Crushes of the Week: September 8-14, 2019

This week's crushes:

1. Mermaid Dreams by Kate Pugsley (Tundra Books, April 2019)
2. Hats Are Not for Cats! by Jacqueline K. Rayner (Clarion Books, August 2019)
3. Button and Popper by Oili Tanninen (Thames & Hudson, September 2019)
4. Blue Cat by Charlie Eve Ryan (Starberry Books, October 2019)
5. Little Tigers by Jo Weaver (Peachtree Publishing Company, October 2019)
6. Thank You! by Charo Pita and Anuska Allepuz (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, August 2019)

     

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRANNIES

Eric Veillé's previous picture book My Pictures After the Storm accidentally passed me right by, and I whole-heartedly regret not reviewing it. So naturally I was pretty psyched to see Encyclopedia of Grannies absolutely measures up in terms of design and content. Each spread examines a different facet of "Granny": what's inside granny's bed, why do grannies travel by bus, why do grannies have creases, etc. And Veillé's answers are witty, inclusive, and thoughtful.

THE FATE OF FAUSTO

The Fate of Fausto by Oliver Jeffers is a cautionary tale that reminds readers of the fate that awaits selfish people.

Let's Talk Illustrators #117: Ingela P. Arrhenius

I caught up with Ingela P. Arrhenius, book creator extraordinaire. Each one of Ingela's books is unique in design, from die-cuts to oversize trim sizes, from board books to picture books. Today I'm talking to Ingela about her Bookscape Board Book series, which is seeing two titles––A Marvelous Museum and A Forest's Seasons––publish in the US today. Enjoy our conversation! 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Boom! Boom! Boom! by Przemystaw Wechterowicz and Marianna Oklejak is a colorful and rocking good time.

Crushes of the Week: August 18-24, 2019

This week's crushes:

1. 1,001 Ants by Joanna Rzezek (Thames & Hudson, September 2019)
2. Dream Big by Joyce Wan (Cartwheel Books, July 2019)
3. Can Cat and Bird Be Friends? by Coll Muir (HarperCollins, June 2019)
4. Ghost Cat by Kevan Atteberry (Neal Porter Books, June 2019)
5. Astro Pea by Amalia Hoffman (Schiffer Publishing, March 2019)
6. Bigger Words for Little Geniuses by Susan Patterson, James Patterson, and Hsinping Pan (jimmy patterson, September 2019)

     

MY GRANDMA AND ME

My Grandma and Me by Mina Javaherbin and Lindsey Yankey is an autobiographical account of Javaherbin growing up in Iran with her grandmother in pre-revolutionary Iran.

A LIFE MADE BY HAND

A Life Made By Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa by Andrea D'Aquino is a biography of lesser-known wire sculptor Ruth Asawa.

Crushes of the Week: August 11-17, 2019

This week's crushes:

1. Flora Forager ABC by Bridget Beth Collins (Little Bigfoot, March 2019)
2. I Love All of Me (Wonderful Me) by Lorie Ann Grover and Carolina Búzio (Cartwheel Books, September 2019)
3. Duckworth, the Difficult Child by Michael Sussman and Júlia Sardà (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, June 2019)
4. Animal Habitats: Search & Find Activity Book by Sam Hutchinson and Sarah Dennis (Princeton Architectural Press, August 2019)
5. Idriss and His Marble by Rene Gouichoux and Zau (Starberry Books, September 2019)
6. Garbage Dog by Eleni Kalorkoti and Robbie Wilkinson (Little Gestalten, August 2019)

     

Let's Talk Illustrators #116: Dream Chen

I was lucky enough to get a chance to chat illustrator Dream Chen about her illustration and story processes for Butterflies on the First Day of School, written by Annie Silvestro. The illustrations are as sweet as the story, and it was delightful chatting with Dream. Have a read (and a look!).