Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

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Over at Kirkus today, I’ve three new picture books that will have you seeing things in new ways.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Stephanie Parsley Ledyard’s Pie Is for Sharing, illustrated by Jason Chin. I’m following up with some art here today.

Enjoy!

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“When our publisher first approached us about doing a children’s picture book, we immediately knew we wanted it to be a family endeavor. Madiba’s legacy is something that is a part of the lifeblood of our family, and it was beautiful to be able to share this story together.”

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Over at Kirkus today, I talk with Ambassador Zindzi Mandela (quoted above and pictured left) and illustrator Sean Qualls, pictured right, about their new picture book, Grandad Mandela. Ambassador Mandela, the youngest child of President Nelson Mandela, wrote this book with her grandchildren, Zazi and Ziwelene Mandela (ages 8 and 6, respectively).

That is here.

Next week, I’ll follow up here at 7-Imp with some of Sean’s art from the book.

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Photo of Ambassador Mandela taken by Julio E. Torres.

 
Move over, Ferdinand.

I’ve a review over here at BookPage of Ed Vere’s How to Be a Lion (Doubleday, June 2018).

And here at 7-Imp, I’ve got a bit of art from the book.

Enjoy!

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I got a neat surprise from illustrator Jamie Hogan recently, and I’m sharing it here today. (Fun Fact: Jamie first visited 7-Imp back here, over a decade ago, when the kicks tradition was only 17 weeks old. Whoa. And Eisha was blogging with me. AND images were tragically tiny and so poorly aligned that it makes my heart cry a little. Jamie also visited here in 2013.)

Anywhoozles. Jamie has created an illustration for a Portland (Maine) Public Library exhibit of panel art, and her illustration is inspired by 7-Imp. I mean, right?! The image is above, and in this post, you can read more about it (she references seven things happening at this library, which she describes as a “hub of activity”). You can also read more about the library art show at that link.

Thank you, Jamie! This is specialness.

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— From David Covell’s Run Wild
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“Crows charge and chase, darting and diving,
driving Father Hawk from their roost.”
— From Maria Gianferrari’s Hawk Rising, illustrated by Brian Floca
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Over at Kirkus today, I’ve got a picture book I find to be a bit of a balm for one’s soul right about now.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here about Maria Gianferrari’s Hawk Rising (Roaring Brook, June 2018), illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Brian Floca, as well as David Covell’s Run Wild (Viking, June 2018). Today here at 7-Imp, I’ve got some art from the books, and both Brian and David visit to share some thoughts on their respective books, as well as preliminary images (early sketches, etc.) I thank both of them for sharing.

Enjoy!

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“… we see each other for the first time.”
— Early sketches and final art from Drawn Together
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Here today at 7-Imp are some early sketches, cover designs, and final art from Minh Lê’s Drawn Together (Disney-Hyperion, June 2018), illustrated by Dan Santat. Last week at Kirkus, I chatted here with the two of them about this book.

Enjoy!

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“… They can be all these colors, too. Have you ever tasted a Granny Smith apple?
Or a Pink Lady or a Golden Delicious?”

 
Here’s a post about my new favorite board book, These Colors Are Bananas (Phaidon, May 2018) by Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin and published in association with the Whitney Museum of American Art. This is a book, as you can see below in the spreads I’m sharing today, that asks children to see many sides of one thing — in particular, colors. Roses aren’t always red; fire can be many colors; and “grass is not always green.”

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“Possum climbed down. A chipmunk hopped by. ‘Where’s your brush pile?’ she squeaked. ‘Gone,’ sighed Possum, ‘washed away.’ ‘Oh! Bad luck,’ the chipmunk sympathized.
‘I could help you dig a new home,’ she offered. ‘Dig?’ he asked. ‘Yes, you know,’ she said. ‘We’ll dig a bedroom, bathroom, larder …’ Possum’s eyes widened.
‘Yes,’ said Possum. ‘That sounds very nice.'”
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Today, author-illustrator Anne Hunter visits 7-Imp again (she also visited early last year and, in fact, gave a sneak-peek at this book back then) to share some preliminary images and final art from Possum and the Summer Storm (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May 2018). This is the story of Possum and his family, finding themselves homeless after a thunderstorm. There’s not a brush pile in sight after the heavy winds and rains. “Don’t worry, children,” Possum says. “We’ll find a new home.”

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Over at Kirkus today, I’ve got the outdoors on the mind.

That is here.

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Last week, I wrote here at Kirkus about Michael Ian Black’s and Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s I’m Sad (Simon & Schuster, June 2018). I’m following up here at 7-Imp today with some preliminary/process images from Debbie, as well as a bit of final art from the book. I thank her for sharing.

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“While some of the cultural details are slightly different from mine, the story as a whole is very much still true to my experience. I think that’s because, at its heart, it’s a story based on the very real relationships with our grandparents. So there’s a personal emotional truth poured into each page that hopefully comes through for the reader.”

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Over at Kirkus today, I talk with author Minh Lê, quoted above and pictured left, and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, pictured right, about their new picture book, Drawn Together.

That is here.

Next week, I’ll follow up here at 7-Imp with some art from the book, as well as some preliminary images.

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Photo of Minh Lê taken by Lauren Ackil.