Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

This illustration happens to be my very favorite picture book illustration from all of 2008. (What? Such categories actually do exist in my head.) And I’m taking the liberty of pulling it from the 7-Imp archives to re-post here. My visitors this morning mention this picture book below, and so I take every chance I can get to share Robert Andrew Parker’s art.

Okay, wait. While I’m at it, let me re-post this, too, from a book also mentioned below:

You must click on that image to super-size it. No, really. You MUST. Because it’s a gorgeous spread is what it is. That comes from illustrator André Carrilho in Jonah Winter’s You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!, also published by Schwartz & Wade Books in 2009.

Back to my visitors: I’m doing something different and altogether new for me here at 7-Imp this morning, the sort of thing that is more up Steven Withrow’s alley, but there’s a first time for everything, yes? I’m having a brief chat today with Anne Schwartz and Lee Wade, who five years ago created the Schwartz & Wade imprint at Random House. Evidently, they’re celebrating this anniversary with a blog tour of sorts. I was asked if I wanted to be involved, and given the fact that I’ve followed their picture books with interest over the past five years, I thought it’d be neat to take the opportunity to ask them their thoughts on picture books today and what’s next for the imprint. If I didn’t have my own writing deadline right now, I would have asked them more than just four whoppin’ questions, but I’m glad we were able to do this at all.

The best part—bonus!—is that they share some picture book art below, and you all know what an illustration junkie I am. I know many of you 7-Imp readers out there are, too, so I’m happy to share.

As a brief bit of background here, Anne and Lee worked together at Simon & Schuster for just under ten years before working at Random House. During their careers, they have had a particular focus on picture books, so I’m happy to have them visiting today. Let’s get right to it… Read the rest of this entry »

Meet the wee child version of author/illustrator Anna Alter, as photographed years ago by her father, photographer Gary Alter.

So, here’s something I don’t normally do at 7-Imp: I’m posting about a book I haven’t read yet. Nope, haven’t seen a copy yet of Anna’s newest picture book, A Photo for Greta (Knopf, May 2011), pictured below. But I couldn’t pass up this post. For one, I very much enjoy following Anna’s career and her latest picture book releases. But I think this is also, as you will see, a fitting and straight-up lovely post for Father’s Day, thanks to Anna’s contributions here. In fact, the New York Times called this book a “paean to paternal love.”

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This morning at Kirkus, I discuss two favorite summer picture book titles, Nina Crews’ The Neighborhood Sing-Along (Greenwillow, May 2011) and Meg Medina’s debut picture book title, Tía Isa Wants a Car (Candlewick, June 2011), illustrated by Claudio Muñoz. Nina Crews will be visiting 7-Imp next week for a breakfast interview, but first I take a look at her latest title (though her Jack and the Beanstalk comes out next month, and I’m looking forward to seeing that, too). The link is here this morning.

Last week, I weighed in on Chronicle Books’ new picture book collection of Edward Lear’s nonsense poetry, as “masterminded” by Daniel Pinkwater (who visited 7-Imp here in 2009) and illustrated by Calef Brown (who visited with his elephant that same year).

That Kirkus link is here, if you missed it last week, and below are some spreads and early sketches from Calef. I thank him for sharing.

(Opening this post and pictured right are Brown’s renditions of Lear’s Owl and Pussycat. You may click on the illustration at the top of the post to see the entire spread from which each image comes, along with Lear’s poem, “The Owl and the Pussycat,” in its entirety.)

Enjoy.

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I may have mentioned seven skerjillion times or so here at 7-Imp that I like sun images. Here’s my favorite stamp. I really own … let’s see … one stamp. Yup. That one. Because a sun stamp is all a person really needs. My daughters’ burgeoning collection of dinosaur stamps disagrees with me. RAAOOOORRR! they tell me and threaten to stampede, but I still say a sun is better any day.

Another reason I’m posting a lovely sun today is to inform 7-Imp readers that I’m taking several days off to go soak in some sun rays of my own. (I’m embarking on what I like to call my “redneck staycation,” but I won’t bore you with details.) Part of my goal, though it is a local staycation of sorts, is to stay away from work email and blog email and typing and Facetwitter and this, that, and the other. Think I can do it? I think so. But wish me luck anyway (because I really just like talking to many of you who live far away).

I’ve got some fun and talented visitors to 7-Imp waiting in the cyber-wings. And I’ll be back on Friday. See you then.

In the meantime, check out the winners of the 2011 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards! (Seven cheers for ANNA HIBISCUS, which I’m yelling in excitement!) Such good choices, and I’m particularly happy to see Salley Mavor win for Picture Book! (Here’s my December 2010 interview with her for fellow fans to read and enjoy.)

Have a sunny, most excellent week, all.

This illustration is from an upcoming self-published picture book from husband and wife author and illustrator team, John Seven and Jana Christy. The book is all about anarchy. How much do I love this idea and its execution?

A lot, I tell you. Read the rest of this entry »

This morning over at Kirkus, I discuss His Shoes Were Far Too Tight, Chronicle Books’s recently-released collection of Edward Lear poems, “masterminded” by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Calef Brown. The link is here.

If you missed last week’s column, I wrote an ode of sorts to the TOON Books series (now a Candlewick imprint). These early-reader comics were launched in 2008 by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman, and they deliver on many levels. Here’s the scoop.

