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What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week, Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Freya Blackwood, Jean-François Dumont, Wolf Erlbruch, Torben Kuhlmann, Viviane Schwarz, Annemarie van Haeringen, & Rafael Yockteng

h1 October 2nd, 2015 by jules


“‘I am the king,’ said the king. ‘Play for me!'”
— From The King and the Sea


 


— From I Am Henry Finch


 


“‘Coco! Pay attention! Pull that thread out and follow the pattern, NOW!’ …”
— From Coco and the Little Black Dress
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


“My new blanket grew just as warm and
soft and comfortable as my old blanket.”
— From My Two Blankets
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


— From Moletown
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


“When people do notice me, they make a face. I tell myself that I must not smell very good. It’s true that it’s been a long time since I’ve bathed,
but a bear smells like a bear — that’s just how it is. …”
— From I Am a Bear
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


— From Two White Rabbits
(Click to enlarge)


 

That may be my longest blog post title ever. Er, sorry to your eyes.

But it does mean that I have a lot of art for you today.

First things first: If you’re so inclined to read about the 150th birthday of Lewis Carroll’s Alice, I’ve got some thoughts over at Kirkus today about why The Complete Alice, released by Macmillan last month, is well worth your time. That link is here.

Secondly, last week I wrote here about the following picture book imports (or books created by authors and/or illustrators who live overseas):

Today I’ve got a bit of art from each one. (I don’t have art from Kes Gray’s Frog on a Log?, illustrated by Jim Field and also mentioned in my column, but it’s funny stuff.)

Enjoy all the art. …


 

From I Am Henry Finch:


 


“The finches lived in a great flock. They made such a racket all day long,
they really could not hear themselves think.”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


“He sat still and listened to his thoughts. He had more of them. He liked them. …”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 



 

From Coco and the Little Black Dress:


 


“‘I’ll never wear a corset!’ said Coco. ‘Nor endless skirts with full hips.
I’ll make a dress that you won’t even feel when you’re wearing.
A dress you can dance in and ride a bicycle with. …'”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


“Now everybody has a little black dress. And Coco?
She’s not such a little nothing at all. …”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 



 

From The King and the Sea:


 


— From “The King and the Cat”
(Click to enlarge spread and read story)


 


— From “The King and the Ghost”
(Click to enlarge spread and read story)


 



 

From I Am a Bear:


 


“I am a bear. I know, there’s no such thing as a bear who lives on the street,
right in the middle of everyone. It took me a while to admit it too. …”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


“At first, I didn’t know that I was a bear. But when I tried to speak to this little lady
who was passing by, and I saw her reaction, I started to understand.”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


” … a small voice caught my attention:
‘Why do you look so sad?'”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


“I didn’t get a chance to answer. Her father grabbed her by the hand,
and they hurried away. …”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 



 

From My Two Blankets:


 


“But the girl kept smiling.
She took me to the swings. …”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


“At first my new blanket was thin and small.
But every day I added new words to it. …”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 



 

From Moletown:


 


“The story of Moletown began many years ago. …”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


(Click to enlarge spread)


 


“Many generations later, the moles’ green meadow
had completely disappeared. Almost.”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 



 

From Two White Rabbits:


 


“When we travel, I also sleep
and I dream that I am moving, that I’m not stopping.”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 


“‘Where are we going?’ I ask sometimes,
but no one answers.”
(Click to enlarge spread)


 



 

* * * * * * *

COCO AND THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS. Copyright © 2013 by Annemarie van Haeringen. English translation copyright © 2015 by NorthSouth Books, Inc. Illustrations used by their permission.

I AM A BEAR. Text and illustrations © 2010 Jean-François Dumont. English edition © 2015 by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Illustrations used by their permission.

I AM HENRY FINCH. Text copyright © 2015 by Vivane Schwarz. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Alexis Deacon. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA on behalf of Walker Books, London.

THE KING AND THE SEA. English language edition © Gecko Press Ltd 2015. Illustrations used by their permission.

MOLETOWN. Copyright © 2015 by NorthSouth Books. Illustrations used by their permission.

MY TWO BLANKETS. Text copyright © 2014 by Irena Kobald. Illustrations © 2014 by Freya Blackwood. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston.

TWO WHITE RABBITS. Text copyright © 2015 by Jairo Buitrago. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Rafael Yockteng. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Groundwood Books, Canada.





3 comments to “What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week, Plus What I Did Last Week, Featuring Freya Blackwood, Jean-François Dumont, Wolf Erlbruch, Torben Kuhlmann, Viviane Schwarz, Annemarie van Haeringen, & Rafael Yockteng”

  1. […] Am a Bear by Jean-Fançois Dumont was featured by Julie Danielson on her Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast […]

         by EBYR All Over: October 9, 2015 | Eerdlings October 9th, 2015 at 8:55 am

  2. […] also wrote about some new picture book imports a few weeks ago (here’s the art-filled follow-up post), and I didn’t get in time some art from Frog on a Log? […]

         by Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast » Blog Archive » What I’m Doing at Kirkus This Week,Plus What I Did Last Week,Featuring Chris Riddell and Jim Field October 16th, 2015 at 12:01 am

  3. […] few towns away.     On Influences:   As of late, I’ve been taken with the work of Wolf Erlbruch, and William Steig has been a big influence on me (though there is not always a direct visual link) […]

         by Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast » Blog Archive » 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #460: FeaturingUp-and-Coming Illustrator, Kerry Dwyer December 6th, 2015 at 12:01 am

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