Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

See that yellow tutu on Margo’s head? I don’t know about you all, but I really need that sunny yellow this morning. Yes, it’s quite lovely, you’re saying? Okay, here’s some more. These below are the cheery endpapers. (Click to enlarge and see even more shiny-happy yellow. I love and need these endpapers so much that I just made that JPG splash all over my desktop monitor as my background image.)

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It’s the first Sunday of the month and, therefore, time to welcome a student of illustration or someone otherwise brand-new to the field. Today, I welcome Fabiola Garza Villalobos. Pictured above is her depiction of Joseph with baby Jesus, rendered digitally and via graphite. Fabiola is a recent graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and I’m happy she’s stopped by (with special thanks to Mary Jane Begin). I’ll let Fabiola tell you more about herself:

Fabiola: Hello! My name is Fabiola Garza, and I’m currently head of the Concepts & Props team at 38 Studios, a video game company presently situated in Maynard, better known as Curt Schilling’s company. My general title is Environment Artist, but that doesn’t really detail all the wonderful things I get to do on a day-to-day basis. So, let’s begin at the beginning, before this professional life began.

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Well, I’ve finally finished posting about 2010 titles, for the most part. I might sneak in an interview here or there some time soon with folks who published picture books in 2010, but it’s time to look at what’s being released this year. And I’m happy to show some spreads this morning from a brand-new 2011 title that I find so winning on every possible level, not to mention a book that made me and my wee girls laugh so hard we nearly split our collective pants. Okay, that simply doesn’t sound right, but I’m typing this post late-ish on Friday night, so forgive the nonsense that stems from my fatigue. “Collective pants” is kinda funny to think about, though. Admit it.

I Must Have Bobo!, written by Eileen Rosenthal (her picture book debut) and illustrated by Marc Rosenthal (Atheneum, January 2011), is the story of a straight up showdown between one young boy, Willy, and the family cat, the dilemma being that the object of their affection is one beloved sock monkey, named Bobo. Bobo, however, can only be with one creature at a time. Uh-oh. (If I could play the main theme song from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly right now, I would.)

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I’m happy to shine the spotlight today on Shen’s Books, a publisher of, as their site states, “multicultural children’s literature that emphasizes cultural diversity and tolerance, with a focus on introducing children to the cultures of Asia.” Last April, they released Susan Lendroth’s Maneki Neko: The Tale of the Beckoning Cat, illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi. It just so happens that I got a review copy of the book last year right after having stumbled and stuttered over my own words after my daughters had seen a Maneki Neko (or Welcoming Cat or Lucky Cat) in a little shop and asked me about them. I knew nothing about the story behind them, but then Susan’s book showed up to save the day.

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Yup, I’m still showing you some picture books from 2010.

Now, back in 2008, I didn’t cover here at 7-Imp There’s a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales (Roaring Brook Press), written by Zoë B. Alley and illustrated by R.W. Alley. (I’ll throw in the cover below.) But I liked it an awful lot, this book that was also met with many starred reviews. (And I remember that Jama Rattigan covered it here in November of that year.) R.W. illustrated that title in a comic panel format. He and his wife Zoë returned to that format in last year’s There’s a Princess at the Palace: Five Classic Tales (published in September 2010, also by Roaring Brook), which I’m featuring today. And I like this companion book, too, which was also met last year with some excellent reviews. (“Smartly hysterical,” wrote Kirkus.) This book, like its predecessor, is over-sized (in both physical dimensions and in its sarcastic wit) and lots of clever fun. Read the rest of this entry �

In honor of tomorrow morning’s big award announcements from the American Library Association—I am inordinately excited to hear who the Caldecott winner and Honor winners will be—I am featuring the illustrator who is very familiar with the Caldecott, to put it mildly, and who, some argue, has a chance at winning it yet again this year, author/illustrator David Wiesner. (David has been awarded three Caldecott Medals and two Caldecott Honors.)

