We’re a bit booktrailer top heavy this week, but after you see some of the beauties I’ve got lined up I don’t think you’ll mind.  Heck, if nothing else this first one will convince you:

Why there is not a national alert to tell us when Dan Santat has created a new book trailer, I’ll never know.

I admire bare bones book trailers.  The kinds that were clearly shot in your backyard by yourself, your five-year-old, and a much maligned Barbie.  As long as its creative and smart, I’m on board.  On the flipside, I admire book trailers where it’s clearly that a TON of work went into the doggone things.  Case in point, Dinosaur Kisses by David Ezra Stein.  Never mind the claymation.  Never mind the lighting.  Let’s just pause for a moment and think about how they had to commission a song and find a singer and then record THAT even before they made the trailer.  Madness!  Dinosaur madness.

In the trailer for Dan Yaccarino’s Doug Unplugged there is almost much to be said for background music.  Background music you wouldn’t necessarily find in Garage Band, I should say.  I think I have all those tunes memorized by now.

You know, we could learn a thing or two from the British.  When their authors and illustrators win awards they do a series of videos about each person for one and all to see.  That is awesome!  Why don’t we do that with Caldecott and Newbery?  C’mon, ALSC!  Travis Jonker was my source for this particular tidbit of news and then he went and proceeded to post FOURTEEN videos of Emily Gravett talking about her book process on the fantastic picture book (now available in the States) Again!  I could steal one of those vids and put it here but Travis put so much bloody work into this that I am directing you there.  Go!  Shoo!  Leave me!  It’s worth it.

I will, however, steal this link because it is awesome incarnate.  All I need to say is this: A Bill Watterson Documentary.

More info on the film here. Thanks, Travis!

The off-topic video this week was freakishly easy to find. This one’s for the LOST fans. It’s Josh Holloway. On Yo Gabba Gabba. Note: You cannot unsee what you see here: