Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

“It was late at night. A noise had woken Anyaugo. …”
— From Nnedi Okorafor’s Chicken in the Kitchen, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini
(Click to enlarge spread)

 

“”The only thing they didn’t lose was each other.”
— From Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl’s Sleep Well, Siba & Siba,
illustrated by Sandra van Doorn
(Click to enlarge spread)

 

— From Xu Bing’s Look! What Do You See?:
An Art Puzzle Book of American & Chinese Songs,
illustrated by Becca Stadtlander
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“When he went fishing with his middle-sized fishing rod, he managed to catch the most middle-sized fish in the lake, which he put into his middle-sized basket.”
— From Susanna Isern’s Middle Bear, illustrated by Manon Gauthier
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
Last week, I wrote here at Kirkus about new picture books with an international flair, including Nnedi Okorafor’s Chicken in the Kitchen (Lantana, September 2017), illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini; Xu Bing’s Look! What Do You See?: An Art Puzzle Book of American & Chinese Songs (Viking, November 2017), illustrated by Becca Stadtlander; Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl’s Sleep Well, Siba & Saba (Lantana, October 2017), illustrated by Sandra van Doorn; and Susanna Isern’s Middle Bear (Kids Can Press, October 2017), illustrated by Manon Gauthier.

I’m following up today with some art from each book.

Enjoy!

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“CHARGE!”
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I’ve got a BookPage review of Mac Barnett’s The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse (Candlewick, October 2017), illustrated by Jon Klassen. It’s so good. That is here.

Here today at 7-Imp are a few spreads.

Enjoy!

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“Between two windows, there could be a phone,
used for good ideas.”
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You all are going to think I’m lazy today, but hear me out.

I’m showing you two spreads from one of my favorite picture books this year, Julia Denos’s Windows (Candlewick, October 2017), illustrated by E. B. Goodale. (This, in fact, is Goodale’s debut.) Oh, how I love it. However, I’m not going to tell you right now why I like it, because that is to-come.

As mentioned previously, I’ve joined the team over at the Horn Book’s Calling Caldecott this year. We are in the swing of things and writing about all kinds of wonderful picture books — and have been for several weeks now. I not only know that we’re going to cover Windows, but I may be the one writing about it. So, I’ll wait for that — but did want to mark the book’s publication this coming week and give you a peek inside.

For now, if you want to read more, I’ll send you to the Kirkus review, which is here.

And more on this book from me later, whether it’s in a couple of months or early 2018. (We will still be blogging at Calling Caldecott in January.)

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Today over at Kirkus, I’ve got some picture books that are from all over the map. One is pictured above.

That is here.

Next week here at 7-Imp, I’ll follow up with some art from each book.

First image: An early sketch;
Second image: A final spread (“I didn’t look up. I didn’t look down.
I just kept climbing. One step at a time …”)
Click second image to enlarge

 
I’ve got a review over at BookPage of Dan Santat’s After the Fall (Roaring Brook Press, October 2017). That is here.

Here at 7-Imp, Dan shares some preliminary, behind-the-scenes images (when the book, as you can see, was in third-person). After that are a few more final spreads from the book.

Enjoy!

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“I figure out how to make clothes that are better for life on an island.”
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I’ve got a review over at BookPage this month of what is one of my favorite 2017 picture books, if not my very favorite — Peter Sís’s Robinson (Scholastic, September 2017). JUST LOOK AT THOSE COLORS ABOVE!

You can read about it here at their site, and today at 7-Imp I’ve got a bit of art from the book.

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— From Julie Falatko’s Snappsy the Alligator and His Best Friend Forever (Probably),
illustrated by Tim Miller

 

“Dring-dring, dring-dring!
Chirri and Chirra have wonderful dreams that night.”
— From Kaya Doi’s Chirri & Chirra: The Snowy Day
(Click to enlarge image)

 

— From Laurel Snyder’s Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy,
illustrated by Emily Hughes

 


— From Bethan Woollvin’s Rapunzel

 

“When it gets dark, Kuma-Kuma Chan listens to the … stars.”
— From Kazue Takahashi’s Kuma-Kuma Chan’s Travels
(Click to see spread in its entirety)

 
Over at Kirkus today, I’ve got activism on the mind.

That is here.

* * *

Last week, I wrote here about the return this Fall of some beloved picture book characters. I’m following up today with some art from those books, which include Kazue Takahashi’s Kuma-Kuma Chan’s Travels (Museyon, October 2017); Laurel Snyder’s Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy (Chronicle, October 2017), illustrated by Emily Hughes; Bethan Woollvin’s Rapunzel (Peachtree, October 2017); Julie Falatko’s Snappsy the Alligator and His Best Friend Forever (Probably) (Viking, October 2017), illustrated by Tim Miller; and Kaya Doi’s Chirri & Chirra: The Snowy Day (Enchanted Lion, October 2017).

Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry �

 

Over at the Horn Book’s Calling Caldecott today, I write about Jerry Pinkney’s The Three Billy Goats Gruff. And I declare my love for that creepy troll.

That is here.

Until tomorrow …

“… Mama Africa helps the refugees — young men and women, even children.
She gives them food, clothes, and song. When her song becomes too loud for some,
they say she is not a singer but a politician. ‘I am no politician,’ she says.
‘I just see what I think is wrong and what is right.'”
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
At Kirkus last week, I chatted here with artist Charly Palmer about his illustrations for Kathryn Erskine’s Mama Africa!: How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with Her Song (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, October 2017).

Today, I’m following up with some spreads from the book.

Enjoy!

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“I love going to the park and looking at flowers with you.”
(Click to enlarge)

 
The first Sunday of every month (Happy October!) at 7-Imp is for student or debut illustrators, and I’ve got the latter today. Days with Dad, written and illustrated by Nari Hong, will be on shelves in mid-October (Enchanted Lion Books), and this is Hong’s first picture book. It is also, as noted in Hong’s bio on the book’s jacket flap, an autobiographical book.

The book relates some of Hong’s own childhood experiences with her father. Told from her point of view, the book opens with an introduction to her father. “Dad can’t walk,” she tells us. “He hasn’t been able to since he was a baby.” Here, we see a well-dressed man (I love how the endpapers consist of the lapels on the jacket her father wears) in a wheelchair.

The little girl explains how her father often apologizes for his inability to walk. He’s sorry he can’t ride bikes with her — or skate, swim, play soccer, etc. But for each apology he makes, she takes the opportunity to point out what she loves about being with him. They can’t ride bikes, but she loves to look at flowers in the park with him. They can’t ice-skate, but “ice-fishing together is much more fun!” she says. “So what?” is essentially her half-glass-full response to her father. It’s not even as if she has to work at seeing the rosier side of things. It’s as if his inability to walk or run does not at all factor into her enjoyment with him. Who needs puddle-splashing on a cool, rainy day? If your father can stay inside with you and have “rainy day cocoa,” well … that’s even better. Read the rest of this entry �