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<\/a>If I had a dime for every time an illustrator here at 7-Imp has named Beatrice Alemagna as an inspiration, well … I’d be in Italy now. Yep. Why not? Italy sounds good right about now. <\/p>\n
Last year she wrote and illustrated Little Big Boubo<\/a><\/strong><\/em>—on shelves here in the States this month, thanks to Tate Publishing—and I’ve got some spreads from it today. This book had me at its first lines: <\/p>\n Hello! My first name is Boubo. <\/p>\n My last name is Boubo too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Boubo is proud of his growing independence and launches his best campaign in this story to convince readers that he’s a big boy. “I only wear my nappies one day a week,” he says, “like grown-ups.” With a small trim size, this story about a proud toddler is just right for toddler hands, perhaps those who have graduated from board books. <\/p>\n Know how he knows he’s big? His mother tucks him in nightly, saying “Sleep well, my BIGGEST love.” That’s how this story of child development also becomes a tribute to maternal love. <\/p>\n Also below, I’ve got some spreads from Nadja Spiegelman’s<\/a><\/strong> and Sergio Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez’s <\/em>Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/em> (TOON Books\/A Toon Graphic, April 2015), which is so fun to read — and not just because we Danielsons returned fairly recently from our own<\/em> NYC adventure. (The book’s opening endpapers depict a subway map, something to which we became very accustomed just a couple weeks ago.) <\/p>\n This is the story of a boy named Pablo, new to a NYC school and reluctant to make friends, since his family moves so often. His class heads out on a subway adventure and, along the way, learns about the history of the subway system. Pablo is paired with a girl named Alicia, who is trying her best to befriend him, despite the walls around him. The two of them eventually get on the wrong train but find their way back to their teacher and class — and also find friendship. S\u00e1nchez’s spreads, colored by Lola Moral, are bursting with energy and life, and it’s a testament to his artistic sensibilities that he keeps these busy spreads from getting confusing for the reader. The book even closes with informational matter about the history of the subway system. Fascinating. <\/p>\n Below are some spreads from that too. Enjoy the art. … LOST IN NYC: A SUBWAY ADVENTURE. Copyright \u00a9 2015 by Nadja Spiegelman, Sergio Garc\u00eda S\u00e1nchez, and TOON Books. All images here reproduced by permission of the publisher.<\/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. New kickers are always welcome. <\/p>\n 1)<\/strong><\/font> Very busy week. My first kick is just Getting Everything Done. (This also means that, if you’ve emailed me about something blog-related, boy howdy and howdy boy … sorry for the delay. One day, I’ll get caught up.) <\/p>\n
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\nLITTLE BIG BOUBO. Copyright \u00a9 2014 by Beatrice Alemagna. All images here reproduced by permission of the publisher, Tate Publishing\/Abrams, New York.<\/p>\n
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