Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Ever seen the art in an illustrated book and cried? Not because the book is particularly sad in any way, but simply because the art is beautiful, the emotions evoked so stirring, and the creator so artistically accomplished? As melodramatic as it may sound, we here at 7-Imp have had experiences similar to that when looking upon the beautiful oil paintings of illustrator Kadir Nelson. Actually, you can make that “author-illustrator” now, since Kadir penned as well as illustrated his latest book — We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, just published in January by Hyperion/Jump at the Sun. As if his blazing talent with paint brushes weren’t enough, leaving us speechless at every turn . . . now he proves he’s got the writing chops as well.

We Are the Ship — a book which seemed to garner Caldecott 2009 buzz (at least in the kidlitosphere) as early as January and which has been called “sumptuous” (Publishers Weekly), “powerful” (Hall-of-Famer Hank Aaron), and “a triumph” (Betsy Bird) — tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. Using an authentic “Everyman” player as his narrator, readers not only feel as if they are right there in the dug-out, but the technique also makes evident Nelson’s admiration and respect for the individual ballplayers featured in the book. Publishers Weekly wrote, “{u}sing a folksy vernacular, a fictional player gives an insider account of segregated baseball, explaining the aggressive style of play (‘Those fellows would bunt and run you to death. Drove pitchers crazy!’) and recalling favorite players.” The book’s title comes from Andrew “Rube” Foster (“{h}e knew baseball like the back of his black hand, and more important, he knew how to win,” Kadir writes), founder of the Negro National League and owner of the Chicago American Giants. On February 20, 1920 — when Rube called together all the owners of black baseball teams in the Midwest to create the Negro National League — he declared with pride, “we are the ship; all else the sea.” The Washington Post declared We Are the Ship their February 25, 2008, Book of the Week and wrote that Kadir “spent more than seven years researching, writing and illustrating this book. His effort shows on each page.” And, as Kadir himself puts it in a promotional video for the book (linked in the resource list below this interview), the stories of the individuals in We Are the Ship still manage to be universal ones.

And the illustrations? Brilliant. Richly-colored. Vivid. Detailed. As Betsy Bird put it in her review, Nelson “knows how to capture a person’s soul in a portrait.” Pictured here is the illustration featuring Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean and Satchel Paige, and here is an online gallery from Sports Illustrated’s recent feature on the book, showcasing many of Kadir’s gorgeous illustrations. The web site for the book has a fascinating “Making the Book” feature which describes the process Nelson underwent to create the stunning illustrations (and Nelson touches upon this a bit in the interview below as well):

“In order to create realistic portrayals of baseball players in action and repose, Nelson served as his own model for each painting, donning sharp suits and authentic replica uniforms while photographing himself posed as each player represented. Each painting had its own unique set of criteria and demanded individual attention to details and settings; i.e. historically accurate baseball uniform colors and styles, equipment, era costumes, pre and post Depression era city streets, streetcars and trains, sandlot baseball fields in small towns and grand baseball stadiums in big cities.”

Kadir is no stranger to such approbation for his work. In a picture book illustration career that hasn’t quite spanned a full decade, he has established himself as a master of the medium. His debut, Brothers of the Knight (Dial, 1999) — an adaptation of a Grimm tale by choreographer/dancer/actress Debbie Allen — won immediate praise for his “fine line, minutely detailed characters and settings, and expressively lit coloration” (School Library Journal). His works have since illuminated the texts of such revered authors as Ann Grifalconi (The Village that Vanished, Dial 2002) and Nikki Grimes (Under the Christmas Tree, HarperCollins 2002). He’s illustrated the works of crossover-picture book authors Spike Lee (Please, Baby, Please, Simon & Schuster 2002, and Please, Puppy, Please, 2005) and Will Smith (Just the Two of Us, Scholastic 2001). And he’s pretty much the official illustrator for picture books about Michael Jordan (Salt in his Shoes, 2000, and Michael’s Golden Rules, 2007, both by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan, Simon & Schuster).

And awards? Oh, yeah. He’s got quite the shelfload. He’s received the Coretta Scott King Honor Award for Thunder Rose, a hilarious tall-tale about a super-strong little girl, penned by Jerdine Nolen (Silver Whistle, 2003). He’s won the actual Coretta Scott King Award twice: for the lovely, nostalgic Ellington Was Not a Street, a picture book adaptation of a poem by Nzotake Shange (Simon & Schuster, 2004), and again for the powerful biography Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford (Jump at the Sun, 2006). Caldecott Honor Awards went to Moses and also to Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine (Scholastic 2007), a historical account of Henry Brown, a resourceful slave who literally mailed himself to freedom. He has also been recognized by the Society of Illustrators in New York and the NAACP with an Image Award.

