Last year Kate and Betsy discussed three potential Caldecott winners, and two would later receive medals. This year, the two discuss Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, Blue by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, and We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins. And, as per usual, Kate brings up stuff Betsy never considered before. Questions like, how exactly does Penelope Rex eat her classmates so quickly (does she unhinge her jaw?). What does "caminantes" mean? And does the guy in Blue rename his girlfriend's dog? ...
Jan 14, 2019•43 min
Hungry? With the new year comes a whole set of resolutions. Not knowing that Kate is on the Whole30 again, Betsy forces her to read a book where bread plays a major role. Bread, heck. This is a book that could turn children into bonafide foodies. In spite of the fact that all badgers are born in February, we've decided to do this book in January. And then, in the course of things, Kate starts looking up what the USDA recommendations are for children, we consider the wackadoodle utensils of the B...
Jan 07, 2019•43 min
"I can always be called upon to remember a Snurp". Merry Christmas! Let's celebrate with a book that has absolutely nothing to do with the day in question whatsonever. So I know you're all wondering what elements Kate chose to focus on with this book. Would she like it more than Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus? Less? Well, we'll sum it up for you. We discuss at length the proper way to wash a pure white bra, the genetic dominance of a character's eyes (or lack thereof), and the proper way to ...
Dec 24, 2018•40 min
The last time Kate and Betsy saw a Dr. Seuss book they were reading If I Ran the Zoo. Not an auspicious beginning for the usually good doctor. In the course of this particular book, Kate manages to locate a place where Seuss got lazy and Xeroxed one of his two-page spreads (something Betsy had never noticed before). There is also talk about Thurl Ravenscroft (and how dead he is), odd Grinch theories, like the fact that his heart may expand and shrink regularly, and are these chimneys essentially...
Dec 18, 2018•46 min
After doing Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins last year, Betsy was having a devil of a time (no pun intended) figuring out another Hanukkah classic. After some serious consideration, she decided that this book would give us, as she says on the podcast, a little meat. A little fodder. Something to discuss. What she didn't see coming, though, was how timely this story truly was. How does it feel to live in a society that is constantly pummeling you with religious messages that are not your own? Lit...
Dec 11, 2018•44 min
Truly a book for our times. Is there any other picture book out there that causes kids to question what they've been told right from the start, more than this one? This book is timely. It prepares children, in an era of news that is not always reliable, to not take everything at face value. Warning: At one point during the end of the podcast Betsy does briefly mix up Zul and Zod. Children of the 80s, please forgive her. Show Notes: - Here is the highly strange Wikipedia entry for this book. Once...
Dec 03, 2018•36 min
Let's see. After Tikki Tikki Tembo and Little Black Sambo, it seems like Arrow to the Sun is the natural complement to those two, don't you think? Kate and Betsy haven't dug deep into a book with racist issues in a while, and they've never done any books where white folks told the stories of American Indians. In this post-Thanksgiving episode the sisters give as much of the history of this book as possible, all thanks to the work of K.T. Horning and Debbie Reese. Meanwhile, Kate gets confused ab...
Nov 26, 2018•44 min
William's Doll: Revenge of the Ascot! The big news of the day is that Kate and Betsy have created a petition. It's the very first they've ever done and its purpose is simple. As you'll hear on today's podcast, they are big time fans of today's book, but they'd rather like it if Harper Collins could publish a re-illustrated edition. The reasons for this are, as you will hear, pretty clear. With different clothing, they think William's story could reach a whole new slew of kids, and really strike ...
Nov 19, 2018•43 min
We're just going to give away the game and break down exactly how this podcast plays out between Kate and Betsy. As you will recall, Bets is a parent of two small children. Kate is not. So when the two sisters read this book, Kate became a full-throated supported of Team Mouse, while Betsy put all of her money down on Team Run-Ragged Kid. Listen and you'll hear how clearly delineated the line is between parents and non-parents. Show Notes: - We were actually able to find the Peanuts strip that r...
Nov 12, 2018•41 min
Since Kate had such strong feelings about Madeline and Eloise, Betsy figured that they would have to go with what she considered to be the third in the triumvirate of . . . let’s call ’em strong-minded ladies. If ever you’ve wanted to know the difference between miniature pigs, pot-bellied pigs, and razorback pigs, boy, have we got the podcast for you! Kate and Betsy talk about who the most famous female pig in children’s literature is (honestly, we’ve nothing against Peppa, but wasn’t she a tel...
