{"id":1873,"date":"2010-01-21T00:01:41","date_gmt":"2010-01-21T06:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1873"},"modified":"2010-12-28T15:28:06","modified_gmt":"2010-12-28T21:28:06","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-melissa-sweet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1873","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Melissa Sweet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MelissaIf you saw Jama Rattigan’s April 2009 interview<\/strong><\/a> with author\/illustrator Melissa Sweet<\/strong><\/a> (pictured above with her dog, Rufus)—or if you’ve visited Melissa’s site<\/strong><\/a>—you know that these words by poet Mary Oliver are posted above Melissa’s drafting table: “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”<\/em> And when you see Melissa’s work, you know this is an artist who pays careful attention, indeed. Her mixed-media collage illustrations are detailed and exuberant, always visually appealing; her watercolors, luminous. Full of graceful details for young children and picture book aficionados alike, they clearly mark the work of an illustrator with a keen eye — for nature and for children, in particular. In fact, one of the many images Melissa sent for this interview is this below: <\/p>\n

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Having explored her books, I’d say this captures well how Melissa succeeds in her writing and illustrating: There is a refreshing child-centeredness to her work that draws readers. She know her child audience and knows it well. We see her illustrations, our imaginations are stirred, and we’re on our way. <\/p>\n

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Speaking of that success . . . Melissa has illustrated over seventy books, and she’s both written and illustrated a couple of her own. Early last year, she received the Caldecott Honor<\/strong><\/a> for her illustrations in Jen Bryant’s<\/strong><\/a> A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams<\/em><\/strong><\/a> (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008). “Sweet’s mixed-media collage and primitive watercolors flow seamlessly with Bryant’s prose to reveal the important bits and pieces of Williams’ ordinary, yet extraordinary, life as a doctor and poet,” wrote the Caldecott committee. <\/p>\n

This past Fall, Melissa brought to verdant life the words of folk singer Peter Yarrow<\/strong><\/a> in his picture book adaptation<\/strong><\/a> (published by Sterling) of the folk classic, “Day is Done.” She’s here to discuss that a bit, as well as talk about her new projects and forthcoming 2010 titles. Her breakfast-of-choice this morning? “Here in Maine,” she told me, “it’s blueberry-land, so I have ‘blues,’ as we call them, in some form — smoothie, pancakes, on yogurt. And tea — PG tips<\/a><\/strong>, to be exact.”<\/font><\/p>\n

Let’s set the table for our breakfast chat and get the basics from Melissa in the process. I thank her for stopping by, especially for her generosity in sharing her art this morning. <\/p>\n

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

Melissa<\/font><\/strong>: Author\/Illustrator.<\/p>\n


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


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