribune Jane Birkin lets slip that Graham Greene’s The Heart of the Matter changed her life. (She has been reading and rereading it since she was 12.)

The bastion of honest and dependable journalism, The Mail on Sunday, has a column on John Boyne and the ‘hatemail’ he has received surrounding inaccuracies in the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas…

The Guardian has John Mullan talking Roddy Doyle and Patrick Ness reads Tim Etchills’ Broken World.

Lucy Mangan continues to build her classic book collection – this time with Dorothy Edwards’ My Naughty Little Sister.

Roger Sabin looks at the current batch of graphic novels – and reckons that the genre has gone mainstream. (Also worth a look – Malorie Blackman’s top 10 graphic novels for teenagers).

Meg Rosoff reveals her hidden fantasy to stop writing books and become a stable girl… (on the topic of Ms Rosoff, is anyone else looking forward to her new title on 3 September??)

While in the Independent UK Anthony Browne reveals he wanted to be a cartoonist, a journalist, and a boxer, like dad.

And finally – in the Times UK – Amanda Craig review Michelle Paver’s Ghost Hunter.

To have maintained a consistent quality of writing, storytelling and suspense over six books without missing a beat is extraordinary, though children will want only to race to the end. Those who have followed Torak and Renn’s relationship out of childhood and through puberty will hope, and dread, the development of more romantic feelings between them. It would be unfair to reveal anything more; it’s worth reading to find out for yourself.

I’m not exactly at the desk these days but Mercier Press managed to find me long enough to let me know about something exciting. They’ve come up with a decent competition for illustrators looking for a break, namely the chance to clinch a €5,000 publishing deal.

They’re printing a new edition of Patricia Lynch’s Tales of Irish Enchantment and are seeking submissions from potential illustrators to work on the book. There’s €5,000 up for grabs as well as your name on the cover…

Deadline for entries is June 14 – and all ye need to submit are two full colour illustrations and send ‘em via their website. Be warned though, the winner will have to complete up to 70 more images within seven months of winning the competition.

Good Luck!

While I’m on the topic of pictures – there are two other great events this week (we’re spoilt for choice!) PJ Lynch will be celebrating UNESCO World Book Day - I got to see PJ a few months ago in the National Gallery and he was a great speaker – and an even better artist. So if you happen to be passing Drumcondra on Thursday night, why not drop in and catch some interesting chat about all things picture? More details are over on PJ’s site.

Elsewhere in the world, namely Galway, will see the passionate Colman Ó Raghallaig’s Táin graphic novel brought to life by a team of actors and musicians as part of the Cúirt Festival. If you haven’t picked up a copy of Colman’s book – then go. Stop reading here and go now. (Other highlights of Cúirt include some fella called Derek Landy and another fella called Tim Bowler. I’ve been lucky enough to hear both of them before and the crowds in Galway are in for a real treat.)

And if all that wasn’t enough – The Magic Illustration Exhibition opens in the Central Library (back in Dublin folks) on Thursday 23 too. The exhibition features work stolen borrowed from the iBby archive stronghold and kicks off at 6pm on Thursday 23 April.

The US book critics blog has a look at some bilingual picture books, namely in Spanish. The only thing I could think of off the top of my head in Irish was Anne Donovan’s Where’s Murphy? and a separate Cá bhfuil Murchú? edition.

I’m not too sure about the quality of the stories mentioned on Critical Mass – but my Spanish isn’t what it should be.

With less than a month to go before Christmas the reviewers have started the round-up ‘Best of 2008′ lists – and I’m sure there are plenty more of them to come.

The Times (UK) start the ball rolling with Amanda Craig’s list of Children’s 2-10 – her book of the year is Franck Cotrell Boyce’s Cosmic (though PJ Lynch’s Gift of the Magi gets a mention too). Christina Hardyment runs through her favourite children’s audio-books including Phillip Pullman, JK Rowling and Vivianne French’s Robe of Skulls.

>More of The Times UK Christmas lists.

The Guardian has taken a different approach and asked as many people as they could think of for their books of 2008. The list is impressive and has some great recommendations – though it could take all of 2009 to read through it.

> Season’s readings, the Guardian’s pick the best of 2008

Frank Cotrell Boyce appears in the Guardian’s review pages after reading Philippa Pearce’s A Finders Magic.

All Pearce’s books have this strange, unobtrusive power. They seem like simple fantasy or adventure stories, but somehow they never leave you. Her secret was that she put so much of herself into them.

And Keith Stuart looks at what games are out for younger gamers – including Peppa Pig on the Wii…

And I thought this was funny:

Doing it for the books | Supporting CBI

The longlists for the 2009 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway awards have been announced – the lists are pretty long, thus the name, but plenty of deserving books up for awards. There have been so many great books out this year – the longlists are certainly proof of that!

