Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

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This morning at the Kirkus Book Blog Network, I take a look at author/illustrator Cece Bell’s newest creation, a chapter book called Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover. That link is here.

Last week at Kirkus, I wrote about Henry Cole’s newest picture book, Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad, to be released by Scholastic in November. That link is here, and above are some illustrations from the book. Cole’s pencil drawings are beautiful.

I also chatted with artist Hope Larson about her graphic novel adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, released by Margaret Ferguson Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux this month. That link is here.

This morning I’ve got some artwork from the book. Here below is but one set of panels, and lots more are after the read-more link.

Enjoy.

Read the rest of this entry »

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“… One of John’s favorite musicians was Lester Young, who played tenor saxophone with the Count. Lester’s sound was bouncy but deep, laughter sprinkled with tears.”
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Today’s post celebrates two new picture books about one of my favorite things: Music. Good, sweet music. I’ve got Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey, released by Clarion this month and written by the talented Gary Golio (who penned this other good picture book biography, as well as When Bob Met Woody, remember?). It’s illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez (second spread above). And I’ve got Wynton Marsalis’s Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!, released by Candlewick in October and illustrated by Paul Rogers (the spread opening this post).

Let’s start with Golio’s book, an unusual picture book biography for older readers. I describe it this way, because—as the sub-title tells you—this is, in many ways, a spiritual biography, the story of a man who set out to speak to the souls of his fans — and ultimately succeeded in doing so. And it’s fascinating. Read the rest of this entry »

A work-in-progress relief print
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Final spread
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Last month, Schwartz & Wade Books released Candace Fleming’s Oh, No!, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Eric Rohmann. Last year—hey, I see it was on my birthday, which means I had a good 2011 birthday, no doubt—Eric shared a sneak-peek at this book, and even back then, I knew we were in for a treat.

Today, Eric’s visiting 7-Imp (I’ve got my coffee ready) to show us some “in-process shots as the crashing elephant image is being cut and printed, as well as some final shots as they appear in the book.” He also shares some work-in-progress images of Tiger stalking Frog (the book’s frontmatter, as you’ll read below) and “two studio shots, which try really hard to: a). make my space look spacious, b). make it look like I’m working hard, and c). make the space seem less like a basement than it really is.”

And I’ve got a few more final spreads from the book, too. Read the rest of this entry »

“There are stories that are funny, like the one where we dress up,
playing at being someone else, someone we’d like to be.”
–From Roberto Aliaga’s A Night Time Story

“I look at the sky, I close my eyes, and my imagination begins to soar…
I fly between the clouds of the country I love: Afghanistan.”
–From Ana A. de Eulate’s The Sky of Afghanistan

This morning, I’ve got the illustrations of Sonja Wimmer, and these illustrations come from two different picture book releases. Now, I’m sorry to say that I’m having trouble determining where Sonja is from exactly, but I think perhaps the answer to that is Germany. Just don’t quote me on that.

I missed this earlier 2012 picture book title from Sonja, which I should really remedy right away at my nearest bookstore or library. (Doesn’t it sound great?) But today I’ve got artwork from Roberto Aliaga’s A Night Time Story, released in September from Cuento de Luz, originally released in Spain as Cuento de Noche, and translated into English by Jon Brokenbrow. I’ve also got some illustrations from Ana A. de Eulate’s The Sky of Afghanistan, also released in September by Cuento de Luz, originally released in Spain as El cielo de Afganistán, and also translated by Brokenbrow. All artwork is all Sonja. Read the rest of this entry »

This morning at over the Kirkus Book Blog Network, I’ve got a Q & A with illustrator and graphic novelist Hope Larson about her graphic novel adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, released by Farrar, Straus and Giroux this month. That link is here.

Tomorrow I will take a look at Henry Cole’s newest picture book, Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad, to be released by Scholastic in early November. That link will be here on Friday morning.

Last week, in case you missed it, I wrote about Michael Ian Black’s I’m Bored (Simon & Schuster, September 2012), illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Here’s that link, and below are more illustrations from the book. (Did you all see author/illustrator David Small’s thoughts on I’m Bored over at the New York Times in September? That is here.)

Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »

“Look at this man. He climbs imaginary stairs. He bows to an invisible person.
He tames a lion no one can see. He plays a violin that isn’t there. He does not speak.
His name is Marcel Marceau, and he is a mime.”
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Have you all seen the beautiful new picture book biography from Leda Schubert, Monsieur Marceau: Actor Without Words? Oh my. Illustrated by Gérard DuBois, it was released by Neal Porter/Roaring Brook in September.

Schubert tells with reverence and heart the story of the famous mime. “He is the superstar of silence, the maestro of mime … His body talks for him,” she opens. She then asks: “Who was this man who performed on stages all over the world, without speaking?”

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not the first Sunday of this month, when I tend to shine the spotlight on student or brand-spankin’-new illustrators, but last Sunday was usurped by butterbeer, remember? So, the up-and-coming illustrator feature got bumped up a bit.

Today, we get a visit from Zack Rock, who describes himself as an illustrator and jackalope fancier. He lives in Seattle and is going to tell us a bit more now about his training and plans. Let’s get right to it… Read the rest of this entry »

“Because Amelia smiled, coming down the street…”
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“When he got back to his rooftop and let his pigeons out, he wondered if maybe somehow, wherever Grandma was, she could see them.”
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First of all, see those two spreads up there? They come from the mind and paintbrush of the staggeringly talented David Ezra Stein. Last week at Kirkus, I wrote about his newest picture book, Because Amelia Smiled (Candlewick, September 2012). That column is here, if you missed it. What I wrote, partly, is that this book made me smile, it even made me get all misty-eyed from happiness, it darn well made me glad to be alive, and it made me want to stand on the corner and hand a copy to everyone I see. Now, would you want to miss a book like that?

 


 

What about this morning? Well, over at the the Book Blog Network today, I write about Michael Ian Black’s I’m Bored, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. So funny, this book about ennui (which is, of course, really about so much more). That column is here today.

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BECAUSE AMELIA SMILED. Copyright © 2012 by David Ezra Stein. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

I’M BORED. Copyright © 2012 by Michael Ian Black. Illustrations copyright © 2012 by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Illustration here reproduced by permission of the publisher, Simon & Schuster, New York.

“Sama, of Vayam, and Karune, of Gamte, stepped into the garden together.
They sat under the tree. And they began to talk.
What do you think they said?”(Click to enlarge spread)

Last week at the Kirkus Book Blog Network, I chatted with picture book author Lauren Thompson about her latest book, The Forgiveness Garden, which will be released later this month from Feiwel & Friends and which was illustrated by Christy Hale. You can see that Q & A here.

What I didn’t have room for over there last week were a few additional questions I had asked her about writing picture books in general, as well as one more particular question about this latest picture book. Below are those questions and responses, as well as some of Christy’s spreads from the book.

Enjoy.

Jules: My daughters and I have enjoyed so many of your books over the years. What do you love about writing picture books? Why write them (which I’m glad you do) and not, say, adult fiction? Read the rest of this entry »

Today, I’ve got the sleek, slick, eye-catching artwork of Canadian illustrator and designer Frank Viva to grace 7-Imp. I should probably note that I’ve got manuscript revisions givin’ me the skunk eye of scorn—kinda like mouse over here—reminding me I should be focusing on them instead, so short posts may be the name of the game for a while here. (Well, short for me.)

Viva’s new book is called A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse (September 2012), and it’s one of those fantastic TOON Books/easy-to-read comics, which I’ve written about (most recently) here at Kirkus. This is a level-one book, meaning it’s for the newest of readers.

What we have here is the tale of a young explorer and his sidekick, Mouse. The two travelers visit the beautiful Antarctic to see the sights, ride the waves in their boat, meet some penguins, and see a whale. Mouse is anxious to get home—“can we go home now?” is his repeated refrain—since the waves make it hard to do much and, based on his appearance, he’s generally anxious and ready to be back on terra firma. The final endpaper punch line, however, gives readers the rimshot ending: “Can we go back there soon?” Mouse asks. (Isn’t that the way with children on many road trip adventures?) Read the rest of this entry »