In the Coop with Dori Chaconas

Author Dori Chaconas won our fluffy hearts long ago with sweet, comforting picture books like On a Wintry Morning, One Little Mouse, and Christmas Mouseling. More recently she's been showing off her silly streak with When Cows Come Home for Christmas, Cork and Fuzz, and our personal favorite (for obvious reasons), Coriander the Contrary Hen. Silly or sweet, Dori's books are a treat and so is she! We are honored to have her with us in the coop today.

How do you know when what you write is funny?

I'm never absolutely sure, but when a piece of dialogue or scene comes into my head and cracks me up, I feel pretty confident it's funny. That's why I write in private. It's embarrassing to sit in a quiet coffee shop and suddenly bark a loud guffaw. But it's only when I read the material aloud to someone else that I know if the material is honestly funny or if it only appeals to my misguided sense of humor.

Do you have any tips for writing funny books?

For me, humor is magnified when it takes place in a non-humorous situation. If every line in a story is a funny one, the whole thing feels diluted because the funny lines compete against each other. But if you can have a handful of funny lines or situations scattered throughout a story that has some serious or soft tones, the humor stands out like a giggle during a stuffy speech. Comic relief.

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

I can't think of a single example of one or the other. I've never been considered a funny person, but that's mainly because what people see of my controlled outside doesn't necessarily let on to the silliness that's inside. But I have a few friends who know me to the core, and when we're together, I can get them laughing pretty hard, often helped along by a bottle or two of wine. So there you have it. I'm a straight-faced, wine drinking humorist.

What are some of your favorite funny books?

I love Sara Pennypacker's CLEMENTINE, and Peggy Rathman's OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA. I love anything by Lisa Wheeler. My classic favorites are A. A. Milne's WINNIE THE POOH books – 'the bear of little brain.' There's a sweet innocence about Pooh and his friends, and I love the illogical way in which they think and speak.

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

Probably the Cork and Fuzz books. Their world is practically ideal. They have no parents telling them what to do or how to behave. They don't have to work for a living, or pay bills. They don't have to bother with shaving their legs or putting on makeup. They always seem to have plenty to eat. The biggest problems they face are dealing with each other. Sounds good to me.

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

Hmmmm… Can I pick the Smother's Brothers? I prefer whacky humor to slappy humor.

What was your best Halloween costume?

Several years ago I worked the reception desk at a busy health clinic and the staff was encouraged to wear costumes on Halloween. I decided not to go in costume, but to go incognito –like a detective who disguises himself to look like a different person. I borrowed my mom's polyester zig-zag print dress, which was much too short, but so perfect because you could see the hem of my slip and the tops of my knee highs. I wore a wig, reshaped my lips with too-red lipstick and my eyebrows with too-black pencil. After a little more makeup work, no one—not even my closest co-workers—recognized me.

The thing I never expected was that when you look like a person with no sense of fashion, no idea how to apply makeup, and are not even close to being attractive, people avoid eye contact with you. I must have checked in over 100 people that day, and NOT ONE person would look me straight in the eye. I looked too weird—too ugly. By the end of the day I felt invisible, as if I didn't exist, I didn't belong in their pretty world, and I didn't matter as a person.

Sometimes a thing can start out funny and end up sad.

What is your Dream Job for a Day?

I'd work for the City Planning Department and be the person who named all the new streets. Not tired, safe names like Maple Lane or Elm Street, nor after aunts and uncles, like Louie Lane or Betty Ann Boulevard. I'd make up names like Kerfuffle Court, and Squeegee Square. But my identity would have to be kept secret or those people who had to live on those streets would be out to get me.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

Definitely a mime. A clown is too 'in your face.' A mime draws the audience into the act by making them use their imaginations to figure out what the heck he's doing.

Funniest dead person you'd like to meet?

I haven't met a funny dead person yet.

You've written stories featuring a host of funny critters (muskrat, possum, hen, cows, etc.). Which creature from the Animal Kingdom do you most identify with?

The creature I would most like to be identified with is the tiger, for its beauty, grace, and sense of power. But more appropriately, I'd probably be identified with the ostrich. I don't like conflict and sometimes wish I could bury my head in the sand until the conflict went away. But then that would put me in an embarrassing position of having my fat butt stick up in the air.

I'll have to rethink this one.

