90-Second Newbery: Animated!
March 2, 2012
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CAN YOU FEEL THE NEWBERYCITEMENT? No, you can’t! Because that isn’t a word. But even still, I, for one, am looking forward to our 90-Second Newbery Film Festival screening in Portland tomorrow! It’s at the Central Library from 3-5 pm. Special guests Laini Taylor (author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone) and Dale Basye (author of the Heck series). Many strange surprises in store! Better get there at least a half hour early: this nonsense is going to fill up quick.
Today I want to feature three more videos that I’ve received from the Portland area. They all have one thing in common: they don’t use actors, but various kinds of animation. Above you can see a 90-second version of the 2002 Newbery Honor book Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath, as adapted by Alexandra Ruff. It’s fantastic work! Alexandra is truly a quadruple-threat powerhouse: adaptation, illustration, narration, and piano all by one kid. I love the pictures and animation, and especially the way Alexandra enthusiastically chirps the word “perpendicular.” And that has to be the cutest hamster-burning scene ever! (Alexandra’s film was even featured on Polly Horvath’s blog).
Alexandra writes, “The story in the book happens in Coal Harbor, British Columbia. We used to live in real Coal Harbor. Now we live in Portland.” That’s great to have the local angle! Thanks, Alexandra, and I’m looking forward to meeting you on Saturday.
But that’s not the only animation I’ve received from Portland. Here’s Eleanor Estes’ 1945 Newbery Honor book 100 Dresses as adapted by DC Bonavoglia and Greg Sweeney:
Good work with the paper cut-out animation and the silent movie style. I haven’t read One Hundreds Dresses (yet!), but DC and Greg’s version makes me want to. (I also appreciate that they picked an older, more obscure title to adapt . . . We need more of those for the film festival.)
Now here’s Neil Gaiman’s 2009 Newbery Medal winner The Graveyard Book, adapted by Gabi, Kendal, and Audrey from Robert Gray Middle School (see all of the videos from Robert Gray Middle School here):
Well done! I liked the choice to use puppets (and how they took the time to make both “young” and “old” versions of Bod and Scarlett.) Fun to watch, and a good retelling of the book!
I’ll see everyone on Saturday at the Central Library in Portland, 3-5 pm. Again, a word to the wise: the event is probably going to fill up, so you should get there early if you really want to get in . . .