Aww, miss David Bowie. One of my favorite concert-going moments was seeing him in the early 2000s at a weird casino venue in CT. It was my first time seeing him in person, and he lumbered to the mic and said (in his amazing voice), "Good Eveeeening...<long pause>...Uncasville?" I *still* say that to my partner when I walk into a room and have forgotten what I came into it for.
Also, for link list consideration (as he's a PB author now), I also enjoy when Jovie asks Buddy in Elf, "Why're you messing with me? Did Crumpet put you up to this?" which seems a pointed David Sedaris nod.
Maybe you would like to see this interview with Raymond Briggs about that Snowman introduction wich was made for USA. He was quite a character this wonderful creator :)
I got pretty excited you mentioned the Muppets. (I love them!) I think what Jim Henson and company did share something with the craft of picture book making.
When asked about his voices for Muppets, Frank Oz adamantly said his job is not just the voice. The Muppet is the voice (picture book text and voice) and the Muppet is the physical movements unique to it (the pictures). They need each other like the book needs both.
Just this week our 8 year old daughter asked why Kermit never had to take a bathroom break in The Muppet Movie. On one hand, I marveled at how she thought a fuzzy, green, cloth puppet would need to go pee, but on the other, I could totally understand her question! They've done the words and pictures so well that we can forget the method of performance and fully enter into the story. We believe them!
I think some excellent picture books are like this. We don't stumble on or are distracted by the art or words, but drop into a brilliantly voiced and choreographed story with which we can deeply connect. We believe it.
Aww, miss David Bowie. One of my favorite concert-going moments was seeing him in the early 2000s at a weird casino venue in CT. It was my first time seeing him in person, and he lumbered to the mic and said (in his amazing voice), "Good Eveeeening...<long pause>...Uncasville?" I *still* say that to my partner when I walk into a room and have forgotten what I came into it for.
Another movie note, Paula Yee and Grace Lin's 'The Jade Necklace' appears as (sh)Elf decor in that movie: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSZ5pfsDZJK/
Also, for link list consideration (as he's a PB author now), I also enjoy when Jovie asks Buddy in Elf, "Why're you messing with me? Did Crumpet put you up to this?" which seems a pointed David Sedaris nod.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9hRSDDYroE
Maybe you would like to see this interview with Raymond Briggs about that Snowman introduction wich was made for USA. He was quite a character this wonderful creator :)
I got pretty excited you mentioned the Muppets. (I love them!) I think what Jim Henson and company did share something with the craft of picture book making.
When asked about his voices for Muppets, Frank Oz adamantly said his job is not just the voice. The Muppet is the voice (picture book text and voice) and the Muppet is the physical movements unique to it (the pictures). They need each other like the book needs both.
Just this week our 8 year old daughter asked why Kermit never had to take a bathroom break in The Muppet Movie. On one hand, I marveled at how she thought a fuzzy, green, cloth puppet would need to go pee, but on the other, I could totally understand her question! They've done the words and pictures so well that we can forget the method of performance and fully enter into the story. We believe them!
I think some excellent picture books are like this. We don't stumble on or are distracted by the art or words, but drop into a brilliantly voiced and choreographed story with which we can deeply connect. We believe it.