tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post3066518679199714496..comments2024-03-28T06:28:49.282+00:00Comments on Picture Book Den: Bee-rocracies & Hierarchies - Alison BoyleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-17193401424282602242012-04-19T22:20:32.269+01:002012-04-19T22:20:32.269+01:00It's Big People, Little People (A&C Black ...It's Big People, Little People (A&C Black in their White Wolves series).malachy doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14428551785118345251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-40983863229426217992012-04-19T13:18:12.844+01:002012-04-19T13:18:12.844+01:00It depends how subtle you are! There was a case a ...It depends how subtle you are! There was a case a few years ago when huge numbers of a very famous author's book were pulped at the insistence of the Chinese because of a sneaky Tibetan flag somewhere in the picture. Someone else might know the story better than I do...Juliet Clare Bellhttp://www.julietclarebell.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-35033005539487990382012-04-19T13:15:05.608+01:002012-04-19T13:15:05.608+01:00Cool, Malachy. Which is the one about the divided ...Cool, Malachy. Which is the one about the divided communities (according to your wife)? Interested to find out...Juliet Clare Bellhttp://www.julietclarebell.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-32253432832796902802012-04-12T23:30:45.454+01:002012-04-12T23:30:45.454+01:00Thanks for that picture you painted, Stephanie. Wh...Thanks for that picture you painted, Stephanie. What a great opportunity to learn about bees through a grandfather. I hear that bee-keeping is becoming popular with ordinary folk who are concerned about our ecology. The bee-keeping course my friend in Oxford tried to join was full up. A good sign, I say, and I don't think it's ALL about the honey.Alison Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15661814505803840167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-72078170837698819672012-04-12T13:34:18.448+01:002012-04-12T13:34:18.448+01:00This sounds great Alison. My girls love bees - the...This sounds great Alison. My girls love bees - their grandfather has 4 hives. They're going to love this at bedtime! In fact, I think my dad (the beekeeper) might just enjoy this too!!!Stephanie J Halehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536868743982864176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-18068194662458505782012-04-05T15:11:50.265+01:002012-04-05T15:11:50.265+01:00It's really good to hear you think it will sup...It's really good to hear you think it will support children in that way Lorna, and interesting that you mention Guy Claxton at Winchester.<br /><br />Winchester Uni published my MSc dissertation about feedback on young adult fiction using social networks, in 'Write4Children' - the International Journal for the Practice and Theories of Writing for Children and Children's Literature.<br /><br />I was in good company for the inaugural edition (Michael Rosen and Tony Bradman) http://www.winchester.ac.uk/academicdepartments/EnglishCreativeWritingandAmericanStudies/publications/write4children/Documents/w4cvol1iss1.pdf<br /><br />I notice that Meg Rosoff has contributed recently. It's definitely worth keeping an eye on the debate there.Alison Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15661814505803840167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-1315511698309653462012-04-05T10:55:03.117+01:002012-04-05T10:55:03.117+01:00What a wonderful book - can't wait to read it ...What a wonderful book - can't wait to read it to Key Stage 1 children! Your explanation of the themes behind it provides a really useful background for teachers. As well as being fun to read, I also see it as a resource for teachers who are working to develop their children's ability to cope with challenge and change. In fact it ties in well with what is going on in many schools around BLP (Guy Claxton's Building Learning Power).Lorna Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02047828375870952156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-16203867990537926352012-04-04T16:59:36.194+01:002012-04-04T16:59:36.194+01:00Thanks for that response, Anjum, giving us your in...Thanks for that response, Anjum, giving us your insights into experiences of reading picturebooks to different groups of children. <br /><br />You've made such an important point about shared reading and the role of the adult reader (or an able young reader e.g. with siblings). <br /><br />I see the experience as a mixture of the writer/illustrator's intentions that come through, the audience's myriad reactions (depending on mood), and what the reader is bringing to the experience through their tone of voice etc.Alison Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15661814505803840167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-29005522202348947822012-04-04T16:16:32.505+01:002012-04-04T16:16:32.505+01:00Amazing Alison, thinking of the adult and involvin...Amazing Alison, thinking of the adult and involving them, and all the layers and research, I love picture books and get so much out of reading them to children. Your blog is very thought provoking, thank you, the interpretation of the reader is so often different and surprising, especially when they see what you as a writer never thought you were writing about. I love the way you use the whole Bee world and at the same time their world can relate to any other world, even human!Anjum Malikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077224586610376910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-51160727252160119912012-04-04T15:23:29.616+01:002012-04-04T15:23:29.616+01:00I wonder whether self-publishing has given rise to...I wonder whether self-publishing has given rise to more contentious books being published. A research project, anyone?Alison Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15661814505803840167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-75412433090229483272012-04-04T14:17:10.319+01:002012-04-04T14:17:10.319+01:00The power of art is that, though 'contentious ...The power of art is that, though 'contentious issues' are often squashed - by marketing departments in publishing and, in a wider context, by governments - what people think about art can't be corralled by anyone. Readers and viewers will add their own spin, and nobody can stop them. It's great, isn't it?Moira Butterfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17355420549929911500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-76511500062406310112012-04-04T11:50:07.356+01:002012-04-04T11:50:07.356+01:00But if you ever did intend it, Malachy, colourful ...But if you ever did intend it, Malachy, colourful picturebooks are the perfect way to put across a contentious point or two.Alison Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15661814505803840167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-75143109786321512322012-04-04T11:15:53.333+01:002012-04-04T11:15:53.333+01:00Yes, I find it amusing when people tell me what my...Yes, I find it amusing when people tell me what my books 'mean' or 'are saying'. Usually they're things that I'd never even considered. I've one that my wife insists is an allegory about the divided communities of Northern Ireland. Is it? I've no idea.malachy doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14428551785118345251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-15619043629113029692012-04-04T10:56:57.516+01:002012-04-04T10:56:57.516+01:00I don't know whether you've also found thi...I don't know whether you've also found this Jane: that the research you reject for one thing always finds a place in future work or just everyday life?Alison Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15661814505803840167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-34089346477445807092012-04-04T10:54:35.667+01:002012-04-04T10:54:35.667+01:00Thanks Paeony. As you and Lynne say (above), it is...Thanks Paeony. As you and Lynne say (above), it is fascinating to see the way your ideas and words are interpreted by different readers (and a good illustrator, as Abie and others have pointed out in their blogs).Alison Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15661814505803840167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-18086857712404238502012-04-04T10:53:27.861+01:002012-04-04T10:53:27.861+01:00I've found the same: that one idea starts to b...I've found the same: that one idea starts to branch out when you write. Sometimes the complexities have led me to writing for older audiences - when the picturebook format feels like it's straining at the seams - and particularly since wordcounts have reduced over the years.Alison Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15661814505803840167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-85106774386004096842012-04-04T10:45:40.833+01:002012-04-04T10:45:40.833+01:00You're right, Moira. Whenever we've moved ...You're right, Moira. Whenever we've moved house we've made a judgement about the books on our shelves: Are there some that have lost favour that don't deserve to be carried to the next place? I find those with the most layers the most rewarding over time.Alison Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15661814505803840167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-64803114477873389212012-04-04T10:41:42.565+01:002012-04-04T10:41:42.565+01:00Thought-provoking blog, Alison. There can be so mu...Thought-provoking blog, Alison. There can be so much beneath the surface of a picture book. Sometime we, the writers, don't see it all ourselves. I've a book used widely in churches in the US, and I'd never considered their interpretation of the story until I read some church reviews. Now it's obvious, but I hadn't thought about it when I wrote the story.Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13129555451791248798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-75295765773662635202012-04-04T10:03:33.196+01:002012-04-04T10:03:33.196+01:00Thank you for demonstrating that there are big the...Thank you for demonstrating that there are big themes and tons of research behind many picture booksJane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-60625732371054537592012-04-04T09:32:19.904+01:002012-04-04T09:32:19.904+01:00Great blog - I must admit I normally start with on...Great blog - I must admit I normally start with one small theme and as the book grows on the page I discover additional ones creep in. Also I've had reviews written about some of my books and themes I didn't even realise I'd included were hidden away.Lynne Garnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05697330164705623835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-23520110230778757952012-04-04T09:27:40.610+01:002012-04-04T09:27:40.610+01:00A fascinating blog, Alison, and one that points up...A fascinating blog, Alison, and one that points up very clearly how multi-layered and how endlessly rewarding picture books can be.Moira Butterfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17355420549929911500noreply@blogger.com