David had planned last year to come over to 7-Imp for an interview—and might still make it for a visit when his schedule slows down—but I decided to go ahead today and show some art from this 2010 title anyway, though I had been holding out for that Wiesner-visit. I had my best coffee mugs out, y’all. But, really, he’s welcome any time, so let us carry on…

The title I’m speaking of is … well, see here to the left? That’s Max, holding the very line an illustrator uses to tell us a story. Art & Max, released by Clarion in October, is a marvel. One of my favorite bloggers, Travis Jonker at 100 Scope Notes, described it as “one of the more uniquely beautiful books of the year” and a “wonderful pick for introducing artistic media, styles, technique, and freedom in a classroom setting.” (Or, in the words of The Horn Book, it’s a “visual meditation on the effects of illustrative style.”) This is true on all accounts, particularly the latter, as what Wiesner does in this title is … well, again, as Travis put it, he deconstructs the the idea of illustration itself. Read the rest of this entry �

Is it Sunday? The holiday-days are still running together for me, but at least I think I have the right day. I take my chances. If it’s really, say, Monday and I’m posting this, just lie to me and list your kicks anyway. Deal? Deal.

The girl greeting us here comes from British illustrator Krina Patel, a graphic design graduate of the London College of Communication. It’s the first Sunday of the month, when I feature students or those new to children’s books, and Krina has recently completed her first children’s book (yet to be published) and is here to tell us a bit about it.

But, first. Look up there at that number, dear readers. Two hundred weeks of kickin’. Two hundred weeks of taking some time here at 7-Imp to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. I love the timing, that it’s this milestone of sorts on the first Sunday of a new year. The first Sunday of a new decade, in fact. Very neat.

On that note, I must present you with this illustration from author/illustrator Adam Gudeon, who you may remember visited me in April. As I said then, he is brand-spankin’-new to children’s literature, his first book scheduled for release this Fall from HarperCollins. I like this illustration a whole heapin’ lot, because I hope that 2011 greets you with music, as it is greeting squirrel here, thanks to his guitar-strumming crooner of a friend, fox. (Or, okay, I’m assuming he’s a crooner, but his mouth’s not moving, so maybe it’s a lovely instrumental piece.)

Big thanks to Adam, and now back to Krina . . . Read the rest of this entry �

I almost forgot about this post, you guys, since these holiday days are running together. But here I am. Notice the number up above. ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE. I am not even making that up. Next week, the first Sunday of 2011, we’ll all be kickin’ it 200-style. Two hundred weeks of taking some time here at 7-Imp to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. Whew. Pretty neat timing, huh?

I’m going to forego seven separate kicks this week (by all means, leave your seven kicks, though) and simply say hi and, once again, happy holidays. I’ve been short-and-sweet posting some holiday illustrations this week, one for each day, thanks to some nice illustrators, so if you missed ’em, go have a look. Today’s illustrations are from the one and only Julie Paschkis, who has graced this blog many a’times, seeing as how I’m a huge fan. Read the rest of this entry �

Things are coming up Very Rock-And-Roll at 7-Imp this morning. I knew I wanted to feature some art from Gary Golio’s vibrant new picture book biography of the young Jimi Hendrix, Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow (Clarion Books, October 2010), illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. And then at the last moment, I remembered the late Melissa Duke Mooney’s The ABCs of Rock, published by Tricycle Press in October — and with illustrations from Print Mafia. Lucky for me, I was able to get spreads from each to share with readers this morning. So. Are you ready to rock?

Am I a colossal nerd for just typing “are you ready to rock?” Yes. I am.

How about: Are you ready to go to eleven, which is one louder? There we go. Spinal Tap references, speaking of hard-core rock-and-roll, make everything better.

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Jules: It seems like just a moment ago I was talking about the first Sunday in January, and here we are facing the first one of December. Crazy talk, I tell ya. And, as my dear readers know, the first Sunday of the month means I shine the spotlight on a student or new-to-children’s-books illustrator. Today, I welcome Amanda Laurel Atkins, who shakes things up with some portraiture this morning. (I don’t think I’ve featured a portrait artist since the talented Jody Hewgill in 2008, but don’t quote me on that.)

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