V for Veritas

The 2012 Caldecott Medal Winner!

2012-01-23T15:46:00.000-05:00

Click here for more information on this year's winner and the honor books.

“Chris Raschka’s deceptively simple paintings of watercolor, gouache and ink explore universal themes of love and loss that permit thousands of possible variants,” said Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Steven L. Herb. ‘A Ball for Daisy’ holds as many unique stories as there will be young readers and re-readers.

Fisher-Price

2012-01-23T11:38:00.002-05:00

A very interesting article from David Israel at Mental Floss!

So we dug around and discovered that the original founders of the toy company back in 1930 consisted of, yes, businessmen Herman Fisher and Irving Price, but also a children’s book author and illustrator named Margaret Evans Price (yes, married to Irving, so there were actually two Prices), and a toy store owner named Helen Schelle. While the businessmen were instrumental in launching the company, it was actually the two women who collaborated on most of the company’s early, successful products, like Dr. Doodle, the duck push-pull toy pictured above that was based on a character from her children’s books.

The Unexpected Inspirations Behind Beloved Children's Books

2012-01-19T20:12:00.002-05:00

From The Atlantic, "the acid trips, war wounds, and survival stories that led to your treasured childhood fantasies."

Tomie DePaola Award Winners

2012-01-09T15:57:00.000-05:00

Here are the winners of the 2012 Tomie DePaola Award.

I am very honored and grateful to receive this from Tomie and the SCBWI, especially so considering all of the incredible talent, skill, and hard work that clearly went into all of the submissions.

Thank you Tomie!

Unofficial Gallery of the Tomie DePaola Award

2012-01-03T19:27:00.000-05:00

Diandra Mae of the Houston branch of the SCBWI came up with the good idea of creating an online gallery of submissions for the Tomie DePaola illustration award. As of this posting, she has 82 of the submissions up.

Thanks Diandra!

The winner will be announced January 9.

Tomie DePaola Award Submission

2011-12-14T21:06:00.001-05:00

Here is my submission for the 2012 Tomie DePaola award.

The challenge was to illustrate, in one image, the following excerpt from “Chicken Licken,” by P.C. Asbjörnsen:

So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey.
“Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Henny Penny, and Chicken Licken,” said Turkey Lurkey, “where are you going?”
“Oh, Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the King!”
“How do you know the sky is falling?” asked Turkey Lurkey.
“Ducky Daddles told me,” said Goosey Loosey.
“Cocky Locky told me,” said Ducky Daddles.
“Henny Penny told me,” said Cocky Locky.
“Chicken Licken told me,” said Henny Penny
“I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears, and a piece of it fell on my tail!” said Chicken Licken.
“Then I will go with you,” said Turkey Lurkey, “and we will tell the King!”

More Best of 2011 Lists

2011-12-03T19:53:00.001-05:00

Fromm the Smithsonian and the Atlantic.

PW Best Books of 2011

2011-12-01T19:45:00.001-05:00

Here is another great best picture books of 2011 list, this one from Publishers Weekly.

NYT Notable Children's Picture Books of 2011

2011-11-23T15:53:00.001-05:00

The list of picture books is below. Here is the entire New York Times list of notable 2011 children's books, including young adult and middle grade.

BLACKOUT. Written and illustrated by John Rocco. (Disney/Hyperion, $16.99.) There’s no place like New York in a blackout, at least as it’s depicted in this gorgeously dreamy landscape of deep midnight blues. The city comes alive after dark at the same time a family becomes aware of the comforts of home in a story about how a community and a family come together when the lights go out.

GOODNIGHT, GOODNIGHT, CONSTRUCTION SITE. By Sherri Duskey Rinker. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. (Chronicle, $16.99.) A debut author and an accomplished illustrator team up in a meeting of bedtime tale and construction book. This lullaby in rhyming couplets will also be loved by girls, with its images of vehicles clasping stars and cradling teddy bears.

I WANT MY HAT BACK. Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen. (Candlewick, $15.99.) A bear has lost his hat. A rabbit has stolen it. The bear finds out. From this premise, Klassen has created an inventive book that will have children scratching their heads and then laughing with glee once they “get it.” Both story and bear have bite.

I MUST HAVE BOBO! By Eileen Rosenthal. Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. (Atheneum, $14.99.) A melodramatic boy, Willy, and a cat, Earl, both lay claim to a sock monkey. With adorable illustrations and sharp but spare text.

ME ... JANE. Written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell. (Little, Brown, $15.99.) Jane Goodall, the subject of this pictorial biography, and Patrick McDonnell, author and illustrator, are splendidly matched. Careful scenes captured in watercolors show how Goodall’s childhood shaped her adult life.

MEADOWLANDS: A Wetlands Survival Story. Written and illustrated by Thomas F. Yezerski. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $17.99.) Meticulously researched and expertly drawn, “Meadowlands” is impassioned without being preachy. A fine introduction to our role in environmental devastation and protection.

MY NAME IS ELIZABETH! By Annika Dunklee. Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. (Kids Can Press, $14.95.) The indignity and aggravation of the mispronounced and mistakenly abbreviated name! Elizabeth, a feisty and outspoken girl, addresses those who misaddress her in this artfully drawn tale.

OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW. By Kate Messner. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. (Chronicle, $16.99.) A girl and her father are skiing when a red squirrel darts below the snow. Quiet, gentle and incomparably lovely, this book reveals a wintertime world under the surface.

POMELO BEGINS TO GROW. By Ramona Bodescu. Illustrated by Benjamin Chaud. Translated by Claudia Bedrick. (Enchanted Lion, $16.95.) A baby elephant’s growth spurt also spurs worries. “Funny, smart and idiosyncratic, graceful and intuitive in a way that feels as much dreamed as written,” our reviewer, Bruce Handy, said.

SAMANTHA ON A ROLL. By Linda Ashman. Illustrated by Christine Davenier. (Margaret Ferguson Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $16.99.) A girl, a pair of new roller skates, a preoccupied parent. This ode to the glorious adventures — if also perils — of benign neglect pairs Ashman’s perfectly rhymed text with Davenier’s animated, humorous drawings.

Edward Sorel Video

2011-11-23T15:47:00.001-05:00

Via Mark Mitchell, who found this on Drawn: a great video with Edward Sorel discussing his work.

NYT Best Illustrated Books of 2011

2011-11-14T20:28:00.001-05:00

Here they are: The New York Times best illustrated books of 2011.

Sendak and Weisgard

2011-11-10T21:15:00.001-05:00

More great vintage children's book finds from Maria Popova at The Atlantic:

Here...

