• Asked and Answered

Asked and Answered | March 28, 2017

In this month’s Asked and Answered column, the ECC Board asked authors/illustrators what their favorite book to TV or movie adaption was. 

“Overall, The Graduate; not a lot of people realize that the movie was based on the Charles Webb book, which is itself a masterpiece of deadpan humor. I think the movie perfectly captures the novel’s sense of understated satire and the desperation lurking beneath the children of privilege in the 60’s.

As for children’s books, The Jungle Book (Disney’s 1967 adaptation). Simply put, it’s the perfect animated movie, with joy in every frame, a “Hall of Fame” song list and a cast of characters (and voice actors) that keep topping each other. Plus, that groovy 60’s vibe, and the vultures that talk like The Beatles? Come ON!” — Tommy Greenwald, author of the Crimebiters series (Book #3, Dog Day Afterschool coming October 2016)

“My favorite book to movie adaption is Sense & Sensibility. Emma Thompson’s screenplay is pure genius, Ang Lee’s visuals are divine, and nothing sets my heart aflutter like Alan Rickman (RIP) on horseback.” – Mallory Kass, author of The 100 series (under Kass Morgan)

“I’m most looking forward to the movie adaptation of The Circle by Dave Eggers coming out this year.” — Anna Membrino, author of I Want to be a Ballerina. 

“I love the Disney retellings of fairytales, especially The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, but in terms of novel-to-film adaptations, I have to go with the movie version of The Princess Bride by William Goldman. The movie runs with the book’s idea of a frame narrative (the story within a story) and at its heart it’s very much a movie about why fairy tales and fantasy will always be important and relevant for us, just like the book. Plus, the script keeps Goldman’s tongue-in-cheek, satirical humor intact, and presents the tale as both ridiculous and heart-warming at the same time–a pretty inconceivable task to accomplish!” – Meagan Spooner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Skylark trilogy (and author of the brand-new Beauty and the Beast retelling, Hunted!)

“My favorite movie adaptation of a children’s book remains the 1966 animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.  It was co-directed by Chuck Jones, one of my favorite animators of all time (Coyote and Roadrunner, Bugs Bunny, etc.) It’s narrated by Boris Karloff and I can still sing every word of You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, performed so perfectly by Thurl Ravenscroft of Tony the Tiger fame. The consummate voice actor, June Foray, plays Cindy Lou Who; it’s a cartoon nerd’s perfect film.  The Grinch’s heart swelling in the third act is a wonderful Christmas miracle that still gets me every time.  Of course, it’s hard to go wrong when you start with Dr. Seuss.”  — Janet Tashjian, author of the My Life As A series, Sticker Girl, and Einstein the Class Hamster.