Lulu and Ben Simple

Toy prototypes for J.C. Phillipps's THE SIMPLES LOVE A PICNIC 

Silly Song Sunday!

This is the church
And this the steeple.
You can go in,
Just don't fall asleeple.

In the mid 90's, the late, beloved CHARLOTTE ZOLOTOW read— as a friend, not as a Harper honcho (vulgar word vis-a-vis Charlotte)— our Silly Songs. Famous genius editor Charlotte called them verses, not poems, so we do too, never having asked the difference. Charlotte noted our good ear and playfulness throughout (phew!) and commented specially on This is the church. Unlike many Silly Songs, she wrote, it has a true emotional center. We filed the letter under Writing Is Hard.

ZOMBOY!

Wouldn't you know it, the new kid in school is undead. Uh-oh, here come the angry parents: "No Zombies in Our School." And now the bullies are starting in on him, too. True, the Zomboy is not too brainy, and his body does in fact drop pieces, but his staunch alliesBob and Evil-O (Olive spelled backwards) have him covered— kinda. HarperCollins Canada just pub'd this bright, even sparkling, middle grade title. Richard Scrimger is nearly the most entertaining writer we know.

DAY OF DAYS!

WE   (heart image here) THE SIMPLES LOVE A PICNIC + Julie Philipps!

 

Silly Song Sunday!

I'm a Little Tea Pot

I'm a little tea pot

In a snit.

Folks call me hothead

When I have a fit.

If your water boiled

You would, too!

So tip me over

And pass the moo.

** This one is best when sung, like the song, adding a good deliberate pause before mooing the "moo".

ANOTHER FIRST TIMER!

This (these?) just in, and excellent buzz is a-building. Ryan Gebhart's debut also got a tip of the Tyrolean hat last month— German rights sale. We expect THERE WILL BE BEARS to enable many translators to ply their trade before 2014 ends.