{"id":786,"date":"2007-07-15T00:01:13","date_gmt":"2007-07-15T06:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=786"},"modified":"2007-07-15T00:01:46","modified_gmt":"2007-07-15T06:01:46","slug":"7-imps-7-kicks-19-featuring-matt-phelan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=786","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #19: Featuring Matt Phelan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy Sunday to all! Just look at that beautiful illustration this week, compliments of Matt Phelan<\/a><\/strong>. The latest issue of The Horn Book<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/strong> includes Susan Patron’s Newbery Medal acceptance speech, and she talked briefly in that speech about having chosen Matt as the illustrator for The Higher Power of Lucky<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (lauding “his thoughtful, tender, and delicate pictures”). And we here at 7-Imp were reminded how much we like his art work and illustrations, so we contacted him and he agreed to share the above image from his upcoming book, Very Hairy Bear<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Alice Schertle (to be published in September by Harcourt<\/a><\/strong>). <\/p>\n

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In fact, we were drawn to this illustration you see here, which is featured on his web site (which he has also given us permission to share). We chose it above all the others profiled at his site and asked him for permission to use it, because — in Eisha’s words — it’s “a good summery happy Matt Phelan image.” And then it turns out that the image he was going to send us — the one at the top of this post, the Internet debut of the illustration — is the finalized version of the one here to which we were initially drawn. Neat, huh? Here’s what he had to say about it: <\/p>\n

That drawing was an early preliminary sketch for Very Hairy Bear<\/em>. Although I liked the looseness, I wanted the finished drawings to be even warmer and softer. So I switched from my usual pen and watercolor to Conte crayon and pastel on a very soft — almost fuzzy — toned paper. {The image at the top of the post} is how the illustration ended up in the final book . . .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/a><\/a>Here’s the book cover image, as found on his site. And, though he certainly didn’t ask us to point this out, we see that there are two recently-released titles that he has illustrated, Where I Live<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Eileen Spinelli (Dial Books for Young <\/a>Readers<\/a><\/strong>) and A Box Full of Kittens<\/em><\/a><\/strong> by Sonia Manzano<\/a><\/strong> (Atheneum Books for Young Readers<\/a><\/strong>), both published in June — and a title that was released in April<\/a><\/strong> as well. <\/p>\n

Anyway, big thanks to Matt Phelan for sharing his art work this week! (Jules would like to add that her Very Favorite Matt Phelan Image Of All is here at his bio page<\/a><\/strong>. Oh my, is that not just a lovely little moment of grace, or what?). <\/p>\n

Now on to our lists . . . For anyone new, 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is our weekly tradition of listing Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week (whether book-related or not), and everyone is welcome.<\/p>\n

* * * * * * * eisha’s list * * * * * * *<\/center><\/p>\n

Red Spikes1* Got an ARC of Margo Lanagan’s<\/strong><\/a> new book Red Spikes<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. Have I mentioned<\/strong><\/a> how much<\/strong><\/a> I love Margo Lanagan? Hmm? ‘Cause, I do, actually.<\/p>\n

2* There’s been some interest in the furniture that my husband posted for sale on craigslist<\/strong><\/a>. If people actually buy it, we’re gonna use the money to buy new furniture for the new apartment. Woo!<\/p>\n

3* Some of my favorite patrons came in to say goodbye to me on my last day at work. Much hugging and exchanging of emails ensued.<\/p>\n

4* And my husband treated me to yummy southern food (FRIED OKRA!) from Redbones<\/strong><\/a> to celebrate after my last day.<\/p>\n

5* Also got taken out to lunch by people twice. The neat thing about moving – people keep treating me Gots ta represent, yo!<\/a>when we go out. And one of those lunch-treaters gave me a tank top that says “Cambridge, Massachusetts” on it. It’s a little different from this one, but this is the closest I could find in a pic.<\/p>\n

6* I bought my plane ticket – I’m going to Chicago for Robin Brande’s<\/strong><\/a> Kidlit Conference<\/strong><\/a> in October!<\/p>\n

7* And finally, I had a lovely little going away party<\/strong><\/a> thing at Grendel’s<\/strong><\/a>. It was small, due to me being all last-minute about bothering to invite people, but one person who happily surprised me with his attendance was David Elzey<\/strong><\/a> of the excelsior file<\/strong><\/a>. It was so great to finally meet him in person. Thanks, David!<\/p>\n

* * * * * * * Jules’ list * * * * * * *<\/center><\/p>\n

1). Susan Patron’s aforementioned Newbery Medal acceptance speech, in which she said: <\/p>\n

With the firestorm and controversy out of which The Higher Power of Lucky<\/em> has emerged unscathed, I am more than ever confirmed in my belief that librarianship is a noble profession, essential to free speech and free access for children. It is crucial to children’s ability to make sense of this fragile, battered world–the world we’re handing over to them . . . It’s work you can look back on and know you made a difference in people’s lives, and as clich\u00e9d as that sounds, I believe it profoundly.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2). This old “Sesame Street” animated short, which I so totally remember from my childhood and my own girls watched the other day. Dude, this actually rather makes me tear up in the end. And, hey, the Alligator King has seven children, which is perfectly fitting for 7-Imp. Anyone else remember this?<\/p>\n

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3). This<\/a><\/strong> July ’07 School Library Journal<\/em> write-up on children’s CDs (music that won’t make the parents want to gag), written by Warren Truitt (of the wonderful blog, Children’s Music That Rocks<\/a><\/strong><\/em>). Thanks to Fuse #8<\/a><\/strong> for the link. And then this<\/a><\/strong> story on new children’s CDs, which I heard on NPR the other day. Seriously, these things make me happy, but I also haven’t fully<\/em> read each article yet, as I know it will be too tempting for my checkbook. <\/p>\n

4). “The Wussy Boy Manifesto” by Big Poppa E<\/a><\/strong>, as featured at David Elzey’s excelsior file<\/em> Poetry Friday entry<\/a><\/strong> this week.<\/p>\n

5). Finding out that Marc Aronson<\/a><\/strong> has a blog over at School Library Journal<\/em>. How did I not know this? I repeat: How did I not know this, people?<\/em> <\/p>\n

6). One of my best friends from high school had a premature but healthy baby boy and named him Oliver. So, of course, I’m going to get him Phyllis Root’s and Christopher Denise’s<\/a><\/strong> so-utterly-perfect Oliver Finds His Way<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (which has an all-new meaning if you think about giving it to a newborn, someone who just entered our world). <\/p>\n

7). Blueberry scones that I made for the first time ever. They weren’t so bad. <\/p>\n

What were your kicks this week? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Happy Sunday to all! Just look at that beautiful illustration this week, compliments of Matt Phelan. The latest issue of The Horn Book includes Susan Patron’s Newbery Medal acceptance speech, and she talked briefly in that speech about having chosen Matt as the illustrator for The Higher Power of Lucky (lauding “his thoughtful, tender, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-seven-good-things-before-monday"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=786"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}