Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird (otherwise known as “Fuse8”), the Collection Development Manager of Evanston Public Library, and former Youth Materials Specialist of the New York Public Library, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her path to becoming a librarian; the origin of “Fuse8”; a librarian’s responsibility—particularly with “problematic” books; the mischievousness of favorite children’s book creators; the Berenstain’s and Alternate Timelines, the six-foot long mustache she once received from Giuseppe’s team at Penguin, and more.

To learn more about Betsy—and her podcast, Fuse8 & n’ Kate—visit betsybirdbooks.com.

A few authors and illustrators were mentioned in this conversation, including: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Dr. Seuss, Jacqueline Woodson, Stan and Jan Berenstain, Peggy Rathmann, Robert McCloskey, Wanda Gag, Ludwig Bemelmans, and Walter de la Mer

You can purchase Betsy’s book, Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature, co-written with Julie Danielson and Peter D. Sieruta, through our Book Shop. The podcast gets a small percentage of the sales; and, you support local bookstores. Win win.

Other books mentioned in this episode include: The Birchbark House, Was The Cat in the Hat Black?, A Celebration of Beatrix Potter, and The Day the Babies Crawled Away.

If you want to learn more about my reference to The Mandela Effect—and how we actually might live in an alternate timeline, read this from HowStuffWorks.com.

To buy books we mention on the podcast, visit our Book Shop! Purchasing books through our affiliate link supports independent bookstores and our podcast.

If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration, on Substack. Among other benefits, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello.