Maurice Sendak

 You wrote for the frightened child in us all...

 

Vale.

When the Obamas Met Amos

In a recent post about Awesome [Buffy] Reading we may have said: That is all.

Well, dear readers, we have an apology to make. We were wrong. That was not all. THERE IS MORE!

In further Awesome People Reading [Our Books] News* may we bring your attention to this item that pleases us very much indeed.**

The scene: The White House South Lawn.***

The book: A Sick Day for Amos McGee Philip C Stead.





The awesome people reading: Sasha and Malia Obama****

Via Books on Film

That may not be all.


* Actually not just Awesome People Reading, but also Awesome First Dog Listening.
** Thanks so much to KW for bringing this genius item to our attention.
*** Cue W.G. Snuffy Walden theme music.
**** And also President Obama, reading Where the Wild Things Are. Who else loves to read, Mr President? We do! We do!

Mischief of one kind and another, aka Friday Stuff and Items

It's only 49 sleeps until the Spike Jonze/Dave Eggers Where the Wild Things Are is released in Oz.*

1) Speaking of Dave Eggers (and we could for days...), McSweeney's as a daily broadsheet? Where do we subscribe?

2) Speaking of McSweeney's, here is a list for your enjoyment.

3) Speaking of lists, the Guardian is compiling an awesome one about fairytales.

4) Speaking of the Guardian, David Barnett is lovely on sewing a wolf suit**

5) Speaking of wolf suits, it may be a month and a bit until WTWTA is released here - but it's 'tonight' in the US.

Let the wild rumpus start!



See More Where the Wild Things Are Movie Still at IGN.com



*Almost better than Christmas!

**Warning: this article links to images of a range of full-sized costumes inspired by the story. Yes, dear reader, full-sized wolf suits. That is all.

But wait, there's more...

Oh. My.

A new trailer for the Where the Wild Things Are.

Let the wild rumpus start.

Friday stuff and items

1) Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are movie has a blog: We Love You So. And it's thoughtful and interesting, and you know - the coolness. 'This place has been established to help shed some light on many of the small influences that have converged to make this massive project a reality.'

2) Every second Monday, Yann Martel sends a book to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper*, books that he hopes will 'expand' the PM's 'stillness'. Martel's blog, www.whatisstephenharperreading.ca, chronicles the books he has sent thus far and further explains his mission. And the Globe and Mail reports that Harper has finally written back.

By all accounts, the public service would be quite keen for our very own KRudd to expand his stillness a bit. Maybe we should steal Martel's idea, beginning, of course, by sending Special Kev.

3) According to the Global Language Monitor, the millionth word in the English language is 'Web 2.0'. Which, to be frank, is a little disappointing. It's hardly very ephonious, it's not very precise (the whole concept being a little nebulous and hard to pin down), and we question its durability. The Chambers Dictionary, for one, didn't include it in their current edition. The Onions vote to hold out for something better. And we are happy to take suggestions...

* We thinks, if you squint your ears, Stephen Harper sounds a lot like Richard Parker - is it possible that the Canadian Prime Minister is actually a Bengal tiger?

Let the Wild Rumpus Start

The first proper trailer for Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are is out in the world.

About this film, Onions are variously:

• excited
• nervous
• sceptical
• hopeful
• rapturous

The production certainly seems to have been in and out of weeks and across at least a year. One might suspect mischief of one kind and another. All fingers, toes and claws crossed.

UPDATE According to Film Victoria the trailer features Williamstown, Werribee and the Dandenongs. The Wild Things seem to have the House of Onion almost completely surrounded. At quite a distance, true, but still... *waves out the window*