"You're Old News, Wild Thing." - Video Sunday

Ah, Video Sunday. It's back again. And so, with the greatest pleasure imaginable, I bring you the death match of the century. It's Tomie dePaolo versus Maurice Sendak. I may never make it to Kansas City in this lifetime, but in the event that I do you can bet your sweet bippy I'll be making a trip to Reading Reptiles just to thank them for this piece.

Thanks to Planet Esme for the link.

Confession Time: I'm Actually Maurice Sendak

I'm sure you suspected all along. The signs were there right from the start. What pop-up book did I think was exemplary in 2006? Mommy. Who did I say I'd like to dine with in my interview on 7-Imp? Sendak. Yeah, I've been masquerading as a 28-year-old female librarian for quite some time, but now the jig is up.

You see, my brilliant plan was to set up a fake blog and then review all my own books on it, starting some kinda buzz. How was I to know that “falsely representing oneself as a consumer” will soon be sufficient reason for criminal prosecution in the UK, starting December 31st? Fun fact though: Fake blogs are now known as "flogs".

Ah well. I guess it was better to out myself now. After all, it is also highly unlikely that blogs will ever change the world. Why even bother with them now?

Thanks to Bookninja for the links.

Particularly Brainless Book Challenge

I don't usually weigh in on the various kidlit book challenges that crop up around the country, if only because I feel that Leila Roy at bookshelves of doom has that subject covered. But sometimes a challenge of a particularly silly stripe will catch my eye. Now we've always known that if Maurice Sendak was put on God's green earth to fulfill one purpose and one purpose alone, it was to drive finicky adults bezerk. So perhaps it is not too too odd that someone would go about attempting a ban on 1992's I Saw Esau. Is it merely offensive? No, my darling, it is downright "porn". So sayeth a concerned mother and, as Ms. Roy points out, "It sounds like the parent didn't go to the school with her complaint, but straight to the press." What a sweetheart. I'm especially amused that the woman's daughter had a great time with it before her mother intervened.

And look!
Pictures with post-it notes! Joy!