11/16/05: Re: Children's Books Poll

1) Your all-time favorite children's books. List them:

Aw, gee. Most of them are invoked or mentioned in questions #3 and #6. If I have to pick one favorite picture book, you can't beat the almost poetic simplicity of "Sesame Street's" _The Monster at the End of This Book_.

2) Do you have any favorite illustrators? If so, who?

Uh, see below (the problem of answering these things backwards).

3) What books wowed you the most with their illustrations?

Anything by VanAllsburg, William Joyce, Maurice Sendak, Dr. Suess, Wayne D. Barlowe, Arthur Rackham, Brian Froud, and James Guerny (sp? The guy who did the _Dinotopia_ series.)

4) And am I right in thinking that making a movie based upon a book praised for its amazing illustrations is somehow... wrong?

Dear Ness: Do you honestly think, when you answer your own poll, that you're going to disagree with yourself? God, woman, what's wrong with you? (Kicks herself.) OW!

P.S. - Yeah, it is wrong. _Polar Express_ and Disney's shittacular movie inspired by _Dinotopia_ made me weep.

5) I have been informed that Chris VanAllsburg basically wrote _Zathura_ with the movie in mind. Aw, damn, does this officially make him a sellout?

Whether or not it does, it makes me sad.

6) Do you own any of VanAllsburg's books? Why the heck not? Why not click that handy Amazon button right away and order _the Mysteries of Harris Burdick_ (his single best, most evocative book IMO) right away?

In case it isn't blatantly obvious, I'm a big fan of this artist. Even wrote a report on his work last semester. I've got _Jumangi_, _Polar Express_ (the anniversary edition with the story behind the story), _Mysteries_ (again, my favorite if I have to pick - and yes, you should buy it), and _A Bad Day at Riverbend_.

7) Finally, given that tantelizing opening paragraph, what do you think Mr. Cranky was like as a kid?

* - Tokeloshe wins! ^_^

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