Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Today over at Kirkus, I chat with Herman Parish. Herman is the nephew of Peggy Parish, the creator of the character Amelia Bedelia. Greenwillow/HarperCollins recently reissued Amelia’s first-ever tale, Amelia Bedelia, pictured below, published in 1963 and illustrated by Fritz Siebel. This 50th anniversary edition is filled with back matter about Parish and Siebel and the book’s creation, even including images of the book in its dummy stage. (I’ll have more on that next week here at 7-Imp).

The Q&A is here today. Enjoy.

Birches
(Click to enlarge)

I’ve featured a lot of student or brand-new illustrators lately and have yet another today. It’s the first Sunday of February, and the first Sundays of each month are devoted to the new folks, so I keep my promise today.

And I’m happy to welcome Colin Sutherland, whom I’d be pleased to tell you all about, but I’m going to hand 7-Imp over to him so that he can tell you about himself. He’s also sharing some art, of course, and my personal favorite is pictured above.

[Note: Colin and I would both like to point out that Bear Hunt, pictured below in this post, is—in Colin’s words—“a little graphic and upsetting.” Consider yourselves notified, dear Imps.] Read the rest of this entry �

“We line up the jars and jugs / by the road /
for all of South Carolina / to come and see our wares. /
Whoever buys the big one / will never know /
I made that jar.”
— Illustration from Andrea Cheng’s Etched in Clay:
The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet

“His children grew up. Relatives passed away. South Africa began to fall apart.
There were more protests, more rallies, and violence. The people needed a leader.
Nelson snuck a message to the people: ‘I will return.'”
— Spread from Kadir Nelson’s Nelson Mandela
(Click to enlarge spread, sans text)

Yes, lots of folks are visiting today.

First up, today over at Kirkus, I write a bit about two Maurice Sendak reissues. That link is here. (Just yesterday a friend sent me this link, too. Wow.)

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Last week at Kirkus was “Going Beyond Black History Month.” Today, I share art from the books mentioned in that column, but I’ve got two added-extras: Author Charles R. Smith Jr. visits briefly to talk some about Brick by Brick, and I’ve also got some woodcuts from Andrea Cheng’s Etched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet. This is a collection of free verse poems about the life of the potter, which was just released last month by Lee & Low Books. The book is filled with Andrea’s stark, beautiful woodcuts. I’m still reading this one — and enjoying it. Here is Kirkus’ starred review of the book. Read the rest of this entry �

“That’s right—Clara. She calls out from the front of the hall.
The crowd lifts her to the stage, where she shouts in Yiddish:
‘I have no further patience for a talk—I move that we go on a general strike!’
And she starts the largest walkout of women workers in U.S. history.”
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
[Friday note: This post has been edited to add some thoughts from Melissa on each picture book. “When I look at these images and think about these people, their passion, drive and determination,” Melissa told me, “I can’t believe my great good fortune to dive into their lives. I hope kids will feel the same way.”]

Last week over at Kirkus, I had a chat with author/illustrator Melissa Sweet about her latest projects. Those include Michelle Markel’s Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909, just released by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (a spread is pictured very tippy-top), and Jen Bryant’s A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin (also pictured above), released by Knopf in January.

That Q&A is here. You’ll see that I also asked her a bit about Susan Hood’s Spike, the Mixed-up Monster, released last Fall by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, since it was recently named a Highly Commended honor book for the 2013 Charlotte Zolotow Award. (Pictured left is an actual axolotl, which Melissa describes as “preposterously cute.”) And I also mentioned Alicia Potter’s Mrs. Harkness and the Panda, another 2012 title (Knopf), the fascinating picture book biography of socialite explorer Ruth Harkness, who brought back the first live panda to the United States. (Such a beautiful book, even if I gave my copy away to my eight-year-old’s classmate, who loves pandas. How could I not? I never got around in 2012 to blogging about this book, but better late then never. I mean, really. The book’s final spread, which is toward the bottom of this post, the one with a photo of Mrs. Harkness’ back and the panda? That spread was one of my 2012 favorites. I’m so happy it’s here at 7-Imp today.)

All that’s to say that today I have art from each of these books, even one of Melissa’s sketches from Spike. I thank her for sharing, and I hope you all enjoy it. Read the rest of this entry �

Some “early workings of style” from
Paul Schmid’s upcoming Oliver and his Alligator

Author/illustrator Paul Schmid has visited 7-Imp a couple times in the past, but I welcome him back today for seven questions over breakfast. Paul has three forthcoming picture books in 2013 (there could even be more), and—lucky for me—I saw some early copies of each.