Bossy Bear

Bossy Bear
by David Horvath
Hyperion
ISBN: 142310336x

Bossy Bear is indeed very bossy. So bossy he yells "Faster!" to a struggling snail and "What do you mean, don't walk?!" to a traffic light. He has perfected the art of shouting "GIMME" and is not shy about ordering Santa around. But when he pushes his friends too far he finds himself all alone with only his cape and his crown for company. Could it be he's bossed one boss too many?

The short, simple text and whimsical illustrations are reminiscent of Mo Willems' Pigeon books. The author-illustrator, David Horvath, is the creator of the popular Uglydolls, and there is a slight hint of Uglidollness in Bear. His many fans won't be disappointed by his latest creation, which is sure to elicit giggles from both toddlers and their grown-ups. The ending suggests that there might be a sequel---we can only hope!

Chick Alert! And a Contest!

PEST FEST
by Julia Durango
Illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN-10: 0689855699
ISBN-13: 978-0689855696

It's here! It's here! PEST FEST, the wonderful new picture book by Julia Durango, is here!

Oh that talented Silly Chick! How we do love her!

In her funny, new rhyming book, the creepy, crawly, buzzy, and buggy critters among us hold a talent show.

"Pest Fest! Pest Fest!" the Carpet Beetle barked.
"The talent show is set to go.
The best are placed; come on, make haste!
Let's start the annual Pest Fest!"

So begins the call to all bugs far and wide to show off their best talents. Who will win? The beautiful butterfly? The lovely ladybug? The Queen Bee? Or possibly the lowly little fly? Surely not!

Kurt Cyrus captures the fun in his slightly creepy, very pesky, and simply beautiful illustrations. Kids who love bugs will be overjoyed by this book. Kids who hate bugs will be drawn like moths to it!

Just thinking about a critter contest makes us want to have one of our own!

So . . .

We are having a contest! (And boy is it an easy one!)

Tell us your favorite (or not so favorite) bug** and we'll put your name in a drawing to win an autographed copy of PEST FEST! (We don't need real names, just enough info to contact you.)

On July 1, we'll post 2 winners here in the coop!

Congrats and thanks to Julia and Kurt for this wonderfully buggy book!

** Here at the Silly Chicks, we are aware that the word "Bugs" in fact refers to a limited number of insects from the order Hemiptera which includes cicadas, aphids, and other "true bugs." (We know this because one of us accidentally spent 4 years in college studying biology.)

However, we prefer to use the Kindergarten definition which means anything that crawls and makes your mother scream if it touches her foot. Though we reserve the right to omit from this definition the following: snakes, furry critters, and Mick Jagger.

Good luck!

Who Is Driving?

Who Is Driving?
by Leo Timmers
Bloomsbury USA
ISBN: 978-1599900216

Who is driving? With gas prices these days, it's high time for the pogo stick to make a comeback. But sometimes a chick needs her wheels, and it's no different for the parade of critters in this green gem of a book.

Timmers' guessing game format is delightfully simple and sweet. On the left hand page are four different animals decked out in various attire -- for example, alligator in a red leather biker suit, cat in a Jackie O. ensemble, mole in a mail carrier uniform, mouse in blue jeans -- all with their car keys out and at the ready. On the right hand page is a vehicle. Who is driving...the fancy car? Observant and traditionally-schooled youngsters will correctly guess the fancy-clad Cat, of course. Other young deviants may ask why the leather-clad alligator wouldn't just eat the other animals and hijack the ride for himself. (We recommend boarding school for such children.) Either way, this book is an excellent read aloud, with plenty of visual humor to sustain interest over repeated readings. Who Is Driving? is one sweet ride!

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown
By Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton
Hyperion
ISBN 978-142310645-6

Emily Brown loves Stanley and Stanley loves Emily Brown. Emily is a little girl and Stanley is an old gray rabbit. They are best friends. Best adventurers. Best EVERYTHING. Life is great for this pair until the Queen “kindly” notices Stanley and decides she must have him for her own. She tries to bribe Emily Brown with a teddy bear, talking dolls, rocking horses, and all the toys Emily could ever desire. Emily will have none of it and when that spoiled, greedy Queen goes too far and kidnaps Stanley, Emily marches right back to the castle to get him back. Nobody steals Stanley and gets away with it!

