Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

This morning over at Kirkus, I’m highlighting two new picture books, one featuring Indian-American protagonists and another one that tells a story from Indian folklore. (In the case of the latter, two words: Gerald McDermott. All you gotta know, right?) That link is here this morning. (AND, if you’re so inclined to take a fun quiz, my QRANK quiz, all about the beloved pets of children’s lit, is up today at this link. Yes, there’s a Ribsy sighting!)

If you missed last week’s column, I wrote about Steve Voake’s Daisy Dawson early chapter-book series (Candlewick), which—as I said last week—I think flies entirely too under the radar. That link is here.

And today I share some art from the series. Read the rest of this entry �

This morning over at Kirkus, I take a look at two picture book debuts. These are debuts in the sense that they come from two illustrators who previously have not written their own books. Yup, they’re branching out on their own now, both writing and illustrating for the first time, and I happen to think the results are good. The link is here this morning.

Last week, I posted an abbreviated Q & A with George O’Connor, the creator of the Olympians series from First Second Books. These are graphic novels about the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology, and O’Connor loads ’em up with vibrant art, snappy dialogue, and rip-roarin’ action.

Below is the full interview (and just below here is George at his computer, “trying to look busy,” he says), complete with some illustrations and sketches. I thank George for stopping by.

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This morning at Kirkus, I’ve got a short Q&A with graphic novelist, author, and picture book illustrator George O’Connor, and we primarily discuss his latest graphic novel in the Olympians series from First Second Books, Hera: The Goddess and her Glory.

This Q&A is an abbreviated version. I’ll have much more from George—and will showcase some of his art—next Friday here at 7-Imp.

The Kirkus link is here this morning.

Last week, I weighed in on the latest novel from Jack Gantos, Dead End in Norvelt, to be released this September from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (Yup, I’m primarily focused anymore on illustration and picture books here at 7-Imp, but in Kirkus’s Book Blogger Network, I’ve got the “children’s” category to write about, which is more than just picture books, so I make an attempt to cover middle-grade novels over there as well.) That link is here, if you missed it last week and are interested in reading more about the novel. I asked Jack to join me for breakfast this morning, a short Q&A of his own on this novel and what’s next from him.

Jack visited in 2007 as well, and that interview is here. That would be when he said, after I asked what he’s working on next, “I’m working on a series of books that are making me very uncomfortable, which is a good sign. When I write a book that I think everyone is just going to love, then I know I’m on the wrong track.” That right there would be one thing I love about his writing.

Also, when I read his response below about reading a book slowly, I quite literally jumped up and cheered. I know I write in hyperbole here at 7-Imp and you very likely DO NOT BELIEVE ME, but no really, I jumped up and cheered and high-fived an imaginary Jack Gantos and might have even done an imaginary fist bump with an imaginary Jack, too. This would be during the part below where I use the phrase—for about the googleplexth time in one month (how’s that for hyperbole?)—“a day and age of increasingly rigorous standardized testing,” another entry in my Grumpy Old Woman series.

I thank him for visiting today. Without further ado, I welcome Jack with a strong cup of coffee (maybe just a bit of this thrown in — why not?) …

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Over at Kirkus this week, I’m covering one of those straight up, just-the-facts-please-and-thank-you-very-much informational titles, and it’s all about world religions (DK Publishing’s What Do You Believe?). The link is here this morning, and I discuss why I think it’s a good, and even (dare I say?) important, book for children today.

Also over there today is the Qrank quiz I wrote about Amelia Earhart, all based on Candace Fleming’s biography of her. Think you know a lot about Amelia? Try my quiz. Woo and hoo! That was fun to write.

Last week, I had a quiz about the Great Depression, based on last week’s column, a review of Andrea Davis Pinkney’s new middle-grade novel, Bird in a Box, illustrated by Sean Qualls. Those quizzes, though…wow. They are there one day and then—POOF!—gone. (That is a note to those of you wanting to take the Amelia quiz, too.) I didn’t even get to road-test that one myself, as I was out of town for work that day. But the column—my thoughts on the book—remains, and if you missed it last week, it’s here. Pretty soon, I’m hoping, I can show you here at 7-Imp some of Sean Qualls’s interior images from this novel. More to come on that later. But, for now, enjoy the cover art below.

