Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Here’s the day-three blog blast tour schedule. I’ll be here tomorrow with pop-up master Matthew Reinhart on my arm.

• Michael Trinklein at Chasing Ray
• Nick Burd at A Fuse #8 Production
• Tom Siddell at Finding Wonderland
• Sarah Darer Littman at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Jessica Leader at Shaken & Stirred

• Mary Jane Beaufrand at The YA YA YAs
• Rita Williams-Garcia at A Fuse #8 Production
• Jennifer Hubbard at Writing and Ruminating
• Charise Mericle Harper at Shelf Elf
• Holly Schindler at Bildungsroman

It’s time again for the Summer Blog Blast Tour, and here’s the master schedule. If you’re thinking “blog blast tour”…hubba wha?…wubba huh?…what in the what the?, it’s basically a whole bunch of interviews with authors and illustrators at a whole bunch of blogs during the week. This week, I’m hosting pop-up virtuoso Matthew Reinhart on Thursday. For the rest of the week, I’ll merely be linking to others’ interviews, since Matthew sent me precisely seven skerjillion images for the interview. This is a good thing — but takes a bit of time to format.

Here’s today’s schedule. Enjoy:

• Kate Milford at Chasing Ray;
• Mac Barnett at A Fuse #8 Production;
• Hazardous Players at Finding Wonderland;
• Malinda Lo at Shelf Elf;
• Barbara Dee at Bildungsroman.

I apologize in advance to my readers this morning that I’ll be talking about a book you can’t get here in the States (yet?), but I’m making it up to you by featuring the work of Australian author/illustrator Gus Gordon, who wrote and illustrated said book. You know I love to shine the spotlight on international illustrators when I can. (Ooo! Ooo! If I had more blog-time in life, I’d make it a regular feature here at the blog. A girl can dream.) And I’ve seen a copy of Gus’s latest book, Wendy, published last year by Penguin Books in Australia. I have no idea if it will eventually be published in the U.S., but I hope so, because it’s wonderful. The dry humor in the book is laugh-outloud funny, and Gus’s cartoon illustrations are just right.

Wendy tells the story of … you guessed it: Wendy. Wendy is a chicken. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m having some cyber-coffee this morning with author/illustrator Thacher Hurd and author/illustrator Elisa Kleven. I’m ridiculously happy about this. I mean, you know, that’s just some good company there. Think some of their collective talent will rub off on me this morning? No? Well, I try. I always try.

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Observant 7-Imp readers may remember that one day, back in November of 2009, I mentioned this great book (pictured below), buried deep in my kicks for that Sunday: Read the rest of this entry »

I love Kate Klise’s and M. Sarah Klise’s Little Rabbit books. How about you? Today, in honor of Mother’s Day, I’m featuring some art from Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth, released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in April.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULES!!!

BWAH-HA-HA-HAH!!!! You didn’t think I’d do it this year, did you? Seeing as I’m all retired from 7-Imp. Well, you thought wrong, birthday girl. Check it:

BOOYAH!

Since I both speak and write in hyperbole sometimes, you may not believe me when I say the book featured in this morning’s post is one of my favorite picture books from 2010. But have mercy, dear readers, and believe me, because here’s the thing: I can’t cover every picture book released in this world, now can I? So, I cover my very favorites from the year (hence, the rampant approbation and high regard for titles here at the ‘ol blawg, all hyperbole aside), and this is one. This right here is such a winning picture book on every level that I’ll be flat-out impressed with myself, something I rarely am, if my words can do it justice this morning.

Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don’t), written by Barbara Bottner and illustrated by Michael Emberley, tells the story of one passionate librarian and one very stubborn young reader:

Miss Brooks is our librarian. She loves books. A lot…I ask Miss Brooks why she dresses up for reading circle. “I want you to get as excited about books as I am,” she says. I think Miss Brooks get a little too excited. And I bet her costumes itch.

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Author (and architect) Mina Javaherbin is here this morning to talk a bit about her debut picture book title, Goal! (Candlewick, April 2010), illustrated by A.G. Ford. Goal! tells the story of a group of friends in a poor South African township who revel in a game of football. (That’s soccer to those of us on this side of the big pond.) Ajani has earned a new federation-sized football for being the best reader in his class, and he presents it to his friends with great pride as they set up goals and begin to play. “The streets are not safe, but I have a plan,” Ajani tells his friends: They will take turns, guarding for the bullies in the neighborhood. Then, the game commences, and the game’s tension and excitement—as well as the boys’ passion for the game—leaps off the page in these sprawling oil spreads from Ford. Even when they are “trapped” after the bullies arrive, Ajani quickly devises a plan to keep their new ball from getting stolen. (But I won’t give that away here, in case you want to read for yourself.)

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