The the 1960 volume Best in Children's Books #35, hidden wherein is a version of The Velveteen Rabbit illustrated by none other than Maurice Sendak, he of Where The Wild Things Are fame. The charming duotone illustrations bring Sendak's signature style of simple whimsy to one of the most beloved children's stories of all time -- a priceless combination.

...and here!

Spotted on the lovely Vintage Kids' Books My Kids Love, here's a beautiful 1949 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard -- only the second version of the Lewis Carroll classic, and the first with color illustrations. The vibrant, textured artwork exudes a certain mid-century boldness that makes it as much a timeless celebration of the beloved children's book as it is a time-capsule of bygone aesthetic from the golden age of illustration and graphic design.

NYT 2011 Best Illustrated Children’s Books

2011-11-03T19:38:00.000-04:00

Here is the announcement!

Artwork will appear in their special children's book section in the November 13 issue.

Edward Sorel

2011-11-02T14:02:00.001-04:00

Here is an excellent post by Peter de Seve on Edward Sorel:

As an art student fresh out of high school in the late '70's, I was slowly becoming more and more aware of artwork outside of comic books and paperback covers. Before too long, I found myself introduced to the work of Ed Sorel and began a long and successful campaign of studying and stealing from him. There was an energy and fearlessness in his line work that was irresistible to me. How could anyone draw so loosely and yet so sculpturally at the same time? His pictures looked as if Giacometti had discovered spectacles and a sense of humor.

I love this:

... his illustrations were always a reminder to me of the beauty in errant lines; the ones you have to put down on the page while you search for your subject.

Andy Warhol's Children's Illustration

2011-10-24T22:01:00.000-04:00

What a find! We had The Little Red Hen as kids, but it wasn't Andy Warhol's version.

The vibrant technicolor artwork, an outlier in the warm pastel color schemes of 1950s children's illustration, offers a fascinating prequel to Warhol's budding pop art aesthetic -- one you can acquire for under $5, not a bad deal for rare, limited-edition work by one of only seven artists in the world to have ever sold a canvas for $100 million.

The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

2011-10-11T14:07:00.000-04:00

This looks like a must-have! (forwarded by my Uncle.) The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm :

The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm is an astounding new volume from Taschen editor Noel Daniel bringing together the best illustrations from 130 years of The Brothers Grimm with 27 of the most beloved Grimm stories, including Cinderella, Snow White, The Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty, amidst artwork by some of the most celebrated illustrators from Germany, Britain, Sweden, Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and the United States working between the 1820s and 1950s.

The new translation is based on the final 1857 edition of the tales, and stunning silhouettes from original publications from the 1870s and 1920s grace the tome's pages, alongside brand new silhouettes created bespoke for this remarkable new volume.

Google's Reverse Image Search

2011-10-05T13:23:00.002-04:00

From Kidlit Artists:

Thanks to Cedric Hohnstadt for posting about the new Search By Image service of Google's: "simply drag an image into the search box and it will find everywhere on the web that your image appears."

Cool!

The Children's Authors Who Broke the Rules

2011-09-26T12:35:00.000-04:00

From The New York Times, The Children's Authors Who Broke the Rules:

The stylistic eccentricities of Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein and Theodor Geisel, a k a Dr. Seuss, are so much a part of the childhood vernacular today that it’s hard to imagine their books were once considered by some to be wholly inappropriate for children.

Yet these three authors — who each have a new book coming out this month in what can only be described as a Seussian coincidence (“But, see! We are as good as you. Look! Now we have new books, too!”) — challenged the conception of what a children’s book should be. And children’s literature, happily, has never been the same.

Judging by the reactions to Bumble-Ardy, some people STILL regard these books to be inappropriate for children!

Little Golden Books

2011-09-25T15:42:00.003-04:00

A piece from Mental Floss on the history of Little Golden Books.

I still have my old stuffed Poky Little Puppy toy!

There’s a good chance you grew up reading the adventures of The Poky Little Puppy, Tootle, or Scuffy the Tugboat in the pages of Little Golden Books. Come along as we look at the history of these tiny tomes with the gold foil spine that have helped generations of kids learn to appreciate the printed word.

Before the introduction of Little Golden Books in 1942, children’s books were not really made for children. They were usually large volumes that were too difficult for young readers to handle or comprehend, and were awfully expensive at $2 to $3 each (about $28 – $42 today). But George Duplaix of the Artist’s and Writer’s Guild, in partnership with Simon & Schuster Publications and Western Printing, wanted to change all that.

So Sleepy Story

2011-09-21T19:56:00.003-04:00

Another favorite book of mine for Joseph's bedtime reading is So Sleepy Story by Uri Shulevitz. It is short, sweet, and without a preachy message. Just a nice, sleepy book to finish off a baby's day.

Bumble-Ardy

2011-09-20T19:34:00.004-04:00

A good piece from The Atlantic on Maurice Sendak's new book, Bumble-Ardy. I like the defense of subject matter in his books that some parents deem inappropriate for kids.

This month marks the end of a long, strange silence: For the first time in 30 years, Maurice Sendak has published a book that he both wrote and drew.

...

...kids' books—the best ones—can challenge and edify children the same way we expect adult literature to challenge and edify us. By dumbing down or censoring their libraries we deprive children of the crucial means of confronting, then mastering, their fears. We take away their hope of finally letting go.

Happy Birthday, Roald Dahl

2011-09-13T19:17:00.000-04:00

From The New York Times:

Today would have been Roald Dahl’s 95th birthday had he not died at the age of 74 in 1990. This year also marks the birthday of one of his most beloved books, “James and the Giant Peach,” which was published in the United States 50 years ago.

Joan Kiddell-Monroe

2011-09-06T20:51:00.001-04:00

Another great forward from my uncle via 50 Watts (a site I will be linking to), Forgotten Illustrator: Joan Kiddell-Monroe. Such, beautiful, free-flowing work. Mine feels so tight and restrained and blah by comparison.

Joan Kiddell-Monroe (1908–1972) was a British-born author and illustrator of children's books. I've been collecting her work from the 50s and 60s for the Oxford Myths series. Read more about her at wikipedia. Maybe someday I'll visit her papers.

Two Days Late

2011-06-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

Happy 83rd birthday, Maurice Sendak!

I'll be looking forward to his new book coming out this fall, Bumble-Ardy.

The Quiet Book

2011-05-19T12:48:00.003-04:00

My latest bedtime book for Joseph: The Quiet Book. I love it. Renata Liwska's soft illustrations are perfect for this cozy little story. I'm happy to have this in his library.

