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What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week,
Featuring Kate Beaton, Lisa Brown, & Anita Lobel

h1 July 10th, 2015 by jules


“In a kingdom of warriors, the smallest warrior was Princess Pinecone.
And she was very excited for her birthday.”
— From Kate Beaton’s The Princess and the Pony


 


“One golden morning, 26 playful pigs woke up. ‘What a day,’ they oinked as one.
‘A fine day to go exploring!'”
— From Anita Lobel’s Playful Pigs from A to Z


 


“For she was the girl-queen, Hat-shup-set!
And he’d been her hero, not just her pet!
The boldest cat ancient Egypt had seen—
the number-one cat: the cat of the queen!”
— From Marcus Ewert’s Mummy Cat, illustrated by Lisa Brown


 

Today over at Kirkus, I’ve got a little something different, and it has to do with reading and how readers respond to books. That link is here.

* * *

Last week, I wrote here about Marcus Ewert’s Mummy Cat (Clarion, July 2015), illustrated by Lisa Brown; Anita Lobel’s Playful Pigs from A to Z (Knopf, July 2015); and Kate Beaton’s The Princess and the Pony (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, June 2015). I’ve got art from each book today, and Lisa Brown also shares some preliminary images (dummies, sketches, etc.).

Enjoy!



 

From Kate Beaton’s
The Princess and the Pony:


 


“Most warriors get fantastic birthday presents. Shields, amulets, helmets with horns on them. Things to do battles with. Things that make them feel like champions. Princess Pinecone got a lot of cozy sweaters. Warriors do not need cozy sweaters.”
(Click to enlarge)


 


“Now, as it happens, a great battle was coming up,
and battling is a warrior’s favorite thing to do.”
(Click to enlarge)


 


“‘You’re right,’ said Otto.
‘But we warriors don’t often get to show our cuddly sides.'”


 


Final endpapers
(Click to enlarge)


 



 

From Anita Lobel’s
Playful Pigs from A to Z:


 


“Clara Pig cleaned a C.”
[Note: Final art says “cleaned,” not “cleansed.”]
(Click to enlarge)


 


“Philip Pig pushed a P”
(Click to enlarge)


 



 

From Marcus Ewert’s Mummy Cat,
illustrated by Lisa Brown:


 


Manuscript
(Click to enlarge)


 


Dummy
(Click to enlarge)


 



Thumbnails
(Click to enlarge and see in its entirety)


 



 


(Click to enlarge)


 


“A CAT who moves without a breath:
a mummy cat, who’s passed through Death.”
(Click to enlarge)


 



 


“But the very next picture makes Mummy Cat wail:
the queen struck down by a SCORPION’S TAIL!
Mummy Cat knows he’s not to blame —
but he couldn’t save her, all the same. …”
(Click to enlarge)


 


“And through that door, there is a room—
the very center of the tomb.
A chamber stuffed with lovely things:
a crown, a throne, four golden rings,
mirrors, dolls, and makeup kits …
Nothing that matters the slightest bit.”
(Click to enlarge)


 


“Will tonight be the night that she comes back?
Will the coffin open, even a crack?
He’ll wait, he’ll wait, till his friend reappears:
the queen of his heart …”
(Click to enlarge)


 


“Each of the following sets of hieroglyphs occurs within the pages of Mummy Cat.
Can you find them all?”
(Click to enlarge)


 



 

* * * * * * *

MUMMY CAT. Copyright © 2015 by Marcus Ewert. Illustrations © 2015 by Lisa Brown. Published by Clarion Books, Boston. Images reproduced by permission of Lisa Brown.

PLAYFUL PIGS FROM A TO Z. Copyright © 2015 by Anita Lobel. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York. Images reproduced by permission of the publisher.

Illustrations from The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton. Illustrations copyright 2015 by Kate Beaton. Used with permission from Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic.





3 comments to “What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,
Plus What I Did Last Week,
Featuring Kate Beaton, Lisa Brown, & Anita Lobel”

  1. Of course, since I ADORE Kate Beaton, I can’t wait to see her book- but the Mummy Cat is also adorable! I love the pig artwork – just so much love!

         by tanita July 10th, 2015 at 8:17 am

  2. I loved seeing the notes on the manuscript and the thumbnails for Mummy Cat. What a great book. Thank you.

         by Cheryl Blackford July 10th, 2015 at 9:41 am

  3. Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast Blog Archive Don t Let the Pigeon Stop You FromInterviewing Mo Willems Before Breakfast! Interview at Just One More Book!

         by Dyson August 8th, 2015 at 4:39 am

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