Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Early sketch and final art
(Click each to enlarge)

 
Do you all remember, back in 2013, when Phoebe Wahl visited 7-Imp as an an “up-and-coming illustrator”? I’m happy to be writing here today about her second picture book, Backyard Fairies (Knopf, March 2018). I love to see her artwork, and this book is a delight.

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“But when I hold the water in my hands, it’s as clear as glass.
I toss it up in the air to make diamonds.”
— From Jillian Tamaki’s They Say Blue
(Click to enlarge spread)

 

— From Geraldo Valério’s Blue Rider
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
Over at Kirkus today, I’ve got a Swedish picture book import.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Jillian Tamaki’s They Say Blue (Abrams, March 2018), as well as Geraldo Valério’s Blue Rider (Groundwood, March 2018). I’m following up today with art from each book.

Enjoy!

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Over at Kirkus today, I talk to Dr. Rosita Worl (pictured here), President of Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau.

Several years ago, the Institute developed Baby Raven Reads, a groundbreaking, culturally-based program promoting early literacy and school readiness for Alaska Native children. I’ve seen a selection of their 2017 picture books, vividly-illustrated traditional tales by writers and illustrators from the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. Dr. World tells me more about the Institute and Baby Raven Reads in our chat today.

Pictured above is the cover of Shanyaak’utlaax: Salmon Boy, which was awarded the 2018 Best Picture Book from ALA’s American Indian Library Association. I will have some art from that, as well as from some of their other titles, in a follow-up post here at 7-Imp next week.

The Q&A is here.

Until tomorrow …

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Photo of Dr. Worl by Scott Areman, courtesy of Sealaska Heritage Institute.

 
Here’s a treat for any 7-Imp readers who, like me, read and enjoyed Italian illustrator and graphic designer Francesca Sanna’s award-winning The Journey, released in 2016. If you didn’t read this striking story of a refugee family, Sanna’s picture book debut, you can read more about it here in a post I wrote at Kirkus that year. (And I posted art from it here.)

Sanna will be back this year with a follow-up story about a young girl experiencing life in a new country. She’s an immigrant in a new city with a new neighborhood to explore and a new school to attend, struggling to acclimate. The book, Me and My Fear (Flying Eye Books), will be on shelves this September. (I was fortunate to read an early copy.) Evidently, Francesca received a grant to work with the Centre for the Study of Internationalism (the Reluctant Internationalists project at Birkbeck, University of London) and spent a year in classrooms with immigrant children. The result of that is this new picture book, which is a raw, tender story about fear, something to which all children certainly can relate, immigrants or not. To be sure, though, this is specifically about the immigrant experience — when the teacher can’t pronounce your name and when you can’t understand others (even that one kid, who kindly tries to befriend you). Even worse, no one can understand you. Read the rest of this entry »

 
I may have said this a thousand times before here at 7-Imp, but I love the work of illustrator Charlotte Voake.

Her newest picture book is Chris Butterworth’s The Things That I Love About Trees (Candlewick, February 2018). Here, Butterworth pays tribute to trees through the seasons, beginning with Spring. We see a young girl leave her home (I love that it’s an apartment complex — she may not have her own yard, but one can always seek out trees) and head out with her cat — or at least a neighborhood cat — to explore.

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From Yves Nadon’s We Are Brothers,
illustrated by Jean Claverie
(Click to enlarge spread)

 

— From Juniper Fitzgerald’s How Mamas Love Their Babies,
illustrated by Elise Peterson

 

“We need to talk about the big bed.”
— From Bunmi Laditan’s The Big Bed,
illustrated by Tom Knight
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
Over at Kirkus today, things are quite blue. That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Yves Nadon’s We Are Brothers (Creative Editions, March 2018), illustrated by Jean Claverie; Juniper Fitzgerald’s How Mamas Love Their Babies (Feminist Press, February 2018), illustrated by Elise Peterson; and Bunmi Laditan’s The Big Bed (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, February 2018), illustrated by Tom Knight.

I’m following up today with art from each book.

Enjoy!

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“‘I don’t know the city,’ stated the owl.
‘Why haven’t we seen you before?’ asked the frog.
‘Maybe, later, you could give me some milk?’ said the mouse.
‘I lived in another place before,’ I answered, ‘but Dad has left me here for a few days. He’ll come and get me soon.'”
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
Last week, I chatted here over at Kirkus with Colombian illustrator Rafael Yockteng about his newest book with author Jairo Buitrago, On the Other Side of the Garden (Groundwood, March 2018).

Today, I follow up with some art from the book.

Enjoy!

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“Now Baby Monkey is ready!”

 
I’ve a review over at BookPage of David Serlin’s and Brian Selznick’s Baby Monkey, Private Eye (Scholastic, February 2018) — part picture book, part graphic novel, and part beginning reader. If you’re so inclined to go read about it, that review is here. I’m following up here at 7-Imp today with a bit of art from it.

I also noticed recently over at Kirkus that Megan Labrise talked to both David and Brian about this book. That is here. I love how they describe it as a book with no elevator pitch. Yep. That pretty much covers it.

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“Mamas call. Vini! Come!
We play on.”

 
It’s a pleasure to have a visit today from illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara, who lives and works in Chicago. Her first picture book, The Field (NorthSouth Books, March 2018) — written by Baptiste Paul (this is also his debut), who was born and raised in the West Indies — is about an exuberant game of futbol (soccer). Everyone splits into teams of “friends versus friends” to play, even powering through a tropical rainstorm. (Mud doesn’t stop them.) Baptiste bases the story on his experiences growing up in Saint Lucia and peppers the text with Creole words, as spoken in Saint Lucia.

Before illustrating, Jacqueline taught high school art and photography. She won the inaugural We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) Illustration Mentorhsip Award, as well as the WNDB Walter Grant. Below, she shares some process images, as well as a bit of final artwork, from the book and also talks about her other work in the field of illustration.

I thank her for visiting. Let’s get right to it.

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“Shade your eyes from a bright CIRCLE.”
— From Kate Riggs’ Shapes All Around,
illustrated by Laëtitia Devernay
(Click to enlarge spread)

 

— From Steve Light’s Black Bird Yellow Sun
(Click to enlarge spread)

 

“You can climb inside and there read a book.”
— From the board book edition of Jane Yolen’s What To Do With a Box,
illustrated by Chris Sheban

 
Things — that is, three brand-new picture books — are all-in-the-family over at my Kirkus column today. That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Kate Riggs’ Shapes All Around, illustrated by Laëtitia Devernay (Creative Editions, March 2018); Steve Light’s Black Bird Yellow Sun (Candlewick, March 2018); and the board book edition of Jane Yolen’s What To Do With a Box (Creative Editions, April 2018), illustrated by Chris Sheban.

I’ve art from each book today.

Enjoy!

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