Sendak, Picturing Mortality

2011-05-02T12:16:00.000-04:00

A great little interview with Maurice Sendak forwarded to me by an uncle. My favorite part:

He knows kids respond to this darkness. "I take kids seriously," he says. "They have a lot of things wrong. They protect their parents. Children are brave little creatures."

How to Steal Like an Artist

2011-04-06T23:30:00.000-04:00

A good, inspiring post by Austin Kleon (via Mark Mitchell). I especially like 8 and 9:

Kurt Vonnegut said it best: “There’s only one rule I know of: goddamn it, you’ve got to be kind.”

...

As Flaubert said, “Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”

ICBD

2011-04-02T22:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Children's Book Day!

Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, 2 April, International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books.

Sketch of the Day

2011-03-04T12:47:00.000-05:00

New Baby

2011-03-03T23:29:00.001-05:00

I have been happily busy since my son Joseph Cesar was born on January 17. I've certainly spent a lot of time looking at his wonderful hands and feet over the last six weeks (don't worry, he doesn't look like the old man).

Scholastic Book Clubs Launches Monthly Children's Books Bestsellers List

2011-01-11T20:02:00.001-05:00

Scholastic Book Clubs Launches Monthly Children's Books Bestsellers List:

Scholastic Book Clubs today announced the launch of a monthly bestsellers list designed to inform parents, teachers, librarians, book sellers and book lovers about which children's books are most popular with kids.

Accessible online on Book Talk, the official Scholastic Book Clubs blog, the Scholastic Book Clubs bestsellers list will be issued on the second Tuesday of each month, starting January 2011, and lists the five most popular children's books based on books purchased through Scholastic Book Clubs in each of the following categories: Picture Books, Transitional Readers, Early Chapter Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, and Nonfiction.

Cool Discovery

2010-12-15T18:22:00.000-05:00

Roald Dahl's unfinished, unpublished work:

Dahl wrote the two-page story 28 years ago as part of a Finish-It-Yourself book, where authors would kick-start a story and children could make up the rest themselves. However, publishing stalled and the book never came out. Dahl's contribution, which garnered the author $200, told the story of two children and their creepy neighbor Mr. Croaker.

Children's Books in an iPad Age

2010-12-09T20:14:00.000-05:00

Children’s Books in an iPad Age: A Publishers Weekly Webinar:

After an illustrator asked how tech-savvy children’s book artists need to be, Wilson said Nosy Crow is “working with people with a range of technical ability,” but that the most important thing is to have “the spark of imagination. [Artists] have to understand what a truly interactive app is and does. Once they’ve done that, it’s possible to introduce other people... who can help make that process happen.”

Scholastic's Ten Trends in Children's Books 2010

2010-12-09T20:03:00.000-05:00

Scholastic Experts Issue List of "Ten Trends in Children's Books from 2010."

A bit of a disappointing trend for picture books:

The shift in picture books: Publishers are publishing about 25 to 30 percent fewer picture book titles than they used to as some parents want their kids to read more challenging books at younger ages. The new trend is leading to popular picture book characters such as Pinkalicious, Splat Cat and Brown Bear, Brown Bear showing up in Beginning Reader books.

Sketch of the Day

2010-12-03T18:34:00.000-05:00

Here I am angrily trying to get my pen nibs to work. It hasn't been going too well.

I may return to Micron pens.

Sketch of the Day

2010-11-19T22:26:00.000-05:00

NYT Best Selling Picture Books This Week

2010-11-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

Here are the NYT best selling picture books this week:

LLAMA LLAMA HOLIDAY DRAMA, written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney. (Viking, $16.99.) When the suspense is too much, Llama Llama turns to you-know-who for comfort. (Ages 2 and up)
FABULOUS FASHION BOUTIQUE, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. (HarperCollins, $17.99.) Fancy Nancy takes an entrepreneurial approach to haute couture. (Ages 4 to 7)
FABULOUS FASHION BOUTIQUE, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. (HarperCollins, $17.99.) Fancy Nancy takes an entrepreneurial approach to haute couture. (Ages 4 to 7)
KNUFFLE BUNNY FREE, written and illustrated by Mo Willems. (Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins, $17.99.) A little girl and her well-loved companion take a trip that leads to unexpected discoveries. (Ages 3 to 7)
HEADS, written and illustrated by Matthew Van Fleet. (Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster, $17.99.) Animal noggins with tabs to make them move. (Ages 2 and up)
LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft. (DK, $21.99.) An annotated visual dictionary. (Ages 7 and up)
OLIVIA GOES TO VENICE, written and illustrated by Ian Falconer. (Atheneum, $17.99.) A piglet prone to big ideas wants to live on the Grand Canal. (Ages 3 to 7)
IT'S A BOOK, written and illustrated by Lane Smith. (Roaring Brook, $12.99.) It doesn’t tweet or need recharging. (Ages 6 and up)
ART AND MAX, written and illustrated by David Wiesner. (Clarion, $17.99.) Two artists mix methods and media. (Ages 5 to 8)
DC SUPER HEROES, THE ULTIMATE POP-UP BOOK, by the DC Comics staff and Matthew Reinhart. (Little, Brown, $29.99.) Comics, in 3-D. (Ages 3 and up)
WHEREVER YOU ARE, MY LOVE WILL FIND YOU, written and illustrated by Nancy Tillman. (Feiwel & Friends, $16.99.) All about the tenderness a parent feels for a child. (Ages 4 to 8)

Sketch of the Day

2010-11-16T21:27:00.002-05:00

Sketch of the Day

2010-11-11T21:28:00.000-05:00

Another List

2010-11-11T21:19:00.001-05:00

Here are Publishers Weekly's best children's books of 2010.

The picture books:

Shark vs. Train
Chris Barton, illus. by Tom Lichtenheld (Little, Brown)
This is one of those elementally brilliant ideas that evokes a "Why didn't I think of that?" response. By pitting a cartoon train and shark against each other in a series of increasingly ludicrous challenges (the train's heft is a liability in a hot air balloon race, but very effective on a seesaw), Barton and Lichtenheld tap into kids' innate ability to turn anything, anything into a competition.

There's Going to Be a Baby
John Burningham, illus. by Helen Oxenbury (Candlewick)
Though they're married, this is the first collaboration between these two children's book icons, and it's a marvelous one: a dynamic and realistic exchange between a mother and her son as they await the arrival of a new family member. The soon-to-be big brother's insecurities and nervousness emerge through their conversations, yet Oxenbury's crisp ink vignettes make it clear that their tender bond will be in no way threatened by the imminent addition.