Layton combines a mix of art styles using childlike illustrations and photos of the jungle, sea and sky to bring us into Emily and Stanley’s world. Emily’s fierce devotion and loyalty to Stanley in this delightful book will ring true with anyone who ever had a rabbit (or teddy bear or stuffed cat or . . .) of their own.

In the Coop with John Manders

There is a certain silly chick who goes positively nutso whenever John Manders' name is mentioned. She does a funny little dance and sings a strange song about pirate booty. We do our best to ignore her. Still, she has excellent taste. John Manders' work is definitely worth swooning over. He has illustrated some absolutely hysterical books, including Henry and The BuccaneerBunnies and The Perfect Nest. Welcome aboard, John!

www.johnmanders.com

Editors must be sending you manuscripts all the time. How do you choose which ones to illustrate?

I have a pretty simple formula: I check my bank statement, and if there’s less than $50,000 in my account, I accept the manuscript.

Editors send me manuscripts knowing I do funny illustrations---I think they sometimes (okay, often) send me a marginally funny story hoping I can push it up on the laugh-o-meter. Remember, we illustrators wield a lot of power in that regard---the images dictate to a fair degree how you read the story. My crowd (5- to 8-year-olds) generally reads the pictures first, and has the text read to them. Hopefully my pictures telegraph to the reader, ‘This is going to be fun!’

Then, of course, there are the manuscripts that make me laugh out loud, with funny situations and dialogue. These I can hardly wait to illustrate, my fingers itching to draw characters and gags. These stories come along once every couple of years---they’re the reason I’m a picture book illustrator.

Do you have any tips for illustrating funny books?

I feel like an old vaudevillian dispensing advice to an aspiring young comic---

Listen, Kid: start with the character and build sight gags around that character, rather than the other way around. If you’ve designed a character who has some depth, who looks like he has a life outside of your story, then the funny stuff will emerge naturally from your character. If you start with a gag and try to make it fit an underdesigned character, it won’t be believable or funny.

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

The men of the Manders family bear an ancient curse: the irrepressible urge to utter groaners---quips and one-liners---of crushing obviousness. If someone should mention the Isle of Capri, we’ll be sure to sing ‘Was on a pile of debris that I found her…’ If someone talks about ginkgo biloba, like clockwork we’ll say, ‘I used to go to high school with a fellow by that name.’ If someone asks for a tissue, we'll say, 'Tiss you? I hardly know you!' The mystery of this curse is that we think we’re actually being funny.

The hapless women of our tribe are left with little defense but to roll their eyes back into their heads.

What are some of your favorite funny books?

The first funny children’s book I read myself was an A.A. Milne story about a princess. I was probably 7 or 8 years old, and I remember being surprised that something written down could make you laugh.

Favorite funny books: any of the Bertie & Jeeves stories by P.G. Wodehouse, Huckleberry Finn & Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, The Pyrates by George MacDonald Fraser, any story by Damon Runyon, Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (this book has a reputation for being bawdy so don’t read it unless you are over 42 inches tall), Asterix comic books by Goscinny and Uderzo, On Beyond Zebra by Dr Seuss.

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

Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies, of course---aboard our dear old barky, the Salty Carrot!

Oh, buccaneer bunnies roam o’er the salt seas Yo ho, nibble yer greens Our booty be cabbage and carrots and peas Wiggle yer ears and nibble yer greens!

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

Are you kidding? The Marx Brothers have Margaret Dumont, lines by George S. Kaufman and Morris Ryskind, songs by Bert Kalmar & Harry Ruby---no contest!

My very first art job was with a printer in Manhattan---on Fridays after work the whole crew would assemble at a neighborhood bar which featured a neglected piano. My boss, if you begged him, would open the lid and fire off note-perfect renditions of Chico’s piano solos. What joy!

What was your best Halloween costume?

(jpeg attached) That’s me on the right, the damsel in distress. I built Mrs. Manders’ suit of armor out of cardboard.

What is your Dream Job for a day?

It may be a lame answer, but this is my dream job. I draw funny animals all day, I get to hang around the house with my dog India and parrot Sherman, how much work I do determines how much money I make, I take a nap in the afternoon if I feel like it---I control my destiny, I work in my pajamas, and somebody pays me for it. What’s not to like?

Clown Vs. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

Clown. There is a significant psychological advantage to be gained by talking pre-match trash in a gravelly Minnesotan wrestler voice. Mimes, of course, eschew verbiage.

Funniest dead person you'd like to meet?

