My Kirkus Q&A with Cece Bell
![h1](http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/wp-content/themes/impossiblethings/images/h1.gif)
Over at Kirkus today, I’ve got a chat with author-illustrator Cece Bell about her new Chick and Brain beginning reader series. The first book, on shelves next week, is called Smell My Foot!, which is a very funny book. Expect howls of laughter from the beginning readers you know.
If you want to read our chat, you can head here.
Below, I have some early sketches from Cece, as well as some final art (and other fun stuff). I thank her for sharing!
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/EarlyWorkingTitleuse.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/EarlySmellsmall.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/EarlySmell2small.jpg)
(Click each to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/HandmadeFoamLettersuse.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/TooManyColorsChartuse.jpg)
making everything I touch too bright. So, I was trying to tone it down …”
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/EarlyColorSampleuse.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/ColorChartMainColorsuse.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/ColorChartGradients finaluse.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/GeoMartha.jpg)
(something I do when feeling blue) …”
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/MarshallPaletteSample01small.jpg)
It must be embedded in my brain. I kept the palette, because why not have a little tribute to the master? I liked pretending that Marshall’s ghost was watching me work and giggling at some of the stuff I would hope he might find funny.”
(Click image to enlarge)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/smf1left.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/smf1right.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/smf2left.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/smf2right.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/smf3left.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/smf3right.jpg)
![](http://blaine.org/7pics/2019/08/smfcover.jpg)
CHICK AND BRAIN: SMELL MY FOOT. Copyright © 2019 by Cece Bell. Final art above reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA. All other images reproduced by permission of Cece Bell.