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This is not Dan Yaccarino<\/strong><\/a>, but this is<\/em> one of the objects of his hero worship — Jacques Cousteau<\/strong><\/a>, the subject of Dan’s engaging new picture book biography, released last month. This is Dan below, in his VERY fun-looking studio. You can even click on the image to see his robots up close:<\/p>\n Good thing I invited him for a breakfast chat, since breakfast is, “by far, my favorite meal,”<\/em> he told me, “next to lunch, dinner, and snack time. I\u2019m a savory person, rather than a sweet one (just ask my wife). <\/em>My favorite omelette is Swiss, mushroom, and onion. Along with that, a toasted bialy<\/strong><\/a>, slathered with butter, and an exceedingly strong cup of coffee.<\/font> Yes, I know, I\u2019m a real health nut.”<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If Dan’s art is new to you, you might feel as if you’ve taken a trip back in time, looking at this post today, what with his distinctly retro style. But, no, it’s not 1959, and you aren’t about to tune into the riveting tales of June, Ward, Wally, and Beaver. It’s simply that Dan’s use of vibrant colors on a sometimes deliberately restricted palette; his sharp, energetic, and often very geometric lines; and his highly stylized cartoon figures result in his unique vintage style, reminiscent of the bold graphics that dominated 1950s- and ’60s-era children’s literature. I always look forward to one of his new titles, as his work is full of playful details and also because I have a serious devotion to his Mother Goose collection<\/strong><\/a>, one of the stand-out nursery rhyme collections, in my not-so-humble opinion. Talk about seeing Mother Goose in a new way: Just check out the cover below. <\/p>\n Dan is also the creator and producer of several children’s cartoons on Nick Jr. Parents of preschoolers may recognize these guys<\/strong><\/a>, as well as this one<\/strong><\/a>. More about his television credits can be found at this page<\/strong><\/a> of his site. <\/p>\n I thank Dan for stopping by, especially before the zombies came and destroyed all humanity (inside joke I simply cannot<\/em> pass up) and since he may<\/em> have been initially disappointed that the interview doesn’t involve anything but a pretend cyber-breakfast. If I ever make it to New York City one day, though, I’ll totally treat him to some omelettes, a bialy with lots o’ butter, and some really kickin’ coffee. (I like how he has to have “an exceedingly strong cup.” That’s<\/em> the way to drink it, my friends. I can see that Dan and I will concur on the breakfast choices.) Let’s set the table and get some of the basics from Dan. <\/p>\n Note: Some of these spreads have been re-sized to fit within the blog’s template but are linked to the original file. Click on those to see them larger and in more detail. <\/em><\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Are you an illustrator or author\/illustrator?<\/font><\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: Both! Hooray!<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Can you list your books-to-date?<\/font><\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: I’ve published over three dozen books, so I\u2019ll just list a few:<\/p>\n {Ed. Note: Dan also listed his full bibliography, which I will include at the bottom of this interview.}<\/em><\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What is your usual medium, or -\u2013 if you use a variety -\u2013 your preferred one?<\/font> <\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: I mostly paint with gouache on watercolor paper, although I\u2019ve done a few books in alkyds as well as collage. At the moment, I\u2019m learning Photoshop and Illustrator and may incorporate it into my work in the future.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: If you have illustrated for various age ranges (such as, both picture books and early reader books OR, say, picture books and chapter books), can you briefly discuss the differences, if any, in illustrating for one age group to another? <\/font> <\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: I\u2019ve illustrated a lot of picture books and few chapter books, and for me, the difference is that the images in a picture book are the driving force that tell the story and the words tell only what the pictures can\u2019t. In a chapter book, it\u2019s the other way ’round.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Where are your stompin\u2019 grounds?<\/font> <\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: I\u2019ve lived in NYC for twenty years and couldn\u2019t imagine living anywhere else.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Can you briefly tell us about your road to publication?<\/font> <\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: I started out, as many children\u2019s book illustrators, as an editorial illustrator (Rolling Stone<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, Time<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, etc.), which was great training for conveying information visually and simply. It was also required that I work fast in order to meet the short magazine deadlines. Without having taken a single writing or children\u2019s book class, I wrote and illustrated my first picture book, Big Brother Mike<\/em>, in 1993. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Can you please point us to your web site and\/or blog?<\/font><\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: My web site is www.yaccarinostudio.com<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: If you do school visits, tell us what they\u2019re like.<\/font><\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: I rarely do school visits anymore, but when I do, they usually end with me buried under a pile of kindergarteners. Oddly enough, when I do book conferences, they usually end with me buried under a pile of teachers and librarians.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Any new titles\/projects you might be working on now that you can tell us about?