The shortlist won’t be announced until 24 April 2009 – loads of time to get reading! No excuse.

Tonight on BBC Four (one for all you digital heads) When we were very young – a series exploring childhood reading – the first episode focuses on picture books with interviews, readings and demonstrations from Michael Rosen, Shirley Hughes, Alan Ahlberg and Lauren Child.

The second episode, Now We are Six, will look at classic books, from Alice in Wonderland to The Wind in the Willows, Winnie the Pooh and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and feature Philip Pullman, Jacqueline Wilson, Anthony Horowitz, Quentin Blake and Raymond Briggs.

So go watch the clip from tonight’s show and then tune in at 9pm tonight on BBC 4 (repeats until Sunday) See, some TV just shouldn’t be missed.

The VHC mentioned one of my old favourites the other night. He has written more than 130 books, worked on TV series, and is no stranger to controversy. He was one of the authors that I read voraciously when he was at his peak. And he’s back – along with his Goosebumps series – this time in graphic novels. He is RL Stine.

The Graphic Classroom has the whole story:

The stories are typical for the Goosebumps series, with plenty of age-appropriate spook and creep to satisfy the young soul searching for fun horror.

Something nice and light for a post Culture Night morning. And I couldn’t think of anything better than a day spent with Babar – who features in the current New Yorker. There is an exhibition of Laurent de Brunhoff in the Morgan Library and Museum in New York with original artwork and sketches.

The New Yorker piece, here, comes complete with a slideshow of de Brunhoff’s work. Enjoy.

A few quick links from last weeks newspapers to brighten up a Sunday morning -

Derek Draper takes a look at Meghan McCain’s picture book My Dad – about her Dad, US presidential candidate John McCain. (Aged 5-10) Read more in the Guardian.

Nicolette Jones reviews David Macaulay’s Angelo, likening it to a new retelling of Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince  – without the living statues… (Aged 5+) Read more in the Sunday Times.

Nicola Smyth tests out a heap of picture books on her four year old daughter – with the outright favourite being William Bee’s Beware of the Frog. Read more in the UK Independent.

News broke this morning that the legendary and brilliant Tasha Tudor died on Wednesday. Reknowned across the US for her book illustrations and artwork, I am (and others might too) be most familiar with her illustrated edition of The Night Before Christmas (it was the first time I came across her as a kid).

More about Tasha on her family website and this mornings note in the New York Times.

Are new book technology users just growing up?

A few weeks ago I put a computer illiterate five-year-old in front of a keyboard, mouse and monitor. She grasped how to use the operating system (Windows XP) the browser (Firefox) and the Internet (Google, Sesame Street, Nick Jr. and Dora The Explorer) in less than half an hour.

The experience got me thinking.

One of the largest reasons that e-books haven’t become a reality is due to our reluctance to let go of the book. Would gadget savvy young readers be more comfortable using an e-reader than the rest of us?

This isn’t as far fetched as it might sound. Disney, Fisher Price and Hasbro have all released mp3 players for children in the last year. The Fisher Price Kid-Tough FP3 Player is aimed at the youngest audience (3 – 6 year olds) and their online store sells audio books as well as music. While the Disney player is aimed at a 5 – 12 year olds but without the option to download music.

Is it such a leap to imagine a similar device with a large, colour screen* that reproduces picture books? [It could play the author reading the book at the same time through its mp3 player.]

If public libraries and schools supported ebooks then young readers would be encouraged to use them, and be more likely to using them as adults. Some, such as the New York Public Library has already begun to lend copies of ebooks – with certain copyright conditions.

Looking at the conclusions from the research in Bell State (dated 2004) Richard Bellaver concludes:

The children thoroughly enjoy playing and interacting with the eBooks. However, many of the children used the eBook for non-reading purposes because the content was not to their reading level. This was remedied by adding more content geared towards the younger reading level, but at the time of the interviews, that was not the case. The children did grasp the technology, and were able to learn the basic features of the eBook. Only one eBook of fifteen was damaged during the test.

Do you ever wish you see the future??

Sources:
> Richard Bellaver – Bell State University
> New York Public Library
> About.com
> e-book.com

*One of the most ideal distribution outlets for ebooks is the iPod Touch and the iPhone through Apple’s iTunes.
Click for a better look >>>

I won a competition! (I never win competitions! Except that one with the Wii – thank again Science Week)

Many thanks to Tom in Children’s Books Ireland who just sent me on a copy of Mark Barratt’s Joe Rat. CBI already have a new competition to win family tickets to Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s The Snail and The Whale stage adaptation. (It’s playing in the Helix throughout May). The book is a classic picturebook (198-) and lives in my top 20 reading list. Top 20 picture books list anyway…

Go enter. G’wan.

