Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Here’s a really quick post (because work calls) to show some artwork from Paula Bossio, who has also worked as a graphic designer and art director and who currently lives in Spain. In fact, this wordless title was originally published in Spain in 2011 as El lápiz.

This book is called The Line, and this English edition was released by Kids Can Press in September. It’s the tale of a young girl who finds—you guessed it—a line, and she immediately picks it up to play with it. I don’t want to give a lot of the story away (especially the ending, which is probably a love-it or hate-it kind of closing for many readers), but the line becomes many things to her, as you can see in the illustrations below. Is it her imagination at work or something else?

Bossio’s pencil lines are very loose (well, those lines that aren’t the line itself, that is, which is of course super loose), and things get dramatic in this tale. The girl goes from glee to fear to tears in the span of several spreads. It’s a simple tale, stripped down to its basics in these uncluttered spreads, with Bossio showing that a lot can be done with a little.

Told you this would be brief. Back to work.

Enjoy the illustrations. Read the rest of this entry �

Santa gets around any way he can, y’all.

And author-illustrator Brian Biggs proves this point in the newest entry in his Everything Goes series, called Everything Goes: Santa Goes Everywhere!, published by Balzer & Bray this September. This is actually a board book, and it’s good stuff. In fact, I did story time yesterday morning at Parnassus Books here in Nashville, and I brought this one along. The children there loved the book. There were many laughs, in particular, to see Santa on a speedboat. (And how much do I love the book’s cover? A whole heapin’ lot. Opening this post is the cover art.)

(By the way, that’s Brian pictured above and right. He painted himself into his new book about what goes on the sea, but more on that book below.)

I’ve posted before here at 7-Imp about this wonderful series (see this 2012 post in which I chat with Brian), which is perfect for the vehicle- and transportation-obsessed child in your life (or even growns-ups). I think it’d be unfortunate, though, to write about these books in such a way to imply they should be limited to only those who like moving vehicles of any sort. They’re such well-crafted books on many other levels, and they’re full of rewarding details. You will often hear Biggs compared to Richard Scarry when folks write about these books, and there’s a reason: They are spreads to pore over and take one’s time with, spreads full of many stories and running jokes and visual treats. Oh, and they’re educational too. Clearly. But, most importantly, they’re very fun. Read the rest of this entry �

Today over at Kirkus, I write about a new picture book from Uri Shulevitz. It’s called Dusk.

That is here this morning.

Last week, I wrote here about Isobel Harris’ Little Boy Brown (pictured left), illustrated by French graphic designer and illustrator André François and originally published in 1949.

I’m following up today with some art from the book, released by Enchanted Lion Books last month, which is below.

Enjoy!

Read the rest of this entry �

Last week at Kirkus, I chatted with publishing director Cecily Kaiser, who works with Appleseed, a fairly new imprint of Abrams Books for Young Readers. We chatted about board books and what makes a good one. All of that chit-chattin’ is here, and today I’m following up with art from some of the books she mentioned, including the re-boot (coming in 2014) of Chris Raschka’s Thingy Thing series, pictured above.

Enjoy the art.

Read the rest of this entry �

It’s the first Sunday of the month, when I typically feature student illustrators or those brand-new to illustration, but I’m breaking the rules today.

And that’s ’cause, earlier this week, I was chatting with author-illustrator Carin Berger about how she turned in the art for her upcoming book, Finding Spring (Greenwillow Books), which is about a bear who doesn’t want to hibernate and, instead, goes in search of Spring. The art is what Carin describes as “somewhat 3D”—like her most recent illustrated children’s book, Jack Prelutsky’s Stardines Swim High Across the Sky: And Other Poems (Greenwillow Books, February 2013)—but “more like tiny toy theaters or Victorian raree shows.”

I haven’t seen an early copy of this book, which won’t be on shelves for a while, but I always enjoy reading about Carin and how she creates her artwork. In fact, Carin and I did this back in January of last year, way before Stardines came out. She visited back then to share images of her dioramas, her three-dimensional art from that book. Hmm. Maybe I can just make it a 7-Imp tradition to check in with Carin at the first (or nearly first) of every year. I’m a fan of her artwork. That’d make me happy anyway.

So, without further ado, here’s Carin, and I thank her for sharing. Read the rest of this entry �

Because Kirkus deadlines don’t stop for Thanksgiving, I decided to write about a book I thought might be a fitting Thanksgiving read. And that would be Isobel Harris’ Little Boy Brown, illustrated by French graphic designer and illustrator André François and originally published in 1949. My thoughts on that book are here, and next week I’ll follow up with some art from it (though one illustration, which is also the cover illustration, is pictured right).

Today, I’m giving some attention to board books, since those poor guys don’t really get enough attention (at least compared to picture books and novels). I’m chatting with the publishing director of Abram’s Appleseed Books, Cecily Kaiser, about board books and what makes a good one. That link is here.

Lastly, this week for Picture Book Month (which is coming to a close), I chat with podcaster Katie Davis about picture books. I might just ramble a bit about Uri Shulevitz, Maurice Sendak, Barbara Bader, Katherine Paterson, Harry Allard’s and James Marshall’s Grandfather Stupid, picture books as “acts of mischief” (as Patricia Lee Gauch describes it), favorite picture books of 2013, and more.

That is here.

Thanks to Katie Davis for dealing with my low-tech old-skool phone skillz.

LITTLE BOY BROWN. First American edition published in 2013 by Enchanted Lion Books. Copyright © 2013 by Enchanted Lion Books for this reprint edition. Illustration reproduced by permission of the publisher.

This is how most of her fans, including me, respond when they hear she has a new book out. My Kirkus column today is about that and is here.

Last week (here), I wrote about Rachel Isadora’s newest picture book, Old Mikamba Had a Farm (Nancy Paulsen Books, October 2013). I’m following up with some illustrations from the book today, including the one pictured above.

Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry �

It’s a quick art stop today with two spreads here from Inga Moore’s Captain Cat, released last month from Candlewick.

I reviewed this one over at BookPage. That link is here.

Today, I just wanted to share a bit of art as a follow-up to the review. I enjoy Moore’s picture books.

Until Thursday …

CAPTAIN CAT. Copyright © 2013 by Inga Moore. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA on behalf of Walker Books, London.

Hi, all. I’m doing one of those BookPage numbers today. What I mean is: I reviewed a new picture book over at BookPage, and I could just leave it at that. But you all know I get kind of twitchy when I don’t share art from the books about which I write, so I always follow up those BookPage reviews (and my weekly Kirkus columns) with art and (if I’m lucky) sketches from the books — over here at 7-Imp, that is. It’s just an extra, Art-Fan step for me—no one asks me to do it, but I just can’t help it—so humor me.

The book I reviewed is Emily Winfield Martin’s Dream Animals, published by Random House in October. So, to read all about it, head over here to BookPage’s wonderful site.

And then come back here, if you’re so inclined, to take in the sketches Emily’s sharing, as well as some final art from the book.

Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry �

This morning over at Kirkus, I have some thoughts on Rachel Isadora’s newest picture book, Old Mikamba Had a Farm.

Next week, as always, I will have some art from it here at 7-Imp.

That Kirkus link is here.

Last week, I wrote about the latest picture book from Canadian author/illustrator Anne Villeneuve, Loula is Leaving for Africa (Kids Can Press, September 2013).

That link is here.

Here today at 7-Imp (above) is a bit of art from it.

Until Sunday …

LOULA IS LEAVING FOR AFRICA. Copyright © 2013 by Anne Villeneuve. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Kids Can Press, Toronto.