Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Here’s the schedule for this, the last day of the Winter Blog Blast Tour. I’m late gettin’ to it, but better late than never:

• Pam Bachorz at MotherReader
• Alan DeNiro at Shaken & Stirred
• Joan Holub at Bildungsroman
• Sheba Karim at Finding Wonderland
• R. L. LaFevers at HipWriterMama
• Lisa Schroeder at Writing and Ruminating

Freelance illustrator Jim Di Bartolo is one happy man. First, if we’re keeping our priorities straight, there’s his brand-new daughter, Clementine Pie, who—as you can see below—is so STINKIN’ adorable that he’s considering having her for breakfast. He’s also getting RIGHT TO his daughter’s introduction to Neil Gaiman’s world, as you can see left. He’s not gonna waste any time, no sirree. Smart.

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• Annie Barrows at Great Kid Books
• Sarwat Chadda at Finding Wonderland
• Beth Kephart at Shelf Elf
• Sy Montgomery (part one of the interview) at Chasing Ray
• Jacqui Robbins at Bildungsroman
• Cynthia Leitich Smith at HipWriterMama

See you tomorrow with my own actual interview…

Here is today’s WBBT (Winter Blog Blast Tour) schedule:

* * Patrick Carman at Miss Erin.

* * Ann Marie Fleming at Chasing Ray.

Jacqueline Kelly at HipWriterMama. (How much do I want to read The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate? A lot. Still waiting on my library copy.)

Video interview (pictured here), which possesses an awesomeness that extends in about seven different directions (and which may have something to do with this post’s title), with the very funny and clever Dan Santat at A Fuse #8 Production. Or perhaps two versions of Dan. Good music is involved, too.

* * Laurie Faria Stolarz visits the most thoughtful person in all of cyberspace, Little Willow, at Bildungsroman.

* * Nova Ren Suma at Shelf Elf.

Reminders: The master schedule for the week is here. I’ll be here on Thursday with the über-talented illustrator and writer Jim Di Bartolo.

Happy Monday to one and all…I say that with my best attempt to get rid of a morning scowl, as I’m still on only the first cup of coffee and, despite the blog’s title, it takes me a while to wake up.

I feature a lot of book-creators here at the blog, and it just so happens that I’m doing some writing of my own right now. One thing that’s interesting to me is that, when I think back to all the times I’ve read and heard authors talk about their work, I don’t have a lot of memories of them talking about one pesky little thing: Eye strain. From staring at the computer so long, that is. They tend to talk about craft, but HOLY WOW and sweet sugar monkeys (as Eisha would say), my. very. eyeballs. hurt. from a weekend of writing and editing and monitor-staring. Who knew? So, this week, I’m going to generally take it easy.

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How’d I do? I don’t speak Spanish, but that’s my seven-questions-over-breakfast welcome to author/illustrator Yuyi Morales, who is here this morning for a chat.

I’ve never been in the same room with Yuyi, but I have a feeling that, if I were, I’d be bowled over by her passion for what she does. This is what comes across in her work. Yuyi, who has been awarded the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award three times (2004, 2008, and 2009) and an Illustration Honor in 2004, has created one of contemporary children’s literature’s most unforgettable characters, Señor Calavera, the traditional Mexican skeleton character from the Day of the Dead celebrations and the star of her original trickster tales, Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book (Chronicle Books, 2003) and last year’s Just In Case: a Trickster Tale and Alphabet (Roaring Brook Press). The latter was the 2009 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner, as well as an Author Honor Book, and featured motifs from Mexican culture for each letter of the Spanish alphabet. (Incidentally, to hear her talk about why she chose to bring that particular character to, well… life, you can watch and listen at the interview she gave to At Your Library at the bottom of this post.) The Belpré committee praised Yuyi’s “vibrant, shimmering jewel-tone colors.” That would pretty accurately describe all of Yuyi’s books so far. (Did you see Little Night in ’07? Gorgeous.) I mean to tell you that her art wakes me right up.

