{"id":3365,"date":"2014-03-30T00:01:46","date_gmt":"2014-03-30T06:01:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=3365"},"modified":"2014-03-29T14:41:21","modified_gmt":"2014-03-29T20:41:21","slug":"7-imps-7-kicks-375-featuring-manuel-monroy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=3365","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks #375: Featuring Manuel Monroy"},"content":{"rendered":"

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“‘Why are you doing that?’ asked Chepito as his mother stood at the stove, cooking eggs and frying beans. … ‘These eggs and beans will make you really strong.’ …”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge spread)<\/center><\/p>\n

Today’s featured book won’t be out till June. Yes, June! Sorry to be posting about it so early — I try not to make a habit of this. <\/p>\n

Why Are You Doing That?<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (Groundwood Books) is a picture book for very young readers, written by Elisa Amado and illustrated by Manuel Monroy<\/a><\/strong>. Elisa is an author and translator, born in Guatemala. Manuel is one of Mexico’s most celebrated illustrators. It’s a companion to their first picture book, What Are You Doing?<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (2011). <\/p>\n

In this book, a young boy, named Chepito, explores his environment one morning—from his mother, cooking breakfast, to his neighbors, flattening dough and milking cows and feeding chickens—all the while asking in his sing-song way (as if he’s a bird), “Why are you doing that … What for? What for?” All the patient, accommodating adults answer him; this is a gentle read about curiosity and rural communities and not only where food comes from, but also how we nurture our bodies and the animals that feed us. It even closes with a short glossary. <\/p>\n

Monroy evidently started out with color pencil and watercolor drawings, and then he went the digital route from there. The illustrations are warm and affectionate. Please note, however, that they appear a bit brighter here on the screen than they do in the book. <\/p>\n

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

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“There was his neighbor, Manuel, digging in the ground. … ‘Look at this nice elote,’ Manuel said as he peeled back the husk.”<\/em>
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“Chepito ran around the corner. He saw Do\u00f1a Ana throwing corn to some chickens. … ‘What for? What for?’ sang Chepito. ‘So that they can grow strong and lay good eggs like the ones you just had for breakfast.'”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge spread)<\/center><\/p>\n

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WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT? Copyright \u00a9 2014 by Elisa Amado. Illustrations \u00a9 2014 by Manuel Monroy. Published by Groundwood Books, Toronto. All images here reproduced by permission of the publisher.<\/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> Hands down, my biggest kick of the week was an opportunity to chat with Barry Moser<\/a><\/strong> about Appalachian children’s literature, as a favor for some friends at UT in Knoxville, who are planning an upcoming exhibit about that very topic. I got a picture afterwards. It was a pleasure to chat with him. <\/p>\n

2)<\/strong><\/font> And the night before, I heard him and author Ann Patchett<\/a><\/strong> speak at Vanderbilt about writing and typography and design and illustrations and books and such. <\/p>\n

3)<\/strong><\/font> And that reminded me to pick up Ann’s latest book<\/a><\/strong>, which I’ve been wanting to read for a while now. <\/p>\n

4)<\/strong><\/font> I’m mildly to moderately obsessed with Rufus Wainwright’s<\/a><\/strong> cover of Leonard Cohen’s<\/a><\/strong> “Chelsea Hotel,” which I only listened to about 77 times this week. Not this particular rendition below, but still …<\/p>\n