Nov 05, 2018•41 min
What better time to introduce Kate to the work of Dave McKean than when it's almost Halloween! Betsy tries to give her sister a good dose of nightmare fuel, but somehow the two just end up talking about what an old wolf melody would sound like and whether Dave McKean has ever drawn a bunny (he has... and it's weird). Source Notes: - There was indeed a virtual reality version of The Wolves in the Walls. Variety Magazine had the scoop, and they even made a trailer for it. Behold: https://www.youtu...
Oct 29, 2018•45 min
If you've ever listened to this podcast then you'll know that when it comes to readalouds, that particular kind of a picture book is a little difficult to convey. Fortunately, Kate immediately interprets the cover of today's book, before reading it, as a story about a gigantic, 24-ft tall pumpkin rolling towards a little old lady, Indiana Jones boulder-style, and everything takes off from there on in. In the course of our conversation, Betsy reveals who actually made this book (not something wid...
Oct 22, 2018•39 min
Older holiday books for kids have a tendency to be a bit on the white side. So Betsy was thinking she was pretty slick when I came up with A Tiger Called Thomas for today's discussion. But here's the thing; she thought the version illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal was the only one out there. She was unaware that this book hadn't just been re-illustrated once but has FOUR different artists! Just to make all of this clear from the start, the four versions discussed on this podcast are: A Tiger...
Oct 15, 2018•44 min
We're killing two birds with one stone this week (pun reluctantly intended). A reader suggested today's book a long time ago. Add in the fact that it's October and we should be doing some Halloween-themed titles and you've got yourself today's latest edition of International Classic Picture Books. Take a trip to Germany to visit one of the loveliest, softest books about life and death out there. Maybe it's not classic Halloween fare, but we like it. Source Notes: - For the curious, here is the v...
Oct 09, 2018•44 min
Happy October! We open this month of hauntings and spirits with a book about a terribly frightening monster! And by "terribly frightening" I mean "terribly frightened". Inspired by their discussion of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Betsy pulls out the 4th wall breaking title that started the whole American genre in the first place. Consider too the fact that this is a Sesame Street book and Mo Willems, who would later write that pigeon book, used to work for Sesame Street. By the way, let u...
Oct 01, 2018•42 min
Kate worried that there wouldn't be enough to talk about with this week's podcast because the featured book is so simple in both text and image. Little did she know!!! What happens when an adult woman reads this book for the first time and is told that many consider it a modern day classic? Oh. Let's find out. Along the way Kate questions the shenanigans (her word) of the bus driver, why the pigeon never has eyelashes (does Mo have something against them?), whether or not the bird is Slytherin, ...
Sep 25, 2018•43 min
This week Betsy and Kate have pretty much found the bloodiest Caldecott Honor winner out there (though you're allowed to try to find one bloodier if you'd like to prove them wrong). Technically blood never mars the pages, but you can pretty much assume what's happening off-screen, as it were. And it's a fantastic introduction to the autumn season! Win-win! In the course of things, Kate and Betsy debate the degree to which Mr. and Mrs. Fox are starving their children, what precisely is going on w...
Sep 17, 2018•42 min
Didn't Kate and Betsy just do a Robert McCloskey book? They did, but it was not his most famous work. In spite of the fact that Betsy springs the tale of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard on her poor unsuspecting sister the two somehow manage to say a LOT about it! Vicious egg-eating turtles and all. Show Notes: - Just in case you're curious, the Twitter handle for this show is @fuse_kate and on Instagram at fuse8kate. - You can visit sculptor Nancy Schon's website on the ducklings here: http://www.schon.com...
Sep 10, 2018•44 min
Fiiiiiiiiiish . . . An aquatic creature that has absolutely NOTHING to do with this week's book! So first and foremost, we are happy to announce that we now have our very own Twitter and Instagram accounts for this podcast. Woot! So tune in on Twitter @fuse_kate or on Instagram at fuse8kate. As for the podcast itself, Kate was semi-familiar with this book already. But did she remember anything about it at all? No, sir! As it turns out, we were able to really dive into some of the details. Will w...
Sep 03, 2018•45 min
I think this is the clearest case of Betsy pulling out a book for Kate that is well-known amongst children's librarians and is pretty obscure when you talk to your average layperson on the street. If for no other reason, you should listen to this episode of our podcast to hear Kate's exclamation of pure confusion and tiny squeaks of bafflement when Betsy mentions how well it did on the Top 100 Picture Books Poll (it was #14). So sit back and enjoy as the sisters discuss the logistics of how exac...
