<\/p>\n
She is sharing with us today some illustrations from her forthcoming new title, written by Meg Rosoff<\/a><\/strong> (whose Meet Wild Boars<\/em><\/a><\/strong> she illustrated in 2005) and published by Henry Holt, Jumpy Jack & Googily<\/strong><\/a><\/em>. I happen to have an ARC of this title — which will be released in April, I believe — and it’s wonderful and makes me laugh out loud in a rather snort-like manner. Pictured above are Jumpy Jack and Googily in the flesh. Jumpy Jack is a rather nervous snail who is terribly afraid of monsters. And, well . . . if you haven’t noticed yet, Googily is a monster himself. The story opens thusly:<\/p>\n “I’m nervous,” said Jumpy Jack to his best friend, Googily. “There could be a monster nearby and I’m scared of monsters.”<\/p>\n “Don’t be ridiculous,” said Googily.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n I love it. Jumpy Jack needs Googily to check behind or under or around just about everything they pass — check for monsters, that is. And, since Googily is a very good best friend, he does so. Shoot, if you can’t rely on your best friend to reassure you about monsters — even if he is one — then who can<\/em> you trust? I’ll leave the rest of this story to unfold for you when the book is released, ’cause it’s much fun. And Sophie’s illustrations (rendered in Chinese ink and watercolors) once again slay me and make me wish ever-so fervently that I had one OUNCE of artistic talent. <\/p>\n So, okay, here they are again. Let’s say goodbye to this unforgettable duo and get to our kicks. Here they are enjoying some afternoon tea (“‘What if there is a monster under the table?’ said Jumpy Jack. ‘What if there is a monster with long thin feet that jumps out from under the table and frightens me so much I nearly faint?’ ‘Ho ho ho,’ said Googily. ‘Now you really<\/font> have gone too far.'”)<\/p>\n {P.S. Fans of 2005’s Meet Wild Boars<\/em><\/a><\/strong> may be happy to know that, according to Rosoff’s site, this Fall will bring us Wild Boars Cook<\/a><\/strong><\/em> from Rosoff and Blackall.} <\/p>\n Many thanks to Sophie for stopping by and sharing her art work with us!<\/p>\n As a reminder, our weekly 7 Kicks list is the meeting ground for listing Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week — whether book-related or not — that happened to you (as well as featuring wonderful artists like Sophie). We hope you’ll share your kick-worthy moments from the week. <\/p>\n Hoo, boy, what a week. Lots of not-so-good stuff, like finally catching one of the bugs going around at work (Remember last week one of my kicks was NOT getting sick? Hubris. That’s what that was.), and the husband being in tech week for the latest show he’s designed so we couldn’t do anything for Valentine’s Day, and my in-box at work starting to fill up in that scary, teetering, avalanche-prone way… but then there were some seriously hardcore kicks to balance it all out. Such as…<\/p>\n 2* The Nonfiction Picture Book judges<\/strong><\/a> did me proud by choosing their winner a day ahead of schedule, in spite of not receiving some of the review copies they were promised and having to hunt down some books on their own. Thanks to the NFPB nominating committee members who were willing to send their<\/em> 3* I got an adorable Valentine Card: a wicked-cute pic of Jules’s daughters wearing rhinestone-studded cat-eye sunglasses I got them last spring.<\/p>\n 4* I got around to finishing some long-postponed domestic-type stuff, like ironing and hanging curtains.<\/p>\n 5* Friday night I went to one of the most amazing literary events<\/strong><\/a> I’ve ever attended: Paul Lisicky<\/strong><\/a>, Mark Doty<\/strong><\/a> and Denis Johnson<\/strong><\/a> 6* My husband is designing his first official off-Broadway show<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n 7* And we’ve made plans to go out for a delayed Valentine’s Day date at a New Orleans-style restaurant<\/strong><\/a> that purports to have fried green tomatoes. I am so excited about this I can hardly stand it. Expect a full report in next week’s kicks.