Farm
Elisha Cooper (Scholastic/Orchard)
At a time when the farm-to-table movement has never been stronger, Cooper's understated and unromantic portrait of farm life is especially resonant. He pairs breathtaking watercolor panoramas, which portray endless expanses of farmland, with matter-of-fact prose that takes readers through a year of planting, caring for crops and animals, harvesting, and preparing to begin the cycle once again.

The Boss Baby
Marla Frazee (S&S/Beach Lane)
"From the moment the baby arrived, it was obvious he was the boss." Frazee takes a sublime metaphor for the havoc that a baby can wreak, and runs with it; new parents and siblings will be laughing every step of the way (most likely through exhausted tears). Those who question whether child care is a full-time job, "with no time off," will quickly have their answer.

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring
Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illus. by Brian Floca (Roaring Brook/Flash Point/Porter)
An inspired vehicle to demonstrate the dividends that collaboration can pay, this story of the making of the classic American ballet, Appalachian Spring, is both accessible and fascinating. Greenberg, Jordan, and Floca are as in synch as were their subjects—Graham, Copland, and Noguchi—building on each other's contributions to craft a memorable tribute to creative power.

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)
Barbara Kerley, illus. by Edwin Fotheringham (Scholastic Press)
Based on the 130-page biography of Twain that his 13-year-old daughter Susy wrote, Kerley's superb study of Twain's life presents aspects of the writer seldom seen, as Susy describes his "fine" and "not-so-fine" qualities alike ("Papa uses very strong language"). Fotheringham's visual flourishes, as well as the inclusion of "journal" booklets of Susy's writing, complete this entertaining behind-the-scenes account.

Bunny Days
Tao Nyeu (Dial)
This trio of stories is as silly as it is subversive, as a group of hapless bunnies have unfortunate run-ins with mud, a vacuum cleaner, and a pair of scissors. Despite the shock of seeing "bunnies without tails and tails without bunnies," Nyeu's cartoon world is always comforting and warm. In each instance, Bear is able to set things right thanks to a washing machine, fan, and sewing machine, so that in the end, "Everyone is happy."

Béatrice Rodriguez (Enchanted Lion)
Wordless books are all about the details, and so it is with Rodriguez's debut, a story that appears straightforward (fox steals chicken; rooster and co. give chase), yet is anything but. Rodriguez's cartoons convey much emotion, and in so doing reveal that the fox's intentions are in no way malicious. Unexpected moments of romance, humor, and heartbreak add to a story that could be told in 1,000 words, but doesn't even need one.

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors
Joyce Sidman, illus. by Beckie Prange (Harcourt)
While many animal books try to top each other by highlighting progressively obscure creatures, Sidman and Prange take another tack with this absorbing study of species that have stood the test of time (think millennia). Covering bacteria, mollusks, and (much) later humans, Sidman writes affectionate poems about the various animals; paired with factual information and Prange's graceful linocuts, it's an expert fusion of art and science.

Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse
Marilyn Singer, illus. by Josée Masse (Dutton)
Singer and Masse are in perfect step with this clever and highly original collection of "reverso" poems (a form Singer developed), which can be read forward or backward—with significant impact on the fairy tale featured in each one. Masse plays with symmetry and dueling perspectives just as much as Singer does, giving the project a thematic cohesiveness and challenging readers to look at classic stories in an entirely new way.

It's a Book
Lane Smith (Roaring Brook)
Via a hilarious conversation between a technophile and a booklover, Smith delivers a pitch-perfect and timely ode to the tenuous relationship between printed words and those that appear on-screen. Smith's message is as much for parents as it is for kids, yet children will readily recognize the absurdity of, say, trying to translate Treasure Island to textspeak. And in case Smith's stance isn't clear: this one's not available as an e-book.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee
Philip C. Stead, illus. by Erin E. Stead (Roaring Brook/Porter)
What goes around comes around, in the best possible way, in this story of a zookeeper who gently tends to the animals in his care (playing chess with the elephant, reading stories to an owl), then gets similar treatment when he falls ill. As depicted in Erin Stead's delicate and precise illustrations, the friendship is made all the more poignant by inclusion of an elderly protagonist, an underrepresented demographic in picture books.

The Quiet Book
Deborah Underwood, illus. by Renata Liwska (Houghton Mifflin)
To turn a concept as intangible as "quiet" into a full-length picture book is ambitious, but Underwood and Liwska nail it with a collaboration that has an overall muted quality yet finds surprising depth in its nearly silent subject matter. From the solitary mystery of "swimming underwater quiet" to the uneasiness of "top of the roller coaster quiet," the book conveys a wealth of emotion in life's less in-your-face moments.

City Dog, Country Frog
Mo Willems, illus. by Jon J Muth (Hyperion)
Expectations are understandably high for a superstar pairing like this, and Willems and Muth more than deliver with an understated story of friendship between a dog and a frog that unfolds across the four seasons. The idea that the seasons (and life) inevitably end is counterbalanced by the subtle humor evident in both text and paintings, as well as the promise of a new friendship when spring returns.

Knuffle Bunny Free
Mo Willems (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray)
Willems's conclusion to his Knuffle Bunny trio is as heartfelt and emotionally true as its predecessors, bringing Trixie's relationship with her stuffed rabbit to a moving conclusion that feels inevitable in the best of ways. Willems writes with respect, honesty, and empathy for Trixie, as her inner confidence (very) gradually takes the place of the external comfort Knuffle Bunny has unfailingly provided.

Art and Max
David Wiesner (Clarion)
Although three-time Caldecott–winner Wiesner's latest can be read simply (and enjoyably) as the story of the Odd Couple–style friendship between two lizards, it's as much a meditation on the nature of art (aided in no small way by the fact that one lizard is named Art). Their adventure in painting takes turns both surreal and slapstick, matching plentiful laughs with contemplative insights about friendship, creativity, and identity.

NYT Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010

2010-11-07T11:28:00.001-05:00

This is a great yearly New York Times guide to illustrated children's books.

Sketch of the Day

2010-11-06T19:57:00.000-04:00

Amazon Top Ten

2010-11-06T19:44:00.002-04:00

Here are Amazon's top ten picture books of 2010.

