Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

 
I’m here to wish you all a happy 2019 with a piece of art (scanned from my own collection) from author-illustrator Ashley Wolff. These colors and textures make me happy, and when I see this, I like to imagine I can hear an owl hooting. Given that I live in Deepest Suburbia, I’m not normally privy to the beautiful call of an owl. But I can go there in my mind when I see this.

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“‘Remember, what is given from the heart reaches the heart.'”
(Click to see spread in its entirety, including the text)

 
Today over at Kirkus, I’ve got my 2018 Ghost File of One.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about the final book from the late Patricia McKissack, What Is Given from the Heart (Schwartz & Wade Books, January 2019), illustrated by April Harrison.

Today, I’m following up with some art from the book.

Enjoy!

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I love this piece of art from Laura Nyman Montenegro. She shared it on Instagram, and I secured her permission to share it here. Below is what she wrote about it:

Right now, at the darkest time of the year, is the most crazy mashup of tradition and transition and I love that the beautiful little deer plays such a big part in it. Why not sensitive and delicate, moving slowly through the trees? Why not that be where we are going?

Yes yes yessity yes. And how I do love deer.

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“Dropping, scratching, beat juggling/matching wax on wheels of steel.
Wordplay, rhyming, triple-timing, keepin’ the lyrics real.”
— From Carole Boston Weatherford’s The Roots of Rap:
16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop, illustrated by Frank Morrison
(Click to enlarge spread and see text)

 

— From Susan McElroy Montanari’s Hip-Hop Lollipop,
illustrated by Brian Pinkney


 
Over at Kirkus today, I highlight the final book from the great Patricia McKissack, who left us in 2017.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Carole Boston Weatherford’s The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop, illustrated by Frank Morrison (Little Bee Books, January 2019), and Susan McElroy Montanari’s Hip-Hop Lollipop, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Schwartz & Wade, October 2018).

I’m following up with art from each book today.

Enjoy!

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It’s a pleasure to have a visit here today at 7-Imp from author Jacob Kramer and illustrator K-Fai Steele. They are here to chat about their upcoming picture book, Noodlephant (on shelves in January from Enchanted Lion). In fact, this is the debut book for each of them, though 7-Imp readers may remember that K-Fai visited here back in 2017.

This is the story of an elephant, who loves noodles so much that she is famous for her pasta parties and her friends call her Noodlephant. In Noodlephant’s busy town live the kangaroos, always making and enforcing the laws. Unfortunately, the laws are such that they favor the ones in charge. One day, while shopping for a party, a kangaroo notifies Noodlephant that the laws say that noodles are for kangaroos and that “elephants shall only eat sticks and branches.” Read the rest of this entry �

 
I’ve had a very busy week and have an even busier one ahead, so I’m not exactly going to wax rhapsodic and in depth today here at 7-Imp on any one brand-new picture book, as I am wont to do on Sundays. I thought I’d post a holiday image, and I have a winter-esque one instead. This is from illustrator Julie Morstad — an image from Sara O’Leary’s When I Was Small, published back in 2012. How I love that book and this image. Julie is one of my favorite illustrators, and if you want to linger at her site (highly recommended), it is here.

May this post find you all as warm — and snug — as the girl pictured here.

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Early sketch

 

“Papa strikes a match. He and Gertie light the shamash, the helper candle. They say the blessings in Hebrew. And Gertie, together with Papa, takes the shamash and lights
the first candle, just one candle, for the first night of Hanukkah, for the first time.”
(Click to enlarge this final spread, which is sans text)

 
Over at Kirkus today, I’ve two new picture books about hip-hop and rap.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Emily Jenkins’ All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah (Schwartz & Wade, September 2018), illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Today, I’m following up with some art from the book, as well as some preliminary images (sketches, roughs, etc.) from Paul, who rendered the illustrations digitally. I thank him for sharing.

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“Every hour he makes his rounds, alone.”
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
I have a review over at BookPage of one of my very favorite picture books this year, one that is especially perfect for preschool-aged readers. It’s John Sullivan’s Kitten and the Night Watchman (Paula Wiseman Books / Simon & Schuster, September 2018), illustrated by Taeeun Yoo.

The review is here, if you’d like to read more about it. Today here at 7Imp, I have some art from the book, and Taeeun also shares some early studies, thumbnails, etc. (Pictured above is an early character study, as well as a final spread from the book.) I thank her for sharing.

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— From Jeff Newman’s Found, illustrated by Larry Day
(Click to enlarge spread) 

— From Glenda Millard’s Pea Pod Lullaby, illustrated by Stephen Michael King 
Over at Kirkus today, I write about my favorite holiday picture book this year.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Jeff Newman’s Found (Simon & Schuster, November 2018), illustrated by Larry Day, as well as Glenda Millard’s Pea Pod Lullaby (Candlewick, December 2018), illustrated by Stephen Michael King.

I’m following up with art from these two books today. Larry also visits to share early thumbnail images, sketches, etc. from Found.

Enjoy!

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“When Bear got closer, she could see it was a young wolf. …”
(Click to enlarge and read text in its entirety)

 
Here’s a book I had wanted to write about earlier this year but didn’t get around to. Daniel Salmieri’s Bear and Wolf was released in February (Enchanted Lion), back when it was snowy. But now things have come full-circle, as they do, and it’s snowy again, so what better time than now to take a peek at the beautiful art? You will also see below in this post a video in which Daniel talks about the creation of the book — I am always a sucker for listening to artists talk about their craft — and I love what he says about how, to him, the story is about “being present and experiencing life fully. It’s about a shared understanding with your friend where not a lot needs to be said.” You can hear and see more in the video below, including Salmieri’s snow talk.

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