{"id":2530,"date":"2013-03-12T00:01:12","date_gmt":"2013-03-12T06:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2530"},"modified":"2013-03-13T11:49:08","modified_gmt":"2013-03-13T17:49:08","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-randy-cecil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2530","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Randy Cecil"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though he usually eats a fairly healthy breakfast, he tells me, today author\/illustrator Randy Cecil<\/a><\/strong>, pictured here with Lucy, is joining me for waffles and coffee. I see that I have the ability to make people downright indulge<\/em> at the breakfast table. Now, where is that syrup? Mwahahahaha … ha … ha … [Evil laugh … fading … out.]<\/p>\n

I am pleased Randy is visiting, as I’ve enjoyed his picture books over the years—he’s illustrated over twenty thus far—especially 2008’s Duck<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. (Oh! Duck! “It snowed so much, Duck almost disappeared.”<\/em> Oh, hell. Where are my tissues? What a beautiful story it is.) And just last year (when Randy and I originally started talking about this interview, but life has a habit of getting in the way of blogging), he illustrated Barbara Joosse’s<\/a><\/strong> Lovabye Dragon<\/a><\/strong><\/em> from Candlewick Press (all but one of his books have been via Candlewick), which I also enjoyed. And so did the professional reviewers. “What’s not to like?” wrote Pamela Paul<\/a><\/strong> last Fall in the New York Times<\/em>, calling it “one of a welcome wave of books that let girls play with beasts that once kept company solely with boys.” Paul adds: <\/p>\n

The book is bathed like a romance in moody lavenders and deep grayish blues, and its bug-eyed dragon is more adorable than fearsome. Randy Cecil…knows how to make even scaly creatures look winsome, and if his oddly coiffed princess is a bit on the homely side, well, that’s kind of a nice change of pace too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Randy’s style is all his own, “his simple forms…balanced by sophisticated textures and restrained colors” (Publishers Weekly<\/em>). He’s both written and illustrated many of his own books, but he’s also worked with a handful of talented authors, as you’ll see below. Let’s get to it, and I thank Randy for visiting. As the coffee brews and we set the table, I’ll get the basics before our seven questions over breakfast. <\/p>\n

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

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

Randy<\/font><\/strong>: Illustrator. And sometimes author\/illustrator. <\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n

“Once there was a girl \/ an all-alone girl \/ in her own little bed \/ in her own little room \/ in her own little castle \/ who didn’t have \/ a dragon \/ for a friend.”
— Spread from Barbara Joosse’s<\/a><\/strong> <\/em>Lovabye Dragon<\/a><\/strong> (Candlewick, 2012)<\/em>
(Click to enlarge spread)<\/center><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

Randy<\/font><\/strong>: I have illustrated twenty-two books, four of which I wrote. <\/p>\n

The last five are: <\/p>\n