Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Wednesday Writers Weigh In: Autumn Anticipation

Every year around this time I find myself truly anticipating autumn and all of the delights that come with it.  I want to sip a Pumpkin Latte.  I want to kick the colored leaves on a nippy afternoon stroll through the park.  I want to snuggle up in cozy socks and scarves and hats. 

I also anxiously await curling up with a good Picture Book on a blustery day.  Therefore...
 
Marcie's Top 5 Most Anticipated Picture Books
for Fall Season 2012!
(in no particular order)!

THE MONSTERS' MONSTER by Patrick McDonnell
Little Brown/September 4, 2012
Once upon a time, there were three little rascals who thought they were the BIGGEST, BADDEST monsters around. But when they decide to build a huge monster of their own, he isn't exactly what the creatures were expecting. He's happy. He giggles. He's just grateful to be alive. And he has a lesson for his grouchy creators that only takes two little words.

I just LOVE McDonnell's art and his very  sweet style.  I definitely cannot wait to own this story about a very BIG monster showing three very BAD little monsters the power of boundless gratitude.

THE THREE NINJA PIGS by Corey Rosen Schwartz illus. Dan Santat
The Three Ninja PigsPutnam/September 27, 2012

For me this is the MOST ANTICIPATED fractured fairy tale of the year...although Mo Willems might not agree.  When the big bad wolf threatens their village, three pigs sign up for different martial arts lessons to prepare to take him down. Pig One and Pig Two don't stick with their training, though, and are no match for their foe. But after practice and dedication, Pig Three becomes great at karate (including perfecting the perfect pork chop!) and saves the day.

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE DINOSAURS by Mo Willems
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs: As Retold by Mo WillemsBalzer + Bray/September 4, 2012

What can I say? I am truly a sucker for Mo and I am really looking forward to his newest book.

"Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway.

One day—for no particular reason—they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then—for no particular reason—they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl.

Definitely not!"

Marathon Mouse MARATHON MOUSE by Amy Dixon illus. by Sam Denlinger 
Sky Pony Press/October 16, 2012

The mice of New York City dread the day of the New York City Marathon more than any other—the crowds, the large shoes, the noise. All of them, that is, except for Preston. He and his family live underneath the starting line on the Verrazano Bridge and every year Preston has dreamed of joining all the other runners in the marathon. This year, Preston is determined to make his dream come true, even though his family tells him that mice are not fit to run marathons. He trains hard leading up to the big day and when the race starts, he successfully dodges sneakers and crosses the finish line, showing his family that mice can do much more than just scurry.

With my own attempt at the NYC Marathon coming up on November 4, 2012, I am hoping to join Preston at that finish line!

MY FIRST GHOST by Maggie Miller & Michael Leviton illus. by Stephanie Buscema
Hyperion/August 7, 2012

Although this book is already out, I am including it here...as I have not had a chance to check it out.

I have taken some classes at NYC's Gotham Writer's Workshop with Michael Leviton.  So I have been eagerly awaiting his debut picture book.

The book comes with a free ghost! But, like any pet, ghosts need special care and attention. A playful riff on "My First Pet" books, My First Ghost teaches kids everything they need to know about taking care of their very own ghost,  offer humorous tips on feeding, grooming, and ghostly games which are complemented by charming illustrations with a retro twist.

Well, there you have it!  I would love to hear what books you eagerly await.  Writers Weigh In!

22 comments:

  1. I absolutely love that teaser blurb for GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE DINOSAURS. And of course, I'm also waiting for Corey's THREE NINJA PIGS.

    One of my most anticipated picture books of the fall *was* Peter H. Reynolds SKY COLOR -- but since I bought it yesterday on its release date, I guess I'm not anticipating it anymore, am I!

    I'm eagerly looking forward to Michael Ian Black and Debbie Ridpath Ohi's I'M BORED (coming Sept. 4th!!!) There's a link to the absolutely wonderful music video trailer for this book on my blog today.

    I think (I hope) Alison Kipnis Hertz's FLAP is coming out this fall, too.

    It's going to be a great fall! (Good luck with the marathon, to both you and Preston Mouse!)

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    1. Great choices, Beth! Yes, I'M BORED is anticipated, as well. Guess I should have made my list longer. And of course if FLAP is coming out, too, I DEFINITELY am looking forward to that. :) Thanks for the well wishes on the marathon...Preston Mouse might have to drag me along.

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  2. Great list. You've got my most anticipated title up there. KIYA!!!!

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    1. And judging from the New York Times review, we are not the only ones anticipating THREE NINJA PIGS. Go, Corey!

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  3. Thanks, Marcie. I hadn't heard of a couple of these, so I'll add them to my list!

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    1. My boyfriend works at Little Brown and MONSTERS' MONSTER is one of his books. I have actually seen it already and I have to say it is soooo sweet! But, again, I love Patrick McDonnell's work.

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  4. Thanks so much, Marcie! Any time I can be on a list with these other amazing authors is a complete honor. And I have no doubt that you are going to kick the NYC Marathon's bee-hind. Maybe Preston can send you a package of Professor Parson's Protein Power Puffs to help you along your way!

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    1. LOL! I can use all of the help I can get! Hope to see you in NYC that weekend. And I hope to see Preston on the course. :)

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  5. I can't wait for Marathon Mouse. I just interviewed Amy Dixon on my blog. It was inspiring learning about her journey to getting it published. I'm a marathoner too so I'm partial to running books, especially a picture book about running!

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    1. I feel a certain kinship with Preston. This is going to be my first marathon this fall. *Deep breath*

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  6. Woo hoo! Great list Marcie! I ADORE, THE MONSTERS' MONSTER. Just read it the other day. Too cute. I can't wait until these other books are out!

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    1. Glad you read MONSTERS' MONSTER. My boyfriend brought a F&G (Folded and Gathered) version of it home a few months ago and I just fell in love with it.

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  7. Thanks, Marcie! So excited to be included in this fantastic bunch of books!

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    1. Well, you certainly are a rockstar! Congrats on all of your success and the success of what's to come! :)

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  8. These look like fun reads, Marcie! Where did you find the list of soon-to-be-published PBs? I'm showing my ignorance now!

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    1. Well, MONSTERS'MONSTER my boyfriend worked on at Little Brown. Both THREE NINJA PIGS and MARATHON MOUSE were written by friends. MY FIRST GHOST was written by a former teacher of mine. And Mo Willems obviously gets a lot of press regarding his upcoming titles. However, Publishers Weekly and Amazon, as well as Horn Book are great resources to find out what is coming down the Pike.

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  9. Yeah! I just added to my to-read list! Big fan of McDonnell's work. Thanks, especially for the description of autumnal anticipation - can smell the crisp air already (in 95˚ heat!).

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  10. My plan for the day is to buy Oliver Jeffer's new book "This Moose Belongs to Me" but I am excited for SO many titles this fall!

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    1. I hadn't heard of this book, Cathy. But I just looked it up and it looks adorable! Wilfred has a moose he names Marcel! Precious! Thanks for telling me about it. I will definitely head to the indie bookstore in my neighborhood and check it out.

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  11. Great choices. Now I can't wait to curl up with a good picture book either!

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