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FAMILIES ARE FUNNY!

3/22/2021

17 Comments

 
By Sharon Giltrow




Families are HAHAHA! Take a look at your own family, and if they are anything like mine, you will capture some great ideas.
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My funny family – and my inspiration for BEDTIME, DADDY!
Borrow ideas from real life. Talented Aussie Authorstrator Briony Stewart, did when she wrote, WE LOVE YOU, MAGOO. A book about her very funny, furry, family member – Fergus aka Magoo.
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Funny, furry, Fergus aka Magoo and his family
I am very excited to feature WE LOVE YOU, MAGOO this month, and share with you Briony’s follow up book, WHERE ARE YOU MAGOO?
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We Love you Magoo
Written and Illustrated by: Briony Stewart
Published by: Penguin Random House Australia, September 2020
US release: TBA
Magoo has his own ideas about what a dog should do – in the kitchen, in the car, at dinnertime and bedtime! But there are so many rules! So many things a dog can't do.





Where are you Magoo?

Available for pre-order now

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I asked Briony to share two of her favourite, humorous pages from WE LOVE YOU MAGOO and why she chose them.
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B - I based my whole illustration style for the book on this spread. The energetic lines and the texture help Magoo to represent the unbridled joy and cheekiness of toddler readers, (and paired with the text, also allows them to delight in that age old thing of being able to tell someone else off for being a little bit naughty!)

In this spread, Briony has used sound words to ramp up the humour – “squish, squash, wahoooooo!” Such great words for young children to say out loud.
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B - Look at that little face! I wanted young readers to be able to both sympathise and giggle with Magoo as he learns the rules of the household. I think this also creates a gentle and funny parallel between the character and the parent-and-child readers of the story.  

Here Briony has used the power of surprise. The reader turns the page, and surprise Magoo is having a bath, and he is not too happy about it.
 
Funny Fact
Briony’s dog is actually called Fergus but Magoo is a much funnier and a super silly word to say aloud. When writing funny go for funny sounding words. Fergus not funny (well maybe a little) - Magoo super funny.
 
Well, that’s it from me this month, see you in April, with another great Aussie book.
 
Share a laugh and connect with someone today.

GIVEAWAY
For a chance to win either a copy of WE LOVE YOU MAGOO OR WHERE ARE YOU MAGOO?
  1. Comment or share a picture of your funny, furry friend – in this blog post
  2. Share this blog post on social media
  3. Follow Sharon on twitter
  4. The winner will be announced on twitter on Monday 5th April
BIO
Sharon Giltrow grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, two children and a tiny dog. Sharon has taught for all of her career. Previously a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind, she now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Her humorous debut PB BEDTIME DADDY! released May 2020 through EK books. Sharon’s humorous follow up PB GET READY, MAMA! Is due to be released through EK books in 2022. Awarded the Paper Bird Fellowship for Writers in 2019. Sharon used this time to write her early middle grade book SAMARA RUBIN AND THE UTILITY BELT. To be released in 2021 through Clear Fork Publishing’s new imprint &MG. Sharon is also a Blogger for the Children’s Book Academy,
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17 Comments
Sheri Delgado-Preston
3/22/2021 05:19:22 pm

I LOVE Magoo! The book sounds so FUNNY & FUN:)

Reply
Sharon Giltrow
3/23/2021 01:18:44 am

Thank you Sheri. Be sure to enter the giveaway for you chance to win your own copy of Magoo!

Reply
Sharon Giltrow
3/23/2021 01:20:48 am

Sorry it appears that you can't post a picture in the comments. Please post a picture of your furry family friend on twitter.

Reply
Mira Reisberg
3/23/2021 06:29:58 am

With a link to this webpage https://www.childrensbookacademy.com/blogfish/families-are-funny and the tag #Magoo so Sharon can find you xoxo :)

Reply
Sheila Lewis link
3/25/2021 10:52:03 am

I love the name Magoo and the happy, funny, silly illustrations with minimal and riotious text. Should be perfect for littlest readers. Thanks, Sharon. I will try to post a pic on Twitter. Sheila

Reply
Sharon Giltrow
3/25/2021 05:05:39 pm

Thanks Sheila and you nailed the appeal of Magoo in one sentence - well done!

Eleanor Peterson link
3/23/2021 05:52:04 am

I used to watch Mr. Magoo years ago. He was so funny. Great name choice, congrats!

Reply
Sharon Giltrow
3/24/2021 07:02:09 pm

Eleanor I had forgotten about Mr Magoo :-).

Reply
Annette Schottenfeld link
3/24/2021 09:20:56 am

Great examples of how to write funny! Magoo is so much fun to say! Can't wait to read WHERE ARE YOU MAGOO! :)

Reply
Sharon Giltrow
3/24/2021 07:00:52 pm

You will love it Annette

Reply
Maria Marshall link
3/27/2021 11:33:34 pm

Sounds like a really funny book! Thanks for a great review.

Reply
Sharon Giltrow
3/29/2021 05:38:56 am

Maria it is and such a sweet book too, and thanks for the compliment.

Reply
Patricia Tilton link
3/29/2021 09:46:08 am

What a delightful and entertaining books for kids! Nothing better than giving a dog a bath!

Reply
Sharon Giltrow
3/30/2021 01:16:14 am

A wet dog is definitely a funny thing :-).

Reply
Jilanne F Hoffmann
3/29/2021 10:53:50 am

Magoo reminds me a bit of our dog, who just got a bath yesterday (with similar enthusiasm), LOL. Poor Magoo....

Reply
Sharon Giltrow
3/30/2021 01:16:46 am

Yes not many dogs enjoy baths. My dog tolerates it :-).

Reply
Sharon Giltrow
4/4/2021 07:01:48 pm

Congratulations Maria Marshall you have won the giveaway. I'll DM you on twitter. YAY!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    We are so excited to be mixing things up at CBA, beginning with some delicious additions to the Blogfish. Meet our  awesome new bloggers!!

    Here's our lineup:
    1st Mondays begin with editor/art director, & CBA Director Mira Reisberg PhD who is handing her Mondays over to awesome former now traditionally pubbed students to widen their audience.

    2nd Mondays will feature super smart Melissa Stoller whose career is taking off with several new books.
     

    3rd Mondays will feature
    Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer, man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    4th Mondays will feature STEM, STEAM & SEL obsessed author Kourtney LaFavre sharing delightfully dorky, quirky, and fun info.

    And 5th Mondays will feature Libyan American author Koloud Tarapolsi sharing wonderful diverse books.

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  • Home
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    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • Mastering Graphic Novels
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
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  • About Us
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  • Blogfish
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    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship