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2011 Holiday Illustration Before Breakfast #1
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What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week &
Some Very Possible and Very Festive
2011 Holiday Illustrations Before Breakfast #2

h1 December 2nd, 2011 by jules


“‘Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all the way.’ While Adelaide hopped, Kathryn sang. Just then a big dog came along. He barked at Adelaide. ‘WOOF! WOOF!’ It scared Adelaide. She had never seen such a big dog before. High into the air she leaped. Then she hopped down the street at top speed. ‘Not so fast, Adelaide,’ Kathryn said. But Adelaide was too frightened to slow down. She hopped faster and faster.
She jumped over people’s heads.”
(Click to enlarge spread)

This morning at Kirkus, I’m taking a look at Lita Judge’s newest picture book, Red Sled. Such a good book, but I tell you why over there. The link is here. (Note: Next week I’ll feature an interview with Lita.)

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Yesterday, I featured a festive holiday illustration from the one and only Brock Cole — all in the name of a last-minute idea to feature some 2011 holiday titles during the month of December. For today’s featured title, I’ve got more than one illustration. Hey, if it’s James Flora, it’s hard to pick just one.

Commercial artist Jim Flora’s Kangaroo for Christmas was originally published in 1962 by Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc, but the art was restored (digitally) for this October 2011 re-release by Enchanted Lion Books.

A young girl named Kathryn receives a huge box on her doorstop the day before Christmas. “I hope it’s full of candy,” she says. But something inside is scratching. Turns out it’s none other than a kangaroo. “She’s just exactly what I’ve always wanted. I’ll call her Adelaide, and she’ll be my best friend,” the girls says to her dumbfounded father. On the way to visit Kathryn’s Grandma, a dog barks at Adelaide and scares her. She begins to hop very fast over the town and generally causes some serious mayhem. Kathryn and her new pet do eventually arrive at Grandma’s, who has a solution to the problem at hand.

Here are some more spreads. Enjoy!


“HOP! HOP! Through the bakery they flew. Adelaide got a cake for a hat and doughnuts for her tail. JUMP! They bounced from the bakery into the toy shop. Adelaide landed on roller skates and — KA-ZOOM! She rolled through the checker games and the electric trains. KA-PLOW! All of the talking dolls fell on their heads,
and the teddy bears got mixed with the dump trucks.”
(Click to enlarge spread)


“They hadn’t gone very far when a big truck honked its horn. Adelaide squeaked with fright and started to hop, even though she was stuck to the roof. Soon the whole car began to jiggle and jump. ‘Oh, Adelaide! Please stop,’ Grandma said. But Adelaide was too frightened. She hopped harder and higher, and so did the car.”
(Click to enlarge spread)


“Everybody dropped his bundles and ran. No one had ever seen an automobile hop down the street. It scared people. It scared Grandma and Kathryn too. ‘Oh dear, I do hope I can steer,’ Grandma said. They whizzed around policemen and taxicabs. They hopped over mailboxes and fireplugs, and Grandma steered all the way to Kathryn’s house. She didn’t hit a single thing!”
(Click to enlarge spread)

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KANGAROO FOR CHRISTMAS. Published in 2011 by Enchanted Lion Books. Originally published 1962, © by James Flora. Images here reproduced by permission of the publisher.





2 comments to “What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week &
Some Very Possible and Very Festive
2011 Holiday Illustrations Before Breakfast #2”

  1. Another gem, Jules. December is going to be such fun. Thanks and Happy Friday!

         by Margie Culver December 2nd, 2011 at 5:29 am

  2. Oh another one I feel I must have!! Looks great!

         by Stacey December 2nd, 2011 at 10:58 am

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