Our good friend and droll bookselling colleague, Kenny Brechner, who has guest-posted once before (see Kindle at Poseidon’s Gate), cracked us up with an email to the New England Children’s Booksellers online discussion group, and we couldn’t resist posting it here (with his permission, of course).
Kenny writes:
Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy, coming this October, and the spring 2010 release of Happy Easter, Curious George, got me thinking about the issue of classic franchised children’s book characters and holidays. These titles are great, but why stick to the run-of-the-mill, usual-suspect sorts of holidays? What about holidays with literary connotations or philosophical depth? For example, with the recent Robert Burns 250th anniversary getting so much press, was an opportunity missed in not coming out with Eat Your Haggis, Curious George? I know what you’re thinking: Curious George is a monkey, and therefore almost entirely a vegetarian, and the idea of him being goaded to eat a dish comprised of minced heart, lungs, and liver of a sheep or calf mixed with suet, could be construed as not being 100% tasteful. Still, aren’t there larger issues here? If classic franchised children’s book characters don’t lead the way, who will?
Consider Yom Kippur. At first blush, the Jewish Day of Atonement might seem a forbidding topic for Curious George, but George is a curious monkey, and his curiosity has previously resulted in hospital bills, radiology bills, and the unintentional theft of property, such as balloons. Perhaps the concept of atonement would resonate with him.
So what do you think? Which untapped holidays would work here, and which is the world not quite ready for?
Winnie the Pooh observes Ramadan!
How about Clifford Celebrates Arbor Day. Instead of urinating on a tree, he plants one!
Spot’s Bark Mitzvah?
Fancy Nancy Learns About Lent (oh, wait, we can’t put glitter on that. Never mind.)
The Poky Little Puppy’s First Purim. Poky and friends dress up for the annual celebrations. Poky gets nervous about the poppy seed hamantaschen having heard “puppy seed.” . How about Happy Mother’s Day, Little Princess, in which Sarah Crewe and her friends have a seance in the garrett and summon up her mother’s spirit. And of course, Little Princess’s Labor Day where she does ALL the work so that the rest of the staff can have the day off. Rolie Olie’s Halloween in which Rolie and Zoe dress up as people to trick or treat. Five Little Monkeys Shopping at the White Sale. Mama and the Doctor are annoyed at how messy the bedding is at their house,so the five little monkeys pool their allowances to replace the sheets. Franklin’s Flag Day in which he paints flags on each part of his shell. Oh, wait, he has someone else paint them since he can’t reach his own back. Arthur’s Annual Talk Like A Pirate Day. Arg-thur and D.W. dress up as pirates, take over other school busses, and wreak havoc on the school in a swashbuckling adventure. Rainbow Fish’s Fourth of July. In which, in a sea of patriotism, RF discovers he only has red white and blue scales. Finally, for your listening pleasure, Music for Little People presents Heidi’s Holidays in which she and the mountain goats yodel Christmas carols.
A trip to Scotland would do Curious George a world of good!
ACE HITS THE BIG TIME IN NEW YORK CITY ON MOTHER’S DAY & MOM HITS HIM BACK BY MAKING HER OWN BLOCK-BUSTER MOVIE WITH THE FALCONS.
Hmmm…if Fancy Nancy is hankering for glitter, how about FANCY NANCY GOES TO MARDI GRAS?
Percy Jackson and the Big Fat Greek Wedding
Horton Hatches an Easter Egg
Frog and Toad All Leap Year
These are GREAT. Keep ’em coming. Ooh, I have one: A Briss for Little Bear
The Little Engine That Could…n’t Eat Peanuts
The Grinch That Stole Memorial Day The reformed Grinch learns that effusive high spirits are not always quite the thing.
Froggy does Hogmanay First-Footin’ with Franklin (not a separate holiday, but alliterative and fun) Minnie and Moo on May Day
Eloise Jumps on Black Friday
Thomas the Tank(ed) Engine clebrates National Sobriety Day.