Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

 
Alain Serge Dzotap, the award-winning author of The Gift (Eerdmans, February 2022), is a Cameroonian children’s book author and poet with a publishing house called Les Bruits de l’encre. Born in Bafoussam, he regularly promotes literacy in Cameroon by visiting schools and conducting workshops. This book, originally published in France and illustrated by French illustrator and graphic designer Delphine Renon, is Dzotap’s first book published in English.

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Back in January, I had the distinct pleasure of chatting via phone with activist, author, and educator Michelle Duster, the author of Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth (Henry Holt, January 2022), illustrated by Laura Freeman. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and wanted to talk to her all day.

Subtitled Educator, Feminist, and Anti-Lynching Civil Rights Leader, this picture book biography profiles the life and work of Michelle’s great-grandmother, none other than educator, journalist, and civil rights advocate Ida B. Wells.

My chat with Michelle is captured over at Tennessee’s Chapter 16 today.

That link is here.

 
Did you all know that author-illustrator Barbara McClintock is working on illustrating a picture book about Randolph Caldecott, written by the very talented Michelle Markel? (Well, you know this if you follow Barbara on Instagram, which — if social media is your jam — I highly recommend.) It’s called Tomfoolery! Randolph Caldecott and the Rambunctious Coming of Age of Children’s Books, and it’s coming in Spring 2023 from Chronicle Books.

I secured permission from Barbara to share a cover sketch here today, as well as a few images of her drawing table. Bonus: One photo features beautiful Pia, who merely tolerates the camera.

Enjoy!

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“ONCE UPON A TIME … on the shortest street with the longest name
in the biggest palace with the HUGEST throne …”
(Click spread to enlarge)

 
Just look at this castle, which can only come from the singular paintbrush of Rowboat Watkins. It is the first spread of Sally Lloyd-Jones’s Tiny Cedric (Anne Schwartz Books, February 2022).

This palace is the home of the “tiniest king,” whose name is Cedric, King ME the First. It’s the biggest possible palace with the “HUGEST throne,” and it sits on “the shortest street with the longest name.” (And since it’s hard to see the name of this road, given the size of that image, it’s: Don’t Even Think of Turning Here Because You Are So Absolutely Not Invited Boulevard.)

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If you’re introverted like me — that is, big gatherings (especially with people you don’t know) bring you a very real anxiety and zap you of all your energy — then you will feel seen by Mike Curato’s newest picture book, Where Is Bina Bear? (Henry Holt, January 2022).

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Before fully giving in to 2022 (if I must), I want to take one more peek back to last year. Here’s a mesmerizing book released last fall by Enchanted Lion — The Wordy Book by Julie Paschkis.

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Look at that beautiful seal above!

The Robin Smith Picture Book Prize was created in honor of my late friend Robin Smith. Her husband, Dean, annually chooses a picture book for this award, a picture book that he thinks Robin would have loved reading aloud to her second-grade students. And he chooses a book that he thinks exemplifies what she looked for in picture books (excellent writing and outstanding illustrations) as the incredible teacher, reviewer, parent and picture book expert she was.

Over at the Horn Book today, Dean announces this year’s winner (!) and shows off this beautiful sticker, created by his daughter, Julie Schneider, and her friend Cristina Gomez. The award is five years old now, but the seal is new!

You can read more here.

 
There are lots of picture books about death and lots about the death of a pet, but please make way for this one — Rodney Was a Tortoise (Tundra, February 2022), written by Nan Forler and illustrated by Yong Ling Kang. Because it is honest in every way and conveys tremendous respect for children.

“Day after day, year after year, Rodney was there, loyal and true.” Rodney is Bernadette’s very old pet tortoise. They play games together (even if Bernadette must regularly take Rodney’s turns); have staring contests; play dress-up together; have snacks together; and share stories. They always have fun together: Bernadette is just sure that she can sometimes catch Rodney smiling. (Mind you, he is never anthropomorphized, though Yong Ling Kang may give him a slight smile or two.) It is clear that Bernadette loves him very much.

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Be sure to check out Martha Parravano’s beautiful post over at the Horn Book about Floyd Cooper and Unspeakable, which won many awards this week, including a Caldecott Honor. (You saw the Caldecott winner and other Honor books, right? Wonderful choices. Here is a complete list of all ALA Youth Media Award winners.)

Martha’s post is here.

More soon …

Want to see a beautiful new intergenerational picture book from Pura Belpré Award winner Ruth Behar and illustrator Devon Holzwarth? Tía Fortuna’s New Home: A Jewish Cuban Journey (Knopf) will be on shelves next week, and it tells the tender story of a girl named Estrella who learns about Sephardic Jewish culture from her aunt. Tía Fortuna — who, as a child, had to flee her home in Havana — must now leave her home near the sea in Miami; bulldozers are on their way to tear down the Seaway and construct a “fancy hotel.”

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