Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

I can hardly believe it’s the first Sunday of July, and I know I probably say that at the start of every month, but how is it that we’re already over the half-way mark of 2010? So wild.

Anyway, the first Sunday of the month at 7-Imp means I highlight a student illustrator or someone otherwise new to the field. This morning, I welcome British illustrator Nicola Killen, whose debut picture book was published in the UK in May of this year and will be published this Fall by Egmont USA. It’s called Not Me!…

Read the rest of this entry �

Anyone around this week, or are you all at ALA? I’m so jealous of you ALA-go’ers, though not jealous in a stabby kind of way, which should go without saying, my dear readers: I shall never wield a dagger anywhere near you. ‘Cause I am smitten with you all. I’m jealous in a you-better-be-living-it-up-wish-I-could-be-there kind of way. And, as usual, I digress. Anyway.

So, I hope some folks are around, because I’m happy to feature writer, producer, and artist Peter Hannan this morning. And I generally love catching up with and featuring the cartoon-style author/illustrators new (or new-ish) to the field. See that image above from one of Peter’s forthcoming titles? I hope your breakfast this morning isn’t as messy (or alien-filled), but doesn’t it look fun anyway? Peter has a certain firecracker mania to his work that will WAKE YOU RIGHT UP, if you don’t already have your strong coffee in hand. It is strong, correct? Only way to drink it, my friends. This image below captures Peter’s…well, Peter-ness. It’s a little bit of something from several of Peter’s many projects: Read the rest of this entry �

Yes, I’m purposely putting up this snowy spread as the first image in this post, in case it’s as hot where you are as it is here in Tennessee.

It’s also beautiful, yes? It comes from Marcellus Hall (whom I’ve mentioned previously at 7-Imp, seeing as how he did the wonderful illustrations for Lee Bennett Hopkins’ City I Love). That spread comes from Sherry North’s Because I Am Your Daddy (Abrams, May 2010). Sometimes here at 7-Imp, I’m actually organized and timely, and today would be one of those days: I have some Father’s-Day-related illustrations for you all. Happy Father’s Day to all you papas out there, including my own babies’ daddy (yes, I’m trying to sound all Southern and I’m saying that in my best East Tennessee accent, but I don’t think it’s translating well via cyberspace) and all 7-Imp readers who are daddies themselves. Read the rest of this entry �

{Mid-Morning Editor’s Note: OOPS, you all! I bet you were wondering where the post was. Chalk it up to a WordPress error. But here I am … finally!}

Really, really observant readers may remember that, back in February of this year, I mentioned today’s featured book, Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein (which, as you can see here, was a big ‘ol hit at BEA). I got a very early copy of it forever ago (one of the unbound, rubber-bandy, advanced kinds), and I immediately fell in love with it. I’m so happy it’s finally been released and I can share some art from it today. (Actually, I’m not entirely clear on the release date; it may be August. Don’t hate me for this.) Read the rest of this entry �

Yes, I’m cheating this morning. Usually, on the first Sunday of each month, I feature the work of a student illustrator or an illustrator otherwise new to the field. Well, I am doing that today, featuring the debut illustrated title from Erin E. Stead, A Sick Day for Amos McGee (Roaring Brook, May 2010), written by her husband Philip C. Stead. But I’m totally cheating, because I featured Erin—in a post in which she talked about creating the artwork for this title—back in July of 2009. But, hey! It’s my blog, and I can do what I want, right? I flippin’ adore this book, so I invited Erin and Philip over again (Philip also visited 7-Imp in ’09) to talk a bit more about the book and show some more artwork, etc.

This is one of my very favorite picture books from 2010, as in: Move over, Jeff Newman. You have a bit of competition. (I love love love The Boys, Jeff’s 2010 title.) Read the rest of this entry �

This morning, I’m highlighting a nonfiction title from author/illustrator Don Brown, who visited 7-Imp in ’09. This, his latest title, tells the boyhood story of Thomas Edison, “{c}lever Tom, energetic Tom, brave Tom, hard-working Tom, curious Tom…” A Wizard from the Start: The Incredible Boyhood & Amazing Inventions of Thomas Edison, released by Houghton Mifflin early this month, captures the curious, energetic spirit of the young Edison and ultimately takes us to the grown man, who is to have said, even though he brought the world a total of 1,093 patents, “I never did a day’s work in my life. It was all fun.” Always engaging, the book is filled with fascinating anecdotes about Edison’s life, and Brown’s watercolors, loose lines, and subtle palette (this one is particularly—and beautifully—light-infused) manage to express so much with such simplicity.

Pictured below are the cover, a couple more spreads, and some early sketches and the book’s thumbnail sketches from Don. I thank Don for sharing his art work this morning. Enjoy.

Read the rest of this entry �

Today I welcome a Canadian illustrator’s work to the blog. It’s been a while since I’ve featured these types of illustrations: For Kitten’s Spring (Kids Can Press, February 2010), Eugenie Fernandes created the world of the curious cat of the title using clay, acrylic, and mixed-media collage. I’ve had these illustrations for a while, too, and it’s high time I featured them — before Spring sneaks away and Summer arrives in all her unrelenting glory.

Read the rest of this entry �

I apologize in advance to my readers this morning that I’ll be talking about a book you can’t get here in the States (yet?), but I’m making it up to you by featuring the work of Australian author/illustrator Gus Gordon, who wrote and illustrated said book. You know I love to shine the spotlight on international illustrators when I can. (Ooo! Ooo! If I had more blog-time in life, I’d make it a regular feature here at the blog. A girl can dream.) And I’ve seen a copy of Gus’s latest book, Wendy, published last year by Penguin Books in Australia. I have no idea if it will eventually be published in the U.S., but I hope so, because it’s wonderful. The dry humor in the book is laugh-outloud funny, and Gus’s cartoon illustrations are just right.

Wendy tells the story of … you guessed it: Wendy. Wendy is a chicken. Read the rest of this entry �

I love Kate Klise’s and M. Sarah Klise’s Little Rabbit books. How about you? Today, in honor of Mother’s Day, I’m featuring some art from Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth, released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in April.

Read the rest of this entry �

Today, on this first Sunday of the month when I tend to shine the spotlight on those illustrators new to the field, I welcome up-and-coming freelance illustrator, Liz Chernov, who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. I like the image above. Don’t you? I want to know more about that dynamic dog-and-girl duo. Let’s get right to it, since Liz is here to share some art, as well as tell us all about herself and her plans:

Read the rest of this entry �