In the Coop with Margie Palatini

We here in the coop anxiously await the next Margie Palatini book the way some people might wait for the next in the Harry Potter series. The author of Piggie Pie and Moosetache is Queen of the Funny Picture Book and always good for a giggle. In fact, we'd make her a crown out of eggs and feathers if we could figure out which glue to use.


How do you know when what you write is funny?

Do you ever really "know?"
Funny is so personal. What one person thinks is humorous, another doesn't get at all. But I will usually have a feeling, if something works or doesn't-- for me.

Do you have any tips for writing funny books?

I'm not sure someone can write funny or be funny if they don't naturally think funny.

What are some of your favorite funny books?

I have so many favorites, it's difficult to name them all.
"Funny" out-loud, "funny" clever, "funny" charming, "funny" silly.
Some of my "funny" faves:
Junie B. Jones, Olivia, David Shannon's David, Alligator Boy by Diane Good and Cynthia Rylant. My own book faves: Bad Boys, Sweet Tooth, The Web Files.

If you could live in one of your books, which one would you choose?

Wow. That is difficult, because I've worked with such delicious illustrators--I would like to live in any of the books on which we've collaborated. I love Three French Hens, because it feels so cinematic--and I like the holiday fantasy and the New York and Paris scenes, so perhaps that one.

Who do you like more, The Marx Bros or the Three Stooges?

The Marx Brothers. They are outrageous, clever, verbal, physical, fabulous.

What was your best Halloween costume?

I'm not much of a Halloween person, but my favorite costume was Norma Desmond, with my husband as "Max." (Of course, very few people even knew who we were . . .) eh.

What is your Dream Job for a Day?

I would love to be in a Broadway musical, or have my own restaurant, or be in charge of throwing a spectacular party.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

I'm going to pick Bruce Willis for both of them. (Refer to Die Hard With a Vengeance.)

Funniest dead person you'd like to meet?

Too difficult! My list is way too long--Jack Benny, Gracie Allen, Judy Holliday, Johnny Carson, Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon, Thelma Ritter, Jack Parr, Gilda Radner...

Some of your books, like Moosetache and Bedhead, are about bad hair days. (We sense issues there.) If you could switch hair with someone, who would it be?

It's always the hair, isn't it?

Actually, it's my son who has the issues--with perpetually bad hair days. Me?...You know what they say -- be careful what you wish for. I think I'll just stick with my own.

In the Coop with Kelly DiPucchio

Kelly DiPucchio is the author of some of our favorite funny picture books, like Bed Hogs, Dinosnores, and Mrs. McBloom Clean Up Your Classroom! She is smart, funny, skinny and blond, and yet for some strange reason we still adore her. We are hoping that her character Grace from her upcoming book Grace for President is elected when she grows up.

www.kellydipucchio.com

How do you know when what you write is funny?

When my dog laughs. And usually after I’ve written something that totally cracks me up I can’t wait to call my husband at work to remind him just how funny I really am.

Do you have any tips for writing funny books?

Shy away from certain topics like nursing homes, flesh eating bacteria, and dying family pets. Sure, just the right combination of all three could be downright hysterical, but on their own, not so much.

You should also remember who your audience is. Have you ever had a 5-year old tell you a joke? They usually go something like this, What did one French fry say to the other French Fry? Hey! We’re both French fries! I’m not suggesting that as children’s writers we have to completely dumb down our humor, but I’ve come to learn over the years that sometimes simple really is better.

Has being funny ever gotten you into or out of trouble?

My parole officer could probably answer that question better than I can.

What are some of your favorite funny books?

Just how far down can this page scroll?

MY LITTLE SISTER ATE ONE HARE by Bill Grossman, THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A BOOT and MRS. BIDDLEBOX by Linda Smith, MEET WILD BOARS by Meg Rosoff, LEONARDO, THE TERRIBLE MONSTER by Mo Willems, JUNIE B. JONES by Barbara Park , and pretty much anything by Jon Scieszka, Lemony Snicket, Lisa Wheeler, Carolyn Crimi, Margie Palatini, Mike Reiss, Lauren Child, M.T. Anderson, Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, Edward Gorey, and Beverly Cleary.