And lest you think he’s all about children’s books, he’s also an accomplished fine artist, whose work is exhibited in museums and collected by devoted fans. His commissioned works have appeared in publications like The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, and Vibe. He also served as the lead conceptual artist for the films Amistad and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

We’re thrilled for this opportunity to get to know the uber-talented Mr. Nelson a bit better, and to share what we learned with you. We’re so very grateful that he was willing to take the time to talk to us, especially since his wife just had a baby and he’s understandably a le-e-e-e-ettle busy right now.

7-Imp: So, at this point you’ve got, what, two Coretta Scott King illustrator awards, one CSK honor award, two Caldecott honor awards (in sucessive years, we might add), even the NAACP Image Award. Is it still a rush when you get the phone call? Are you, by chance, consciously thinking about award possibilities when you illustrate now? Are there any awards or goals that you’re still shooting for?

Kadir: It’s always a thrill to be honored in any way and I never take it for granted. I try to do my best work with each project. I don’t do what I do for the adulation. You can’t think that way. If you are thinking about getting an award for the work you are doing, you are not thinking about the work and it will suffer. You simply have to do your best work and be happy with that. Whatever follows after that is gravy.

7-Imp: Is there a difference in how you approach your fine art, as opposed to illustration? Do you use different media or techniques? Does the inspiration come from a different source? {Pictured here is Day Dream, rendered in oil.}

Kadir: Though the medium may sometimes be different, I approach each project with the same vigor. My personal work is a bit different because I’m solving my own challenges, rather than those of an author or an editor, but all creativity comes from the same place.

7-Imp: What exactly is your process when you are illustrating a book, particularly when it’s one you have written? You can start wherever you’d like when answering: getting the idea, starting to write/illustrate, or even what it’s like under deadline, etc. Do you outline or sketch a great deal of the book before you write/illustrate or just let your muse lead you on and see where you end up?

Kadir: My process for creating the words and paintings for We Are the Ship was very organic. I started with a few paintings and then put them away and concentrated on the manuscript. Once it was in pretty good shape, I picked up where I left off on the artwork. I essentially painted all of the images I wanted and then left it to the art director to find a place to put them. So essentially the art and manuscript were created in two separate vacuums, though there was a bit of overlap at times.

7-Imp: Describe for us the job of a film conceptual artist. How is it similar to, or different than, illustrating a book?

Kadir: A conceptual artist for a film creates images from the film’s story line with the intention of establishing the look, feel, and mood. He creates the look of characters and their environments. It’s similar to creating artwork for books, but the main difference is that a vast majority of conceptual artwork for film is never used. The opposite is true for book artwork.

7-Imp: Your work frequently depicts living or historical heroes: African American activists, musicians, athletes, etc. {pictured here is Trane (Coltrane), rendered in oil.} How does this affect your approach? Does an obligation for accuracy ever conflict with a desire to be imaginative or fanciful? Does the reverence in which these figures are held ever intimidate you when you want to show a wart or two?

Kadir: I am very adamant about depicting historical subjects accurately. The challenge is in finding a new way to present the subject. That’s the fun of it for me.

7-Imp: We Are the Ship is the first book you’ve written as well as illustrated {pictured here is the book’s title page}. What compelled you to tell this story? What sort of research did you do?

Kadir: I got hooked on the history of the Negro Leagues while I was still a student at Pratt Institute in the mid 1990s. I was commissioned to do a painting on the NL but didn’t know much—if anything—about it. So in doing my research I stumbled upon the Ken Burns documentary, Baseball, which aired on PBS. Through watching the documentary, I was introduced to the former player and manager Buck O’Neil, who told the story of the Negro Leagues in such a charming way that I fell in love with the history (and Buck) and was inspired to learn more. I began creating several paintings, and it grew exponentially from there. As I continued to paint, I would realize that I had to tell this story in a book, and I knew I had to write it myself.

I read several books on the Negro Leagues, interviewed former Negro League players, watched documentaries, and bought a replica Negro League uniform, posing as every figure for each painting in the book, with the intention of literally putting myself in the shoes of a Negro League player so I could tell this story in an authentic way.

7-Imp: How do your children feel about your books? Do they have favorites?

Kadir: My children aren’t especially interested in my books. I have two girls and a brand new baby boy (who isn’t reading yet). My girls are a bit older and more into chapter books. My youngest daughter will indulge me at times by asking me to read her a picture book before she goes to sleep, though she never seems to choose any of my books. But both of my girls are great critics of my work. I always show it to them before I send it off to the publisher.

7-Imp: Can you briefly tell us what your school visits are like and how they affect your work as an artist, if at all?

Kadir: Through a PowerPoint demonstration, I show school kids my evolution as an artist, from my drawings of Charlie Brown and Snoopy drawn with pencils and crayons at six years old, to Josh Gibson painted with oils on canvas with the intention of letting them know that everyone has to start somewhere. With hard work, determination, and a desire to improve and have fun, anyone can achieve their dreams. It’s an important lesson for people of all ages.