<\/p>\n Eisha, glad your week took a turn for the better; so<\/em> glad you got to hear and chat with Doty & Lisicky & Johnson (which sounds like a law firm but is way<\/em> better); and I hope you feel better, too. <\/p>\n My week was sort of similar in that, even as late as Friday, I was ready to just start the entire week all over and try again, but then it got better by the time the weekend arrived. <\/p>\n 1). My husband got a bonus at his job that is going to help us out tremendously. This is his first real job for a for-profit company, so this seriously good (for us anyway) chunk ‘o’ change is something to which we are not accustomed. He also held an impressive poker face about this news for daaaays<\/em>, apparently, ’cause he wanted to see my face when I saw the check. (A bonus-from-work automatically takes my mind to the Griswolds and their swimming pool<\/a><\/strong>. Anyone else? I just can’t help but go there.)<\/p>\n 3). Valentine’s Day gifts and gift-giving: Ghirardelli<\/a><\/strong> chocolate for Valentine’s Day from my husband; a copy of Roman Holiday<\/strong><\/em><\/a> for<\/em> him from<\/em> me (we saw this at the historic Tennessee Theatre<\/a><\/strong> one summer before visiting Rome ourselves on our honeymoon); and my mother throwing a Valentine’s Day party for my girls. <\/p>\n 5). Seeing another marionette show yesterday at the Nashville Public Library<\/a><\/strong>, performed by Wishing Chair Productions. And overhearing this argument yesterday morning between my girls: <\/p>\n Two-year-old<\/em>: “We’re going to the LIBERRY!” Could we possibly be raising library nerds? Hmmm . . . <\/p>\n Here’s a treat for everyone, particularly the authors out there. This made me laugh. Thanks to Lisa Graff’s blog<\/a><\/strong> for the link. <\/p>\nJules<\/strong>: Anyone else remember when illustrator Sophie Blackall<\/a><\/strong> was featured by Jennifer at not your mother’s bookclub<\/em><\/a><\/strong> in October during the Blogging for a Cure<\/a><\/strong>\/Robert’s Snow effort? And remember how severely kickin’ her snowflake was (“foxtacular elficide,” anyone?)? Well, ever since then we’ve wanted to feature some of her art work here at 7-Imp (and I recently reviewed the beautiful Red Butterfly<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, which made me want to have her stop by WAY WAY MORE). So, we up and asked, and here she is. WOOT! <\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
1* The Cybil Award winners being announced<\/strong><\/a>, and all the happy authors sharing their excitement all over the ‘net. That was lovely.<\/p>\n
copies along, too.<\/p>\n
all read from their works at Cornell, and then my poet-neighbors (who invited me to the reading) snuck me into a private reception afterwards, where I got to talk Tennessee childhoods with Mark Doty and stringent religious upbringings with Paul Lisicky, not to mention meeting lots of other cool literature fans. Seriously, it was about as good as it gets.<\/p>\n2). I’m reading an ARC of Meagan Brothers<\/a><\/strong>‘ Debbie Harry Sings in French<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Henry Holt; to be released in May), and I love it so much I don’t want it to end. Seriously, I’ve been reading it slowly. On purpose. And I had to put it down for days after the PERFECT end of one chapter about mid-way through the book. I just wanted to savor the beautiful ending to this chapter for as long as I could. <\/p>\n
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4). A couple of very kickin’ library trips, bringing home some great, new titles, including Billy Collins Live: A Performance at the Peter Norton Symphony Space<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n
\nThree-year-old<\/em>: “It’s librar<\/em>y!”
\nTwo-year-old<\/em>: “No, LIBERRY!”
\nThree-year-old<\/em>: “No, I said it’s LIBRAR<\/em>Y!”
\n{and on and on . . .}<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/tweedle.jpg\")
6). Sorry this is such an ARC-y list, but I got a copy of Charlotte Voake’s<\/a><\/strong> new picture book, Tweedle Dee Dee<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Candlewick; April release date, I believe). I seriously adore her work. She’s in my top-ten list as far as favorite illustrators go. I’m working on getting permission to show you some of the art work in this lovely, lovely<\/em> book. <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/chazz.jpg\")
7). Eisha taking Poetry Friday this week, since I wasn’t feeling in-
spired by poetry in any way on Friday (and I still haven’t even read<\/em> her entry<\/a><\/strong>. I’m so behind on blog-reading this week that I’m behind on my own<\/em>. Pathetic, I tell ya.) Anyway, about all I had was seeing Blades of Glory<\/strong><\/em><\/a> and laughing embarrassingly hard at the name of the poetry anthology by Chazz Michael Michaels, “ice-devouring sex tornado”: Let Me Put My Poems In You<\/em>. Nah, a good Poetry Friday entry that would not<\/em> have made. <\/p>\n