Archive for July, 2020

Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker

h1 Wednesday, July 29th, 2020


(Click image to see spread in its entirety)


 
I’ve some spreads today from Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker (Margaret K. McElderry Books, June 2020), written by Patricia Hruby Powell and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. This is a picture book biography of civil rights activist Ella Baker, who taught countless African Americans—but particularly those not in the elite or middle class—about their voting rights and how to exert their invididual voices in the name of freedom. And, as Powell writes in the book’s closing note, “because she worked behind the scenes and didn’t care about the spotlight, nor believed in following a charismatic figure or being followed, she is less known than she should be.”

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My BookPage Q&A with Naoko Stoop

h1 Monday, July 27th, 2020


(Click cover to enlarge)


 
On shelves this month is the final book from author-illustrator Yumi Heo, who passed away in 2016. It’s called Sun and Moon Have a Tea Party (Schwartz & Wade Books), and it was illustrated by Naoko Stoop.

Over at BookPage is my review, as well as a Q&A I did with Naoko about this book, what it was like to illustrate Yumi’s final story, what she’s currently working on, and more. The review of this altogether charming book is here, and the Q&A is here.

Below are a couple of spreads from the book. Enjoy!

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7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #701: Featuring Sonia Sánchez

h1 Sunday, July 26th, 2020



 
Forgive me, dear Imps, for writing about a picture book that won’t be on shelves till September, but I can’t help myself. Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away (Candlewick), written by Newbery Medalist Meg Medina and illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, is the story of two best friends. They have one final day of play before one of them leaves for her new home. It’s moving day, but the two girls make the most of their last hours together.

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A Wee Blogging Break

h1 Tuesday, July 21st, 2020



 

I’m taking this week off from blogging. I’ll be back on Sunday. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with two wonderful pieces to read:

First, the Horn Book has posted their annual piece in which they look back on the previous year in words and pictures. This one is titled “A Year with Words and Pictures — but No ALA Annual.” That is here.

And don’t miss this moving (and illustrated) New York Times piece by Christian Robinson, called “When ‘Keep Your Distance’ Has Been a Way of Life.” I hope you can access that link.

Until Sunday . . .

7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #700: In Tribute to John Lewis

h1 Sunday, July 19th, 2020


From Book Two of the March trilogy


 

Hello, dear Imps. I had plans for today’s post that I am temporarily setting aside, given the news of the passing of Representative John Lewis. It’s a tremendous loss, and I want to do something here at 7-Imp to mark it.

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Jillian Tamaki’s Our Little Kitchen

h1 Thursday, July 16th, 2020

Here’s a post that is a bit of a preview of a picture book coming out in September (because I can’t help myself). Our Little Kitchen (Abrams) is from Caldecott Honoree Jillian Tamaki and tells the story of a group of neighbors who come together to make a meal in a community kitchen. “Every Wednesday, we come together in this little kitchen,” the book opens. “Our little kitchen, a tiny, small place, is just big enough, so squeeze in and make space ….”

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Drawing on Walls Before Breakfast

h1 Tuesday, July 14th, 2020


“Here is Keith Haring painting a mural with hundreds of children in Tama City, Japan. Keith draws the outlines and the kids fill them in with their own designs.”
(Click spread to enlarge)


 
Note that today’s book, as the subtitle tells us, is “a” story of legendary artist Keith Haring. It’s not “the” story of Keith Haring, because it’s not as if only one story could capture his life and his spirit. This subtle word choice is one of many thoughtful details that went into the creation of this spectacular picture book biography.

Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring (Enchanted Lion, May 2020), written by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Josh Cochran, opens with the spread pictured above, which so perfectly communicates the essence of Keith’s artistic vision—and legacy. At this page turn, we then meet Keith as a child. …

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7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #699: Featuring Julie Völk

h1 Sunday, July 12th, 2020


“I know it might take a little while.
But that’s okay—I can wait.”


 
Sepideh Sarihi’s My Favorite Memories (Blue Dot Kids Press, August 2020) is a truly international affair. This story comes from an author born in Iran, who has lived in Germany for nearly a decade now. Illustrator Julie Völk is Austrian, and the book was translated from the German by the award-winning translator Elisabeth Lauffer. The original German-language edition of this book was released in 2018.

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Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures

h1 Thursday, July 9th, 2020


(Click spread to enlarge)


 
Khalil lives in a new house. He lives upstairs, and downstairs lives elderly Mr. Hagerty, whose life is signficantly more quiet than the “big and busy and noisy” lives of Khalil’s family. The two tenants share a backyard, and each loves it. Mr. Hagerty works in his garden; Khalil hunts bugs and “interesting rocks.”

This is the story of Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures (Candlewick, May 2020), written by Tricia Springstubb and illustrated by Elaheh Taherian.

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Welcoming Edith Campbell to The Niblings!

h1 Wednesday, July 8th, 2020



 

It’s time for one more Niblings introduction!

If you saw this post from a couple weeks ago, then you’ll remember what it means when I say “The Niblings” and that we welcomed librarian Erika Long into the fold.

We’d also like to welcome yet another librarian extraordinaire to our social media presence — Edith Campbell. This means that Edith will join us in sharing posts of interest in the field of children’s and YA lit.

Edith is an associate education librarian in the Cunningham Memorial Library at Indiana State University. As part of the Reference and Instruction team, she serves as the liaison to the Bayh College of Education. Edith has served on several book committees, including the Walter Awards (We Need Diverse Books), YALSA’s Printz Award, and ALSC’s Sibert Award. She currently reviews for the Journal of Children’s Literature and serves on the Advisory Board for the online peer-reviewed journal, Research on Diversity in Youth Literature. Her research interests include valuing Black children in youth literature and implementation of critical literacy practices in libraries. Edith was a founding member of See What We See and We Are Kidlit Collective. She blogs to promote literacy, decolonization, and social justice in young adult literature at CrazyQuiltsEdi. Edith received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Cincinnati and her M.L.S. from Indiana University.

To connect with Edith on Twitter, head to @CrazyQuilts. And to follow her at The Niblings, visit our Facebook page, as well as our Twitter feed.

Welcome, Edith!