Sketch of the Day

2010-11-04T19:41:00.002-04:00

NYT Best Selling Picture Books This Week

2010-11-03T13:41:00.000-04:00

NYT Best Selling Picture Books This Week:

LLAMA LLAMA HOLIDAY DRAMA, written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney. (Viking, $16.99.) The suspense is too much, so Llama Llama turns to you-know-who for comfort. (Ages 2 and up)
SCAREDY-CAT, SPLAT!, written and illustrated by Rob Scotton. (Harper/HarperCollins, $16.99.) Splat aims to scare his cat school pals on Halloween. (Ages 3 to 7)
FABULOUS FASHION BOUTIQUE, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. (HarperCollins, $17.99.) Fancy Nancy takes an entrepreneurial approach to haute couture. (Ages 4 to 7)
ZEN GHOSTS, written and illustrated by Jon J Muth. (Scholastic Press, $17.99.) Stillwater the panda with a Halloween-themed tale of Eastern wisdom. (Ages 5 to 8)
KNUFFLE BUNNY FREE, written and illustrated by Mo Willems. (Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins, $17.99.) A little girl and her well-loved companion take a trip that leads to unexpected discoveries. (Ages 3 to 7)
IT'S A BOOK, written and illustrated by Lane Smith. (Roaring Brook, $12.99.) It doesn’t tweet or need recharging. (Ages 6 and up)
OLIVIA GOES TO VENICE, written and illustrated by Ian Falconer. (Atheneum, $17.99.) A piglet prone to big ideas wants to live on the Grand Canal. (Ages 3 to 7)
LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft. (DK, $21.99.) An annotated visual dictionary. (Ages 7 and up)
ART AND MAX, written and illustrated by David Wiesner. (Clarion, $17.99.) Two artists mix methods and media. (Ages 5 to 8)
THE THREE LITTLE DASSIES, written and illustrated by Jan Brett. (Putnam, $17.99.) A retelling of "The Three Little Pigs," with Namibian flavor. (Ages 3 to 5)

Sketch of the Day

2010-11-02T20:28:00.000-04:00

Sketch of the Day

2010-11-01T23:01:00.000-04:00

NYT Best Selling Picture Books This Week

2010-10-28T20:33:00.000-04:00

NYT Best Selling Picture Books This Week:

KNUFFLE BUNNY FREE, written and illustrated by Mo Willems. (Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins, $17.99.) A little girl and her well-loved companion take a trip that leads to unexpected discoveries. (Ages 3 to 7)
FABULOUS FASHION BOUTIQUE, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. (HarperCollins, $17.99.) Fancy Nancy takes an entrepreneurial approach to haute couture. (Ages 4 to 7)
SCAREDY-CAT, SPLAT!, written and illustrated by Rob Scotton. (Harper/HarperCollins, $16.99.) Splat aims to scare his cat school pals on Halloween. (Ages 3 to 7)
ZEN GHOSTS, written and illustrated by Jon J Muth. (Scholastic Press, $17.99.) Stillwater the panda with a Halloween-themed tale of Eastern wisdom. (Ages 5 to 8)
ART AND MAX, written and illustrated by David Wiesner. (Clarion, $17.99.) Two artists mix methods and media. (Ages 5 to 8)
OLIVIA GOES TO VENICE, written and illustrated by Ian Falconer. (Atheneum, $17.99.) A piglet prone to big ideas wants to live on the Grand Canal. (Ages 3 to 7)
LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft. (DK, $21.99.) An annotated visual dictionary. (Ages 7 and up)
THE LION AND THE MOUSE, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. (Little, Brown, $16.99.) A fable of reciprocal kindness, redrawn. (Ages 3 to 6)
MY MOMMY HUNG THE MOON, by Jamie Lee Curtis. Illustrated by Laura Cornell. (Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins, $16.99.) A child waxes poetic about Mom’s amazing achievements. (Ages 4 to 8)
THE THREE LITTLE DASSIES, written and illustrated by Jan Brett. (Putnam, $17.99.) A retelling of "The Three Little Pigs," with Namibian flavor. (Ages 3 to 5)

Sketch of the Day

2010-10-26T22:04:00.000-04:00

SCBWI-C Fall Conference Update

2010-09-28T23:01:00.001-04:00

As I expected, the SCBWI Carolinas Fall Conference this weekend was an informative, enriching, and inspiring experience.

Most of the sessions I attended were lead by the incredibly talented, accomplished, friendly, and funny Laurent Linn, the art director for Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. His compliments and advice about my work during the workshops were invaluable.

I invested in a few books that have been on my wish list for some time: Illustrating Children's Books by Martin Salisbury, the 2011 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (I have the 2008 edition), and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown. All worth it.

These conferences are well worth the investment in time and resources, and I plan to make many improvements and changes to my work based on what I learned this past weekend.

And I thank my dear husband for attending this conference with me and spending his time doing freelance web and graphics work from our hotel room while I was attending conference sessions.

SCBWI-C Fall Conference Illustration Intensive

2010-09-23T11:44:00.000-04:00

This weekend I will be attending the SCBWI - Carolinas fall conference in Charlotte, NC. I did this painting for an illustrators' workshop with the art director of Simon & Schuster.

This should be a very informative weekend, and we're looking forward to visiting Charlotte for the first time since moving to North Carolina back in December.

Tomie dePaola's Birthday

2010-09-15T22:03:00.002-04:00

Today was Tomie dePaola's 76th birthday.

Roald Dahl's Birthday

2010-09-13T20:31:00.000-04:00

Today would be Roald Dahl's 94th birthday. Here is an interesting series of articles about him (forwarded to me by one of my uncles):

Part I: Roald Dahl's Darkest Hour

Park II: Roald Dahl: The Spy Who Love Me

Park III: Roald Dahl: The Plane Crash that Gave Birth to a Writer

NY Times Children's Books This Week

2010-09-06T22:49:00.000-04:00

The NY Times bestselling picture books this week:

1. LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft. (DK, $21.99.) An annotated visual dictionary. (Ages 7 and up)

2. HEADS, written and illustrated by Matthew Van Fleet. (Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster, $17.99.) Animal noggins with tabs to make them move. (Ages 2 and up)

3. IT'S A BOOK, written and illustrated by Lane Smith. (Roaring Brook, $12.99.) It doesn’t tweet or need recharging. (Ages 6 and up)

4. STAR WARS, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder. (Workman, $14.95.) Action scenes are set in motion when you turn a page. (Ages 8 and up)

5. HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ, written and illustrated by Tad Hills. (Schwartz & Wade, $17.99.) Reading is as much fun as chewing a stick. (Ages 3 to 7)

6. THE JUNKYARD WONDERS, written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco. (Philomel, $17.99.) A child with reading problems is placed in a special class. (Ages 6 to 9)

7. DOG LOVES BOOKS, written and illustrated by Louise Yates. (Knopf, $16.99.) Dog opens a bookstore, and when no one comes at first, devours the books himself. (Ages 4 to 8)