Find your favorite toddler or preschooler for sharing Perfectly Percy, to be released this week by HarperCollins. (If the web links I’m seeing are correct, that one is released today, which I didn’t even plan, but I guess my timing is lucky.) This book answers the question of precisely what happens when a porcupine has a deep love of balloons. Oh yes, balloons. The sturm und drang of Percy’s predicament is both funny and sweet, while never saccharine. And his solution? Just right. As with many of his previous books, Paul delivers here with soft pastels, endearing characters, and confident line work in a story that will resonate with very young children.

Following Percy’s tale this year will be Randall de Sève’s Peanut & Fifi Have A Ball, also aimed at the youngest of picture book listeners and to be released this April from Dial. This well-crafted tale nails a particular predicament of siblings, and Paul talks a bit below about his thoughts behind his illustration choices. Read the rest of this entry �

“There was an Old Man with a beard, / Who said, ‘It is just as I feared! /
Two Owls and a Hen, / Four Larks and a Wren, /
Have all built their nests in my beard!'” — (Edward Lear)
(Click to enlarge)

 
Lately I’ve been featuring quite a few student illustrators or illustrators new to the field, haven’t I? I guess it’s because, as I noted the other day, it’s still January, and I still have a lot of new F&Gs and picture books to go through, and until then, I’ll shine the spotlight on the young ‘uns. Plus, I really enjoy seeing their work.

Today, I welcome Israeli artist and illustrator Gabriella Barouch, who works digitally. I emailed her, after seeing the artwork she shares here today, to clarify: “You mean that you start out with pencil on paper, right? And then you muck around with the art, using your computer?” Nope, she said. It’s all digital. Even her sketches. Read the rest of this entry �

(Click to enlarge spread)

Today over at Kirkus, I’ll have a Q&A with author/illustrator Melissa Sweet, in which we’ll discuss two of her brand-new picture book titles, as well as a bit more. That link is here.

As Vicky Smith wrote here at Kirkus this week, Black History Month is just around the bend. Wisely, she added: “[H]ere’s hoping that the industry does not forget or neglect books by and about African-Americans for the next 11 months.” Since teachers and librarians will be looking for new titles for the dedicated month-long celebration (and beyond, we hope), tomorrow at Kirkus I take a look at some new picture books for this annual February observance. That link will be here.

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Last week, I wrote (here) about Jed Henry’s Cheer Up, Mouse! (Houghton Mifflin, January). Today, Jed visits to share art (a spread is pictured above), including a progression of images that shows the birth of the book jacket art. I thank him. Let’s get to it … Read the rest of this entry �

I feel like I’m sort of stuck in the limbo of January. It’s a brand-new year, and I’ve got huge stacks of Spring picture book F&Gs to read (once I get organized), but not yet a lot of new hardback picture book titles. I’m still trying to get a sense of what’s new and what’s coming out. (I’m very excited, I might add, about the upcoming ALA Awards announcements, too. The big Caldecott decision is less than a week away. Have you been following Calling Caldecott? I hope so.)

And all of that is to say that today, instead of looking at a new book or established artist, I’m going to give the spotlight over to an aspiring illustrator, who is joining me for coffee. And maybe her cats are joining us, too. As you can see above, one of them already has dibs on coffee. (The other one is just outta luck.)

Let’s get right to it. Her name is EunHye Seo, and she goes by “Kaila.” She comes to 7-Imp by way of illustrator Kelly Murphy, who was once her instructor and who tells me that Kaila was last year’s SCBWI winter conference student scholarship award-winner. Kaila’s going to tell you about herself and share some art. I thank her for visiting. Read the rest of this entry �

“My cheek is against Daddy’s cheek, close to his breathing. After a while he says: ‘Tomorrow we’ll chop down the big spruce. It will fall to the ground with a crash.
That’ll be fun, won’t it?’ ‘Mmm,’ I say. Daddy likes chopping down big trees.
I know that. ‘What about the red birds?’ I ask. …”
(Click to enlarge spread and see full text)

Today over at Kirkus, I weigh in on Jed Henry’s Cheer Up, Mouse!, released this month by Houghton Mifflin. That column is here today.

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Last week, I wrote here about My Father’s Arms Are a Boat (Enchanted Lion, February), originally published in Norgwegian in 2008 and written by Stein Erik Lunde and illustrated by Øyvind Torseter. Today, I’m following up with some art.

Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry �

Some of Bob Staake’s Bluebird models
(Click to enlarge)

As a follow-up to my Kirkus Q&A last week with author/illustrator Bob Staake, today I’ve got a handful of images — some early and final pieces of art from both Bluebird, coming out this April from Schwartz & Wade Books, and Look! Another Book!, released at the end of 2012 from Little, Brown. Bob is also here to explain how he responds (on some books) to insanely tight schedules. (Note for Staake fans: He’s got a site up that is especially for Bluebird. Here’s the link.)

I’m also including one question and response that I didn’t have room for over at the Kirkus Q&A.

Let’s get right to it. Read the rest of this entry �