Merry Christmas Eve! By gum we're going to do at least one holiday book this month, if it kills us. Heck, for that matter, why not go local? You see, Kate and Betsy both live in Evanston, Illinois and it just so happens that one of the most famous Christmas songs out there started its life as a children's book by an Evanston author! Yes indeed, we doing a deep dive into Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer today circa 1939. And not just any book, but a reprint of the original story (pre-song and pre-television adaptation) that was handed out for free in department stores all those years ago. How does it hold up to modern scrutiny? Only one way to find out:

Show Notes:

Kate would like to correct her earlier statement that this scene is set in Chicago (though Chicago is mentioned). That said, here's the scene she refers to, early on in our show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxtLxqBolJI

FURTHER CORRECTION: At one point in the podcast Betsy says that Robert L. May wrote the book for Marshall Fields. She then almost immediately says it was Montgomery Ward. The correct department story was, in fact, Montgomery Ward.

Here's an NPR piece on the behind-the-scenes tale of Rudolph: https://www.npr.org/2013/12/25/256579598/writing-rudolph-the-original-red-nosed-manuscript

We find it interesting that Rudolph began his life as a department store's character and this year Macy's is doing the same dang thing! https://youtu.be/DwIUIrk56cQ

Betsy Recommends: The New Vic production of Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas in New York City!: https://newvictory.org/tickets-and-events/2122-live-performance-emmet-otters-jugband-christmas/

Kate Recommends: This link to the article about ostrich cells used to make COVID detection: masks: https://tanksgoodnews.com/japanese-scientists-use-ostrich-cells-to-make-glowing-covid-19-detection-masks/

And this Etsy artist that makes ostrich ornaments: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnimalsThatGoPlaces?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=180973083

And these socks: https://outofprint.com/products/the-monster-at-the-end-of-this-book-socks

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/12/24/fuse-8-n-kate-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-by-robert-l-may-ill-denver-gillen/

Episode 209 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Deep in the heart of February, it's not uncommon for folks to start yearning for warmer days and summer nights. While shivering in Illinois, Kate and Betsy dip into some early award-winning Udry and Sendak. Why did Sendak win a Caldecott Honor for this title? We deign to find out. There are ghosts and giants and a cat with a face Kate would tattoo on her arm tomorrow, if she could. There are also long discussions of how precisely these four children of approximately the same age are all related to one another. Enjoy!

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/02/19/fuse-8-n-kate-the-moon-jumpers-by-janice-may-udry-ill-maurice-sendak/

Episode 304 - The Moon Jumpers

Originally released in 2003, Skippyjon Jones is a fascinating study of a picture book that was controversial prior to the rise of We Need Diverse Books. When first it came out, the book received loads of praise and awards ... and then loads of controversy. While still in print today, we identify the probable reasons why this book doesn't have a Netflix show, a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a live-action film, etc. Let's just say there may be a reason why the last book in this series came out in 2014. We discuss what may be one of the oddest Kirkus Reviews ever written, the name "Siamese cats", and why the book is trying to keep the hero "out of the closet". 

You can find the full Show Notes for the episode here: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/02/26/fuse-8-n-kate-skippyjon-jones-by-judy-schachner/

Episode 305 - Skippyjon Jones

No stranger to controversy, we dive deep into one of Tomi Ungerer's more peculiar picture books. It's all about the consumption of children, but that's not why we get icked out by this particular title. Turns out, it has an ending grosser than anything involving the consumption of kids. Sadly, Betsy was not able to give Kate the blood and guts in a picture book that she so desperately required. In Betsy's defense, she remembered a lot more bloody knives than we see on these pages. Certainly Ungerer was happy to place blood in some of his other stories, but this particular time the violence was more implied than anything else. In this episode we discuss food, food, and more food (guess we were hungry). 

Show Notes:

For the full show notes to this episode please go here: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/03/04/fuse-8-n-kate-zeraldas-ogre-by-tomi-ungerer/

Episode 306 - Zeralda's Ogre

If you want something Irish, this book fulfills that desire tenfold. Now, for those of you who listen to the Fuse 8 n' Kate podcast regularly, you'll know that Kate likes three particular things in her picture books: 1. Ireland. 2. Strong women. 3. Lotsa details in the art. With that in mind, is it surprising that she adored this? In this episode we discuss Little Shop of Horrors, the fact that single men have a hard time determining the ages of small children, and why this should really have been called Oona MacCoul and Her Baby Man. 

