Épisodes

  • Episode 383 - Big Pumpkin

    Episode 383 - Big Pumpkin
    Oct 13 2025
    As Halloween creeps ever closer (and the weather begins to resemble something somewhat autumnal) we continue to seek out potential seasonal classics from the many books that have come before. Today's suggestion comes to us via Ramarie B. and it's a text based on an old Russian fairy tale. Mind you, in the original, this story featured a turnip (and it says a lot about a culture if a gigantic turnip is someone's idea of a food you'd want in abundance). Today, in spite of the fact that Kate and I have failed MULTIPLE times to successfully grow pumpkins (I have one going right now, but it's green and I don't think it's going to orange up in time for Halloween), we examine this book. Be prepared for discussions of pumpkin sex, vampire fashion wear, and why one might want to garden in their socks. You can find the full Show Notes at https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/10/13/fuse-8-n-kate-big-pumpkin-by-erica-silverman-ill-s-d-schindler/
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    30 min
  • Episode 382 - The Gashlycrumb Tinies

    Episode 382 - The Gashlycrumb Tinies
    Oct 6 2025
    Kicking off October with Edward Gorey just seems obvious at this point in time. After all, since he died 25 years ago, there are a lot of celebrations happening in his honor this season. Naturally, since he did quite a few "picture books" (a term we use in the broadest sense) it seemed logical to tackle his best known work. Is it for children? Not intentionally, but Betsy makes the case on the show that there are picture books out there that are not intended for children but that kids find anyway and grow to love (Uncle Shelby's ABZs, anyone?). Today's book is a "cult classic picture book" in precisely that sense. This is our fourth alphabet book on our podcast (we forgot we did Eating the Alphabet when we recorded this) and our second Edward Gorey (after The Shrinking of Treehorn). We discuss how this was clearly Wednesday Addams's favorite book when she was little and how Gorey's rhyming is on point! Please note that we do have a trigger warning at the beginning of our discussion. This book does mention children dying. Full Show Notes are visible here: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/10/06/fuse-8-n-kate-the-gashlycrumb-tinies-by-edward-gorey/
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    30 min
  • Episode 381 - Stephanie's Ponytail

    Episode 381 - Stephanie's Ponytail
    Sep 29 2025
    In the news recently were news articles about the diseases that Canadian picture book creator Robert Munsch is facing at the moment. Inspired, we thought we owed the man a third episode (after the marvelous Paper Bag Princess and the unfortunate Love You Forever). Much like our recent foray into Max's Dragon Shirt, we return to the 90s in picture book form. The scrunchies! the clothing! The fact that there used to be kids named Stephanie! It's all there. We consider the book, its humor, its lesson, and the fact that this is one fun little book. For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/09/28/fuse-8-n-kate-stephanies-ponytail-by-robert-munsch/
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    31 min
  • Episode 380 - Fancy Nancy

    Episode 380 - Fancy Nancy
    Sep 22 2025
    Going into this episode,Betsy had a lot on her mind. Fancy Nancy is one of those rare 21st century characters with a legitimate shot at picture book classicdom. That said, would Kate find her bratty? One can never predict which literary children show up on Kate's brat-o-meter (Madeline? Really really?), so this was going to be a real question. And if you want to know the answer... yeah. You're going to have to listen to the episode. But don't worry, along the way you'll also hear us talking about the fact that Nancy turns 20 this year, how this is the first time we've done a book with spot glitter on the cover, Sublime references, and font hate. See the full episode show notes here. https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/09/22/fuse-8-n-kate-fancy-nancy-by-jane-oconnor-ill-robin-preiss-glasser/
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    31 min
  • Episode 379 - Max's Dragon Shirt

    Episode 379 - Max's Dragon Shirt
    Sep 15 2025
    This is our 379th episode. We've done 378 until now and not one, not one SINGLE title, has been a Rosemary Wells book. Strange? You bet. Well, today that strangeness ends. Not only are we doing a Rosemary Wells book, but we're doing a MAX AND RUBY Rosemary Wells book! Howdja like them apples, eh? Of course, once we decided upon this course of action we were faced with the inevitable question of which Max and Ruby book to do. The early ones were board books, for all intents and purposes. But the later ones vary greatly in quality. In the end, it was the suggestion of listener Dan that alerted us to an ideal candidate. Today we're talking dragon shirts, polite toddlers, and what the HECK Ruby and Max's mother is up to in all these books. For the full show notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/09/15/fuse-8-n-kate-maxs-dragon-shirt-by-rosemary-wells/
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    31 min
  • Episode 378 - Daddy is a Monster...Sometimes

    Episode 378 - Daddy is a Monster...Sometimes
    Sep 8 2025
    Betsy doesn't know why people don't talk more about this book. While John Steptoe is well-known for Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters and, to a lesser extent, Stevie, today's book is rarely discussed. Yet can you even think of another case where a picture book creator wrote something as autobiographical AND as problematic ABOUT THEMSELVES as this? John Steptoe was working on another level with this title and we intend to break it down as much as possible on the podcast. We discuss picture books that talk about spankings vs. those that show them, whatever the opposite of gentle parenting is, and how Raggedy Anne occupies the Uncanny Clown Valley. For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/09/08/fuse-8-n-kate-daddy-is-a-monster-sometimes-by-john-steptoe/
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    32 min
  • Episode 377 - Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me

    Episode 377 - Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me
    Aug 25 2025
    This is going to strike you as a little strange. Lord knows it wasn't something we noticed. So... you know how we've done 376 episodes of this podcast until now? That's 376 different books. Of those books, we have done books both written and illustrated by creator Eric Carle precisely one, singular, solitary time. That book? The Very Hungry Caterpillar (duh). Listener Megan recently pointed out this odd aberration and we have to admit that we were a little embarrassed. We recorded our Very Hungry Caterpillar episode in July of 2017. Almost precisely 8 years later, we're ready to look at Book #2. Let's see how it fares! For the full Show Notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/08/25/fuse-8-n-kate-papa-please-get-the-moon-for-me-by-eric-carle/
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    30 min
  • Episode 376 - A Birthday for Frances

    Episode 376 - A Birthday for Frances
    Aug 18 2025
    Dear lord. If Betsy thought she was about to give Kate a lovely birthday present with today's recording, then she was SORELY disabused of that notion from the start. She never expected Frances to fall into Kate's obliterating list of "brats", but them's the breaks in this, one of our more contentious episodes. Listen in as we tackle our second Frances book (after Bread and Jam for Frances). Along the way we discuss Chompo Bar theme songs, party favors for 2-year-olds, and why Mother might have a grudge against innocent little party guest, Ida. For the full Show Notes, please go to: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2025/08/18/fuse-8-n-kate-a-birthday-for-frances-by-russell-hoban-ill-lillian-hoban/
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    29 min