Archive for March, 2019

What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week, Plus What I Did
Last Week, Featuring Vera Brosgol and Andrea Tsurumi

h1 Friday, March 15th, 2019


— From Gideon Sterer’s Not Your Nest!,
illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi


 

“Yes, there are a lot of us.”
–From Vera Brosgol’s
The Little Guys
(Click to enlarge spread)


 
At Kirkus today, I write about a story of deep empathy and elegance, one about sorrow, grief, and how to support a friend suffering it.

That is here.

* * *

Last week, I wrote here about Vera Brosgol’s The Little Guys (Roaring Brook, April 2019), as well as Gideon Sterer’s Not Your Nest!, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi (Dial, March 2019). Today here at 7-Imp, I’ve some art from each book, and both Vera and Andrea also share some early sketches. I thank them for sharing.

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Chris Raschka’s Side by Side

h1 Wednesday, March 13th, 2019


“Today and tomorrow …”


 
Over at BookPage, I’ve a review of Chris Raschka’s Side by Side (Phaidon, March 2019).

That is here if you’d like to read more about the book, and here at 7-Imp I’ve a few spreads from it.

Enjoy!

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7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #629: Featuring Aaron Becker

h1 Sunday, March 10th, 2019



 
At Kirkus several weeks ago, I wrote about a small handful of new board books I love, and one of them was Aaron Becker’s You Are Light (Candlewick). It will be on shelves at the end of this month. Here is that Kirkus column, if you’d like to read more about the book.

Today, Aaron visits to talk a bit about creating this book and to share some process images (as well as a bit of final art). I thank him for sharing.

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What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Cindy Derby

h1 Friday, March 8th, 2019



 
Over at Kirkus today, I’ve got Sharing 101 (and two brand-new picture books) on the mind.

That is here.

* * *

Last week, I wrote here about Cindy Derby’s How to Walk an Ant (Roaring Brook, March 2019). I’m following up here today with some final art from the book, and Cindy has also sent lots of process images — character sketches, book dummy images, etc. I thank her for sharing.

Enjoy!

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Christian Robinson’s Another

h1 Tuesday, March 5th, 2019



 
Over at BookPage, I’ve a review of Christian Robinson’s Another (Simon & Schuster, March 2019), which is such a superb picture book. That review is here.

Here at 7-Imp today, Christian shares some preliminary images (sketches, character exploration, images of studio work, book design, etc.), as well as some final art from the book. I thank him for sharing.

Enjoy!

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Circle: Chapter 16 Q&A with Mac Barnett

h1 Monday, March 4th, 2019


(Click to enlarge)


 
Over at Tennessee’s Chapter 16, I’ve got a Q&A with author Mac Barnett, who returns to Nashville next week (Parnassus Books) to talk about Circle, the latest book in the Shape trilogy. The Q&A — and more details on his bookstore visit — is here.

If you’d like to circle back here (see what I did there?) after you read the Q&A, I have below some of Jon Klassen’s illustrations from the book. [Pictured above is the title page illustration.]

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7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #628: Featuring
Up-and-Coming Illustrator, Taia Morley

h1 Sunday, March 3rd, 2019


“Whisper, nudge. Look!”


 
If you visit Taia Morley’s site, you’ll see she’s hardly new to children’s books (and that she has also previously worked as a toy and game designer). But Wake Up, Color Pup (Random House, March 2019), which she’s here to talk about today, is her first book as both author and illustrator.

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What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Mika Song

h1 Friday, March 1st, 2019


” … She burps pebbles, Henry thought.
And breathes underwater. And turns sunshine into colors.”


 
Over at Kirkus today, I write about Cindy Derby’s picture book debut.

That is here.

* * *

Last week, I wrote here about Jenn Bailey’s A Friend for Henry (Chronicle, February 2019), illustrated by Mika Song. I’m following up today with some preliminary images and final art from Mika. The art for this book was rendered in pencil, watercolor, and Sumi ink on watercolor paper.

I thank Mika for sharing.

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