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Why is my Q & A with Bobbi Katz—accomplished poet, writer, activist, and workshop-conductor extraordinnaire (that is, writing workshops for children, teachers, and librarians)—so impossibly quick this morning? Well, I talked a bit about—and featured some illustrations from—her newest title, the ever-so creepy yet also strangely beautiful The Monsterologist: A Memoir in Rhyme, released by Sterling in September, in my recent breakfast interview with Adam McCauley, the book’s illustrator. I had been presented the opportunity to ask Bobbi some questions as well, which I was all about, and I figured I’d work her interview responses into Adam’s interview, making it a sort of joint interview over coffee. Well, then I decided to separate their interviews. Adam had sent so much beautiful art that I didn’t want Bobbi’s answers to get drowned out by all the images. So, yeah. Her interview now comes across as rather brief, and consarnit it all, we don’t get to find out such things as her favorite sound or noise with that wacky Pivot Questionnaire. But maybe she can stop by again another day. I’m happy she’s here, if only briefly, this morning. And I thank her for stopping by. (Don’t miss Tricia’s late-October interview with Bobbi at The Miss Rumphius Effect.)

You still haven’t seen this book yet? Okay, here’s my last attempt to get you to see one of the most beautifully-designed children’s titles of 2009. (I’ll be sure to re-post in this interview some of the spreads from the book that also appeared in Adam’s interview.) It’s also one of the Most Fun of ’09.

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This is undeniably backwards, but I’m here to talk a little bit today about a book I have yet to read. It’s called Only a Witch Can Fly (published by Feiwel & Friends in August), and it’s by the prolific and talented Alison McGhee. The illustrations were done by Taeeun Yoo, who has illustrated enough picture books to count on one hand, but whose work I very much like. Every time she illustrates a new title, I’m all over it. (I featured two spreads from Yoo’s The Little Red Fish way back in ’07, when 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks was but a wee babe. As I said then, that book is utterly captivating. And it has a CLOTH COVER, which for some reason makes me squealy.)

I’m eagerly awaiting my library copy of Only a Witch…. Crafted by McGhee as a sestina, it’s been met with rave reviews all around: “This sophisticated picture book is rich with imagination… More personal, quiet, and transcendent than most Halloween books…” from Booklist and “{t}he effortless quiet of McGhee’s words is beautifully matched by Yoo’s pictures — linoleum block prints done in rapturously moody greens and browns” from The New York Times, just to name two. (Plus, when Adrienne tells me a picture book is good, I know I’m gonna like it. And she very much likes this one.)

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Dude. I have to say I’ve wanted to interview award-winning author/illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi for yeeeeears now. I like his books; I really like his art; and I like it pretty much whenever he speaks. (Really, have you explored yet the videos at his web site? Big fun.) So, I’m happy he’s made it by this morning for breakfast. He and his wife, Angela—who are pictured above (and whose glasses I covet somethin’ fierce)—have recently collaborated on a new series of titles for the wee’est of children, called Adventure of Meno. These books, which make me laugh (and whose series was launched this month by Simon & Schuster), are about none other than an elf. A toddler elf. A toddler SPACE elf. Whose best friend is a jellyfish. And who says things like “sunshine snack” for breakfast and “moo juice” for milk. (There’s even a “happy fun bowl” in Book Two, which brings to mind probably my VERY FAVORITE Saturday Night Live commercial parody EVER, but I seriously digress.)

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1). I think Adam is one of the most exciting contemporary illustrators at work, quite frankly, and I enjoy following his career. His answer to a question posed to him (in this October interview) about what inspires him pretty much sums up his appeal for me:

Making light of the darker things, allowing the strange and ridiculous in the front door whenever possible. Avoiding trends, like antlers and ironic bunny rabbits. Making it personal.

2). The illustrations for Vivian Walsh’s new picture book, June and August (Abrams, September 2009):

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