Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

“‘Little Black Fish, are you still breathing?’ she asked.”
(Click to enlarge and read text in its entirety)

 
Today I’m showcasing some artwork from Samad Behrangi’s The Little Black Fish, illustrated by Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Farshid Mesghali and first published in Persian in Iran in 1968. An English version was translated last year in the UK by Azita Rassi, and in mid-April a version will be on shelves here in the States (Tiny Owl Publishing).

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“She’s slowing down.”
— From Miranda Paul’s Nine Months, illustrated by Jason Chin
(Click to enlarge spread)

 

“One … two … three … blow. Happy birthday, baby!”
— From Jane Godwin and Davina Bell’s Baby Day, illustrated by Freya Blackwood
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
Over at Kirkus today, I’ve got some comics for you.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Miranda Paul’s Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Born (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, April 2019), illustrated by Jason Chin, as well as Jane Godwin and Davina Bell’s Baby Day (Atheneum, March 2019), illustrated by Freya Blackwood.

Today, I’ve some art from each book, and Jason also shares some preliminary images from Nine Months. About the illustrations for the book, Jason writes: “The family is my brother, Michael and his wife, Mariana. The baby is Olivia (who the book is dedicated to), who was born when I was painting the book. The older sister is actually based on my daughter, as Olivia was Mike and Mariana’s first child. Mariana is from Morelia, Mexico, which is why there is a Morelia, Michoacán poster, a Spanish language book, etc.”

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Sophie Gilmore’s picture book debut, Little Doctor and the Fearless Beast (Owlkids, March 2019), is the story of a “child the crocodiles called Little Doctor.” Carefully, tenderly, and kindly she treats the reptiles who come to her, looking for healing. After she has administered care, she hears the creatures’ adventure tales and listens in wonder to the “fearless beasts they described.”

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The Horn Book has posted at their site a review I wrote of Antoinette Portis’s Hey, Water! (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, March 2019). Such a good book, this one. So, I’m sending you over to the Horn Book to read the review here, if you’re so inclined.

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“Clouds rain fresh water to quench your thirst.
Your lungs swell with oxygen that plants create.”
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I’ve got babies on the mind today over at Kirkus.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Laura Purdie Salas’s Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons, illustrated by Mercè López. (I featured some art from the book in yesterday’s 7-Imp post, which is here.) I also wrote last week about Elin Kelsey’s You Are Never Alone, illustrated by Soyeon Kim.

Today, Soyeon (pictured below) shares process images and talks about creating the three-dimensional artwork for this book. I thank her for visiting. I’ve also got some final spreads form the book. (You can also see more about the book and the artwork here.)

Enjoy!

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Last week at Kirkus, I wrote here about Laura Purdie Salas’s Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons (Millbrook, April 2019), illustrated by Mercè López.

Today here at 7-Imp, I’ve got some spreads from the book. (Tomorrow, Soyeon Kim — the illustrator of the other book mentioned in last week’s Kirkus column — will visit to talk about creating the artwork for Elin Kelsey’s You Are Never Alone.)

Enjoy!

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On the title page spread of Tania de Regil’s A New Home (Candlewick, April 2019), we see the outline of the U.S. and Mexico and a dotted line that connects New York City to Mexico City. A boy walks from NYC to Mexico, and a girl heads the opposite direction, on her way to the U.S. Thus begins this story of the anxieties and thrills of moving, told from the point of view of each child, who isn’t just making a move but is also leaving behind a country and its culture.

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Today, author-illustrator Tadgh Bentley visits to talk about his new picture book, written by Jon Stahl, and to talk us through a bit of the process of having created the illustrations for it. The book, Dragons Eat Noodles on Tuesdays (Scholastic, March 2019), is the engaging story of a blue monster, his little yellow friend, and their attempts to tell a story. These attempts involve a dragon, a cowardly knight, and a brave damsel. As Tadgh explains below, this is the first book written by someone else that he’s illustrated. I thank him for visiting to tell us more about it. Let’s get right to it.

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“Norris sat down next to Elba. ‘I feel something in there,’ he said.
‘What?’ asked Elba, who didn’t feel a thing.
‘Something sad,’ said Norris. ‘I think it wants to come out.’
‘How?’ whispered Elba.”
(Click to enlarge spread)

 
Over at Kirkus today, I’m gearing up for April.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Charlotte Agell’s Maybe Tomorrow? (Scholastic, March 2019), illustrated by Ana Ramírez González. I’ve a couple spreads from the book here at 7-Imp today.

Enjoy!

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Over at Tennessee’s own Chapter 16 today, I’ve got a Q&A with author Shauna LaVoy Reynolds about her debut picture book, Poetree (Dial, March 2019), illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani.

That Q&A is here, and here today at 7-Imp are some spreads from the book.

Enjoy!

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