Xander’s Panda Party

h1 September 2nd, 2013 by jules


The first cover concept for Linda Sue Park’s Xander’s Panda Party

Author/illustrator Matt Phelan has already visited 7-Imp this year. He shared some early art from Bluffton back in July.

But he’s back again. And that’s because I reviewed Linda Sue Park’s new picture book, Xander’s Panda Party (Clarion, September 2013), which Matt illustrated, for BookPage this month, and I asked Matt if he could once again share some early sketches and such. This is a great picture book, which has already been given multiple starred reviews.

My review of the book is here over at BookPage, and I thank Matt for sharing the images today.


Matt: “A few of the many, many pandas I drew, trying to get Xander right.”


Matt: “Early character sketch. I kind of like the pose he’s doing here.”


Matt: “Rhino sketch from the dummy book.”


Matt: “This was a test for the look of the book (brush and ink with watercolor wash).”


Matt: “Party scene sketch from the dummy.”



Final art from the book
(Click either image to see the spread in its entirety)



 

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XANDER’S PANDA PARTY. Copyright © 2013 by Linda Sue Park. Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Matt Phelan. Published by Clarion Books, New York. Sketches and early art used with permission of Matt Phelan. Final art used with permission of Houghton Mifflin.





One comment to “Xander’s Panda Party

  1. Pand-aww.


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