Moses is leading the Hebrews to the Promised Land. They wander around the Sinai Desert for forty years barely surviving, nothing to eat but manna. The Chosen People are disgruntled. One guy says to Moses, “What, there weren’t enough graves in Egypt, you had to bring us here?”

That’s a pretty funny line. Three thousand years later, it still holds up. You can find it in Exodus, which Moses wrote---though he might not have gotten that gag. I guess I’d like to meet the anonymous Hebrew who could deliver a one-liner that stands the test of three millennia. I’d shake his hand and give him a Daniel Webster cigar.

When A Monster Is Born

When A Monster Is Born
written Sean Taylor
illustrated by Nick Sharratt
Roaring Brook Press, 2007
ISBN-10: 1596432543

When a monster is born, there are two possibilities-- Either it's a faraway-in-the-forests monster, or it's an under-your-bed monster. If it's a faraway-in-the-forests monster, that's that. But if it's an under-your-bed monster...

Well, you'll just have to see for yourself what an under-your-bed-monster does. All kinds of fascinating and silly things can happen when a monster is born.

For instance, it can go to school with you, eat your principal, dance the boogie-woogie, or fall in love with a kitchen girl. Yes, readers, those are some of the possibilities in Sean Taylor's new crazy-fun picture book. Each page explores a choice for a monster in modern-day life and then takes it to an absurd extreme.

We think this is a brilliant read aloud. Kids will have such fun guessing what that tricky monster will do next! Nick Sharratt cleverly uses a black background to reinforce the monster's more dastardly choices, reinforcing the "good choice, bad choice" theme. Bold, graphic and goofy, this book will bring a smile to little monsters everywhere!

Moxy Maxwell Does NOT Love Suart Little

Moxy Maxwell Does NOT Love Stuart Little
by Peggy Gifford
Schwarts & Wade Books
Random House Children's Books
ISBN: 927-0-375-83105-3

Moxy Maxwell is a perfectly named kid. The only thing this soon-to-be fourth grader has more of than moxy is ideas. She's full of them. Mostly ideas on how to avoid reading STUART LITTLE. Unfortunately, STUART LITTLE Is required summer reading and summer is almost over. It's not that Moxy has anything against convertible-driving mice. Or reading. Moxy LOVES reading. But she hates being told WHAT to read.

Moxy has tried all summer to read the book. Really she has! She has taken it everywhere: In the car, in the hammock, under her spilled glass of lemonade, into the swimming pool. Can Moxy help it that more important things pop up every time she opens that darned book? Who will plant the new peach orchard in her yard if she doesn't do it? Who will invent the automatic hammock stopper if not Moxy? And really folks, rooms don't clean themselves! MOXY MAXWELL DOES NOT LOVE STUART LITTLE is a great, fun read full of charm and humor told in simple, spunky language and documented by photographs taken by Moxy's twin brother (AKA Valorie Fisher). We love Moxy Maxwell and can't wait to hear more from her in the future!

Not A Box

Not a Box
by Antoinette Portis
HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0061123221

Just look at the bunny on the cover of this book. If you think he's (she's?) cute now, just wait until you peek inside.

This is one of those concept books that's so simple it's genius. Here's how it goes:

1. Our intrepid hero (aforementioned bunny) does various things with a box.

2. An offstage interrogator keeps asking him questions, i.e.: Why are you sitting in a box? Why are you doing on top of that box? Now you're wearing a box?

3. To which our hero replies, with increasing exasperation: It's NOT a box!

4. Turn the page and the next illustration reveals the scene playing out in bunny's head: bunny in a race car, bunny on Rabbit Peak, bunny-robot, etc.

Classic kid stuff and absolutely brilliant.

The tall chick has road-tested this book with a variety of kids in small and large group settings and it's been a HUGE hit wherever she goes, especially at the end when she puts a box on her head and asks the audience what's inside. Highly recommended!

In the Coop with Kara and Jenna LaReau

In the Coop with Kara and Jenna LaReau

Hurray! Hurray! It's a very special day! We are celebrating with two of our favorite talented chicks--who also happen to be sisters!

Kara and Jenna LaReau are the uber-talented writing & illustrating team who brought us the Rocko and Spanky series of picture books. Really folks! What could be cooler than a sock monkey on a Vespa? NOTHING!

