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What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Holly Meade

h1 October 28th, 2011 by jules


“As restless animals prowl at night, / As they pace and roar and growl at night…”
(Click to enlarge)

This morning over at Kirkus, I shine the spotlight on Steven Withrow’s worthy new venture, Poetry Advocates for Children & Young Adults, or PACYA. My Q&A with Withrow about PACYA is here, and next week I’ll have a bit more with Steven, too (here at 7-Imp).

* * *

In last week’s column, I wrote about Susan Campbell Bartoletti’s beautiful new picture book, Naamah and the Ark at Night (pictured above), an August Candlewick release, illustrated with watercolor collages by Holly Meade. Here are some spreads below, followed by spreads from another of Holly’s titles this year (April 2011, also from Candlewick), one she both wrote and illustrated, called If I Never Forever Endeavor.

The latter title, as Holly explained in her 2009 visit to 7-Imp, is “a story about a small bird and his internal dabate over whether to attempt that first flight from his safe nest — or not.” Those collage illustrations were rendered in watercolors and linoleum block printing.

Enjoy the art . . .

* * * * * * *


“She sings and strokes their hair at night; / She sings a bedtime prayer at night.”
(Click to enlarge)


“Two by two, wings furl at night. / Two by two, tails curl at night.”
(Click to enlarge)

* * * * * * *


“If I did endeavor, and found my wings clever, / I could see the world!”
(Click to enlarge)


“But, look there . . . / if I don’t fly, / I won’t know / what it is / to swoop low /
or soar high, / or what it’s like to / pluck a sweet bug / from the sky.”
(Click to enlarge)


“Or float alongside a friend…”
(Click to enlarge)

* * * * * * *

Note: Over at the Horn Book’s Calling Caldecott this week (you are reading that, right?), don’t miss the discussion about Naamah.

NAAMAH AND THE ARK AT NIGHT. Text copyright © 2011 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Illustrations copyright © 2011 by Holly Meade. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

IF I NEVER FOREVER ENDEAVOR. Copyright © 2011 by Holly Meade. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.





2 comments to “What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Holly Meade”

  1. […] friend and advisory board member Julie Danielson has posted an interview with PACYA founder Steven Withrow at her weekly blog for Kirkus Reviews. […]

         by Kirkus Reviews Blog Features PACYA | Poetry at Play October 28th, 2011 at 6:15 am

  2. Holly Meade is such a wonderful author, and her words are beautiful. I’m excited to add more of her to my library!

         by Amaranth October 31st, 2011 at 10:35 pm

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