The Barn's on Fire, The Horses are Out, and Someone Has a Stinky Bum

Do cowgirl moms have guilt, too? You bet. And, we even change bums and take our kids to dance practice, between feeding critters and quading around the countryside. You've discovered my garden, now check out the ranch.

http://www.quirkymommyc.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 22, 2008

It Hurts When I Poop- The Scoop on Poop - it stinks!


Howard J. Bennett, M.D. (auth)
M.S Weber (ill)
Magination Press 2007
Ages: toddler
ISBN 10: 1433801310
13: 9781433801310





I wanted to like this one. I really did. I mean with a title like It Hurts When I Poop, well, that was enough, alone to put it on my radar. However, I am sad to say, this book fell very short of its potential and left me wondering Did an editor actually read this book? And Did a High School student illustrate it? I think this is a classic example of what happens when an “expert” tries to write a children’s book.


Dr. Bennett started with a brilliant concept. Often children have a fear of the big BM because of the pain they may experience. The story begins with one such boy, Ryan. Concerned, his parents take him to the doctor. It is then that the plot lags into the depths of amateurishness.


The doctor relates a story to Ryan about a coyote, Bill that does not like to clean up after himself. Eventually his house becomes jammed full of garbage and he cannot function in it. His parents convince him to clean it up. After he does, he feels so great, he throws a party. Good metaphor, I would have worked on it a bit more, though. And, most importantly, I would have chopped Bill’s whole saga in half, at least. It wanes on far too long and competes for attention with Ryan’s story. I’m unsure what the main plot is supposed to be. Is Ryan’s story framing Bill’s, or is Bill’s complimenting Ryan’s?


The lustre and quality of the illustrations is also compromised in an attempt to separate the two stories. I’m no artist, but I would have substituted a different pallet of colours rather than minimize Bill’s pages to just brown and white (there is colour for Bill's party). Not since Winnie the Poo have those type of illustrations been able to satisfy a child. The lack of style and imagination does not speak well to Weber’s talents as an illustrator.


But, to continue on- the doctor draws the comparison for Ryan and shows him how his food travels through his body. The illustrations to accompany this portion, while consistent with the quality of the others, could be quite useful to any parent struggling with potty training. The diagrams clearly show how the food travels and turns into poop, which makes explaining the process a whole lot easier. However, they could easily have been merged into one illustration.


There are helpful suggestions on what foods to eat to soften poops, and which ones to avoid. There is also a list of activities to help your child envision the BM process. These are wonderful components of this book, labelled the "Poop Program". But really? Line drawings with zero in the expression department, competing plots, overload of info? I’d chop a few hundred words, hire a decent illustrator, and package it all a little differently (I could go on about that), then this book would really be something to write about. It could be a real classic potty training book. It already has the title. Right?


In the end, I feel like this is one of those books that EA was spammed with, though this was published by legitimate people-the American Psychological Association. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, people, please get an editor that has some experience with writing something other than a thesis ...please. I still want to like this book.


It Hurts When I Poop was given a five star rating on Amazon and there are plenty of parents over there who are singing its praises. But, I stand by my guns. Looking at this book from a writer's point of view, it fell short, even if the concept was great and arguably useful.


By the way, 2 ¾ year-old son is also a fan of this book. Well, not the whole thing, just the poop diagrams, but he is a toddler, and a boy, and loves anything to do with his bodily functions. He’s not going to grow out of that, is he?

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Brillante Weblog Premio

Wow! Can you believe it? This blog has been nominated by Annick Press for the Brillante Weblog Primio. Thank you Annick!

Now to pass on the appreciation. Here's my nominees, im no specific order (because I love you all):

Editorial Anonymous This is the place to be checking, frequently, if you are a writer or illustrator. You can aske her questions (which are answered fairly promptly), get involved in a very heated discussion in the comments section, or simply read and learn. Trust me, check this one out.

Kim at Bugs and Bunnies. This is the best unpublished children's writer blog, I know of. Kim relates hilarious ancidotes that range from her housekeeping woes, to her son's tiny acts of rebellion. She also does a wonderful book review and author profile every Friday, has a holidays calender (every day is a day to celebrate), writes articles on strange and interesting facts, and has a little something for fans of Calvin and Hobbes. There's more, but you'll have to head over there and see for yourself.

Kate Messner of Kate's Book Blog. Here's my favourite published children's author's blog. I met Kate on the Verla Kay discussion board, and thank goodness! Her blog is invaluable for any writer looking to break into the business. She freely posts her methods for revision and provides plenty of insight into everything that crosses the path of a published writer. There is a whole lot going on over there, as she is working on a book, right now, and her YA book, Champlain and the Silent One has just been released. She also posts a weekly "Friday Five" that you won't want to miss.

Kristen at Pub Rants (that's "publishing" rants) has all the lowdown from the agent's trenches. Ever wonder how exactly an agent earns their comission? Give her a visit and you'll see. She also posts helpful hints for writers and ponders the great questions of the biz. Her format is wonderful. I love the "status updates", and "what's playing on the ipod".

Moonrat at Editorial Ass is like the symoathetic big sister of the writing world. An author and editorial assistant, you can bet she's got some interesting posts, sprinkled with tidbits of life in NYC. At least check out the "pistola" post -not for kids, but very funny. You'd be interested in the "mischief" she runs with (haer group of long time blog friends) , too. It seems everyweek another one scores a deal or releases a book.

Laurie at Writing on the Edge is a refreshing read, especially for Christian readers/writers. I was actually surprised to discover a suspense/ thriler book blog written by a Christian Author. While your religious views may understandably differ, it is nice to find something entertaining that doesn't involve the total corrosion of societal values. She posts on a wide variety of topics, writes great book reviews and conducts the odd interview.

Rules for next recipients of the Brillante Weblog Premio are as follows:
1. The award may be displayed on a winner’s blog.
2. Add a link to the person you received the award from.
3. Nominate up to seven other blogs.
4. Add their links to your blog.
5. Add a message to each person that you have passed the award on in the comments section of their blog.

Enjoy!