If you could live in one of your books, which one would you choose?

Hmm…probably not BED HOGS. That story takes place in a pig sty. Mrs. McBloom’s cluttered classroom already strikes an eerie resemblance to my home. I’d have to say, LIBERTY’S JOURNEY because that book features New York City and San Francisco.

Who do you like more, The Marx Bros or Three Stooges?

Call me a knucklehead, but I’m really more of an Abbott and Costello kind of gal.

What was your best Halloween costume?

If you must know, I’m a costume curmudgeon. I’m just one step away from wearing one of those lame THIS IS MY COSTUME t-shirts. The funny thing is, I so love and appreciate the clever and creative costumes that other people create. I’m just not a very crafty person so you can pretty much count me out of anything that involves a hot glue gun and a trip to the fabric store.

However, one year, when Martha Stewart was in prison, I did show up to a Halloween party wearing prison stripes and I brought a tray of pretty pink cupcakes that were decorated with cute little nail files. Unfortunately, nobody wanted to eat the pretty cupcakes because, as it turns out, nail files in pink baked goods just don’t scream, Yum!

What is your Dream Job for a Day?

That’s easy. I would be a Fairy Godmother. Does that count as a job? Just think how much fun it would be to go around granting wishes for people all day long!

If I absolutely had to pick a dream job that was a little more grounded in reality, I would probably choose to be a landscape photographer on location in Hawaii.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

Mime. He’s a silent killer.

Funniest dead person you'd like to meet?

Funny or not, I’m not so sure I want to meet any dead people.

If you could create your own TV show, what would it be about?

I’d create a new reality TV show called SO YOU THINK YOU CAN ACT.

The show would track the lives of several children’s book authors who go on Hollywood auditions, informing influential casting directors that they are qualified and entitled to star in feature roles on television and in film because they write books for kids.

Heh-heh-heh.

A Celebration and a Contest, too!

What's going on?

The Three Silly Chicks are fluffin' up our feathers, cleaning off our glasses, breaking out the tortilla chips, and getting ready to celebrate!

"Why?" you ask. "Because," we answer, "our anniversary is almost here!"

We began our blog on September 14, 2006 and what a year!

We've read so many great & funny books and interviewed some of our favorite funny writers and illustrators: Lisa Wheeler, Lisa Yee, Aaron Reynolds, Cyn & Greg Leitich Smith, Kevin O'Malley, Esme Codell, David Lubar, Kara & Jenna LaReau, John Manders, Dori Chaconas, Margie Palatini, Kelly DiPucchio!

Interviewing fantastic, funny people is our favorite thing (next to bean dip), so we can't wait to interview more fantastic, funny people!

But first, we feel like having a party and nothing puts us in the party mood faster than bean dip! Sadly, nothing ends a party in a small coop faster than bean dip.

So we're going to have a contest, instead! And here it is:

Mystery Guest

Are you ready for our Mystery Guest?

1. Contest begins NOW!
2. Guess the secret identity of our Mystery Guest! (Click on "comments" down below to leave your guess.)
3. All correct guesses will be entered in a drawing for the grand prize*
4. Grand prize winner will be announced on September 14!
5. First five entries will win a Chick Magnet**
6. First Clue: Our Mystery Guest is bigger than a bread box

* Grand Prize is one of the following:

• A vat of bean dip
• An emu
• An emu in a vat of bean dip
• A super-duper-bag-o'-goodness from the Three Silly Chicks. Bag includes autographed copies of books by Andrea Beaty, Carolyn Crimi, and Julia Durango. Also includes assorted items from our drawer of silliness (not to be confused with our silly drawers as shown here.)

** Chick magnets are not guaranteed to attract chicks, hot babes, hot Emus or hot tamales. May present a choking hazard to Emu, ostriches, and other humorously large birds. Chick magnets are guaranteed to look extremely cute and hold scraps of paper on your refrigerator door so you can ignore them while searching for bean dip.