By now you have probably heard that Renee Zellweger has been tapped to play bunny-loving Beatrix Potter in an upcoming biopic about the author’s life. I actually think this is a pretty good choice, so I am interested to see how this project pans out and learn more about Potter’s life and accomplishments. Whether or not you’re a Beatrix Potter fan, you have to give props to anyone who writes a story titled The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit.
Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan a picture book author? Sounds a bit odd, but it’s true. Shyamalan, who brought us such films as The Sixth Sense and The Village, is set to publish a companion children’s picture book to coincide with his latest film release Lady in the Water. The book and film will be released on July 21. Previous forays into the children’s book world didn’t work as well for Shyamalan, who had some trouble finding a suitable illustrator to adequately capture a foreboding sense of evil and, of course, dead people.
I was sad to hear that best-selling children’s author John Reynolds Gardiner died earlier this month at age 61. Gardiner wrote the wildly popular Stone Fox
which tells the story of a boy, his dog and a sled race. Stone Fox is definitely a classic and was required reading in middle school for me and many others, I’m sure. A rite of passage for not only its main character but also its readers, Gardiner’s book is sure to remain a classic for decades to come.
I can’t get you(r book) out of my head … Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue plans to publish a semi-autobiographical picture book this September. The Showgirl Princess will be aimed at the younger set and hits on the theme of following your dreams and achieving your goals. I’m pretty sure this means we’ll be featuring Minogue vs. Madonna in a cage match very soon.
Apparently we’re not the only ones milking the “Rites of Spring” theme for all it’s worth … AP’s Samantha Critchell offers up some quick reviews of spring-themed children’s books geared toward kids 7 and under.
And finally, something of interest to both kids and adults alike … The Denver Public Library has launched a program to offer movie rental downloads to its patrons. I hope this is a trend that catches on in library systems across the country. Shyamalan films for the whole family!
2 Responses
Shyamalan PiThanks for the
Shyamalan Pi
Thanks for the info on Shyamalan – love his films. The link to him also showed that he is in pre-production – writing – Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
This was a great thinking book, a modern day fable/fantasy like no other I’ve read.
I was glad to see M. Night is writing it, hopefully he does it justice because it could make a helluva movie. Might he direct also? Can’t wait for it.
If you haven’t read the book, I absolutely recommend it.
Trivia: Shyamalan is from
Trivia: Shyamalan is from Pondicherry, India . . . same place as Martel. Quite fitting that he take the reins for the adaptation of Martel’s unique novel.