Kara is also the author of UGLY FISH which is one of our favorite funny picture books. These chicks are funny, smart, and obviously photogenic as you can see by their lovely photo!!! Welcome Sisters LaReau!

http://www.lareausisters.com/
http://lareausisters.blogspot.com


How do you know when what you write is funny?

K: When Jenna tells me. Seriously, she is my comedy barometer, and often, my inspiration.

Do you have any tips for writing funny books?

It's all about rhythm and word choice, and being willing to make unexpected decisions to catch your audience off-guard. With Rocko and Spanky, their names alone elicit chuckles; the legwarmers and roller skates and maracas are just the icing. And most of the reason we think Ugly Fish is funny is the page turns (and of course, Scott's illustrations).

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

Kara spent most of her elementary school career sitting in the corner; those old-school teachers just couldn't tolerate a female class clown. As Jenna followed Kara in school, she had to face all those teachers with bad memories of the OTHER LaReau sister, so Jenna learned how to turn on the charm from an early age. Though we came to it in different ways (one getting into trouble, one getting out of it), we both realized we had a knack for entertaining.

What are some of your favorite funny books?

Honestly, it's hard to know where to start. As kids, we loved Shel Silverstein, Edward Gorey, Roald Dahl, Hillaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales for Children, Dr. Seuss, and Beverly Cleary. And there was a book about how to become a competitive rollerskater that Kara read zealously when she was 7-8 years old, but that's only funny in retrospect. And it's funny-sad, not funny-ha-ha.

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

Definitely Rocko and Spanky's crib. Ugly Fish's tank is too wet and briny, Snowbaby's is too chilly, and the world of Top Secret isn't exactly relaxing. Sock monkeys really know how to entertain, and they have a flair for decor.

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

Neither. We're not so much into the slapping and poking and drawn-on, bushy eyebrows. We'd rather watch old episodes of the Carol Burnett Show.

What was your best Halloween costume?

Kara's "best" was when she went out as a tube of toothpaste. She wore a white pleated lampshade on her head and a long T-shirt on which she drew the Aim logo. Unfortunately, just about everyone thought she was a lamp; it was her first experience as a misunderstood artist, though certainly not her last.

Jenna's best was when she went as Superman, because our mother allowed her to get a storebought costume. It was one of those with the mask and plastic onesie that tied in the back. Not surprisingly, Jenna kept the cape and wore it for some time afterwards; she displayed a panache for accessorizing even then.

What is your Dream Job for a Day?

For Jenna, a magician (a la Houdini, not Doug Henning). For Kara, a seat-filler at the Academy Awards. Or a professional rollerskater.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.

Though clowns might appear the obvious choice (they're vicious with a seltzer bottle), mimes have street smarts and stealth on their side. Also, when in danger, they can always box themselves in.

Funniest dead person you?d like to meet?

Dean Martin or Gilda Radner.

Bad Bears Go Visiting

Bad Bears Go Visiting
by Daniel Pinkwater
Illustrated by Jill Pinkwater
Houghton Mifflin Company
ISBN: 978-0-618-43126-7

Irving and Muktuk are the kind of bad bears kids love to love. They cheat at cards, escape from the zoo, and generally make mischief every chance they get. When their friend Larry introduces them to the concept of "Visiting," these Bad Bears have to try it for themselves. They visit the Beachball family. Of course, they bring a present (the bush from the front lawn makes a lovely gift), snack on doughnuts with sardines, and play indoor volleyball until the zoo keeper and police arrive to take them back to the zoo. (Again.)

Irving and Muktuk are wry, playful, and silly. But best of all, they are sneaky. As Daniel Pinkwater writes, "Though polar bears are very large, they are among the best sneakers in the animal kingdom." Who knew? Jill Pinkwater! That's who! With the simplest of lines, she captures the mischievous heart of this daring duo and makes us want to join the fun! And there's plenty of fun to be had. BAD BEARS GO VISITING is fun, plain and simple.

Where is the Cake?

Where is the Cake?
by T.T. Khing
Abrams Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-0-8109-1798-9

It's sad but true. Sometimes, Silly Chicks have short attention sp . . .

Every now and then, we enjoy a super fast read. And what could be faster than reading a book without words? As it turns out, reading a book with words! At least that's the case when the book without words is the newly translated picture book called WHERE IS THE CAKE? by T.T. Khing. This title was originally published in Dutch as "Waar is de Taart?" (You don't really need to know that. We just like saying, "Waar is de Taart?")

