Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

“The idea of sustainability, respect and nurturing of the land, is not a foreign concept to me, especially because in Hawaii there are lots of traditional morals linking to the earth. …

‘Malama ka aina’ means to respect the land, and they are strong words that resonate in the islands. ‘Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Āina i ka Pono’ is the state motto of Hawaii, and I think shines closer to the book: ‘The life of the land is perpetuated by righteousness.’”

* * *

Over at Kirkus today, I talk to author-illustrator Emily Hughes, pictured here, about her newest picture book, The Little Gardener (Flying Eye Books, August 2015), as well as last year’s Wild.

That link is here.

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

Until tomorrow …

* * * * * * *

Photo of Emily used by her permission.

Back cover illustration

 
I’ve got a review over at BookPage of Liz Rosenberg’s What James Said (Neal Porter/Roaring Brook, June 2015), illustrated by Matt Myers. That review is here.

Today I follow up with a bit of art from the book, as well as one of Matt’s early sketches. The sketch you’ll see below shows that, originally, Matt had considered merely pen and ink with the only color being watercolor splashes, but plans changed and the book ended up in color. “The book,” he tells me, “became less cartoony and more (I hope) realistic — not in the style of art especially, but in the emotion. A more cartoony book wouldn’t have been as personal.”

Enjoy, and thanks to Matt for sharing.

Read the rest of this entry �

“That evening, Buckley and Mama went for a walk.
Buckley brought along the little boat he had made especially for Papa
with a note attached that said, ‘For Papa. Love, Buckley.'”

 
I read a brand-new picture book this week, which I found really moving. It’s from debut author-illustrator Jessixa Bagley (pictured below), originally from Portland, Oregon, and now living in Seattle. “[M]y love of picture books,” Jessixa writes at her site, “has been the constant goal my entire life and has always been a working focus.”

Boats for Papa (Neal Porter/Roaring Brook, June 2015), which will be on shelves at the end of this month, is about Buckley, an anthropomorphized beaver who lives with his mother in a tiny house by the sea. “They didn’t have much, but they always had each other.” Buckley’s father is gone. One doesn’t really know why—I suppose it’s possible he took off for one reason or another—but it’s also perfectly plausible that he has died. Readers who look closely will see loving family photos, which include Buckley’s father, on the walls of the house.

[Note: Plot spoilers below!]

Read the rest of this entry �

— From Peter Sís’s Ice Cream Summer

 

“Every year we stay at the same place. I call it our cottage.
But it’s not really a cottage. It’s a motel.”
— From Andrew Larsen’s See You Next Year, illustrated by Todd Stewart
(Click to see spread in its entirety)

 

“A long, long drive. It’s been a year of dreaming, waiting. Summer’s here.”
— From Deanna Caswell’s Beach House, illustrated by Amy June Bates
(Click to enlarge spread)

 

— From Gary Clement’s Swimming, Swimming
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
This morning over at Kirkus, I’ve got two new picture books, especially perfect for preschoolers. That link is here.

* * *

Last week, I wrote here about some very summer’y picture books — Andrew Larsen’s See You Next Year, illustrated by Todd Stewart (Owlkids, March 2015); Peter Sís’ Ice Cream Summer (Scholastic, May 2015); Gary Clement’s Swimming, Swimming (Groundwood, May 2015); and Deanna Caswell’s Beach House, illustrated by Amy June Bates (Chronicle, May 2015).

Here’s some art from each book. Enjoy!

Read the rest of this entry �

“With the city suddenly darkened,
Phoebe and Dad sat in the store, listening to the rain. …”

 
Since I chatted last week (here) with author Uma Krishnaswami about her newest picture book, Bright Sky, Starry City (Groundwood, May 2015), I’m following up here today with some spreads from the book, which was illustrated by Aimée Sicuro.

Enjoy the art.

(Note: Some of the text in the spreads featured below varies slightly from the text in the final copy of the book.)

 
Read the rest of this entry �

“Rose caught it up out of the water.”
(Click to enlarge)

 
Good morning, all. I’ve got some artwork today from Caroline Magerl, born in Germany but raised (mostly) in Australia. Just last year, her book Hasel and Rose was published by Penguin-Viking Australia. I’ve got a copy of the book, and it’s beautifully, eloquently told, this story of starting over and friendship found. Magerl’s pen and ink and watercolor illustrations, with their relaxed lines and muted tones, contain ample charms. As I understand it, the book will be reprinted in 2016 by DoubleDay here in the U.S. — under the title Rose and the Wish Thing.

I’ve got some illustrations from Hasel and Rose today, and since I was so taken with her artwork, Caroline even shares some of her other pieces here. I thank her for sharing. You can see more illustrations from the book here. (Some of the artwork was shown at the Chris Beetles Gallery in St James, London, last November. Here’s my favorite moment in the book.)

Enjoy!

Read the rest of this entry �

I am breakin’ the 7-Imp rules this weekend and featuring a newly-graduated illustrator just one week after featuring another debut illustrator. (I normally do this the first Sunday of each month.) But, hey, rules are made for breaking.

My guest, Louis Fratino, graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art just under a month ago, majoring in Painting and concentrating in Illustration. He tells me he likes to draw more than anything, though his studio work is mostly oil on canvas.

Below is more from Louis, including some of his artwork. I thank him for visiting. I hope we see his work in (published) books one day.

Read the rest of this entry �

“Drawing dragons isn’t hard.
Drag a dragon to your yard.”
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
Today over at Kirkus, I’ve got a round-up of some very summer’y picture books, and that link is here.

* * *

Since I wrote here last week about Douglas Florian’s How to Draw a Dragon (Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster, April 2015), I’ve got some spreads from it today.

Enjoy.

[Please note: The type in the spreads pictured here differs from the type in the final version of the book.]

Read the rest of this entry �

“The picture book is such a fabulous form! The great joy of writing picture book text is that I can hold the whole idea in my mind at once, all the way through the process of writing and rewriting. It’s like working with a small jewel.”

Today over at Kirkus, I talk with Uma Krishnaswami about writing picture books, her teaching, and her newest book, Bright Sky, Starry City, illustrated by Aimée Sicuro.

That Q&A is here, and I will have some art from the book next week here at 7-Imp.

* * * * * * *

Photo of Uma is used by her permission.

(Click to enlarge)

 
There is something about the intricate and beautiful pen illustrations of Steve Light that makes my eyes very happy — and would have made kid-me very happy too. He’s visiting today to share a tiny bit of final art from his latest book, Have You Seen My Monster? (Candlewick Press, April 2015), as well as a handful of early sketches from the book. (Pictured above is one of his beginning character designs.) Steve drew the illustrations in ink (using a Mont Blanc 149 with a B nib that “flips” to a fine line), and he colored them using inks as well.

This book is a follow-up to last year’s Have You Seen My Dragon? (see this 2014 7-Imp post), and hidden in this book, as a young girl tries to find her monster friend at the county fair, are color-enhanced shapes of all types. We’re talkin’ parallelograms, nonagons, curvilinear triangles, and more. These aren’t the typical shapes you see in most concept books for children.

And here’s a special treat: Steve shares below some sketches from two forthcoming books, both out next year.

Let’s get right to it, and I thank him for sharing.

Read the rest of this entry �