{"id":1447,"date":"2008-09-29T00:01:17","date_gmt":"2008-09-29T06:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1447"},"modified":"2008-09-29T00:01:55","modified_gmt":"2008-09-29T06:01:55","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-paul-o-zelinsky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1447","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Paul O. Zelinsky"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PaulIf you’re a fan of Paul O. Zelinsky’s<\/strong><\/a> work, you’re in for a real treat today. Not only did he stop by 7-Imp for breakfast this morning, but he is also over at Just One More Book!!<\/em><\/strong><\/a> today, chatting with, arguably (or probably not arguably), the hardest working bloggers in the kidlitosphere, Andrea and Mark. Oh for heaven’s sake, do NOT NOT NOT miss that podcast, because Mark and Andrea always bring the goods. Plus some. <\/p>\n

And what an honor that he stopped by to chat with us as well. I mean, I’m downright giddy. Over at his website bio<\/strong><\/a>, you will read that his first book appeared in 1978 (as well as the fact that, as a sophomore at Yale, he enrolled in a course on the history and practice of the picture book, co-taught by MAURICE SENDAK, whose name I am, yes, yelling, ’cause I find that very exciting), “since which time he has become recognized as one of the most inventive and critically successful artists in the field.” Isn’t that the truth, while also almost sounding like an understatement? How about what Publishers’ Weekly<\/em> once wrote about him: “Zelinsky is that rare practitioner who can create sophisticated work that adults will marvel at, and that children will joyfully embrace.” Yes, throw in that fan love—adults and children alike—which he has garnered, and…well, you can understand why I’m giddy. He has illustrated or adapted-and-illustrated so many books that we at 7-Imp adore and love and adore some more — as well as lots of other librarians all over the world. Zelinsky has said before<\/strong><\/a>, “I’ve…decided that I should be recognized by my unrecognizability.” And some would argue he, indeed, does that well, that his illustrations integrate so well with the text of the book he’s bringing to life with his art, that his versatility is second-to-none. Or, as he once told the Horn Book<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, he tries to “make the book talk, as it talks to me, and not worry whether it is in my style or not…. I get a kick out of doing each book differently.” <\/p>\n

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Mary M. Burns also once noted in the Horn Book<\/em> that reviewing a book Zelinsky has illustrated is both a “pleasure and a challenge.” In reviewing Rumpelstiltskin<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, which won Zelinsky his second Caldecott Honor (as well as many other honors), she wrote, Zelinsky “has decided to present his version of the familiar Grimm story as fine art through large scale, richly hued oil paintings, notable for careful composition and exquisite rendering of detail<\/em>” {emphasis mine}, capturing what I think are two of his primary appeals as an illustrator of children’s books, whether he’s working with oils; engineering a book with movable parts<\/strong><\/a>; working with what Roger Sutton once called the “woozy perspectives” of The Wheels on the Bus<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; working with wood-veneer paper, as he did for Anne Isaac’s Swamp Angel<\/strong><\/a><\/em> (one of the top-ten best picture books ever, in my not-so-humble opinion); fostering a feeling for the beauty of Renaissance art, as he once stated was a goal of his with his beautiful art work in Rapunzel<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, the 1998 Caldecott Medal winner; or working in black-and-white, as he does in Emily Jenkins’<\/strong><\/a> fabulous stories<\/strong><\/a> of the “warm, secret world of toys” (Kirkus Reviews<\/em>). <\/p>\n

And I’d venture to say that another of the primary appeals of his art work and pretty much any book he’s touched or has had anything to do with is what Kirkus<\/em> once described as, simply, his “elegant wit.” <\/p>\n

Zelinsky’s very latest project is Emily Jenkins’<\/strong><\/a> sequel to 2006’s Toys Go Out<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, entitled Toy Dance Party<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (both published by Schwartz & Wade Books), which is every bit as wonderful as the prequel (Eisha and I plan to co-review it soon) and is pretty much “specialness forever and ever,” in the words of one of the toys in the book. These are the best talking-toy books since Winnie-the-Pooh<\/em>, in our not-so-humble opinion here at 7-Imp, and Zelinsky’s half-tone, full-page illustrations in both books are a delight. Here are Plastic and StingRay, attempting to save Lumphy with a spatula and dinosaur placemats, from the rollicking opening chapter of Toy Dance Party<\/em>, released just this month:<\/p>\n

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How about Paul and I sit down for breakfast here. His breakfast-of-choice (though you may learn to find out he’s just faking it), if you haven’t already guessed from the opening photo is, “Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.<\/font> That\u2019s not too healthy, is it? Then again, I almost never have Belgian waffles. My other breakfast-of-choice, in the sense that it\u2019s what I most often choose, but only out of sloth, is a breakfast of nothing, which isn\u2019t supposed to be healthy, either.” Let’s set the table with some opening questions, and I want to remind you once again to be sure to take in JOMB’s<\/em> podcast interview<\/strong><\/a> with Paul. And that’s because—not only do they always do high-quality interviews—but they also do very detailed ones. And that is what I wish<\/em> I had done on this interview, not that I’m making apologies for it. I sent Paul my regular seven-questions-over-breakfast illustrator interview format, and I appreciate him taking the time to answer the questions. But my work schedule precluded me from asking him more customized, if you will, questions. So, do take the time to hear JOMB’s podcast, as I’m sure they chatted details with this immensely talented man. <\/p>\n

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7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Are you an illustrator or author\/illustrator?<\/font><\/p>\n

Paul<\/font><\/strong>: Basically illustrator, but I have adapted various things, so you might call me an Illustrator-Adapter. Though I hope you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

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7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Can you list your books-to-date?<\/font><\/p>\n

Paul<\/font><\/strong>: <\/p>\n

Most recent: <\/p>\n