An article from the Economist on the difficulties in publishing picture books:

Not all are quite so gloomy. Booktrust, a charity, has launched the Big Picture campaign to raise the profile of picture books. At the Illustration Cupboard, a London gallery, John Huddy reckons the market is correcting itself, rooting out inadequate contenders. Panicky book folk may be talking their business down—but new ways to sell cheaper products across borders must certainly loom.

Time for a new kind of picture book? More on picture books here.

A few quick links that I keep fogetting to post:

George Fournier, formerly of this address, has gotten himself a website.

Two from the Scamp blog: An interesting book of art drawn by Writers and the step-by-step guide on drawing Twenty Major’s bestselling book cover.

Just One More Book has an interview with writer and illustrator Lita Judge.

An ‘entrepeneur’ in Washington is locked in solitary confinement cell and left to drink her own urine for four days. Euwww.

Pub Rants has a rant about work clauses from MacMillan – seems a bit drastic:

the Author will complete the Work and submit it to the Publisher prior to beginning work on any other book for INSERT GENRE (excluding only other books that may already be under separate contract to the Publisher).

The Northern Ireland 2D Festival is back this year – details on the FPI blog. In the Verbal Arts Centre (Derry) from June 5 – 7.

The guardian has the full list of winners from the 2008 British Animation Awards.

The excellent Dreadful Thoughts series is continuing on Fústar.info – next up is Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows.

Last year saw some heavy hitters reach the shelves (Artemis Fowl – The Graphic Novel, The Alchemist, Skullduggery Pleasant, My Dad’s a Birdman and loads more)

So what’s in store for 2008? (I couldn’t help but have a sneak peak!!)

First – there are a few movies to look out for including the big budget Iron Man, Batman and the next Narnia installment. John Boyne’s Boy In the Striped Pyjamas is due for release in Autumn and Dr Suess‘ Horton Hears a Who is hitting the silver-screen next week.

There is a lot more to come by way of books this year too – a new Skullduggery Pleasant (Playing With Fire) and a new Artemis Fowl (The Time Paradox) as well as a new installment to Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses. The book factory that is Darren Shan has a new title coming – Death’s Shadow and of course there is his new adult fiction novel, Procession of the Dead.

Lauren Child has a new book in the Charlie and Lola story, as does Michelle Paver in her Chronicles series. Zizou Corder has a new book out now – Lee Raven, Boy Thief – as does Deirdre Madden, Thanks for Telling Me Emily. And I’m nearly certain that Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams have their second book (following on from Tunnels) coming this summer.

So – whatever about the rest of ye, I’ll be spending the summer on the beach* with the glasses on and my nose in a book or two.

*beach scenario is weather permitting.

Not only is this week Library Ireland Week or this Thursday World Book Day – it is also Japanese Animation week. To mark the week that’s in it the Japanese embassy is running a series of movies throughout Dublin.

Disappointingly, I missed tonight’s showing of Voices of a Distant Star and Princess Mononoke in St Pat’s. (The dubbed version of Princess Mononoke stars Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thornton, Gillian Anderson and Minnie Driver.) On Thursday, Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days (both from Makoto Shinkai) will be showing in Trinity College and there will be three more movies shown in the Chester Beatty Library on Saturday, including The Castle of Cagliostro.

For more visit the Embassy’s website. Might even see you there.

Also: Gary Gygax has died. The man behind Dungeons and Dragons.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
If that’s not your kind of thing – why not try one of these:
> Jim Carroll’s post on Mongrel and Foggy Notions passing. 100+ comments – including some from the mongrel team.

> Will a self-published book ever win a major book award?
> The Kenyon Review – On writing Badly
> Slinky Pics (wowsie website) is nominated for a British Animation Award.
> Alan Moore and Todd Klien’s Alphabet of Desire is back for a second limited print-run.

> Mr Linehan has a suggested reading list. Go buy.
> The University of Minnesota has bought $100,000 worth of comics. Here.
> Strange children’s picture book nature scene.
> Steven Spielberg is launching a paranormal/UFO social network site. (Suggested names anyone?)

The talented Steve Simpson has kindly given an illustrators view on working in children’s books. Steve has worked with Irish language publisher An Gúm and recently finished a book with Scholastics in the US – as well as working with An Post and countless others. Who better to ask!?

On Irish and UK publishing:
It’s possible that picture books are becoming inviable in the UK but I can’t imagine there has ever been much profit in Irish picture books for a long time. The market is very small and many of the books that do make it into the bookshops are obviously published in Ireland, lots of Irish names, Irish references, Irish towns and green postboxes. This mostly makes them unappealing for export.

As the potential market is tiny, the fees paid to illustrators are, to say the least, unappealing (others might use stronger language). Some of the fees I’ve heard are far below the national minimum hourly rate and with that they expect to retain all copyright (and even the artwork in some cases). If you want to make a living as a children’s book illustrator you need to look further a field.

