{"id":2200,"date":"2011-09-12T00:01:45","date_gmt":"2011-09-12T06:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2200"},"modified":"2011-09-12T07:45:33","modified_gmt":"2011-09-12T13:45:33","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-barbara-lehman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2200","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Barbara Lehman"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you look at some of the comments that have been made by professional reviewers about Barbara Lehman’s<\/a><\/strong> latest picture book, The Secret Box<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (Houghton Mifflin, March 2011), you will see that they accurately reflect her career as a picture book author\/illustrator on the whole. “A provocative example of the complexity that can be conveyed using only pictures,” wrote Publishers Weekly<\/em> about the book. “Lehman’s clean-lined, highly-detailed artwork creates an ingenious visual puzzle that invites repeated viewings and flights of imagination,” adds Booklist<\/em>. <\/p>\n

Yes, the same can be said for all of Lehman’s wordless picture books — enigmatic visual puzzles and conceptually sophisticated adventure stories, rich in magic and discovery. The 2005 Caldecott committee acknowledged the skill that goes into Lehman’s work with a Caldecott Honor<\/a><\/strong> that year for The Red Book<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (Houghton Mifflin). <\/p>\n

In this latest flight-of-fancy—The Secret Box<\/em>, another richly-layered, unpredictable wordless adventure tale—she celebrates imagination and friendship with visually striking cartoon art. In this story, a young boy from long ago hides a box of treasures under a floorboard. Years later, that building is a school, and a trio of boys finds the box, following the map inside to a surprise destination, one filled with children from many points along the timeline. Readers see the adventure will repeat itself for future children, thanks to the magic box. As I’ve already noted in one of my April Kirkus<\/em> columns<\/a><\/strong>, which includes this title, Lehman leaves room for the child reader to piece out the story puzzle in many directions, something I always like to see in picture books.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

“This book is inspired by many things,” Lehman writes at her site<\/a><\/strong>, “from reading about how there are still streams in New York City, though now underground — to an old box I was once given filled with a neighbor’s boyhood treasures from the early 1900s.”<\/p>\n

It’s a real pleasure to be having cyber-breakfast with Barbara this morning. “In practice,” she tells me, “I tend to have something simple like yogurt or cereal or bread. Or, when available, cold pizza. (Yes, I am one of those people.) On special occasions, my local eatery breakfast: french toast, coffee with supernaturally thick cream, home fries with hot sauce, and their amazing home-made sausage.”<\/p>\n

Coffee with supernaturally thick cream? A visitor after my own heart! I’m getting the mugs out now and setting the table for breakfast, while she gives us the basics. I thank her for visiting 7-Imp this morning. <\/p>\n

* * * * * * *<\/font><\/center><\/p>\n

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

Barbara<\/font><\/strong>: Technically, I am an author\/illustrator. But since I make wordless books, the author part often tends to require explanation, though I heard one of my little neighbors say to another kid, “Barbara doesn’t write books, she draws books,” which sums it up better then I could.<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

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