Let's Talk Illustrators #124: Angel Chang

There is no better way to describe the illustrations in Dave Eggers' new book Most of the Better Natural Things in the World than "breathtaking." Angel Chang's debut as an illustrator brings light and warmth to every crevice of the Earth as a tiger carries her chair from one geographically-notable area to another. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Angel about her stunning illustrations of  most of the better natural things of the world.

Crushes of the Week: November 10-16, 2019

This week's crushes:

1. Panthera Tigris by Sylvain Alzial and Helene Rajcak (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, October 2019)
2. A Million Dots by Sven Völker (Cicada Books, September 2019)
3. Otto Goes North by Ulrika Kestere (Gecko Press, September 2019)
4. The Day of Your Arrival by Dolores Brown and Reza Dalvand (Nubeocho, October 2019)
5. Little Libraries, Big Heroes by Miranda Paul and John Parra (Clarion Books, September 2019)
6. Aunt Pearl by Monica Kulling and Irene Luxbacher (Groundwood Books, August 2019)
7. Whose Footprint Is That? by Darrin Lunde and Kelsey Oseid (Charlesbridge, October 2019)
8. North America: A Fold-Out Graphic History by Sarah Albee and William Exley (What on Earth Books, October 2019)
9. Paper Peek: Colors by Chihiro Takeuchi (Candlewick Studio, October 2019)

        

THE BALCONY

The Balcony by Melissa Castrillón is a beautifully inspirational book about the power of nature to unite a community.

Crushes of the Week: November 3-9 2019

This week's crushes:

1. We Are Artists: Women Who Made Their Mark on the World by Kari Herbert (Thames & Hudson, September 2019)
2. Ghost: Thirteen Haunting Tales to Tell by Illustratus (Chronicle Books, August 2019)
3. The Piano Recital by Akiko Miyakoshi (Kids Can Press, September 2019)
4. Nya's Long Walk: A Step at a Time by Linda Sue Park and Brian Pinkney (Clarion Books, September 2019)
5. Small in the City by Sydney Smith (Neal Porter Books, September 2019)
6. Grobblechops by Elizabeth Laird and Jenny Lucander (Tiny Owl Publishing, September 2019)
7. Nuts! by Lou Peacock and Yasmeen Ismail (Nosy Crow, September 2019)

      

STARS & POPPY SEEDS

Stars & Poppy Seeds by Ukrainian husband and wife team Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv is a stunning combination of art and mathematics.

Crushes of the Week: October 27-November 2, 2019

This week's crushes:

1. Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border by Mitali Perkins and Sara Palacios (Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), September 2019)
2. And Then the Seed Grew by Marianne Dubuc (Kids Can Press, September 2019)
3. Space Train by Maudie Powell-Tuck and Karl James Mountford (Tiger Tales, October 2019)
4. Follow Chester!: A College Football Team Fights Racism and Makes History by Gloria Respress-Churchwell and Laura Freeman (Charlesbridge, September 2019)
5. The Knight Who Said "No!" by Lucy Rowland and Kate Hindley (Nosy Crow, September 2019)
6. Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max (Candlewick, September 2019)
7. The Mystery of the Missing Cake by Claudia Boldt (Tate, April 2018)

      

THE HIKE

The Hike by Alison Farrell is the sweet story of three kids (and a dog) who love hiking more than anything in the world.

Let's Talk Illustrators #123: Isabelle Arsenault

It was an honor and a pleasure to talk to Isabelle Arsenault about her newest illustrated book Just Because, written by Mac Barnett. I have long admired Isabelle's ever-evolving style, and I thought Just Because was a perfect way for her to showcase the breadth of her creativity and imagination. I hope you enjoy our chat!

Crushes of the Week: October 20-26, 2019

This week's crushes:

1. Hilda and the Mountain King: Book 6 by Luke Pearson (Flying Eye Books, September 2019)
2. One Is a Lot (Except When It's Not) by Muon Thi Van and Pierre Pratt (Kids Can Press, October 2019)
3. Ada and the Number-Crunching Machine by Zoë Tucker and Rachel Katstaller (NorthSouth Books, September 2019)
4. Who Wet My Pants? by Bob Shea and Zachariah OHora (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, September 2019)
5. Shadow by Lucy Christopher and Anastasia Suvorova (Lantana Publishing, October 2019)
6. Patience, Miyuki by Roxane Marie Galliez and Seng Soun Ratanavanh (Princeton Architectural Press, October 2019)
7. From a Small Seed: The Story of Eliza Hamilton by Camille Andros and Tessa Blackham (Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), October 2019)

      

Let's Talk Illustrators #122: Paweł Pawlak

I was lucky enough to get a chance to talk to Polish author-illustrator Paweł Pawlak about his illustration and story processes for Oscar Seeks a Friend, a story I knew I would connect to from the cover alone. I dug a little deeper into the design of Paweł's book, and I hope you enjoy the interview!