Random (Quickie) Illustrator Feature: Joseph Kelly
August 12th, 2010 by jules
Because I had less time for blog-writing last weekend, today’s post is another quickie art-stop post. Have you all seen yet Marjorie Blain Parker’s A Paddling of Ducks, illustrated by Joseph Kelly? Published by Kids Can Press in March, it’s subtitled Animals in Groups from A to Z. And, it occurs to me just now, wouldn’t it be fun to pair with this, seeing as how both books feature collective nouns for creatures (whether real or imaginary)? Woot! Good times.
Anyhoo, what I love in particular here in this offering are Kelly’s illustrations, which feature lots of fun—and often surreal—details for the child reader. Rendered in “oils, acrylic and the occasional pixel,” they depict each group of animals having some wacky fun in what appears to be the smack-dab center of summer. We’re talkin’ a bloat of hippos on exercise bikes, quails on scooters, and some marathon-going salmon. Publishers Weekly called it “delightfully offbeat.” (“The anthropomorphic animals feel anatomically authentic, but with exaggerated joie de vivre to spare.”) The illustrations are rich and engaging; give this one to a child reader and watch him or her pore over these detailed spreads.
Here are some examples. Enjoy.
Text copyright © 2010 Marjorie Blain Parker. Illustrations copyright © 2010 Joseph Kelly. Reprinted by permission of Kids Can Press.
How I LOVE that! The crocs look like they’re at Ascot.
The ant army devouring the aardvark’s donut behind his Starbuck’s cup while he’s surfing the internet. (He’s probably reading 7-Imp…) Ha!
And I like the idea of learning new animal groups; I need to add to my limited ‘gaggle of geese’ vocabulary.
Alphabety animals. *swoon* Look at those bears bears bears . . . 🙂
I just was perusing your archives and love what you’ve got here. I’ve got a new blog up and running with a mixture of childrens’ lit, education and author info. Feel free to check it out and add it to your list of blogs out there.
MPFlory.blogspot.com
The cover (look how HAPPY they are!) + concept (words for groups) = on request immediately.