Sketches & Art from Rafael López and Renée Kurilla
April 9th, 2015 by jules
— From Margarita Engle’s Orangutanka,
illustrated by Renée Kurilla
— From Margarita Engle’s Drum Dream Girl,
illustrated by Rafael López
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Last week over at Kirkus, I talked here with Margarita Engle and Rafael López about Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 2015). Today, I’m following up with some early sketches and final art from Rafael.
And since Margarita also saw the release last month of Orangutanka: A Story in Poems (Henry Holt), illustrated by Renée Kurilla, I’ve got some sketches and art from Renée as well. Tanka is an ancient Japanese poetry, consisting of five lines, and in this entertaining picture book, Margarita tells the story of an orangutan who refuses to nap. A great choice for National Poetry Month (this month) and an excellent writing prompt for children, Kirkus calls it a “playful and instructive introduction to a little-known form of verse,” and School Library Journal describes it as a “sprightly introduction to orangutans through nimble wordplay.” Renée’s spirited illustrations, rendered via pencil and ink and colored digitally, are alive with movement and color.
Enjoy the art!
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the drum dream girl / dreamed …”
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believed that only boys / should play drums …”
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secret / drumbeat / dreams.”
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of her own footsteps / and the comforting pat / of her own heartbeat.”
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dreamy drum rhythm / on tables and chairs …”
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small bongó drums / and big, round, silvery / moon-bright timbales.”
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his great weight makes/ low branches waltz slowly”
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watches the dazzling fruit feast / and discovers butterflies”
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sister has a chance / to glance down at the children /
who dance like orangutans!”
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DRUM DREAM GIRL. Copyright © 2015 by Margarita Engle. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Rafael López. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. Images here reproduced by permission of Rafael López.
ORANGUTANKA. Copyright © 2015 by Margarita Engle. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Renée Kurilla. Published by Henry Holt and Company, New York. Images here reproduced by permission of Renée Kurilla.
Such eye-catching, striking work! Thank you for sharing these images.
Love Renée’s art! And Rafael’s is gorgeous, too! 🙂
Renee’s work is stunning!
I love it, Renée! So great to see all of these together after many months of anticipation. They’re beautiful. And Rafael Lopez’s work–wow, the compositions are just fantastic. The ‘dreamy drum rhythm’ scene is spectacular. Margarita Engle has a lot to celebrate at the moment!