Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

 
Here’s a quick peek inside the tall, interactive picture book import Inside the Villains (Gecko), coming to shelves this September from French author-illustrator Clotilde Perrin. Here, readers meet classic fairy-tale villains, up close and personal — the Wolf, the Giant, and the Witch. Each villain is profiled on a large flap that opens left (strengths, weaknesses, “Things I Hate,” etc.), and a classic folk or fairy tale featuring the villain is included — a version of the Grimm Brothers’ “The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats”; the English fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk”; and “Alyoshka and Baba Yaga.” (These portions of text are also illustrated.)

And the large portrait of each villain on the right side of each spread? They include flaps, levers, tabs, and even strings so that readers can open coats, peek inside minds (and even hearts), and see what’s in pockets and/or boots. Lift the wolf’s shadowy exterior, for instance, to see Grandma’s nightgown — and if you open that, there lies a spiral-shaped tab you can lift with a string that reveals the various fairy tale characters who make up the Wolf’s favorite snacks, all snug in his belly.

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” … Thingummy muttered, ‘Flazing blame.’
Bob said, ‘It’s hed hed rot!
Smorld up in woke — a sheadful drame,
When smorld is all we’ve got!'”
(Click to enlarge)

 
Here’s a picture book that arrived on shelves in April but was created in 1970 and is publishing for the first time in North America. The Dangerous Journey was the last picture book completed by the legendary Finnish author-illustrator Tove Jansson. This new edition, published by Drawn & Quarterly, was translated by Sophie Hannah.

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“‘I’ve got you now!’ Zhora exclaimed. She had discovered the most beautiful blackberry in the whole forest. But now she had to find her way home,
and she was not at all sure how.”

 
Over at Kirkus this morning, I’ve got two new picture books celebrating the imagination of Mary Shelley.

That is here.

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Today here at 7-Imp is some art from Stories of the Night (Gecko, September 2018). This set of stories, from Belgian illustrator and Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award recipient Kitty Crowther, was originally published last year and translated by Sam McCullen. I wrote about it in my Kirkus column last week, and as I mention there, this one was evidently illustrated, at least partially, with make-up. Well, who knew, right?

Enjoy!

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Last week, I chatted here at Kirkus with Antoine Revoy. We discussed his eerie debut graphic novel, Animus (First Second, May 2018).

Today here at 7-Imp, I’m following up with some art from the book.

Until tomorrow …

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“He calculates, backs up, and shoots at the perfect time.
The crowd goes wild. WAAAAAA!!!”
(Click spread to enlarge and read full text)

 
In Mina Javaherbin’s Neymar: A Soccer Dream Come True (FSG, May 2018), illustrated by Paul Hoppe, readers meet international soccer star Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (a.k.a. Neymar) as a boy. He lives with his family in his grandpa’s house in Brazil and dreams of soccer stardom.

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Over at Kirkus today, I’ve a Swedish picture book import.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Cheryl Bardoe’s Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain (Little, Brown, June 2018), illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Today, I’m following up with some images from Barbara, which include what she calls “inspiration, sketches, little tiny cut-out things, and lots of double-stick tape.” She takes us through the process of creating several of these beautiful spreads, and some final art is included. I thank her!

Enjoy. …

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“I love working in full color, but I considered that this story would be better told in black and white, because it would give more emphasis to textures. Animus is about looking at things which are very familiar more closely, or in a different way (tree bark, stones, insects), so this was both a practical and esthetic choice. ”

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Over at Kirkus today, I talk with Antoine Revoy about his debut graphic novel, Animus.

That is here, and next week here at 7-Imp, I’ll follow up with some more images from the book.

Until tomorrow …

“‘If you understand tradition and you keep it alive, you will be a great bandleader.'”
(Click to enlarge spread and read full text)

 
Over at BookPage, I’ve a review here of The 5 O’Clock Band (Abrams, June 2018), written by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and illustrated by Bryan Collier.

I’ve got some spreads from the book here at 7-Imp today.

Enjoy!

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(Click to enlarge cover)

 
I’m doing something a little bit different today and sending you over to the Horn Book. I reviewed Grace Lin’s A Big Mooncake for Little Star (Little, Brown, August 2018), one of my very tip-top favorite picture books thus far this year. (I said that on Friday, too, about this book, but they are both top-five favorites for me.)

The review is up at their site here.

And how about that cover art up there?

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— Illustration by Mudrika Devi in Beasts of India,
edited by Kanchana Arni and Gita Wolf
(Click image to see spread in its entirety)

 

— From Fiona Woodcock’s Look
(Click spread to enlarge)

 

— From Andy Mansfield’s See the Stripes
(Click to enlarge image)

 
Today over at Kirkus, I take a look at one of my favorite picture books thus far this year.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Beasts of India (Tara, June 2018), edited by Kanchana Arni and Gita Wolf and illustrated by various artists; Fiona Woodcock’s Look (Greenwillow, July 2018); and Andy Mansfield’s See the Stripes (Candlewick, March 2018).

I’ve art from each book today. Enjoy!

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