{"id":2585,"date":"2013-06-16T00:01:17","date_gmt":"2013-06-16T06:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2585"},"modified":"2013-06-16T09:02:00","modified_gmt":"2013-06-16T15:02:00","slug":"7-imp%e2%80%99s-7-kicks-335-featuring-bei-lynn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2585","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks #335: Featuring Bei Lynn"},"content":{"rendered":"

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“The principal has no choice. He pulls Gus off the road. Gus is so sad that he hides in the gym and cries and cries. Just one of Gus’s tears could fill a bathtub.
Each one falls to the ground with a SPLAT!”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

Happy Father’s Day to all, and I apologize that I don’t have Father’s Day art. If only it were Ride Your Dinosaur to School Day … Hmm. <\/p>\n

I’m shining the spotlight today on a book that will be released in early July, Julia Liu’s Gus, the Dinosaur Bus<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, illustrated by Bei Lynn (Houghton Mifflin). Both author and illustrator live in Taiwan. Lynn’s illustrations were rendered in watercolor and pencil. <\/p>\n

“Who needs a bus stop when you have a dinosaur bus?” That’s right. Gus, the big green dinosaur, comes right to your door (or window, if you live in a tall apartment). Gus is careful not to step on cars, but he has big feet, so the city works around him. New road. Snacks lined up along the way (“two tons of french fries”). Road crews repair the holes he leaves behind. <\/p>\n

Gus is a helpful creature, but eventually he’s pulled off the road for all the problems he causes. His friends are there to cheer him, though, and it turns out that his banishment ends up becoming a new thing—a new treat—for the children, but I won’t give it all away. (Oh, wait. The illustrations below give it all away, so look away if you want to be surprised when you read it for yourself.) <\/p>\n

What’s most striking to me here are these very retro illustrations. The Kirkus<\/em> review describes this book (in terms of content, I suppose) as “an odd mix of Syd Hoff’s Danny and the Dinosaur<\/em> … and Steven Kellogg’s The Mysterious Tadpole<\/em>.” I like Lynn’s sketchy, relaxed lines, and I’d love to see more of her work. She’s evidently illustrated approximately twenty books for children, and I don’t know if they’ve been released in the States. I could look this up, but I’m too busy with kick #6 below. No, seriously, I don’t think they have been. This book, in fact, was originally released in 2012 in Taiwan as Riding Dinosaurs to School<\/em>. <\/p>\n

Here are some more spreads. Enjoy. <\/p>\n

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“The city makes a new road just for Gus. Along his route, people leave him snacks. Like two tons of french fries. Road crews repair the dino-sized potholes that
Gus accidentally leaves behind.”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

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“But life is not perfect for a dinosaur bus. Gus is so tall that he often gets tangled in telephone lines. He bumps his head on overpasses. He has been known to knock down a traffic light or two.”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

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“Now Gus is no longer a dinosaur bus. He’s Gus, the dinosaur slide! And swing.
And playground. Every day, the children visit him to swim, slide, swing, and climb. Maybe one day you can visit Gus too. But you’ll have to be patient. The line is long.”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

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GUS, THE DINOSAUR BUS. Text copyright \u00a9 2013 by Julia Liu. Illustrations copyright \u00a9 2013 by Bei Lynn. Translation adapted by Jamie White. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.<\/em><\/p>\n

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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. New kickers are always welcome. <\/p>\n

* * * Jules’ Kicks * * *<\/strong><\/font>
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1)<\/strong><\/font> Taking a break from work yesterday to swim with the family and lie in the sun. (I’m not a tanner, but boy howdy do I like my sunshine.) <\/p>\n

2)<\/strong><\/font> Neko Case<\/a><\/strong>! Nashville! October! Tickets have been purchased. Let’s celebrate with one of her best songs ever. Seven points for the lyrics, especially the last verse with the spider web and the lashes bit, and seventy-seven points for the music box: <\/p>\n

Middle Cyclone by Neko Case on Grooveshark<\/a><\/span><\/object><\/object><\/center><\/p>\n

I have always wanted to see her live. <\/p>\n

3)<\/strong><\/font> Symphony in the park. <\/p>\n

4)<\/strong><\/font> Tangos. <\/p>\n

5)<\/strong><\/font> Chris Thile<\/a><\/strong> (below with the rest of the Punch Brothers<\/a><\/strong>) is a genius. (No, really.)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n