{"id":3697,"date":"2015-03-17T00:01:46","date_gmt":"2015-03-17T06:01:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=3697"},"modified":"2015-03-17T07:10:30","modified_gmt":"2015-03-17T13:10:30","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-benji-davies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=3697","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Benji Davies"},"content":{"rendered":"

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“Almost … asleep….”
— From Jory John’s<\/a><\/strong><\/em> Goodnight Already!<\/a><\/strong> (Harper, December 2014)<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

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“… But he said they must take the whale back to the sea, where it belonged.”
— From <\/em>The Storm Whale<\/a><\/strong> (Henry Holt, September 2014)<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

I always open my “breakfast” illustrator interviews with art — but usually just one image. I have two images today, though, from British illustrator Benji Davies<\/a><\/strong>, because I couldn’t pick. <\/p>\n

The first image is from his latest illustrated book here in the States, Jory John’s<\/a><\/strong> Goodnight Already!<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, which was released at the tail end of last year. <\/p>\n

And that second image? It’s from The Storm Whale<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, which Benji both wrote and illustrated and which was released last Fall here in the U.S. (2013 in the UK). I wrote about that book here<\/a><\/strong> at Kirkus<\/em> last year, and I couldn’t get over then what a beautiful<\/em> illustration the one above, in particular, is. (That happens also to be the U.S. cover for the book.) And I still can’t get over it. Scroll back up and take a moment to enlarge that illustration and soak it in. Ah. <\/p>\n

So that’s why I have two Benji art moments up there. <\/p>\n

Benji—who, as you will read below, has been making picture books and board books for years now—is here for breakfast this morning. “Definitely with eggs,” he told me. “Preferably Benedict.” How’d he know I can’t start my day without eggs? Also, not without coffee. So, I’ll get that brewin’ while I get the basics from him before we chat over breakfast. <\/p>\n

I thank him for visiting. (And if you want more, there’s Matthew Winner’s February podcast<\/a><\/strong> with Benji.) <\/p>\n

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

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

Benji<\/font><\/strong>: Both at once and the latter by itself.<\/p>\n

Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Can you list your books-to-date? (If there are too many books to list here, please list your five most recent illustrated titles or<\/em> the ones that are most prominent in your mind, for whatever reason.)<\/font><\/p>\n

Benji<\/font><\/strong>: All books listed as published first in UK, unless shown.<\/p>\n

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The UK cover of <\/em>The Storm Whale
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

As illustrator: <\/p>\n