8. BATS AT THE BALLGAME, written and illustrated by Brian Lies. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99.) Bats, the mammals, swing bats, as in baseball. (Ages 3 to 6)

9. CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG, by Mo Willems. Illustrated by Jon J Muth. (Hyperion/Disney, $17.99.) Friendships transcend seasons and city limits. (Ages 3 to 6)

10. LADYBUG GIRL AT THE BEACH, by David Soman and Jacky Davis. Illustrated by David Soman. (Dial, $16.99.) Lulu, a k a Ladybug Girl, is both enthralled and frightened by the sea. (Ages 3 to 5)

Little Sketches

2010-08-30T20:48:00.000-04:00

The Missing Golden Ticket and Other Splendiferous Secrets

2010-08-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

A new Dahl book:

Miranda Mary Piker, described by author Roald Dahl as “a horrid little girl who was disgustingly rude to her parents and also thoroughly disobedient,” is one of several “nasty children” who didn’t make it into the final version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when it was published in 1964. Fans can make her acquaintance at last in The Missing Golden Ticket and Other Splendiferous Secrets, which includes “Spotty Powder,” the deleted chapter featuring Miranda. Due from Puffin next month with a 75,000-copy first printing, the book also contains biographical and autobiographical tidbits about Dahl’s life and writing, as well as art by Quentin Blake.

Ignatius Press Children's Books

2010-08-19T17:37:00.000-04:00

From Catholic News Agency:

Ignatius Press announced on Monday that they are launching a collection of illustrated Catholic books for children, with the first eight to be released in October 2010.

The company has partnered with Magnificat in publishing a series of Catholic books that will “capture the imagination of children of various ages through delightful full-color illustrations, exciting stories from the Bible and lives of the saints, and simple yet powerful prayers,” read a press release on Aug. 16.

Rabbit & Possum Sketches

2010-08-10T20:44:00.000-04:00

Patricia Neal (wife of Roald Dahl) dies at 84

2010-08-09T19:17:00.001-04:00

From the New York Times:

... During her affair with Cooper she became pregnant and had an abortion, according to the autobiography “As I Am” (1988), written with Richard DeNeut. “If I had only one thing to do over in my life,” she wrote, “I would have that baby.” Eager to have children, she married Dahl in 1953, even though she did not love him then, she wrote in her autobiography. A former R.A.F. fighter pilot who became a renowned writer of often darkly humorous children’s books (“James and the Giant Peach,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”), Dahl took control of Ms. Neal’s life. After their four-month-old son, Theo, was left brain-damaged when his pram was crushed between a taxicab and a bus on a New York street in December 1960, Dahl decided that they would move to the village of Great Missenden in England. Two years later, their eldest daughter, Olivia, who was 7, died of measles encephalitis, perhaps for want of sophisticated medical care that would have been available in a big city.

Gli Amici di Gesú

2010-08-05T18:05:00.000-04:00

A children's book from Pope Benedict! It is only currently available in Italian though:

The book is composed of passages taken mainly from the Pope’s Wednesday general audiences, and tells the tale of Jesus’ first friends and disciples. Its 48 pages are illustrated by Italian artist Franco Vignazia, and it features a prologue by Spanish priest Father Julian Carron.

I also found Joseph and Chico a while back; a biography of the pope written for children.

Terrifying Children's Book Art of Japanese Monsters by Gojin Ishihara

2010-08-03T12:17:00.001-04:00

Great work! Children's books don't always have to be happy tales about fuzzy, big-eyed creatures.

"I came across a gallery of Ishihara's work today, mostly from the 1972 children's book "Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters," in which the prolific artist drew pictures that I'm guessing were explicitly designed to scare the living hell out of the kids who read them."

Read the whole article here.

"Things aren't the same, and they never will be."

2010-07-20T21:02:00.000-04:00

From PW: The Digital Revolution in Children's Publishing:

Picture books have used artwork as a core part of their storytelling as long as the art form has existed, yet they have always evolved, too. "The printed book hasn't stayed static—look how popular graphic novels are with kids," says Eliza Dresang, the Beverly Cleary professor for children and youth services at the University of Washington and author of Radical Change: Books for Youth in a Digital Age. "Things aren't the same, and they never will be."

...

Publishers and authors typically say they want kids to be able to read (and interact with) a story in any form, including electronic devices. "They're not so much competitors as they are companions," says author Amy Krouse Rosenthal, whose Little Pea is the book of the month for Readeo.com, a subscription site that lets children and adults in different cities see live video of each other sharing digital picture books. "You might own it in both forms. One doesn't preclude the other."

The Children's Book

2010-07-18T16:35:00.002-04:00

I've been curious about the novel The Children's Book by AS Byat since it came out:

Olive Wellwood lives an apparently perfect life; a successful writer of children's books, she lives in a beautiful old farmhouse in the Kentish countryside - Todefright, "tactfully extended and modernised in the Arts and Crafts style" - with her husband Humphry, her sister Violet and her brood of children. There they hold parties and mix with their friends and neighbours, well-known figures in the worlds of art, literature and politics; indeed, the novel begins in the run up to the Wellwoods' Midsummer party, with its Shakespearean themed costumes and a visiting puppet show.

...

Meanwhile Olive, pregnant again, continues to work not only on the children's books she writes for publication, but the individual, handwritten volumes she fills with stories for each of her own children, mysterious tales of secret worlds accessed through invisible doors, gaps in tree roots or cracks in tea-cups. Yet as with the Wellwoods' own lives, these beautiful fairy tales are filled with secrets and with danger, foreshadowing difficult times ahead as the children begin to grow out of their seemingly idyllic lives.

Read the whole review by Elizabeth Gregory here.

Maurice Sendak on what being an illustrator means

2010-07-18T10:25:00.001-04:00

"When you hide another story in a story, that's the story I'm telling the children."

I found this via Mark Mitchell at How to be a Children's Book Illustrator.

Library of the Early Mind

2010-07-12T20:38:00.000-04:00

From Publishers Weekly: New Film on Children's Book Authors and Illustrators:

Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar stories, or more specifically Adam Gopnik’s interpretation of them as part of the common language of childhood in the New Yorker in September 2008, serve as both title and inspiration for an upcoming film on children’s literature, Library of the Early Mind, directed and produced by Edward J. Delaney and co-produced by Steven Withrow.

...

“We wanted to do a film that would be interesting to people who may not have an interest in children’s literature,” says Withrow. “We wanted to describe how the writers and illustrators become artists and how these personal experiences really were the crucibles of the art they created.”

Here is the film's website.

June 10, 1928

2010-06-10T13:48:00.001-04:00

Maurice Sendak turns 82 today.