This book contains two of our favorite things: Cake and looking for cake. Two very odd, possum-like creatures steal a cake from the dog family and high-tail it through an ever-changing landscape of dense forests, bamboo jungles, strange rock formations and mountains. Readers must track the mischievous marsupials and, of course, the cake. Easier said than done! Each maze-like page is filled with tiny exotic creatures, each on their own adventure. Why is the baby bunny wailing? Is that snake stalking the young piglet? Is that a chameleon sitting in the wet paint? Each frame introduces new characters and clues that will have kids (and adults) flipping pages back and forth with delight trying to figure out what is going on! It's enough to make you forget all about cake! Well . . . almost. WHERE IS THE CAKE? is simply a treat for book lovers of any age.

The Peep Patrol

A few ground rules concerning tomorrow's festivities:

1. Do not put all your chocolate eggs in one basket. Put some in ours, too!

2. Anyone caught microwaving a peep will immediately be reported to the SPCP (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Peeps) and placed in the coop's time-out corner with either a clown or a mime, whichever one you loathe more.

3. No bunny ear jokes. No. Bunny. Ear. Jokes. We mean it. We are not wearing these headache-inducing ears for your amusement. Oh...wait a minute. Yes we are. Yes indeed. Oops. Nevermind.

Happy Easter!

(Thanks to children's librarian Lori McCarter for the chick pic!)

The Perfect Nest

The Perfect Nest

Written by Catherine Friend
Illustrated by John Manders
Candlewick Press
ISBN-10: 0763624306

Oh how we love Spring here in the coop! Everywhere we look we see chicks and eggs! We feel the love. We get especially light-headed whenever we see a new chick-and-egg book, which is why we practically passed out when we saw The Perfect Nest.

In this hilarious tale, Jack the Cat, who's hungry for an omelet, decides to build the perfect nest to attract the perfect chicken who would lay the perfect egg. A perfect plan! Things turn out even better than Jack imagined when his cozy nest attracts a chicken, a duck, and a goose, all of whom lay eggs. Jack drools in anticipation. Now he has breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all in one nest. But the frisky fowl don't want to leave. After lots of failed attempts, Jack is finally able to trick them into leaving by telling them there's an even better nest at the next farm. They fly the coop, leaving their eggs behind. Alone at last, Jack is just about to crack open his glorious eggs when suddenly out pops a baby chick, a baby duck, and a baby goose. All three think the wily feline is their mama and proceed to follow him around the farm, much to Jack's dismay. How can he eat something that calls him mama? He can't, of course, and after a snuggle fest with his new brood he realizes that he has made the perfect nest after all.

Tight writing and lively illustrations make this book a chick magnet. We love the idea of pairing it with An Egg is Quiet by Dianne Aston for an absolutely eggcellent storytime. And that's no yolk! (Oh, geez, sorry 'bout that. It couldn't be helped.)

Detective Small in the Amazing Banana Caper

Detective Small in the Amazing Banana Caper
Written & Illustrated by Wong Herbert Yee
Houghton Mifflin Company
ISBN: 978-0-618-47285-7

Fireman Small fans rejoice! The little guy with the big schnoz is back, only this time, he's a detective on the trail of a banana thief. A slippery criminal to be sure! "From Chinatown to Little Havana/Uptown, downtown--not ONE banana!"

It's up to Detective Small to find the villain and he doesn't waste a moment. Small zips around town on his Vespa collecting clues which lead him to one suspect: an ape in a zoot suit. But when Detective Small nabs his ape, he begins to suspect that the big ape has been framed. It's up to Detective Small to peel back the layers of this case to find the real banana thief.

With tight, rhyming text, Wong Herbert Yee creates a fast, fun adventure for Detective Small. Visual jokes abound in Yee's charcoal and watercolor illustrations making each page a treat. Our favorite is the police lineup of yellow-clad suspects which includes a Tour de France leader, a dog in a banana suit and Curious George's pal. (We always thought that man in the yellow hat was a little cheesy.) Detective Small in the Amazing Banana Caper is simply great fun. Case closed.

