What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week,
Featuring Luc Melanson,
Christopher Silas Neal, and Stephanie Yue
![h1](http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/wp-content/themes/impossiblethings/images/h1.gif)
He didn’t seem very sad, but I know he loved that tree.”
— From Charis Wahl’s Rosario’s Fig Tree,
illustrated by Luc Melanson (Groundwood, March 2015)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt_Int_3_Snap snakesmall.jpg)
Down in the dirt, a smooth, shining garter snake crunches on supper.”
— From Kate Messner’s Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt,
illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
(Chronicle, March 2015)
(Click to enlarge spread)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/SuchALittleMouse_PP10-11small.jpg)
Such a little mouse. Off he goes into the wide world.”
— From Alice Schertle’s Such a Little Mouse,
illustrated by Stephanie Yue (Orchard Books, March 2015)
(Click to enlarge spread)
This morning over at Kirkus, I write about two new picture books I really like, one out on shelves in mid-March and one, not till the Fall, though it was released overseas many years ago. That link is here.
Last week, I wrote here about the three picture books above. I have art (and covers) from each book below.
Enjoy.
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/SuchALittleMouse_PP18-19small.jpg)
He feels the autumn wind tickle his whiskers.
‘Winter is coming,’ whispers the wind.”
(Click to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/SuchALittleMouse_PP26-27small.jpg)
(Click to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt_Int_1small.jpg)
my hands full of seeds and my head full of dreams.”
(Click to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt_Int_2small.jpg)
(Click to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt_Int_3small.jpg)
They snuffle and dig, and gobble cutworms while I sleep.”
(Click to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt cover use.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Pages from RosariosFigTree_InterimPagessmall.jpg)
(Click to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Pages from RosariosFigTree_InterimPages-2small.jpg)
It had a tree in it as tall as he is. ‘It’s a fig tree,’ he said. ‘At home
we have fig trees everywhere. Here it’s too cold for figs. But we’ll see.’
He took the tree out of the pot and planted it in a hole.”
(Click to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Pages from RosariosFigTree_InterimPages-3left.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Pages from RosariosFigTree_InterimPages-4small.jpg)
and the cold wind swooshed around the garden.
Did dead things feel lonely?”
(Click to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Pages from RosariosFigTree_InterimPages-5small.jpg)
(Click to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/Pages from RosariosFigTree_InterimPages-5cutting.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2015/02/rosariosfigtreecoveruse.jpg)
ROSARIO’S FIG TREE. Text copyright © 2015 by Charis Wahl. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Luc Melanson. Published in Canada and the USA in 2015 by Groundwood Books. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher.
SUCH A LITTLE MOUSE. Text copyright © 2015 by Alice Schertle. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Stephanie Yue. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., New York.
UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT. Text copyright © 2015 by Kate Messner. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Christopher Silas Neal. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.