7-Imp: Is there something out there that you really want to try, but haven’t had the opportunity yet? A story you really want to write or illustrate? A new medium or subject for your art? What’s your personal Mt. Everest?

Kadir: I’d like to try my hand at sculpture and music. I just haven’t made the time for either of them, but I will.

7-Imp: Can you tell us about any new titles/projects you might be working on now?

Kadir: I recently finished a picture book biography of Abe Lincoln called Abe’s Honest Words, written by Doreen Rappaport. It will be published by Hyperion/Disney and is due in the fall. I also finished a book called All God’s Critters written by Bill Staines. It’s a wild rumpus on a broadway stage where all god’s critters sing about their place in life. It will be published by Simon and Schuster and will be due next spring.

7-Imp: We know this is considered a cliché question, but as book lovers, it interests us: What books or authors and/or illustrators influenced you as an early reader?

Kadir: I wasn’t a big reader as a kid. I was more into the artwork in books. But I did have a few favorites outside of the Sunday comics. I loved Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are most of all.

7-Imp: What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?

Kadir: I love Scrabble.

7-Imp: If you could have three illustrators or author/illustrators over for coffee or a glass of rich, red wine, whom would you choose?

Kadir: Brian Selznick. He’s a riot. Mo Willems, who’s hilarious, Norman Rockwell, and I’ll cheat with one more, N. C. Wyeth.

{Kadir is pictured here with Mo Willems and Library of Congress reference specialist Maja Keech at the 2006 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.}

7-Imp: What is your favorite word?

Kadir: “Visceral.”

7-Imp: What is your least favorite word?

Kadir: “Sigh.”

7-Imp: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Kadir: Passion, quality (or a passion for quality), and truth.

7-Imp: What turns you off?

Kadir: People who are not motivated to improve their selves or their environment.

7-Imp: What sound or noise do you love?

Kadir: The wind in the trees, LOVE it!

7-Imp: What sound or noise do you hate?

Kadir: “Sigh.”

7-Imp: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Kadir: Musician or comedian.

7-Imp: What profession would you not like to do?

Kadir: Anything that is not creative.

7-Imp: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Kadir: “Hey, there he is!”

For more online information about Kadir Nelson:

• Kadir’s official web site.
• Official web site for We Are the Ship.
• Video interview of Nelson from Hyperion/Jump at the Sun for We Are the Ship; 2008:

• “Artist Inspired by the Negro Leagues”; Kadir talks with NPR’s Farai Chideya at npr.org; March 12, 2008.
• “The Pride of the Game,” Sports Illustrated feature of We Are the Ship by Phil Taylor; online art gallery from book here; March 5, 2008.
• Feature at the web site of Major League Baseball, written by Thor Nystrom; February 18, 2008.
• “A`Ship’-full of lessons with Kadir Nelson’s children’s book on Negro Leagues” by Tom Hoffarth (includes a brief Q & A); Daily News (Los Angeles); February 17, 2008.
• “Baseball Was America’s Pastime, But Only Whites Could Play”; Q & A by Jennifer M. Brown at School Library Journal; February 14, 2008.
• “Illustrated Book Chronicles Negro League Pioneers” (includes an excerpt from the book); All Things Considered, NPR.org; January 29, 2008.
• “A video interview with Kadir Nelson” (transcript here); Reading Rockets; 2008.
• “Children’s Bookshelf Talks with Kadir Nelson”; Publishers Weekly; December 20, 2007.
• Audio interview (.mp3 file) by Sabrina Weissler at Childrensbookradio.com (download at this site — see #28); December 3, 2007.
• “Meet Kadir Nelson” by Bonnie O’Brian; California Readers Online; 2007.
• Interview by Cynthia Leitich-Smith at Cynsations; October 18, 2006.
• “Illustrator Kadir Nelson speaks at the 2006 National Book Festival”; The Library of Congress Webcasts; September 30, 2006.
• BookPage interview: “Meet Kadir Nelson”; 2005.
• “San Diego artist wins national award” by Karen Rostodha; Full Focus; KPBS San Diego; June 21, 2005.
• Feature at the Black Art Depot; 2004.
• “Shades of Greatness, Kadir Nelson” by Tom Shanahan, San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum; August 21, 2004.
• “GRITS Kidz Book Club Chats with illustrator, Kadir Nelson!”; G.R.I.T.S. Kidz Book Club; February 2004.
• “Rising Star: Kadir Nelson, illustrator”; The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books; 2000.
• Feature at The Collection Shop; Undated.
• Kadir Nelson Biography at http://biography.jrank.org; Undated.

For more online information about Kadir, visit this page at his site and this page at the site for We Are the Ship.