Sketch of the Day

2010-06-08T21:42:00.000-04:00

This was from our trip to Italy last July. We were looking at a lot of Hell paintings. Fra Angelico was one of my favorites.

Frank Frazetta, 1928-2010

2010-05-18T19:55:00.000-04:00

Frank Frazetta died May 10 at the age of 82. Here is a post for him at Drawn.

We have this Leaping Lizards print above our living room couch.

May he rest in peace.

Best Sellers

2010-05-14T22:03:00.001-04:00

This week's best-selling picture books from the New York Times. I think The Quiet Book and Instructions look fantastic.

THE SANDWICH SWAP, by Queen Rania of Jordan with Kelly DiPucchio. Illustrated by Tricia Tusa. (Disney-Hyperion, $16.99.) Sometimes breaking bread, no matter what’s between the slices, leads to understanding. (Ages 3 to 7).
THE QUIET BOOK, by Deborah Underwood. Illustrated by Renata Liwska. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $12.95.) Animal friends experience the surprisingly numerous shades of quiet. (Ages 3 to 5).
THE LION AND THE MOUSE, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. (Little, Brown, $16.99.) A fable of reciprocal kindness, redrawn. (Ages 3 to 6).
INSTRUCTIONS, by Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Charles Vess. (Harper/HarperCollins, $14.99.) Wisdom for surviving life’s journey. (All ages).
POET EXTRAORDINAIRE!, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. (HarperCollins, $12.99.) Fancy Nancy turns to rhyme. (Ages 4 to 8).
WADDLE!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder. (Workman, $12.95.) Animals in motion, with color. (Ages 4 to 8).
LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft. (DK, $21.99.) An annotated visual dictionary. (Ages 7 and up).
SKIPPYJON JONES, LOST IN SPICE, written and illustrated by Judy Schachner. (Dutton, $16.99.) The peppery red planet captures a cat’s fancy. (Ages 4 to 8).
THE EARTH BOOK, written and illustrated by Todd Parr. (Megan Tingley/Little, Brown, $9.99.) Ideas for saving the planet, plus a poster. (Ages 3 to 6).
GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder. (Workman, $12.95.) Animals seem to move when you flip the page. (Ages 4 to 8)

Puffin

2010-05-11T21:55:00.001-04:00

Puffin Books is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

Check out the Puffin Handbook, where they list the 70 best books for children.

Sketch of the Day

2010-05-11T20:29:00.000-04:00

Back to the land of old-fashioned pen and ink! (With water color tests underneath)

"A great nation is a reading nation."

2010-05-10T20:11:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Children's Book Week!

Since 1919, Children's Book Week has been celebrated nationally in schools, libraries, bookstores, clubs, private homes -- any place where there are children and books. Educators, librarians, booksellers, and families have celebrated children's books and the love of reading with storytelling, parties, author and illustrator appearances, and other book-related events.

It all began with the idea that children's books can change lives. In 1913, Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, began touring the country to promote higher standards in children's books. He proposed creating a Children's Book Week, which would be supported by all interested groups: publishers, booksellers, and librarians.

Mothers

2010-05-09T18:12:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

This book really brings me back to my childhood, which was wonderful thanks to my great mother (and father).

Free Comic Book Day

2010-05-01T17:04:00.000-04:00

Today is Free Comic Book Day!

Unfortunately for me, all the Mouse Guards were gone by the time we got there.

The Page 100 Project

2010-04-26T08:57:00.000-04:00

This is an interesting idea.

Best Sellers

2010-04-19T12:09:00.000-04:00

This week's best sellings children's books from the New York Times:

1 THE EASTER EGG, written and illustrated by Jan Brett. (Putnam, $17.99.) A story of caring and the hatching of spring. (Ages 4 to 8)

2 LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft. (DK, $21.99.) An annotated visual dictionary. (Ages 7 and up)

3 THE LION AND THE MOUSE, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. (Little, Brown, $16.99.) A fable of reciprocal kindness, redrawn. (Ages 4 to 8)

4 DISNEY’S ALICE IN WONDERLAND: THE VISUAL GUIDE, by Jo Casey and Laura Gilbert. (DK, $16.99.) A movie tie-in. (Ages 8 and up)

5 POET EXTRAORDINAIRE!, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. (HarperCollins, $12.99.) Fancy Nancy’s fancy turns to rhyme. (Ages 4 to 8)

6 MY GARDEN, written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. (Greenwillow/HarperCollins, $17.99.) A little girl’s garden yields a bounty of magical variety. (Ages 4 to 8)

7 OLLIE'S EASTER EGGS, written and illustrated by Olivier Dunrea. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $9.99.) Goslings separated from the eggs they decorated hunt for their missing booty. (Ages 4 to 8)

8 THE JELLYBEANS AND THE BIG BOOK BONANZA, by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans. Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. (Abrams, $15.95.) Friends work together in a quest for the perfect book. (Ages 4 to 8)

9 GALLOP!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder. (Workman, $12.95.) Animals seem to move when you flip the page. (Ages 4 to 8)

10 MISS BROOKS LOVES BOOKS! (AND I DON'T), by Barbara Bottner. Illustrated by Michael Emberley. (Knopf, $17.99.) A reluctant reader rejects every offering until she finds an unconventional idol. (Ages 4 to 8)

Ryan Peltier

2010-04-15T21:16:00.000-04:00

Very cool work. I like beards.

Sketch of the Day

2010-04-14T21:20:00.000-04:00

Nothing special -- a doodle on my notes from my last job interview.

The iPad Meets the Children's Book

2010-04-12T20:02:00.000-04:00

On launch day last Saturday, Apple sold more than 300,000 iPads—and users downloaded more than one million apps and more than 250,000 ebooks from the iBookstore. Parents immediately started snapping up picture book apps from Apple's online store. In fact, children's stories held six of the top 10 paid iPad book-app sales spots as of press time.

...

Publishers and app makers are taking widely different approaches to the burgeoning app market, with some instantly jumping on the iPad bandwagon and others waiting to see how many moms and dads let their kids read stories on a $499 device.

Read the whole thing at Publishers Weekly.

Badger

2010-04-04T14:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter everyone!

Toon Books iPhone App

2010-04-03T12:42:00.000-04:00

It looks like Toon Books is launching an application for the iPhone and iPod Touch:

Titles currently available are Jack and the Box by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman and Little Mouse Gets Ready, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor book, by Jeff Smith.

...

This is a collaboration between TOON Books and iStoryTime, a publisher of children’s storybooks for the iPhone.