On working in the US:
I’m only just entering the market but my dealings so far have been very good. I’ve been able to keep my copyright and the contracts seems quite generous by Irish comparisons. I haven’t heard of any pessimistic forecasts.

A little encouragement for the newbies:
Children’s book illustration is a fantastic area to be involved in, I can’t think of a more idyllic career path. Getting started is always a struggle though. The current Irish scene may appear unattractive to established illustrators, however it can be a great opportunity for upcoming illustrators. You might not make too much cash but you will be published. Just remember to hold on tight to your copyright.

(Thanks again to Steve for answering my rant-like questions. You can gawk at his work, here, or read more from him over at Scamp)

Sorry to go on about picture books but it is something that has gotten my goat of late. **I recently started sending out a picture book manuscript to publishers. That’s probably what has my goat’s knickers in a bunch.**

I crept into a launch last night (more on that here) and had a chat with a heavy weight publisher or two. They dropped me a few statistics that didn’t sound too optimistic and perhaps more importantly, one let me know that he was no longer taking on picture books from new writers.

(Naturally alarms bells went a-ringing – I’m a new writer and I’ve written a picture book and I have no definite publisher yet. What do I do now??)

As a different take on the issue, this publisher doesn’t see the decline as a result of the readers’ embarrassment but more to do with the parents’ unwillingness to buy the books. As a business indication this is even more hair raising – children reluctant to read picture books at a certain age is one thing, but parents unwilling to shell out for the books initially is worse. As this particular publisher put it:

All the talk from parents on how they love their children reading is just that, talk.

Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series has really become a massive success – I holed up over Christmas and reread the whole series, including the new graphic novel. It was a nice way to unwind over the holidays, honest.

The graphic novel raised a few questions with me though – especially with how some of the characters looked (Butler didn’t look too Eurasian – or even realistic for that matter). All the same, the book is as gripping and fast as the original – only this time it comes complete with an artist’s impression.

At a talk over the weekend, Barry Cunningham and Mary Byrne mentioned Colfer’s new venture as a possible reintroduction for readers to picture books. I can’t see it becoming too much of a reality – my guess would be that the general reader of Artemis Fowl would go from there to comics. The overall outlook seems to be that there is a damaging stereotype amongst parents surrounding picture books preventing sales increases – and readers over reaching themselves by trying to read Philip Pullman aged 8 and Wilkie Collins at 12 because they’re too embarrassed to be seen reading illustrated books.

I fell into the same category – luckily I’ve out grown it…

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Some links that might make you weak at the knees. Probably not, but maybe:

Steve Gerber | Fans paying tribute through downloads
David Fickling has a new comic | DFC
Indy is given a facelift | Potato Head
Why cant writers master the art of drawing
Susan Bradley and Typography at Pixar

Click

What do you get when you cross a frog with a rabbit? A bunny ribbit. So, what do you get when you bring ten children’s writers together and ask them to write a book for Amnesty International? Click. Brought together by an opening chapter from Linda Sue Park and her characters (Maggie and Jason, the grandchildren of photo-journalist George ‘Gee’ Keane) nine writers were asked to bring the story forward. David Almond, Eoin Colfer, Deborah Ellis, Roddy Doyle, Nick Hornby, Tim Wynne Jones, Ruth Ozeki, Margo Lanagan and Gregory Maguire all follow suit with a chapter that each follows a different character related to Gee. A jump novel has got to be a great challenge for a group of writers – to move the story along enough to keep the reader interested without making things too difficlut for the next writer. One worth reading – especially for Roddy Doyle’s Dublin snap shot.

My Dad’s a Birdman

How does the saying go: If you want something done, ask a busy person? There can’t be anyone busier than David Almond. Last year he published three books (I think), including Clay, which is sitting by the bed waiting to be read, Kate, The Cat and The Moon and My Dad’s A Birdman. – I wonder if he’d do my homework too…

My Dad’s A Birdman is illustrated by Polly Dunbar, who delivers amazing pictures of birds (of all kinds), interfereing aunts, dumplings and flying machines. The marriage between the images and text is great – even before you read the first word of the story Dunbar’s illustrations and the circus text let you know that something spectacular is coming. Go on, have a read.

Skellig

There is something very special about going back to a book nearly ten years after you read it first – the emotion behind the words is given a deeper nostalgic meaning. Skellig, David Almond’s first novel, doesn’t need my extra emotional weight on top of the already laden pages. Even in the first reading there is something familiar about this book, finding an old friend, that makes it worthy of so much praise. There isn’t much I can say about Skellig that hasn’t already been said – it is an intense read that pulls you in quietly. There are friends, threats and one or two other surprises but it’s not my place to reveal any of them…

The book was listed as one of the ten most important children’s novels of the past 70 years in 2007 and the film adaptation is due out later this year according to IMDB. Read this one before the movie.