Aug 27, 2018•42 min
Thanks to a listener suggestion, Kate and Betsy finally crack open the Henkes box. And when you're talking Henkes, there's only one place to start. Now I should warn you right from the start that Betsy makes an egregious error in this podcast. That's right. She makes the claim that Julius, Baby of the World was published AFTER Purple Plastic Purse. On the flipside, this podcast may be the first time anyone has ever noted the presence of Ignatz Mouse from Krazy Kat in this book. And as Kate says ...
Aug 13, 2018•46 min
How do you follow up The Giving Tree? Well, that's a tricky one. We don't know why Amelia Bedelia occurred to Betsy. She's so ubiquitous that no one ever really questions her presence on classic book lists. Still, the more we thought about her, the more we wondered if she really warrants inclusion in the "canon" of children's literature (howsoever you define that). Show Notes: - Here is her fantastic statue, located at the Harvin Clarendon County Library in Manning, South Carolina. This was scul...
Aug 06, 2018•39 min
It's very special episode day today! Kate and Betsy are celebrating their 50th episode (where does the time go?). It seemed fitting that they mark the occasion with an important book. There are so many titles that they still haven't done that could yield wonderful conversations. As such, it seems fitting that they finally do the most requested book of their podcast. In the course of things they also manage to come up with a connection between this and Harold and the Purple Crayon, discuss how th...
Jul 31, 2018•44 min
If we are to assume that the point of this podcast is to shine a light on "classic" picture books and ascertain whether or not they deserve that designation, it's a short walk to doing the same for books from other countries. What better then than to consider a picture book that is MASSIVELY successful in England, and only mildly recognized in the States? As a reminder, it was listener Rebekah Harris-Hughes who should receive full credit for suggesting today's book. So thank you, Rebekah! Source...
Jul 24, 2018•43 min
This week Betsy and Kate decided that scatological was the way to go. And so, they are pleased to announce that this is honestly the first Nonfiction picture book they've done on the show. Thinking about it, this may well be the most famous Nonfiction picture book in America. We'd be interested in hearing your alternative suggestions. The sisters get to talk about all SORTS of stuff too. Square wombat poop. Poor printing jobs on the book. And then there's that mystery animal that they simply cou...
Jul 16, 2018•34 min
Hope you like Kathleen Turner, because in this long delayed episode Betsy is clearly doing her best rendition of her. Apologies for the gap in the episodes. Fortunately, Betsy and Kate are back in style. This week they discuss a book that has a complicated history. It would be easier if this were a more straightforward case of racism. Along the way they also discuss the Wilder Award's name change, whether people care more about animal cruelty or corporeal punishment, and the names of Kate's blis...
Jul 09, 2018•44 min
The name of the game here is A Break From Brats. Betsy wanted to get Kate out of the realm of bratty children's book protagonists, so she thought the world's greatest friendship pair was the way to go. But before we get to that, the sisters do a rundown of the best and worst picture books they've ever looked at. As for the rest of the show, Kate writes down morals for every story in this book, and her interpretations aren't entirely canon. For Betsy's part, she gets to wax loquacious on her hori...
Jun 11, 2018•41 min
It's very special episode time! Very special for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that Kate took five hours to edit this episode down from two and a half hours to a svelte, sleek 47:41. It was also special because it features two guests from fellow podcast Go Your Own YA. So a big time thank you to Carey and Marie for taking time out of their schedules. Finally, it was special because Kate and Betsy finally got to tackle one of the big books they've been skirting around for mo...
Jun 04, 2018•48 min
I don't think Kate and Betsy expected to get into an in-depth conversation about Miss Nelson's cosplay as Viola Swamp, and why precisely she chooses to do so, but that's the kind of podcast this is. Along the way the sisters get into what the Wicked Witch of the West might have been wearing under that dress, the fact that butterflies were angry about the gas crisis in the 70s, and whether or not Viola Swamp talks like Katharine Hepburn (special bonus: Kate and Betsy may do the worst celebrity im...
May 28, 2018•45 min
Betsy and Kate would like to offer a word of warning to their mother with this one. Somehow, this ended up being their longest episode. If she listens to this on the treadmill, she might do herself a serious injury. It's a whopping 48:17 (and that's edited down!). I guess it's not surprising when you do a book as long as SCM. And boy howdy do they come up with all kinds of stuff to discuss here. A smattering includes . . . Source Notes: - Here's the Children's Book-a-Day Almanac link from Anita ...
May 21, 2018•48 min