I’m out of town this week for work, so here’s a quick note to say that tomorrow morning over at Kirkus, I’ll have some thoughts on Coretta Scott King Award-winner Andrea Davis Pinkney’s new children’s novel, Bird in a Box, published last month by Little Brown — with cover art and opening-chapter illustrations from Sean Qualls.

The Kirkus link will be here tomorrow morning.

Last week’s column was all about David Almond’s and Dave McKean’s Slog’s Dad, published in February by Candlewick. If you missed it, it’s here. And here at 7-Imp today, I re-post for you the two McKean spreads that were posted over there last week. You can click each one to supersize and see in more detail. Enjoy. And see everyone on Sunday, if you’re so inclined to come kickin’.

SLOG’S DAD. Text copyright © 2010 by David Almond. Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Dave McKean Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA on behalf of Walker Books, London.

This morning over at Kirkus, I’ll have some thoughts on Slog’s Dad from David Almond and Dave McKean, published in February by Candlewick. And that would be because I am such a fan of Almond’s writing and McKean’s artwork, that I always sit up and take notice when they release anything. (Well, as I understand it, this is only their second collaboration, but still… Bliss.)

In fact, Almond stopped by here in 2008 for an interview, and here is the 2009 McKean interview, quite possibly my favorite 7-Imp interview ever.

The Kirkus link is here this morning.

Last week’s column was a Q & A with author Candace Fleming. If you missed it, it’s here. She discusses the research and writing of her superb biography, Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart, published by Schwartz & Wade in February. Below are a couple more images from the book. Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry �

Well, now. So happy to have just stumbled upon this book trailer. I’m reading this now, am nearing the end, and keep putting off the last chapter, as I simply do not want it to end. No, sirree. Too good. Can’t say goodbye.

And this would be how you make a good book trailer, too, I have to say:

This morning at Kirkus, I take a look at a handful of new picture book titles that are wordless or Mostly Wordless. If you’re so inclined, you can head over there for the low-down. Here’s the link. Next Friday here at 7-Imp, I’ll have art to show from all of those titles.

If you missed last week’s column, I discussed the wonderful-in-many-directions Anna Hibiscus chapter book series from Kane Miller, written by Nigerian storyteller Atinuke and illustrated by British artist Lauren Tobia. Here is that link. Below, I have some of the interior illustrations from the titles to share here at 7-Imp. The color illustration opening this post is from the upcoming Anna Hibiscus’ Song, which is going to be the first picture book about the unforgettable Anna. A little web sleuthing on my part also revealed to me this gorgeous illustration (at Lauren’s site). Read the rest of this entry �

With apologies to T.S. Eliot, April is not the cruellest month. At least not when you celebrate it with the Academy of American Poets.

Today marks the first day of National Poetry Month 2011, and—since I get inordinately excited about it every year—my Kirkus column today celebrates with three new children’s poetry titles I like, including one Honorable Mention (only thusly named, because I didn’t have enough space to talk about four). The column is here.

Pictured left is the 2011 National Poetry Month poster, designed by Stephen Doyle. Click here or on the image itself for more info. You will even see at that page a link to request a free poster. (Also: Check out how other children’s lit bloggers will be celebrating poetry all month.)

If you missed last week’s Kirkus column, I weighed in on Lois Lowry’s newest novel for children, Bless This Mouse, illustrated by Eric Rohmann, a short novel which made me wonder about genres and labels and how, specifically, this field categorizes books with Christian content, so if you have thoughts on the matter, please go weigh in. Read the rest of this entry �

Dear readers, my Kirkus column for this week is up over at their site this morning. Here’s the link. This time, I discuss Lois Lowry’s new children’s novel, Bless This Mouse, illustrated by Eric Rohmann. And I’ve got a question for readers, so head on over and join in the discussion, if you’re so inclined.

And, if you missed last week’s column, it’s here. That’s my review of Ann Stott’s and Matt Phelan’s new picture book, I’ll Be There, as well as a discussion of what I call, for lack of a better phrase, love-you-forever type picture books, all focused on the love between parent and child. Readers weighed in last week with lots of great comments and suggestions, and I’ll gladly take more suggestions, should folks have them. Here are some illustrations from the book, and in fact, they are ones specifically mentioned in the review:

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