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April 16, 2007
Introducing: the Hot Women of Children's Literature
Blame jet lag or the inept and overly chatty driver who picked me up at SeaTac today as I returned home from a fantastic trip to the Texas Library Association in San Antonio. But I'm checking in, cranky, cranky, cranky. I overheard a mom in an elevator at the Marriott RiverCenter teasing her daughter: who ate a big piece of grouchy pie?
Me.
I'm grouchy because the brilliant, warm and amazing Mitali Perkins fretted on her blog about having no line at TLA while Mo Willems' line snaked around the proverbial block. I'm grouchy because smart, sassy, stunning women writers never get mentioned on anyone's "hottest women in children's literature list." I'm grouchy because I can't figure out why the very few men writers in the children's lit world garner so much more attention than the women writers.
So rather than just gripe, I’m taking the initiative and starting what I think is the first and only “Hot Women of Children’s Literature” (playing off of Betsy Bird’s “Hot Men of Children’s Literature”). The debut pick for my HWOCL is (drumroll please!) Mitali Perkins. She’s smart, sassy and hot. Not just on the outside, but on the inside where it really counts. She writes books with heart and tenderness and takes her readers to places most of them have never been, like Bangladesh. I read Rickshaw Girl on the plane on the way home and added it to my list of favorite chapter books. Best of all, Rickshaw Girl is illustrated by a former Institute of Children's Literature student of mine, Jamie Hogan. How great it that?
I’m not going to even try and keep up with the prolific Betsy with my posts, but as I meet new candidates for the HWOCL, I’ll post them. And if you have any recommendations, send ‘em my way!
Hey, I'm not so grouchy anymore.
My husband and cat are both very glad about that.
Posted by kirby at April 16, 2007 08:40 PM
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Comments
You go, girl! Great idea - and great choice. Mitali is also a computer geek. The total package.
Posted by: Barbara O'Connor at April 17, 2007 12:52 PM
Dear Kirby:
Loved your book, must link to your blog.
Hooray for Mitali! She is a hot woman of children's literature. Her books are wonderful and she's a generous mentor as well. (She read my intro to a WIP.)
Keep on blogging. You must keep that cat happy. (In my experience, husbands can wait a day or two, but cats...that's another story.)
Posted by: Kelly at April 17, 2007 09:29 PM
What a great idea, and what a perfect choice for HWOCL #1. Well done!
Posted by: eisha at April 18, 2007 05:36 AM
A fabulous first choice! Tall women rock.
Might I suggest the pert and fabulous Jenni Holm for HWOCL #2? I'm told she has connections to an underground cupcake racket.
Posted by: EM at April 19, 2007 06:29 AM
This is such a great idea and a wonderful choice for the first HWOCL. Thanks for making my day.
Posted by: Vivian at April 24, 2007 05:49 AM
Hurrah for Mitali!
Hug your cat for me, please.
Posted by: Little Willow at April 27, 2007 07:35 PM