Electronic media are a big part of children's books' present and future, although I don't believe they can replace the physical books themselves. The pages of a book can be much easier on the eyes than a computer screen!

Children's Book Day

2010-04-03T11:42:00.000-04:00

I am a day late because our internet was down, but happy Children's Book Day!

Dr. Seuss

2010-03-02T19:32:00.001-05:00

Today was Dr. Seuss' 106th birthday!

Bob Dylan

2010-02-08T20:04:00.000-05:00

I bet this will be good!

Bob Dylan's "Man Gave Names to All the Animals," from his 1979 album Slow Train Coming, will serve as inspiration for a children's book.

Dylan approved the use of his song's title, which references a line from Genesis 2:20, for use as the book's title and agreed to the book featuring drawings inspired by his lyrics.

Jerry Pinkney wins Caldecott

2010-01-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

Well, no surprise here.

One month later...

2010-01-16T22:00:00.001-05:00

We have been happily getting settled into our new home after the big move, Christmas and New Years, and then going back to work at our day jobs.

Here is an article speculating on this year's potential Newbery and Caldecott award winners:

This year, children's-book experts agree that the winner should be "The Lion & the Mouse" (Little Brown, $16.99), an Aesop's fable masterfully illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, who has won five Caldecott Honors.

As Kellman put it: "... if 'Lion & Mouse' doesn't win, there is no justice."

Pinkney's watercolor illustrations offer wonderful new insights — sometimes humorous, other times dramatic — into the classic story. There's another factor (which, under the rules, can't be considered by the Caldecott committee): If he wins, Pinkney would be the first individual African-American illustrator to win the Caldecott since it was created in 1938. (An interracial couple, Leo and Diane Dillon, have won two Caldecott Medals).

Interestingly, Pinkney also illustrated one of this year's potential Newbery contenders, "Sweethearts of Rhythm" (Dial, $21.99), written by Marilyn Nelson.

Other Caldecott possibilities include:

"All the World" (Beach Lane, $17.99), written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee, who won a Caldecott Honor last year for "A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever";

"Birds" (Greenwillow, $17.99), written by Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes and illustrated by his wife, Laura Dronzek;

"Crow Call" (Scholastic, $16.99), written by Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline;

"The Curious Garden" (Little Brown, $16.99), written and illustrated by Peter Brown;

"Duck! Rabbit!" (Chronicle Books, $16.99), written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld;

"Hello Baby!" (Beach Lane Books, $16.99), written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Steve Jenkins;

"Higher! Higher!" (Candlewick Press, $15.99), written and illustrated by Leslie Patricelli;

"Moonshot" (Atheneum, $17.99), written and illustrated by Brian Floca;

"Otis" (Philomel, $17.99), written and illustrated by Loren Long;

"Tsunami!" (Philomel, $16.99), written by Kimiko Kajikawa and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Ed Young.

Happy New Year everyone!

A New Portrait

2009-12-17T04:00:00.000-05:00

Illustration Directories

2009-12-16T19:05:00.001-05:00

Excellent advise from Mark Mitchell and Jo Ann Miller: Should you advertise in an illustration directory?

...there are always people — right now especially — looking for that nostalgic, hands on feel in the art. Watercolor, draftsmanship, the simple pen and ink line have a more important place than they had three years ago. Everybody’s been touched by someone who’s lost a job. People are going through a tough time. They want an emotional comfort level. That means images that strike an emotional, warm and fuzzy feeling, that appear hand-made rather than in your face and MTV-like.

...

There’s always a need for the humaneness in visual images — particularly in an economy that’s struggling. And it’s often found in pictures done in the very traditional mediums like watercolor and pencil. I think artists of that old school style have shied away from promoting themselves when they should be embracing opportunities to showcase their art.

New Neighborhood

2009-12-15T21:44:00.001-05:00

We will be making the big move to North Carolina this weekend. Our new home will be in the Trinity Park neighborhood of Durham.

A Little Colored Pencil

2009-12-08T19:12:00.002-05:00

Snow

2009-12-06T23:05:00.003-05:00

I really like Uri Shulevitz, and his book Snow is certainly appropriate for this season.

We got our first snow accumulation here in Madison this past Thursday, which is always beautiful. We will likely get more tonight and tomorrow.

Illustration Art

2009-12-05T17:21:00.002-05:00

Here is a great illustration blog.

Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales

2009-12-05T17:09:00.000-05:00

This was a wonderful present from my husband on my birthday (Nov. 27)!

Illustrated Children's Books

2009-11-28T20:17:00.000-05:00

A new book: Illustrated Children's Books. Click here for a gallery.

Pope Meets Artists in Sistine Chapel

2009-11-22T15:03:00.001-05:00

Click here for the whole article:

He added: "Faith takes nothing away from your genius or your art: on the contrary, it exalts them and nourishes them."

...

Benedict, himself an accomplished pianist, said Saturday: "The experience of beauty does not remove us from reality, on the contrary, it leads to a direct encounter with the daily reality of our lives, liberating it from darkness, transfiguring it, making it radiant and beautiful."

He told the artists: "You are the custodians of beauty: thanks to your talent, you have the opportunity to speak to the heart of humanity, to touch individual and collective sensibilities, to call forth dreams and hopes, to broaden the horizons of knowledge and of human engagement."

A New Drafting Table

2009-11-21T12:48:00.001-05:00

I bought this beautiful, solid oak drafting table from my employer; an Architectural / Engineering firm. I got a great deal on it, and Joel and I could certainly use a nice one like this.

The place is a mess because we're getting ready for a move to North Carolina in a month!

Sketch of the Day

2009-11-18T20:21:00.002-05:00

Mini Work Doodles

2009-11-16T18:44:00.001-05:00

Sketch of the Day

2009-11-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

NYT Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2009

2009-11-07T21:20:00.002-05:00

Here are the best illustrated children's books of 2009, according to the New York Times:

Every year since 1952, the Book Review has asked a panel of judges to select 10 books from among the several thousand children’s books published that year. The judges this time around were Adam Gopnik, who writes regularly for The New Yorker and is the author of two novels for children, “The King in the Window” and the forthcoming “Steps Across the Water”; Jillian Tamaki, a teacher at the School of Visual Arts and the recipient of a Society of Illustrators gold medal; and Lisa Von Drasek, the children’s librarian of the Bank Street College of Education.

ONLY A WITCH CAN FLY

MOONSHOT: The Flight of Apollo 11

THE ODD EGG

A PENGUIN STORY

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

THE SNOW DAY

TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA

YUMMY: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales

WHITE NOISE

ALL THE WORLD