A Very Serious Matter

We are quite concerned here in the coop. It has come to our attention that the books by Dav Pilkey are often on the bestseller's list. We don't approve of this at all. His books are juvenile and distasteful. While reading them we often find ourselves asking, "Why underpants?" If Captain Underpants is indeed a captain, shouldn't he wear a captain's hat? Or maybe a nice pair of brown oxfords? We just don't get it. We'd like to encourage you to stop reading Dav Pilkey's books altogether. Ask your friends, teachers and librarians to take them off the shelves, put them in a box, and bury them in the woods.

Ha ha! April Fool's! Did you really think we'd diss The Great Guru of Goofiness? The man who embodies the very essence of threesillychickness? No way! In fact, in honor of The Sultan of Silly we have decided to wear our underpants on our heads all day.

In case you were wondering, they are definitely NOT thongs.


Happy April Fool's Day! We hope you have a very silly day! For a good laugh, visit Dav's website-- http://www.pilkey.com/

A meme!

We've been tagged for a meme by Mother Reader. This actually happened last week, but we were confused.

We thought meme was the sound the Road Runner makes when he sneaks up behind Wiley Coyote causing the Coyote to fly into the air and hit the road just in time to be hit by a truck.

Mee-Mee.

That sound scares us. We are only small chicks (with glasses) and could so easily be crushed by dropping coyotes or coyote droppings.

We were relieved to learn that a meme is a survey, not a funny cartoon noise!

So, we are happy to respond to Mother Reader's very generous invitation and we will now name our favorite NON-kids lit blogs. Our apologies for taking so long!

We love these blogs:

A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette
The Lipstick Librarian (Diary of a library fashionista)
Found Magazine - a journal of odd things found here and there.
Boing Boing - A directory of wonderful things
Writers Almanac - Cause sometimes you need a poem and a little bit of calm
Go Fug Yourself - Bad fashion made snarky


We are supposed to tag others for this Mee-Mee, but we don't want to frighten anyone with our wily sound. So, consider yourself tagged if you are brave. Just leave us a note if you wish to play, and tell us 5 of your favorite non-kidslit blogs!

And speaking of Mother Reader, in today's post, she includes a poem from one of our favorite new books, REACHING FOR SUN by the gloriously talented Tracie Vaughn Zimmer.

Mee-Mee!

Bwock! Bwock! It's a Book!!!!!

March is almost gone, and while most people are trying to figure out if March came in like a lamb or a lion, we are having a celebration in the coop!

That's because yesterday was the official release date of Julia Durango's beautiful new book, ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME illustrated by Elisa Kleven (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing- ISBN 978-0689862526)

ANGELS is a tender, beautiful, inspiring lullaby perfect for bedtime or any quiet moment.

Julia talks about the inspiration for ANGELS in her blog.
Hurray for Julia!!!! Hurray for ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME!

By the way, if you're still trying to figure it out, March might have come in like a lion this year, but it's going out like an Angel!

In the Coop with David Lubar

It's hard not to like a guy who writes about teen misfits with super freaky powers.

It's even tougher not to be excessively fond of a guy who writes about alien devices that can turn you into Elvis Presley or Queen Victoria.

But it's absolutely impossible not to love a guy who writes about weenies of various sorts.

Hence, we chicks adore David Lubar. Keep reading and join the fan club!

How do you know when what you write is funny?
I have an immediate urge to share it with anyone who has the misfortune of being nearby. This is especially the case with small things – one liners or bits of dialogue that I become sort of like a yapping lap dog as I chase my wife down and start chanting, “Read my blog. Read it now. Please. Right now.” It’s much harder to get someone to drop everything and immediately read a whole novel. I suspect my comic sense has also been honed by exposing myself to huge quantities of humor. I’ll always opt for a funny book, or movie, over a sad one. I watch a lot of standup comedy, and try never to miss Jon Stewart. I’ve also done enough reading aloud to get a sense for what works. There’s no tougher audience than 7^th graders.

Do you have any tips for writing funny books?
I think the main thing to keep in mind is the audience. A stunningly funny passage that requires the reader to be familiar with Henry Mancini, the classical Aztec language, and the exact caloric content of a guava might work fine with a MENSA member, but is going to die on contact when offered to a teen. I should also point out that while there are times when I set out to write something funny, such as when I’m writing a short humor piece, a blog post, or my VOYA column, most of the time I just write, and I have no idea whether any particular scene will be funny, dramatic, horrifying, beautiful, or all of the above. I’ve never sat down with the intention of writing a funny novel. Maybe that’s why the comic and dramatic intertwine in my works. Don Gallo recently asked me for a funny story for his next anthology. I started out with something light, but the plot took a major twist into darkness, and ended up being the most intense story I’ve ever written.