Below are some spreads from Geoffrey Hayes’s Patrick in a Teddy Bear’s Picnic and Other Stories (April 2011). Opening this post is a spread from Agnès Rosenstiehl’s new Silly Lilly title, What Will I Be Today? (February 2011). And just below here is the spread that follows that one in the book. (Interested folks can read further about the TOON Books series at this 2008 7-Imp post, as well as this 2009 interview with Geoffrey Hayes, which includes lots of art from his previous TOON titles with the irrepressible Benny and Penny.)

Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »

“For eighteen years, Craig Frazier worked as a graphic designer, producing trademarks, brochures, annual reports, packaging, posters, and advertising. He had bustling offices in the San Francisco Design Center, a staff of six, a client list which included companies like Apple, Herman Miller, Nestle, Steelcase, LucasArts, Oracle, and Kia Motors. His award-winning work was regularly featured in the best design magazines…and is held in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

And then, five years ago, Frazier threw it all away.”

That’s the beginning of this compelling article by Kirk Citron for a 2002 issue of Graphis. Citron goes on to write:

The remarkable thing about Craig Frazier is that at the peak of his professional career, he chose to start anew. Without any guarantees, without any steady source of income – and with a wife and two children at home depending on him – he decided to follow his heart.

Frazier’s transition from graphic design to illustration has served quite well those of us who enjoy his children’s books. Noting that he felt graphic design was “anonymous,” he made the move to illustration, telling Citron he “couldn’t find the Craig” in the design work he was doing. Now, he is … well, showing us the Craig in his work, clearly bringing his designer’s eye and palette and graphic sensibilities to the task with his high-intensity, bold illustrations in his (mostly) wordless titles. In his latest title (lots of art is pictured below), he uses—as I noted over at my Kirkus column in April—rich, unflinching hues and elemental shapes to depict the travels of a bird and a bee, showing the youngest of readers that perspective alone can alter the very definition of a landscape.

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I admit that I sometimes envision what it would be like to be the kind of picture-book blogger who just flings up images of spreads from books without any kind of book summary or extended thoughts ‘n’ ramblings about why I like said books. It would be easier and less time-consuming that way. I could even do way more posts if all I’m showing is art. But I just can’t do that. I feel like I owe my blog readers at least a little bit more than just pasting images.

That said, though, it’s late as I type this, yet I want to show you some spreads. So, I shall. And, since it’s past my bed time, all I will say is that a) these are from Chris Raschka’s May title from Schwartz & Wade, called A Ball for Daisy; b) as I’ve already made clear numerous times here at the blog (most notably in my 2009 interview with him, but also note this post’s title), I’m a raging fan of Raschka’s minimalist, vigorously-stroked artwork; and c) I really like this book.

It’s about friendship (a dog and his favorite ball) and loss (ball gets busted by large, over-enthusiastic dog in park) and how a friend can comfort you when you feel such loss (little girl pet-owner pets sad dog, whose red ball is kaput and who is way past the aggle flabble klabble stage and is merely just lying drained on the couch). And how one can make up for such sadness (overenthusiastic dog and his pet owner bring a new blue ball* the next day to the sad dog).

See, if anyone’s gonna tell such a story which, on the surface, involves merely a dog and a ball and make you feel something, Raschka can. I even got fairly verklempt for a moment, in spite of myself. It’s downright moving — and told with such seeming simplicity. And it’s all wordless. Read the rest of this entry »

Dude. What is that poor child going to do? That ginormous creature is hungry. I don’t know the answer, but perhaps one day we’ll see them in a picture book. It’s the first Sunday of the month, and that means I shine the spotlight today on a student or brand-new illustrator. Today I welcome a student. Her name is Rachel Levit, and here she is to tell you more about her work and how she hopes to make picture books one day (thereby increasing our chances of discovering the fate of the ice cream cone). Read the rest of this entry »

That’s one of my favorite picture book spreads from 2011. Yes, indeedy, it is.

This morning over at Kirkus I will be discussing the wonderful beginning reader series from TOON Books (a Candlewick imprint), which has been going strong since 2008. There are two new 2011 TOON titles, and this morning I briefly discuss the latest one. The link is here.

Last week, I talked about some new picture book biographies. The link is here, if you missed it. Today is when I show you some artwork from each of those titles here at 7-Imp, and I’m going to throw in, at the bottom, some spreads from a book I wanted to mention last week, yet didn’t have the room to mention: Marissa Moss’s Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero (Abrams, March 2011), illustrated by John Hendrix. More on that in a moment.

But, first, here are some illustrations to pore over. Remember, to read about them, hit last week’s Kirkus column. Below is the artwork only. Oh! But also: Bonnie Christensen, who visited me for breakfast here in 2009, not only shares some artwork below from her picture book biography of Andy Warhol, but she talks a bit about it, as well as discusses her process for creating the art. Incidentally, Bonnie also had the opportunity years ago, while working in New York theatre, to perform with Warhol “superstars” Taylor Mead, Viva, and Ultra Violet in The Rites of Spring, written and directed by Taylor Mead, at the Actors Studio. Bonnie addresses that below, too. Bonus!

Enjoy.

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