Friday, March 23, 2007

testing books on children

The snow storm didn't stop us. We had loads of fun in Cold Spring NY last Saturday, reading Handbag Friends and How To Be A Baby and laughing and singing. And here we are reading HOW TO BE A BABY and laughing fondly at all the things babies can't do, poor things. (Like, for instance, when you're a baby you don't carry a back pack. You go in one. And you don't read books. You eat them. Stuff like that.) (Thank you Merritt Books and thank you children.)

Reading to children is a great (the only?) way to test a children's book. And here's one really cool thing I learned from a favorite publisher of mine (David Fickling):

I was testing out HANDBAG FRIENDS on some children in its very earliest stage (pencil sketches in a paper dummy) and I came to a bit where the children were asking me loads of questions. Like, "What is a Swamp-A-Stomp?" and "Where is the Murky Space Weed?" and "What do you mean Baglodytes?". So much so that I could hardly turn the page. Later, I reported back to David, "Oh dear I think I should write more in there because they're asking lots of questions." And then he said, no, you want them asking questions. It's when they aren't asking questions you need to worry because then they're not engaged. And you know the definition of a boring book, don't you? A book that does the work of the reader for them.

Isn't that great?

Hmm. Come of think of it, that could apply to more than just books...

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

British accents and plummyness

yes it's all true.

having a british accent in the US is very handy. you can get away with all manner of foolishness and still appear to know what you're talking about.

which is why I decided to keep mine.

(shouldn't really be giving away the secret but to read more: click here.)

where AM I?

back to my site?
back to twitter?

back to my super duper blog?
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