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/03/11/fuse-8-n-kate-finn-maccoul-and-his-fearless-wife-by-robert-byrd/

Episode 307 - Finn MacCoul and his Fearless Wife

It's the Year of the Dragon and yet so far we've done precisely ZERO dragon books so far. That ends today with our first consideration of Jack Kent. The cartoonist turned picture book author/illustrator may have come to the form late in life, but he cast some indelible images in his time. Surprisingly, this turns out to be one of our more divisive books. We ask what the "Children's Book Clinic" once was, discuss songs stuck in our heads, and talk musical bread. 

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/03/18/fuse-8-n-kate-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-dragon-by-jack-kent/

Episode 308 - There's No Such Thing as a Dragon

Spring has sprungeth! Not that you'd know it looking at Illinois right now, of course, but we're getting close to sunnier days. To celebrate, we've decided to equinox the heck out of this latest podcast episode (I still say it can be a verb). Somehow we've never done this particular Caldecott Honor winner before, so we're going to right a great wrong. We talk epistolary picture books, how clean 1936 New York City alleyways were (we'd love to hear your opinions on needles), Groucho Marx, and more.

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/03/25/fuse-8-n-kate-the-gardener-by-sarah-stewart-ill-david-small/

Episode 309 - The Gardener

What makes an appropriate April Fool's post? How about a book that FOOLED its own art directors, editors, publicists, etc. by including copulation? I'd say that counts! In fact, you might say that Trina Schart Hyman was the ultimate April Fool's picture book creator! She snuck insults of book reviewers onto gravestones. She managed to get the missionary position into a Howard Pyle book. She even made her ex-girlfriend the evil queen in her version of Snow White (while she made herself one of the seven dwarfs). But going back to that case where doing the wild thing made an appearance of the margins of a table in a picture book, Betsy has been hoping to do King Stork with Kate for years. And let us say, it doesn't disappoint. It's just as weird, sexist, strange, and funny as you'd expect. Think The Twelve Dancing Princesses meet Tam Lin.

For the full Show Notes, please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/04/01/fuse-8-n-kate-king-stork-by-howard-pyle-ill-trina-schart-hyman

Episode 310 - King Stork

April is National Autism Acceptance Month, so Kate asked Betsy to bring her an appropriate book. Our usual rule is that we only consider books that are 20+ years old. The trouble is that most of the best books on the topic of the autistic spectrum were created within the last two decades. So we're cheating a bit this week and going with something produced in 2005 (a whole year too early, by our usual standards). And rather than go the direct route, we are selecting a book that has been embraced by autistic child readers as containing an autistic character, even if she was not originally conceived of in that matter. In this episode we celebrate the rare four-alphabet-combo (most picture books are lucky to get just one), discuss what kind of grocery story provides (amongst other things) opossum, and Betsy's undying love and affection for Uncle Murray.

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/04/08/fuse-8-n-kate-bad-kitty-by-nick-bruel/

Episode 311 - Bad Kitty

What's that? You've never heard of this particular Dr. Seuss book? Well, you're definitely not alone. If one were to rank Seuss titles from best known to least, there is no doubt in my mind that Solla Sollew would be right there at the bottom. But is there any chance that this 1965 publication might have something to say about the baby boomer generation, Vietnam, escapism, and even stories like Pippin and Candide? This week our special guest is none other than Betsy's very own husband Matt Bird. You may be familiar with his podcast with author James Kennedy the Secrets of Story podcast OR his podcast with his brother Steve Bird the Marvel Reread Club OR from his books The Secrets of Story and The Secrets of Character. He's unafraid to make a whole slew of claims about this book, so buckle up for a mighty strange ride. 

For the full Show Notes: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/04/15/fuse-8-n-kate-i-had-trouble-getting-to-solla-sollew/

Episode 312 - I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew

"Crime and murder!"

Do you want unspeakable violence on the picture book page? Well, folks, Kate sure did. And thanks to the suggestion of listener Rachelle, and her daughter Sarah, Betsy finally had a book that would give her just what she required. Is there blood? There is not, though honestly she got her fill of blood when we talked about King Stork (remember the heads on stakes?). Enjoy our discussion of what may well be the MOST disgusting sequence in a picture book of all time, as well as Betsy failing to correctly pronounce "dragees" (stay tuned for the very rare extra after the credits). And be prepared to get some serious Stinky Cheese Man and Arnie the Donut vibes from this book.

For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/04/22/fuse-8-n-kate-ginger-bear-by-mini-grey/

Episode 313 - Ginger Bear

Two sisters, one in L.A. and one in NYC, both move to the Chicago area and start a podcast. The premise? Picture books and are they really that great?  Join Kate and Fuse 8 (Betsy Bird) as they track down a picture book "classic" each episode and try to determine if it deserves to remain in the canon of children's literature.

Profile image by Andrea Tsurumi

Episode 209 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Fuse 8 n' Kate

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