Has being funny ever gotten you into or out of trouble?
Into trouble on a daily basis. There is this constant flow of puns running through my brain, and I sometimes can’t resist the urge to share them. Being funny probably got me out of some trouble in college because many of my professors found me at least mildly amusing and tended to cut me a break in any sort of borderline situation.

What are some of your favorite funny books?
All of Douglas Adams books, any of Donald Westlake’s humorous novels, The Portable Dorothy Parker (if you feel an instant urge to Spoonerize that title, I feel your pain), The Far Side, P. J. O’Rourke’s books, Chris Crutcher’s King of the Mild Frontier, Joan Bauer’s Rules of the Road, all of Jean Shepherd, James Thurber, and Bruce Coville, to name a few.

If you could live in one of your books, which one would you choose?
Dunk. I set it at a place I love – the Jersey shore. If I could also work in the dunk tank, that would be perfect. I’d have them buying hacksaws to get through the bars. Humor can be so wonderfully lethal.

Who do you like more, The Marx Bros or Three Stooges?
While I’m definitely able to enjoy the Stooges, I love the Marx Brothers. They are brilliant in so many ways, from wordplay and slapstick humor to elaborate comic setups and stunningly absurd or surreal situations. Each of the brothers contributed in a special and unique way. While Groucho stands out from the group, I always thought Karl was under-appreciated.

What was your best Halloween costume?
The best idea I ever had was for me and my wife to dress up as Atari joysticks (this was back in the early 1980’s, when I was working as a game designer). Unfortunately, I’m not very good with cardboard. And even if I was good, I doubt it’s possible to make a joystick costume that actually allows the wearer to sit. Since we wore the costumes to a party, that was a bit of a problem. My best costume as a kid was a skull, based on instructions from Famous Monsters of Filmland’s Monster Makeup Book.

What is your Dream Job for a Day?
Stand-up comic. Or the guy who gets to arrest tailgaiters.

Clown V. Mime Deathmatch. Pick your winner.
Clowns are evil and they are unafraid to fight dirty. The mime goes down in the first ten seconds. Except for his eyes, which remain on the clown’s fingertips, like weepy olives.

Funniest dead person you’d like to meet?
Dennis Miller. I know that, technically, he might appear to still be alive. But the comic part of him seems to have died. If I met it, maybe I could convince it to recapture his body and exorcise the humorless, conservative demon that is controlling it. As for someone who is dead in all senses of the word, and probably making the most of it, that would have to be Charles Addams.

You’ve written about Lawn Weenies and Road Weenies. What kind of weenies can your readers look forward to next?
In September, kids will be able to warm up to Campfire Weenies. I’m pretty excited about this collection. Along with the usual creepy and funny stories, I have a couple sort of mystical ones that popped up out of nowhere. But the title story is definitely a funny one. Especially if you’ve ever encountered Girl Scout songs. I even have a story that explains why clowns are so creepy.

Farmer Ham

Farmer Ham
by Alec Sillifant
Illustrated by Mike Spoor
North-South Books
ISBN: 978-0-7358-2134-7

If there's anything Silly Chicks love, it's a bunch of sassy old birds sitting around cracking themselves up. It reminds us of . . . well . . .us!

The crows on Farmer Ham's farm are fat and sassy. They should be. They spend their days eating the farmer's corn. Try as he might, Farmer Ham can't get rid of them. His yelling and arm waving sends them into fits of laughter. The crows flap up to the phone lines where they sit and taunt him, "Silly Old Farmer Ham!" Finally, Farmer Ham hatches a plan, but it doesn't require any arm waving or yelling. Day after day, he calmly heads to the pond and fishes out an old boot, a ratty scarf or some other slime-encrusted piece of clothing. All the while, the sassy crows mock the farmer. But in the end, it's Farmer Ham who gets the last laugh.

Many of Spoor's lively illustrations are from the crows' perspective and that's where the humor lies. The crows are a funny, clever chorus drawn with pizazz. The close-ups of their tear-filled eyes and knee-slapping fits of laughter contrast perfectly with the steadfast, good-natured Farmer Ham who plods merrily along in search of a solution to his problem. The smooth text and energetic illustrations combine to make a book kids will enjoy immensely.