Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

— From Deborah Freedman’s This House, Once

 


” … Look like a pearl / when you’re brim-full / and bright. /
Hang in the darkness. / Dazzle the night.”
— From Elaine Magliaro’s Things to Do,
illustrated by Cátia Chien
(Click to enlarge)

 


— From Kevin Henkes’ Egg
(Click to enlarge)

 

This morning over at Kirkus, I’ve got mischief on the mind. That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here at Kirkus about Elaine Magliaro’s Things to Do, illustrated by Cátia Chien (Chronicle, February 2017); Deborah Freedman’s This House, Once (Atheneum, February 2017); and Kevin Henkes’ Egg (Greenwillow, January 2017).

I’ve art from each book today, and Deborah also shares some early sketches and thumbnails, for which I thank her.

Enjoy!

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(Click to enlarge cover)

 
I’m walkin’ on the wild side today, you all, and doing one of those cover reveal dealios. I’m very intrigued by this book, Julie Kim’s Where’s Halmoni? This will be on shelves in early October of this year from Little Bigfoot, a children’s book imprint from Sasquatch Books. The story provides a look into Korean folklore and is evidently told in a unique picture book-graphic novel hybrid format.

The author was born in Korea, and this is her debut children’s book, which tells the story of two young children who, per the publisher, “stumble into a technicolor fantasy world while on a search for their missing grandmother. Throughout their travels, they meet several Korean folk characters that help (and hinder) their search. The backmatter of the book includes extensive information on Korean folk tales and culture.”

I managed to snag two spreads here below from the book. Beautiful, huh? Read the rest of this entry �

“And Thor’s own brother, Tyr, had his hand bitten off
when he tried to outwit the wolf.”

 
Last week at Kirkus, I chatted here with Joe Todd-Stanton about his debut children’s book, Arthur and the Golden Rope (Flying Eye Books, February 2017), volume one in the Brownstone’s Mythical Collection series.

Today, I am following up with some art from the book, including the glorious endpapers.

Enjoy.

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“The ground rumbles beneath my slippers as I walk. Father squeezes my hand. ‘It will be okay, Sami. Your birds escaped too,’ he repeats. His voice sounds far away.
I squeeze back, hoping it will steady my wobbly legs. Everyone I know is here.
We are walking, one after the other. ‘Just like follow-the-leader,’ says Father.”
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
The plight of Syrian refugees was in the news well before we elected such a disastrous and hateful president, but due to his recent travel ban, it’s all the more top of mind for folks all over the world. Having picture books on hand that can explain this to children is helpful, and I recently wrote here at Kirkus about picture books that capture the plight and flight of refugees.

Coming to shelves in March is Suzanne Del Rizzo’s My Beautiful Birds (Pajama Press), a new book specifically about Syrian refugees. Rendered in bright and textured polymer clay and acrylic, it’s the story of a boy named Sami, leaving his Syrian home (with a sky full of smoke) to escape war. The boy is concerned about the pet pigeons he leaves behind. “It will be okay,” his father tells him. “Your birds escaped too.” When Sami and his family make it to a refugee camp, the boy tries to create art commemorating his birds, but his art only turns to black. Sami eventually comes to some peace when he a canary, a dove, and a rose finch fly into the camp.

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It’s the first Sunday of the month, dear Imps, which means I have a student or newly-graduated illustrator. Today, it’s James Serafino, who graduated from the School of Visual Arts and tells me that children’s books are his primary passion in life and that he loves to share and learn and talk about them as much as possible.

Let’s get right to it, and I thank James for sharing his artwork.

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From John Lewis’s and Andrew Aydin’s March: Book Two,
illustrated by Nate Powell
(Click to enlarge)

 


“‘IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST ELOQUENT PROFOUND AND UNEQUIVOCAL PLEAS FOR JUSTICE AND THE FREEDOM OF ALL MEN EVER MADE BY ANY PRESIDENT,’ telegrammed Dr. King as soon as the speech was over.”
— From Shana Corey’s A Time to Act: John F. Kennedy’s Big Speech,
illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

 

From Carmen Agra Deedy’s The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!,
illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
(Click to enlarge)

 
This morning over at Kirkus, I’ve got three new picture books that make me wish I could snap my fingers and be in an elementary language arts classroom right about now. That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about the third book in John Lewis’s and Andrew Aydin’s March trilogy (Top Shelf Productions), released last year and illustrated by Nate Powell; Carmen Agra Deedy’s The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! (Scholastic, January 2017), illustrated by Eugene Yelchin; and Shana Corey’s A Time to Act: John F. Kennedy’s Big Speech, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie and coming to shelves from NorthSouth Books in April.

Today, I’ve got art from all three books in the March trilogy, as well as art from Yelchin and Christie.

Until Sunday …

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“The books I loved best when I was a kid were always very detailed, so I probably pick narratives that will lend themselves to that style. Pretty much every mythology is so rich in back story and characters that it’s a great thing to hang a story around, because it gives you an instant, vast visual language you can then place your character into.”

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Today over Kirkus, I talk with British author-illustrator Joe Todd-Stanton about his debut children’s book, Arthur and the Golden Rope (Flying Eye Books, February 2017), volume one in the Brownstone’s Mythical Collection series.

That Q&A is here.

I’ll have even more art from the book here at 7-Imp next week.

Until tomorrow …