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Last Fall, I did a small handful of posts in which I highlighted some new picture books for the wee’est of readers, and I never quite finished. One of those books (and more are to come, as I will<\/em> get to them, even if in 2012), another book geared toward your toddler-sized readers, is Angela DiTerlizzi’s<\/a><\/strong> Say What?<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, illustrated by Joey Chou<\/a><\/strong> and released by Beach Lane Books in July of 2011. <\/p>\n The illustrations Joey shares today give you a good sense of the book, which ends with a wee human<\/em> child, telling his mother how much he loves her. This is always good for toddlers. (In fact, I envision this book as becoming a board book one day. Hey, good idea. Should I call the editor? “Jules WHO?” Seriously, I hope they consider it. It’d work.) This one is also good for, as the Kirkus<\/em> reviewer noted, preschoolers who enjoy language play. <\/p>\n The book’s back-flap bio for Joey—an alumni and graduate of the Art Center College of Design<\/a><\/strong> in Pasadena, California, who was born in Taiwan but now lives in Los Angeles—indicates that he likes to draw furry monsters. Go see his site<\/a><\/strong>, and that’s clear by the welcoming illustration there, which I like and which makes me laugh. <\/p>\n Angela, who visited me in 2009 for breakfast<\/a><\/strong>, is here this morning to say a bit about the book, and I thank her for stopping by…<\/p>\n Angela: “<\/strong><\/font>Having a young child is a constant source of inspiration for any parent. But for me, as an author of books for children, in those everyday moments, anecdotes, and experiences, I can\u2019t help but find seeds for new book ideas.<\/p>\n The seed for my picture book Say What?<\/em> was no exception.<\/p>\n At the same time, our little one was busily learning about cows, roosters, kitties, and the noises they make. I wondered, what are animals really saying with their everyday sounds? And, can animals understand their babies MOOs and BAAs like parents differentiate between their baby’s GOOs and GAAs? While rocking Sophia in the nursery one early morning, I heard a horse whinny from the farm behind our Massachusetts home. I thought to myself, when a horse says NEIGH, does she really mean HAY? <\/p>\n Then I began to write.<\/p>\n I shared the manuscript with my husband, Tony<\/a><\/strong>, and he encouraged me to show it to his editors at Simon & Schuster. Much to my delight, they loved the concept and passed the story along to Allyn Johnston and Andrea Welch, the amazingly talented duo of editors at Beach Lane Books. <\/p>\n Enter the ubertalented illustrator Joey Chou. A designer\/friend\/agent shared his work with me, and we thought it was the perfect fit. His crisp, colorful illustrations and perfectly anthropomorphized animals were exactly the style of artwork I was hoping would be paired with my text.<\/p>\n From the manuscript’s earliest stages, I have had the wonderful and enlightening experience of reading Say What?<\/em> aloud to children in libraries and classrooms, including our daughter’s preschool class. I am always delighted to hear kids anticipating the rhyme, giggling at the illustrations, and hollering out their best animal impersonations. Indeed, when writing, I strive to create an interactive and engaging experience for readers to share and enjoy — and to encourage reading and a love of words from the earliest of ages. With Say What?<\/em>, I hope I’ve done just that.“<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n Thanks again to Angela for visiting. Here’s an October 2011 interview<\/a><\/strong> with a Massachusetts publication, and here are a couple more spreads. Enjoy. <\/p>\n SAY WHAT? Copyright \u00a9 2011 Angela DiTerlizzi. Illustrations copyright \u00a9 2011 Joey Chou. Published by Beach Lane Books, New York. Images reproduced by permission of Joey Chou.<\/em><\/p>\n Note for any new readers: 7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on 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.<\/p>\n 1)<\/strong><\/font> Finally started watching Portlandia<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. I always enjoy some funny social commentary, and Fred Armisen<\/a><\/strong> makes me laugh. This one nails it. May I never ask to meet the chicken:<\/p>\nI wrote Say What?<\/em> when our daughter, Sophia, was just under a year old, and my days were happily filled with reading aloud books by Dr. Seuss<\/a><\/strong>, Margaret Wise Brown<\/a><\/strong>, Eric Carle<\/a><\/strong>, and Ruth Krauss<\/a><\/strong> — and Mary Blair\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> retro masterpiece, I Can Fly<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. I love the repetition, rhyme, and their simple, yet stylized, illustrations.<\/p>\n<\/a>
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