<\/font> <\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: Absolutely! The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau<\/strong><\/a><\/em> is my new picture book…released on March 24, \u201909. It\u2019s a biography of the famed oceanographer. He\u2019s a huge hero of mine. <\/p>\n {Ed. Note: Click on images to see them in more detail.}<\/em><\/p>\n My next picture book, Lawn to Lawn<\/em>, will be released in 2010, and I\u2019m about to start work on a book about my great grandfather coming to America, which should be out some time in 2011. On the television front, my new animated series, Willa\u2019s Wild Life<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, should start airing some time this year.<\/p>\n I\u2019m always working on picture and chapter book ideas, as well as developing TV and feature film projects. At any given moment, I have about six to ten projects I\u2019m juggling, each at different stages of development.<\/p>\n 1.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What exactly is your process when you are illustrating a book? You can start wherever you\u2019d like when answering: getting initial ideas, starting to illustrate, or even what it\u2019s like under deadline, etc. Do you outline a great deal of the book before you illustrate or just let your muse lead you on and see where you end up?<\/font> <\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: It\u2019s a pretty straightforward process when I illustrate a book I didn\u2019t write. I read the manuscript over and over and doodle whatever appears in my head. It could be the main character, the environment, or some small detail. Once I feel I\u2019m ready, I block out the book in thumbnails, then move on to a rough dummy, then a polished dummy, all the while moving elements around, editing, creating new images, etc.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s a book I\u2019m writing, that\u2019s quite a different story. Some of my books start out as an image (like Unlovable<\/strong><\/a><\/em> and The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau<\/strong><\/a><\/em>), and some start out as a fully written story before I visualized anything at all (like Lawn to Lawn<\/em> and the book I\u2019m currently working on about my great grandfather).<\/p>\n I have an idea for a new picture book, and I thought I\u2019d sketch out the entire book and tell the story with just visuals and see what happens.<\/p>\n 2.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Describe your studio or usual work space for us.<\/font> <\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: My family and I live in a three-story apartment in Greenwich Village in New York City, and my studio is on the uppermost floor, which overlooks the Hudson River. As you can see {in the opening photo of this post}, I\u2019m surrounded by lots of books and toys. I think I\u2019m trying to recreate my childhood bedroom where I had the same basic set up, just on a smaller scale. The only thing missing is my mother bringing me grilled cheese sandwiches and Tang.<\/p>\n {Ed. Note: Click to see toys up close, though there is no Tang to be found.}<\/em><\/p>\n 3.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: As book lovers, it interests us: What books or authors and\/or illustrators influenced you as an early reader?<\/font> <\/p>\n I\u2019ve also been on the lookout for a Mercer Mayer<\/strong><\/a> book called One Monster After Another<\/em>, but I haven\u2019t been able to find a copy.<\/p>\n Growing up, I read lots of comics and watched entirely too much TV, which most definitely seeped into my work.<\/p>\n 4.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: If you could have three (living) illustrators—whom you have not yet met—over for coffee or a glass of rich, red wine, whom would you choose?<\/font><\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: I really thought about this question a lot, and—to be honest—there\u2019s really no one I\u2019d really want to meet whom I haven\u2019t met already. I\u2019m not inspired by other children\u2019s book authors and illustrators, but rather people from other fields. I\u2019d much rather meet the director Henry Selick<\/strong><\/a>, Tim Delaughter<\/strong><\/a> of The Polyphonic Spree<\/strong><\/a>, the science fiction author William Tenn<\/strong><\/a>, or the Dalai Lama<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n 5.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What is currently in rotation on your iPod or loaded in your CD player? Do you listen to music while you create books?<\/font><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
Dan has stopped by to share some art work, including a couple more spreads from his captivating new Cousteau biography, which Kirkus<\/em> has already praised for clearly conveying “Cousteau’s enduring fascination with the sea,” which “can’t help sparking similar feelings in readers.” <\/p>\n
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–From <\/em>Every Friday<\/strong><\/a>, Henry Holt, 2007
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Table’s set. Time for our pretend-omelettes and to talk more specifics. Once again, I thank Dan for cyber-stopping by.<\/font> <\/p>\n
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— From <\/em>Good Night, Mr. Night<\/strong><\/a>, Harcourt, 2004<\/em><\/center><\/p>\n<\/a>
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Dan<\/strong><\/font><\/strong>: There weren\u2019t too many kids’ books in my house growing up — mostly comics. However, I did go to the library a lot and remember getting two books out often: The Thing In Dolores\u2019 Piano<\/strong><\/a><\/em> and Rhoda\u2019s Restaurant<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, which were both written and illustrated by Robert Tallon<\/strong><\/a>. About ten years ago, I managed to find both books online and I bought them. Then I was curious about Mr. Tallon and actually found him in the New York City phone book, so I gave him a call, and Bob and I have been friends ever since. He even gave me the original pencil dummy of Dolores<\/em>!<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/center_area_f31.jpg\")
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