Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

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 �

Author/illustrator Julian Hector’s visiting 7-Imp again to share some art work and sketches from his newest title, The Gentleman Bug, which Publishers Weekly has praised for its “quiet humor” and School Library Journal calls an “odd love tale.” It tells the story of the scholarly, bookworm Gentleman Bug, a schoolteacher living in the very Edwardian Garden, whose life scoots along just fine, thanks very much, till Lady Bug arrives in town and he falls head over heels in love. He tries a bit too hard to impress her, in what the publisher (Simon & Schuster) amusingly enough refers to as a failed Victorian makeover. It all works out in the end, but I won’t tell you how, in case you want to read this charmer for yourself (though, caveat: Hector’s words below do include some spoilers). Kirkus writes that Hector “artfully uses subdued colors, elegant lines and generous quantities of space to lend low-key grace to each scene.”

Julian’s here to tell us a bit about the creation of the tale, what’s next for him, and a bit more. And he shares lots of art and sketches. I thank him for stopping by…

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I guess it’s been a while since I’ve done one of my illustrator breakfast interviews, but here I am, welcoming illustrator A. G. Ford to the breakfast table this morning. It wasn’t that long ago that I featured some art from his most recent illustrated title, Goal! (Candlewick, April 2010), written by Mina Javaherbin. At that time, I invited A. G. to stop by for an interview, and here it is today. I have to say that it was a pleasure to format this interview and get to know a bit better all the styles in which A. G. has worked.

And this might be a 7-Imp first: He goes so far as to share his favorite breakfast recipe with us: “Because I work out often in the mornings,” he told me, “my breakfast…usually consists of a protein shake and a bagel with cream cheese. My shake is actually quite tasty. Here is the recipe, if you would like to try:

1 cup milk
Half of a banana
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (or Nestle chocolate-flavored powder)
2/3 cup of ice cubes

Blend and drink! It’s faaaaaannnntastic!”

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